SWIMMING

Several unmarket hotels have swimming pools, but most are for hotel guests and members only. For the general public, the Army Hotel (Central Hanoi map; Pho Pham Ngu Lao),  near the History Museum, charges 40,000d or US$3 for day use of their pool which is big enough to do laps and is open all year. Just about big enough to do laps- but a much nicer place to lounge around afterwards- is the pool at the Melia Hotel  (Old Quarter map; Pho Ly Thuong Kiet),  where ‘walk-in-members’ pay US$5 to swim, or US$10 to swim and use the gym. Some other hotels charge a US$10 day-use fee (see Places to Stay later in this chapter).

Out by Ho Tay (West Lake), the Ho Tay Villas (Greater Hanoi map; Tell: 825 8241)  charges 30,000d per day to swim. Also by Ho Tay is the Thang Loi Hotel, which has a swimming pool in a nicer location that’s open to the public for the sae price. These two pools are only open in summer months, from about May to October.

Following in the footsteps o HCMC, the recently completed Hanoi Water Park (Greater Hanoi map; Tell: 753 2757) is about 5km from the city center and offers the usual variety of pools, slides and splashing opportunities. Entry costs 50,000d for those over 110cm-tal, or30,000d for shorter people. Go figure. It’s open daily from April 15 to November.