Kayaking on West Lake, Hanoi

Amidst the vast space of West Lake, hearing the sound of kayak paddles and feeling the cool breeze will surely dispel everyone's heat during sunny days in Hanoi. 

Kayak is a type of boat that is no longer strange in Vietnam, with many tourist resorts providing this service to tourists. However, for those who do not have the conditions to travel far, they can still experience kayaking in Hanoi. Especially on these hot summer days, more and more people are choosing kayaking as an interesting way to cool off. 

In the Eskimo language, kayak means hunter's boat and is transcribed from the word Quajao created by the aboriginal people here during hunting. This is a specially designed boat with an elongated, slender shape and is made from light wood covered with waterproof seal or animal skin on the outside and is controlled entirely by human power. The length of the boat usually depends on each person's body size. Normally, the length of the boat will be three times the length of the outstretched arm and the width at the cockpit is the width of the worker's hips plus two fists. According to the original design, this boat had a deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one rower. 

Besides, to prevent water from getting inside, the cockpit will be covered with a cover to block waves and water jets. However, gradually with development, kayaks have changed more as the material used to make the boat is not simply wood but is molded from rubber, composite plastic or inflatable boats. Seating in the cabin also varies from one to many seats on the same boat.

Kayaking seems simple but it is not as easy as many people think. Anyone who wants to participate in this activity must practice for a while beforehand. This practice includes getting used to the small boat and how to steer when putting the boat into the water. The most difficult step for each new participant is always the lesson of controlling the boat on the water. Because the kayak is quite long, it will be difficult to navigate in areas with unpredictable currents or many continuous turns. However, with the surface of West Lake not having too many large wave areas, this becomes easier for new participants. Therefore, the initial training step is shortened quite a lot. 

Normally, West Lake starts bustling early in the morning and after work every hour. Those who like airy, fresh air can start at dawn, and for those who want to watch the sunset on the lake, when the sun goes down is the ideal choice. At this time, the lake surface is calm and not too hot, creating comfort for each participant. When first putting the kayak into the water, newbies will feel confused when they cannot steer the boat in the direction they want, but once they get used to the rower and remember the previous practice skills, it will be easy to do. Boat ownership becomes easier. Everyone's job now is to slowly control the boat to explore the vast and familiar surface of West Lake. Many people said that when they took the kayak out to the middle of the lake, the feeling of conquering a familiar destination appeared. That's why they quickly showed interest from the first try. 

To enjoy the cool West Lake breeze in a completely new way through a slim kayak, you can find a number of locations that specialize in providing kayaks at many different prices. However, with current income levels, this number is still quite large, so many people choose to rent a boat as a way to minimize finances and still be able to serve their hobbies. After trying West Lake on a kayak, if possible, you can also go to some other tourist areas in the country that have this form such as Tam Bac, Ha Long Bay or Vung Tau,... 

All of these places offer boat rentals and training guides.

Thank you for your choiceiguide.aito accompany your exciting experience!