Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

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On a sunny or at least dry day what would be more relaxing than a stroll around Lake Huan Kiem. If you get up early you can local people doing their morning exercises and can even join them. Be prepared though that boys and girls will harrash you all the time and try to sell you over priced post cards and they take no for an answer. It can be annoying after a while. I had planned to spend a lazy day and sit in the park by the Lake Kiem and write my diary, letters and post cards, but it was raining, which ruined that plan. I tried to find the office of Malaysia Airlines to confirm my return flight, but though I knew I was close to it I just didn't find it, so I took a taxi there. I asked if there was a bus to the airport and the lady said that only Vietnam Airlines sell the tickets for it. Though I had my raincoat on I was all wet and getting cold, so I went to a café where I spent quite a long time writing my diary and a letter to a friend in England. I continued walking and my small backpack was very wet and the camera bag was getting wetter and wetter all the time, so I decided to go back to my room and see if the rain stopped. My guide book was wet and so was my address book and the manual of my camera, but luckily the camera and the lenses were dry. I've never experienced that kind of hard rain during any of my previous holidays.

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Take a tour round the Hoan Kiem Lake (meaning "Lake of the Restored Sword") and be refreshed. Pool of water surrounded with greens. It is scenic - weeping williows and other greens dipping into the pool of calm waters. Benches along the lake allow old and young to relax and maybe do some soul searching. It's a spot in the centre of Hanoi town. Perfect spot for you to rest your feet after a long walk or shopping.

The Legend
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In mid15th century, Heaven gave Emperor Ly Thai To (LeLoi) a magical sword to chase the Chinese out of Vietnam. One day, after the war, while the Emperor was out boating, he encountered with a huge golden tortoise. The tortoise snatched the sword and went into the water to restore the sword to the rightful owner.

There, you will see Ngoc San Temple which can be reached via a red wooden bridge (The Huc - "Rising Sun") . We did not enter the temple but we had a good slow walk around the lake. This temple was built to honour Van Xuong, General Tran Hung Dao who defeated Mongols in the 13th century and La To who is the saint of physicians.

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This temple is a nice place to stop and get a small lesson in Vietnamese folklore. Here you will learn the story about a Vietnamese hero who was offered a restored sword by a giant turtle that lives in the lake and how this hero fended off incoming armies who wanted to take over Hanoi with this sword. Here you will also find the Sunbeam Bridge where many people come all over the world to take pictures next to the brilliant red rails of the bridge.

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You will find that the place where all the action happens in Hanoi is around Hoan Kiem Lake. Here you will find Ngoc Son Temple and the Three Tiered Tower but that's not the brilliance of this lake. Around this lake is where you will really get to see how everyday Vietnamese life takes place in Hanoi. Here you will find people playing a game of badminton, couples making out along the lake, old mamasans panhandling their fruits and veggies, little old ladies doing tai chi in the morning, the Vietnamese version of the mall walker and anything else you could imagine. Its like Hanoi's Central Park. A great place to take a seat and people watch for a couple of hours. Also the lake is lit up at night, so its a nice place to take a romantic stroll.

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This beautiful lake is located in the heart of Hanoi. In the middle of the lake one can see the Thap Rua tower, sometimes used as the symbol of Hanoi. Also you can see the Ngoc Son temple with beautifu statues, is dedicated to Van Xuong, Tran Hung Dao and to the saint of the doctors La To. You can reach the temple through the beautiful The Huc bridge constructed in 1885.

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After a tiring day walking around the old quarter or visiting other tourist attractions, take a break by chilling by the lake. Best to supplement this by grabbing an ice-cream from Fanny's at the south-western end, or just call out to one of the many street hawkers walking by with fresh fruit. The ladies will even peel and cut the fruit for you!

It's a great place to people watch - see young vietnamese girls having a picnic on the bench, young couples whispering sweet nothings to each other and old men just sitting there enjoying the breeze.

The rain season in Vietnam is from May to September. The weather is still hot but rainy. If you don’t like rain don’t go Vietnam in rain season. It was a real fun for me to be in Vietnam in rainy season… A walk near the Hanoi Hoan Kiem river in the city is very romantic and refreshing..

Early morning, you will be surprised by the big turnout of early risers exercising at and around the lake. As though the entire Hanoi exercises...

If you are wilting from the heat, cool yourself off under the shady willows of the lake. However, heat does get refracted off the water so it doesn't solve the problem of humidity.

It's also a good place to orientate yourself between the French Quarter and Old Quarter and there is no lack of shopping or restaurants in the vicinity.