lake

Hanoi's Hoàn Kiếm Lake is situated in the centre of the Vietnamese Capital, and is probably one of my favourite places in Hanoi. I'm sure many - locals and tourists — would agree that the Hoàn Kiếm Lake is one of the most peaceful and serene places in Hanoi.
Half the time we were walking along the streets of Hanoi, we were busy dodging motorcycles and cars and stressing out over crossing the streets. Having a clear pedestrian path to walk around the lake without the need to worry of oncoming vehicles was such a huge plus! It makes it so much more enjoyable. One can really walk at an idyllic place and appreciate the lake for its beauty.

As we were there in the later part of summer (perhaps early autumn) the weather was still pretty warm, and the flowers were in full bloom. Those orange, yellow and red hues added a nice lively contrast to the greenery all around the lake. From the MANY MANY couples we saw, to people wearing traditional Vietnamese hats, kids playing by the lake and families brunching in nearby cafés, people watching is something I couldn't help doing when we were by the lake.

When you're by the lake, don't forget to walk to the temple in the middle of it. Crossing a red bridge to get to the temple, and then getting a full view of the lake from the middle, is definitely something worth doing. We even spotted a man playing some traditional instrument by the pavilion in the temple!

pedestrian walkway by hanoi lake

image of a lady wearing vietnamese hat and picking trash

ootd by the hanoi lake featuring clothes from bangkok

image of the lovely white cafe by the hanoi lake

image of a girl playing the instrument in the temple near the hanoi lake

view of the hanoi lake from the temple in the middle of it

Peaceful. Calm. Tranquil.
Those adjectives best describe the experience one would have walking around Hanoi Lake. It is no wonder couples and even families enjoy hanging out by the lake, evading the chaos of the streets and enjoying the simple pleasures in life in the company of loved ones.

If you want to find out more of my Vietnam trip, check out my travel diary video and Vietnam Lookbook!

Couple's Hotspot: Hanoi Lake

5 October 2015 Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi, Vietnam

I really love how Bali is filled with such calm beautiful sceneries. Its really nice to visit a place where you get the bustle of city life and at the same time be able to experience the serenity of mother nature.

Lake Bratan (Ulun Danu Bratan) and Sekumpul Waterfalls are 2 places that are really special.

Lake Bratan is so beautiful. We took a little boat ride, where this older lady rowed it with an oar. It was such a rustic yet charming experience.

There was a temple that was appeared to be floating in the lake. It was so untouched, definitely a sight to remember. It started to rain a little during the boat ride. But the rain and the fog made everything look more mysterious. I felt like I was part of a movie scene, the lake at the foot of the mountain, us in a boat rowing out towards it, rowing into the unknown - melodramatic much? hahaha! Well, we were the only people in the entire lake, along with our driver and the lady who was rowing the boat (power to her), so it seemed pretty legit at that point.

I'm not that much of an outdoor person, I don't go on hikes, long runs, climb any form of a hill or mountain. Its not that i'm unfit, its just I never really had the chance to do it? Or rather I don't actively search for opportunities to do it.

When given the option to climb/hike around the Sekumpul waterfalls Sheryl and I opted for the shorter route (well due to time constrains as well but yeah, that probably wasn't the only reason haha!) It was not a really tough route to climb, because we were being introduced to the different type of agriculture plants the locals living near the waterfall were cultivating, and more importantly, we could see the gorgeous waterfall.

The thing about climbing the waterfall is the route can be really narrow - less than the width of a human, maybe about the width of two feet put together, with no form of safety enhancement/rail/anything. The local guide could climb in SLIPPERS. We were both so impressed. Because of the narrow road, Sheryl nearly fell to her death right in front of me. Thank God the Guide caught her. I had the shock of my life at that moment and we will always talk about this event, and will definitely continue to do so in the years to come.

Another incident involved me nearly losing my shoes. We took off our shoes to cross the river you see above, and though it may not look like it, the water was FAST. I dropped my shoe (well done me) and in 2 seconds it floated 2m away. Thank God for the super guide again, who managed to catch it because he moved like a ninja. And may I repeat - IN SLIPPERS.

We were laughing at ourselves the whole time, and it definitely made the climb/hike really memorable.

Along the way, we met little kids and other inhabitants who were going about their daily activities. The lady you see below was walking and carrying this massive sack on her head!

Little kids playing with gigantic mat? leaf? and posing for photos. Such a simple tool, yet they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Come on parents. Get rid of them iPads, your kids don't need them! Hahah!

Coffee beans right off a tree! This is how they look like pre-processed. They tasted kind of odd. Sweet but bland at the same time.

The nostalgia really kicks in while looking back at photographs and recalling the experiences :) I'm Missing Asia indeed! Hope you all enjoyed the photos, I have more where those came from ;) Stay tune!