Dai Lai Lake

Nhị Đắng · BY 2.0

A wide reservoir under the Tam Dao range, its still water ringed by pine hills and small peninsulas.

Dai Lai was dammed in the late 1950s to store irrigation water, and gradually became the place Hanoians drive to at weekends, barely forty-five kilometres out. The lake is broad, flat and almost waveless, fringed by pine hills with small peninsulas pushing into the water. Behind it the Tam Dao range rises as a dark green backdrop, usually under a thin skin of morning mist. People come to row, to camp on the shore, or simply to watch the water change colour with the light — a rare piece of quiet just beyond the city's edge.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Dai Lai Lake?

September to November

How long do you need at Dai Lai Lake?

Half a day

What are the opening hours of Dai Lai Lake?

Year-round

Did you know

It is a reservoir, built in the late 1950s to store irrigation water.
It lies at the foot of the Tam Dao range, about 45km from Hanoi.
Pine hills and several small peninsulas ring the lake.
It is now a familiar resort and camping area on Hanoi's outskirts.

Travel tips

Camp on the shore in autumn, when the air is dry and mosquitoes fewest.
Add Tam Dao, about 30km away, if you want a change of altitude.

Source: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10772071

Updated: 2026-08-06