Though Karaoke was not born in Vietnam- Japan has claimed the origin of this fun entertainment, Vietnamese has a thing or two about singing karaoke. The singing venues are very much popular for socialization in the country. Hanoi is not an exception. If you are in town and plan to mingle with your colleagues or new friends, karaoke is the way to go. However, there are a few things you need to remember so that you can have a safe, fun and reasonable night out.

 

Do not ask for the hostesses

It is true that there are here and there fun places in the camouflage of karaoke bars. And if you are into that kind of entertainment, find a more obscene and obvious place. If you ask for hostesses in a karaoke bar, the high chance is that you are overcharged and face physical harm once refusing to pay. Some murky places even keep guards to detain customers who refuse to pay. Do not worry though as this article also mentions the names some reliable, clean karaoke bars for your reference. 

 

Refuse the serving of un-ordered refreshments and snack

As you are singing, the waiters may bring in some extra refreshments and snacks that you have not ordered. This is not an unusual practice as the karaoke hosts want to maximize their turnovers. If you do not want to pay an inflated bill, tell them right away that you do not want any of that. In case you want something from the menu, specify what you want and accept only that. 

Here are some popular addresses where you can have fun and worry less about murky practices:

 

Bingo KTV Karaoke Club

Address: 142 Trieu Viet Vuong, Hai Bà Trưng, Hanoi

The Karaoke Club is quite a hit among the local clubs with its fresh themed singing rooms. The Amazon cabin, for example, is lush green decorated with green light and jungle stuffs.  There is even a cowboy room, a prison room andan underwater room. The English song choices are not much; you can look up the menu for song numbers then give the list to the waiter. They then play the songs for you.

 

X-men Karaoke

Address: 408 Đê La Thành, Đống Đa, Hanoi

It is probably the most popular karaoke bar in town as the street is always packed with patrons from X-men. Its massive rooms are suitable for a merry party. The decoration is of great fun. The staff gets good reviews on being helpful as they are willing to pick up some street food at your order from nearby shops. You can choose to sing more contemporary songs by writing down the names to the waiters as the new songs are often off the menu.