West Lake

Hanoi's largest lake, covering more than 500 hectares, has long been ringed by pagodas, villas and coffee houses. On its south-eastern shore rises Tran Quoc, Vietnam's oldest pagoda, founded in the 6th century, its red tower standing on stilts above the water. The Xuan Dieu embankment is now the city's trendiest cafe quarter, and sunsets over the lake are considered the finest in Hanoi.