Sports in Hanoi

Sport around Hanoi mostly means leaving town, and it falls into three kinds. Paddling is the bays, where a kayak or bamboo boat ducks through a cave mouth into a lagoon, as at Luon Cave, or crosses open water off Cap La Island in Bai Tu Long. Cycling is flat: village lanes at Tam Coc, the rice fields of the Mai Chau valley, the farm tracks of Duong Lam. Trekking is Sapa's Muong Hoa valley and the terraced trails of Pu Luong. Cat Ba mixes all three, with a night in Viet Hai village, a hike up Navy Peak and a kayak after dark.

Most of it is guided and graded honestly. The classic Sapa walk runs about 10 km from Y Linh Ho through Lao Chai to Ta Van, which the operator rates 6 out of 10, and it needs a night, so it comes as two or three days. Pu Luong's trail is 6 km, about three hours, and is described as suitable for everyone. In Mai Chau a guided ride of about two and a half hours fills the afternoon, followed by dinner and a dance show in a stilt house. Ha Long day cruises add a kayak or bamboo boat and a swim; life jackets are recommended. Groups are small, mostly up to fifteen, and many trips run privately.

Practical. Bring a hat, sunscreen and shoes with grip; summer rain, May to September, makes the Sapa and Pu Luong paths slippery, and Sapa's nights stay cold. In January the bays are around 16C by day, a jacket month and not a swimming one. Several treks are not recommended for bad backs, heart conditions or pregnancy. Day trips are normally free to cancel up to 24 hours ahead, Pu Luong and Mai Chau up to 72 hours, and overnight cruises up to six days before sailing.