Hoàn Kiếm Lake and Ngọc Sơn Temple, Hanoi

The lake at the heart of Hanoi, where, legend says, a golden turtle took back a magic sword from Emperor Lê Lợi after he drove out the Chinese. Locals do tai chi along its banks at dawn. A red wooden bridge, The Huc ('Morning Sunlight'), leads to the Ngọc Sơn Temple on a small island, which displays a preserved giant turtle.

At weekends, the streets around the lake are closed to traffic in the evenings and become a walking street with families and street performers. The Old Quarter, a maze of narrow streets named after the goods once sold in them, starts on the north side of the lake. Try phở, bún chả and egg coffee there.