Ha Giang
The final frontier of Vietnam offers one of the greatest opportunities for adventurous souls on the northern region of the country. This destination is also home for Dao and H’mong ethnic group so it is possible to explore the nature and culture at the same time. You will trek on tracks used by local people and immerse in the scene of mountains, hills, forests and valleys. Along the way, it is easy to find a wide range of flora such as herb, trees, vegetation and fauna like pangolin, peacock or crested argus pheasant.
Moreover, through mountains and hills, you will meet many villages of ethnic groups in Vietnam and rest in local homestay. Thus, visitors can learn about the culture and lives of villagers and enjoy local cuisine. You can also visit Dong Van Stone Plateau surrounded by limestone mountains and touch the 400 million to 600 million year old fossils. If you interested in mountain areas, Ha Giang is an amazing destination which you should not miss.
Cao Bang
Another mountainous destination just on the west of Ha Giang province, Cao Bang promises to bring excellent experience which you expected. Here, adventurers will travel through the magnificent mountains, dense forests and stunning formations. Visiting Cao Bang, you can pass various villages and see the vast green rice paddles and tea plantations of the local. Moreover, a homestay among the communities with friendly villagers and hearty meals will sure warm the heart of any tourist.
One extremely well-known location for visitor is Ban Gioc Waterfall, a place that will astound nature lovers. At the border between Vietnam and China, this majestic waterfall seems like a reward for adventurers after a long hard trip through rivers and hills. Remember to take your camera and save all the wonderful sceneries on your trip.
Sapa
Sapa is perhaps an undoubtedly popular destination for foreign and domestic tourists. Even though this place is known for peaceful and dreamy landscape, Sapa still has a lot to offer when it comes to adventurous trip. The misty town of Sapa is surrounded by mountains, hills and rivers in which travelers must trek on the local path and trails in order to visit. Tourists can stay at local homestay to learn about the lives of villagers.
In Sapa, you can climb Fansifan Mountain, the highest peak in South East Asia, to the top of it. If you want a less challenging location, it is possible to trek to Thac Bac, a silvery fall, and immerse yourself in nature. Or tourists often venture to Muong Hoa valley to see stones carved with strange symbols and images.
Halong Bay.
This UNESCO World Heritage is always on the list of any tour in Vietnam including adventure tour. Since nature has blessed Ha Long Bay with impressive limstone karst, enormous caves and jungle vegetation, it is a regret to not explore this region. Here, you can take on a little bit adventure and kayak on the sea to explore the rich ecosystem of Ha Long Bay.
Besides enjoying the remarkable landscape, it is possible to travel to the Monkey Island in Cat Ba in which tourists can enjoy mountain climbing and trekking through hills or find the monkeys live on the island. At the end of the day, you will relax and reflect the adventure while the sun kissing the horizon.
Ninh Binh
This province in the Red River Delta offers surprisingly a wide variety of famous sites and activities for adventure lovers. Here, you can explore the very first Vietnam National Park, Cuc Phuong, to discover the special rainforest ecosystem of the Delta. The Flora in Cuc Phuong National Park is various and ancient, some trees dated back to more than thousand year ago while there are some rarest species in the animal kingdom living here. Tourists may also find many charming waterfalls and stream on the way.
Another adventurous location in Ninh Binh is Tam Coc, a cave system including limestone mountains. Adventure tour in Tam Coc has diverse activities such as bicycling, boat trip, climbing and trekking. Therefore, you can easily find strange stalactite with different shape and size in Tam Coc (Three Caves) and vast rice fields in the village. After that, adventurers may also visit Bich Dong (Emerald Cave), a pagoda complex among mountains and rivers.
Mai Chau
A little bit to the South, Mai Chau is a wonderful place for adventurers to visit. If you travel on your own, stop at Thung Khe pass and enjoy the magnificent view on the whole Hoa Binh province. You can also enjoy local cuisine and products at this location. In Mai Chau, you can bicycle in Pom Coong Village and Buoc Village to learn the culture and customs of some ethnic groups in the region. Depend on weather and seasons, you may see the charming flower fields cloaking the village in white.
Although not the best, there are also caves in this destination. If you interested, you can visit Mo Luong Cave and Chieu Cave to explore the notable stalactite formations and dreamy Underground River.
Pu Luong
Pu Luong is definitely the place for you to go off the beaten path and enjoy total relaxation from busy city. You can trek through the vast green forest and rice fields, astonishing mountains scenes and stunning valleys. The way in Pu Luong Nature Reserve is very rocky and steep to travel so adventure may expect a lot of difficult yet thrilling trip. On your way, you may see the unique bamboo water wheels and learn about water transfer system.
Pu Luong has a lot of local houses for homestay so you will find one without much effort. Staying at the village and explore the people in Pu Luong is a very nice idea, but if you interested, you can also visit Pu Luong Retreat, a series of bungalows to soak into nature.
Phong Nha
It will be a truly a great regret for any adventure lovers about missing Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park when travelling to Vietnam. This destination has all the natural advantages to make your trip to become the ultimate adventure in Vietnam. Travelling to Phong Nha, you can explore one of the most complex and magnificent cave systems in the world. There is Phong Nha Cave which has the illusory Son River flow inside; Tien Son Cave known for impressive “fairy-tale” stalactites and stalagmites; or the biggest cave in the world, Son Doong, where many phenomenal sites like Hand of Dog, Watch out for Dinosaurs situated.
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park has a great number of limestone mountains for mountain climbing activities. With the height of about 1000 m, these mountains will bring a great experience for climbers. In addition to that, the rich ecosystem of Phong Nha consisting of 140 flora families and 98 fauna families allowing you to have completely satisfying trek into nature.
Central Highlands
Moving to the South of Vietnam, you may not want to leave out Tay Nguyen or some people refer as Central Highlands. The Region lies on contiguous plateaus so adventurers will encounter different terrain as they travel around. The beauty of mountain range, waterfalls, natural lakes and famous coffee plantation will surely touch the heart of natural lovers. Central Highland is also home of rare species in South East Asia including the Asian elephant which you can ride to reach some villages.
The region is notable for its harmony between people and nature as the local ethnic people has settled in Central Highlands for thousands of year. As a result, you can easily encounter local villages and see their lives up-close. Explore the rich culture and customs of ethnic communities through temples, pagodas and many more by spend your night in local homestay.
Mekong Delta
Not far from the west of Ho Chi Minh City, there is a very unique place for adventure trip which is Mekong Delta. By travelling through the canal system, you can see the rich land of agriculture, fishery and culture in the region. It is possible to venture by boat on the river which you may need a guide or not or bicycling to reveal the picturesque countries side.
If tourists take a boat trip on the waterways, they will meet one-of-a-kind floating market in Vietnam where several kinds of product such as tropical fruits, textiles, foods and drinks are exchanged. However, cycling through the villages is also a fantastic idea since you can visit the farms of local such as crocodile farms, visit local shops and finally experience traditional hammock.
