Hoan Kiem Lake: It Is Possible To Run Around...

Hanoi, Vietnam

Hoan Kiem Lake: it is possible to run around the lake in this park which is located in the heart of Hanoi. In the early morning, the park is active with people running and doing exercises. The perimeter of the lake is about 1.0 mile. This lake is in walking distance from several major downtown hotels and provides a nice break from the activity of the downtown. You can either pack your own water or purchase it from many of the street vendors along the way. If you purchase the water from a street vendor, make sure the bottle is actually sealed. The Hanoi Hash House Harriers are a bit of a wild group of folks that are clearly in this club for social pleasure as opposed to serious running (you may be the only person not wearing a Hash t-shirt liberally adorned with racy sayings, graphics, and beer company sponsorships!). These folks do like to have fun and beer plays an important role in their running. However, this said, connecting with the Hash (a jovial and welcoming group of ex pats) is a great way to have an opportunity to run outside of Hanoi: likely in countryside you'd not have an opportunity to run in otherwise. I had the great opportunity of running through some incredible farm country, pagoda ruins, and small villages where seniors look and laugh at the site of this group of rag-tag folks running through the narrow streets of their villages and where children run along side you until they get bored. The Hash meet on Saturday afternoons at 2:00 at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel, hop on their bus and head out into the country for a fun adventure run. Runs vary in distance and location. There is a nominal fee for the runs to cover the cost of the bus and the refreshments. Last known web address for this group is: http://wso.net/hhhh.