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Where to Run in Dalat

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Where to Run

Xuan Huong Lake Loop

Distance: 4.88 miles/ 7.6 km

Terrain: The area around the lake is flat, but outside of that area, Dalat is quite hilly.

You’ll notice there is a large park adjacent to the lake.  I don’t have a route made for that, but if you’re up for some hill training, that would be a great spot.

What to Wear

The climate is pretty warm year round, so you can get away with shorts and a t-shirt most of the time.  The rainy season is May-October.

Dangers

  • Luckily, traffic isn’t too much of an issue, aside from the areas outside the lake.  Be aware of cars and scooters when crossing streets.
  • There is one small section, just before reaching the lake that is in a pretty secluded park that had homeless people living in it.  Just be aware of your surroundings, as always.

Tips

  • It is refreshing to have a quiet run in a Vietnamese city where you don’t have to worry too much about cars and scooters during the entirety of your run.
  • Bring your phone or a camera, as there are some nice photo ops around the lake.
  • If you are training for a race, Dalat is a perfect spot to do interval training on hills.

Where to Run in Hoi An

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Where to Run

Big beach loop

Distance: 7.45 miles/12 km

Terrain: A few small hills and dips, but relatively flat. There are only sidewalks along part of the route.  There will be times that you run along the side of a pretty busy road.

The route is quite scenic, and the view changes frequently from busy town to rice paddies to beach to river, then back to busy town.  It is also nice to bike this route.

What to Wear

Shorts and a short sleeved running shirt will suffice.  Bright colors may be helpful, given the traffic considerations.

Socks that wick away moisture to prevent rubbing and chaffing are ideal.

Dangers

  • Dry season in February to May, though it is pretty warm year round. Take the normal hot weather running precautions.
  • Traffic.  Some of the route is along a busy road with no sidewalk, however there is a small shoulder on which it is possible to run.

Tips

  • It’s a long route, so consider bringing some water with you.
  • Since you’re running to the beach, it’s possible to have a mid run swim, but the swells can be high.  Also, this would meaning running the second half of the route with sand and salt water on your skin, which can lead to chaffing.

Where to Run in Hanoi

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Things to Know

Exercise is an important part of daily life for many in Hanoi.  Unlike other parts of Asia, where you will turn many heads by running along streets, running in Hanoi is not an unusual event.  Hoan Kiem Lake in particular, is a magnet for sports enthusiasts.  Throughout the day (but mainly at sunrise), there will be people stretching, jogging or doing Tai Chi along the lake.

Where to Run

  • Hoan Kiem Lake

Distance: 3.4 miles/5.5 km  with 2 laps of the lake. (Obviously more laps of the lake increases the distance.)

Terrain: The route is quite flat.  Sidewalks and paths are in good condition.

  • West Lake (Ho Tay Lake)

Distance: 7.4 miles/ 11.8km

Terrain: Relatively flat

I didn’t actually run this one, but had planned to.

What to wear

Where whatever you would normally wear, depending on the season.  Consider neon or bright colors to make you visible to the motorists.

Dangers

  • Traffic!  The roads are crazy busy, so make sure you look both ways before crossing the street.  There is a reason these routes are around lakes, with minimal street running.

Tips

  • During summer, it’s quite hot.  The earlier you go, the better.
  • The routes, especially Hoan Kiem Lake can be really busy with pedestrians and tourists.  Again, early runs are probably easier.

Scootering in Saigon

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My parents flew to Saigon for a whirlwind Asian tour with us.  Saigon is a bit of a paradox.  It’s a hugely commercial city in a Communist country.  Many of the sites of war are now tourist attractions.  Even the name- it’s technically Ho Chi Min City, but everyone calls it Saigon.  After the Vietnam war, it was officially changed to Ho Chi Min City, but most Vietnamese prefer its former name.  s6

In Saigon, we stopped by the Emperor Jade Pagoda, which was a cluttered, busy temple, made even more crowded, by the fact that we happened to visit on International Women’s Day.  The temple is home to a teeming turtle pool.

Oh so many turtles!
Oh so many turtles!

We spent the better part of a day at the somber War Remnants museum, an institution dedicated to portraying the brutality of war.  Mainly, it details the course of the Vietnam war.  American tanks and planes are displayed around the premises.  s1

Many battles were fought around the city.  We visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, outside the city, where the Viet Cong lived underground for years.  s3As we walked through a very short section of tunnel, bent over with backs scraping the ceiling, sweating in the heat, it was impossible to comprehend how anyone could live there.  s7My Dad and I tried shooting an AK-47.  I don’t think either of us hit the targets though.  s5 s4
A day trip to the Mekong delta allowed us a glimpse at country life.s9

s10

Riding around the local way, in the back of an open truck.
Riding around the local way, in the back of an open truck.

Scooters rule the roads in Saigon.  They clog the streets, and when there’s not enough room in the lanes, they drive on the sidewalks.

Plethora of scooters, and a conveniently located Starbucks
Plethora of scooters, and a conveniently located Starbucks

Rarely do they obey traffic rules.  They drive on the wrong side of the road and proceed through red lights.  Crossing the street in Saigon can be a treacherous endeavor.  But if you can’t beat em’, join em’, right?  With this mindset, we booked a nighttime Vespa food tour.  Perched on the backs of bikes, we held on as the drivers navigated through the congested traffic jams that are a part of everyday Saigon life.  s12On the way to different restaurants, we witnessed scooters carrying all sorts of wares: sheets of glass, any number of passengers (max number we saw was 5), and most outrageously, a full grown tree standing upright behind the driver.

Having a guide order local food for us was helpful.  We tried pork spring rolls with pancakes wrapped in lettuce, fresh spring rolls, crab, mussels, and clam soup.  The night ended with Vietnamese coffee at a private cafe with singers, and cocktails at a club.s13

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Secrets in Dalat

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Dalat is where Vietnamese people go on vacation.  It’s known as the honeymoon spot.  The surrounding countryside is popular for canyoning and rappelling, but the city itself isn’t that special.

The lake in the center of the city.
The lake in the center of the city.

However, there’s a really interesting hotel, called the Crazy House that we visited.  Its peaked roofs, giraffe neck stairways, and dripping eaves seem misplaced in Vietnam, and better suited to “A Nightmare before Christmas”.  If Tim Burton and Gaudi collaborated to design a hotel, this would be the result.  It was fun to explore, with nooks and secret rooms and stairways to nowhere.d3

We learned more about Vietnamese culture while there.  For instance, families tend to celebrate death days rather than birthdays.  On the anniversary of a loved one’s passing, friends and family buy paper cars, cell phones, dresses, and wads of money.  These paper items look like piñatas and children’s toys, but are very serious.  They are burnt so that the deceased can enjoy the pleasures in heaven.  We also learned how local women use curry as makeup.

curry
curry

They smush the beans for lipstick, and can use the prickly green outside coating as fake eyelashes.   d8

 One custom we couldn’t welcome was the practice of eating dog.  Not everyone eats dog; it is reserved for the wealthy, and is more popular in the north.  What was even more shocking was that some people raise dogs as pets, take care of them, then eat them.  Unthinkable to us, but a cultural norm for some Vietnamese.  We both did a double take every time we saw a restaurant with signs advertising roasted dog.

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Resisting the urge to shop in Hoi An

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Hoi An makes you want to buy stuff.  The town is famous for tailors who make bespoke clothing.  People travel to this ancient spot halfway down Vietnam’s coast, from around the world to have clothes and shoes made to order.  ha4The style and fabric can be chosen, and they will be made according to measurement.  Tailors generally take 48hr to prepare clothes, and require two fittings.  Shoes, also created to the customer’s wishes, take a day.

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