The best ecotourism experiences in Vietnam

Struggle to find a place for eco tour in Vietnam? Here is the list of top 6 incredible ecotourism destinations for your hiking, trekking, sightseeing and discovering unspoiled natural landscapes in Vietnam.

Boat on Ba Be Lake

This beautiful lake is the largest in Vietnam. Nestled among surrounding mountains, Ba Be Lake sits northeast of Ha Noi. There are boat tours that will take you out into the smooth waters during the day where you can watch the mist rise off the water in the morning, admire the clear waters in the afternoon, and gaze at a romantic sunset in the evening. This dreamy location makes for an idyllic scenic trip so make sure to bring your camera.

A trip to Cuc Phuong National Park

140 kilometers to the south of Ha Noi, Cuc Phuong National Park is considered as the oldest nature reserve in Vietnam. Covering an area of 22 hectares of rainforest, this place is one of the most attractive ecotourism destinations when you travel to Northern Vietnam. Thanks to its botany diversity and long history, Cuc Phuong attracts not only tourists but also archaeologists who are long for exploring primitive life in Nguoi Xua Cave (Pre-historic Man Cave).

The most notable scenery in Cuc Phuong is thousands of vibrant butterflies flying in ‘butterfly season’ from April until the end of May. Tourists will be blessed by a colorful realm of 280 butterfly species gathering in the park. You can see butterflies landing everywhere, on the road, your cars and your helmets.

Boat trip along Ngo Dong River in Ninh Binh

Literally meaning “three caves”, travelers visiting Tam Coc – Bich Dong will be amazed by the Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba caves that are situated on Ngo Dong River in Northern Ninh Binh Province. Bich Dong refers to a beautiful pagoda complex built in the fifteenth century. This UNESCO World Heritage Site will take your breath away with its limestone mountains, lazy rivers, serene rice fields, and bright blue skies.

The gorgeous natural beauty makes this complex a top destination for ecotourism experiences in Vietnam. There is a wide range of day trips that include a visit to the ancient Hoa Lu Citadel and a boat ride along the Ngo Dong River.

Trekking through Ha Giang

Ha Giang province borders China in northern Vietnam. This remote, stunning location is perfect for travelers seeking a multi-day trekking experience. Trekking tours through Ha Giang range from 5-13 days and itineraries include touring breathtaking rice terraces, limestone karsts, and visiting minority villages. The view from the province’s Ma Pi Leng Pass is surreal. Trekking Ha Giang offers an excellent selection of tour packages, from quick hikes to two-week adventures. Note that the price depends on tour length and group size.

Biking Tours in the Mekong Delta

These multi-day tours begin in the southern city of Saigon, a bustling metropolis with a population of nearly nine million people. Seeing the city fade in the distance as you cycle into glorious natural surroundings is an amazing sight in itself.

Over the course of several days (4-6) you will cycle through fields of sugar cane, banana plantations, narrow country lanes, and across water channels. This is the perfect getaway from the big city for anyone with an affinity for traveling several days on a bicycle.

See more: Top beautiful towns in Vietnam

Biking and Trekking Tours in Sapa

Favored by nature, Sapa has long been a famous tourist destination in the northwest of Vietnam. Taking a tour to Sapa, you can contemplate a lot of strikingly beautiful landscapes with some famous destinations like Fansipan Mountain, Muong Hoa Valley, O Quy Ho Pass, Ethnic villages, etc.

Likewise, there is a wide range of forests and terraced rice fields that are extremely suitable to hold some fascinating activities in ecotourism. Sapa trekking tours will definitely offer the most authentic experiences and help tourists respectively experience their life and culture. The stunning views and scenery do not hurt either.

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Northern Vietnam and the most amazing destinations

Although Northern Vietnam gets fewer visitors than other popular destinations like Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh city, this is a region of the country that you should visit once when traveling to Vietnam. It is home of many breathtaking bays, stunning rice terraces and unlimited scenery.

Mai Chau

Mai Chau is a wonderful place to explore if you’re looking to get an authentic view of the many cultures that have found a home in Northern Vietnam. In the heart of the Hoa Binh Province, Mai Chau is a district with lush greenery, beautiful mountains and vibrant culture. In addition to the verdant valleys, Mai Chau is noteworthy for its stilt houses. These houses are constructed 3 meters off the ground, and they often provide shelter to animals escaping inclement weather.

Ha Long Bay

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay is the most visited destination in all of Vietnam. Hundreds of tiny islands - many of them inhabited only by monkeys - feature dozens of caves and innumerable deserted beaches. Magnificent limestone towers rise above the waters of the bay like brooding primeval sentinels. Ha Long Bay stretches out along the Tonkin Gulf, just a three-and-a-half-hour drive north of Ha Noi. For an unforgettable experience, 

Cat Ba Island

Known as the largest mainland island of Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba Island is a great option for sightseeing. The central hub of Cat Ba Town is now framed by a chain of low-rise concrete hotels along its once-lovely bay, but the rest of the island is largely untouched and as wild as ever.

Sapa

The mountainous town of Sapa is known for its culturally diverse population as well as its proximity to incredible scenery. Sapa itself is home to the members of many hill tribes, including the Hmong, the Dao, the Muong and the Tay. The town also overlooks the magnificent Muong Hoa Valley and its terraced rice fields, which are staggering to behold. If you want to get an inside look at the local residents and their cultures, then head to Sapa for an overnight trek or a homestay. You can hike out to the more remote villages and then spend the night, dining and learning from the hill tribe residents.

Ninh Binh

Several tranquil rivers meander near the city of Ninh Binh, just 58 miles south of Ha Noi. Take a ride on an aluminum rowboat paddled by local village women and marvel at the rugged karst terrain, mountain goats, and lush foliage as you glide along peaceful river waterways through a series of dark grottoes. In addition, you can easily visit Ninh Binh as a day trip from Hanoi, though if you want to stay longer, check out Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam’s oldest national park.

Dong Van Plateau

Dong Van Plateau starts just north of the city of Ha Giang, about a six-hour drive from Ha Noi. It is a spectacular part of the remote, mountainous region of Vietnam’s far northeast. Spectacularly terraced rice paddies climb to the summits of the surrounding mountains, extending beyond the horizon. Further exploration uncovers more gems: Southeast Asia’s deepest canyon, 22 ethnic minority tribes, pristine lakes, pine forests, stone forests, caves bristling with undisturbed formations, and incredible waterfalls are just a few of the many treats that await the intrepid explorer.

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The reasons why you should visit Ninh Binh one time during your life

Ninh Binh is an extremely traveler-friendly, diverse and stunning destination to visit on the tours of Vietnam. It is an amazingly scenic place that has plenty of interesting things to see and do. Is it enough attractive for you to travel there?

Beautiful scenery

Ninh Binh is also known as the Ha Long Bay on land for an obvious reason, it looks like Ha Long Bay but on land instead of water. There are hundreds of limestone monoliths topped by dense greenery that emerge from the ground, scattered around the city with rivers flowing through them and caves formed in them. While the mountains are in the west and northwest, the east and south have coastal parts.

Plenty of options for day trips 

If you arrive at Ninh Binh at a very early hour, there are plenty of opportunities to sign up for one or more day trips which can include the nearby pagodas, Trang An and Tam Coc. Also, there are places like the stunning Gothic Phat Diem Cathedral, which is a journey time of about 40 minutes from the city centre.

While it can benefit to stay in Ninh Binh for longer than 24-hours, for travellers with limited spare time on the travel schedule, there is the option to travel to this city as a day trip from Ha Long Bay or Ha Noi.

Gives you the chance to use the Reunification Express

While the train option between cities far away from one another is sometimes slow, uncomfortable, with problems and delays, this is not the case for Ninh Binh. Since Ninh Binh is only three hours away from Ha Noi, you should definitely visit there on the Reunification Express.

Convenient location

Ninh Binh is only 95 kilometers away from Ha Noi (about a 2-3-hour journey) and makes for a good first stop for those making their journey slowly from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. You can even get here quite conveniently from Ha Long Bay. Catching overnight buses from Ninh Binh to other cities is pretty easy too, you can ask your hotel reception and they will help you out.

Explore cave systems

Vietnam has plenty of cave systems that are artificial or naturally formed inside the limestone mountains. Any boat tour of Trang An can include exploring the caves with eight in this region that can be toured in the boat. However, the caves do not give much head room with plenty of rock formations that are low and pointy. So, it is necessary to be cautious when making your way through some of the cave systems.

Delicious and unique cuisine

The last reason why you should plan to visit Ninh Binh is the food here is really delicious with mouth-watering dishes. Your wallet will be empty because there are many dishes which you want to try.
There are many tasty foods you should try including goat meat, Com Chay Ninh Binh (Ninh Binh rice crust), fish salad, Ninh Binh mountain snais, Ruou Can Nho Quan (Nho Quan wine drunk out of a jar through pipes), Nem chua Yen Mac (Yen Mac Fermented Pork Roll), etc. Some foods you can buy as a gift for your relationship such as Com Chay Ninh Binh, Shrimp Sauce or some local cakes.

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Top 6 best eco-friendly hotels in Vietnam

Your trip to Vietnam will become more interesting if you choose one of these eco-friendly accommodations. Staying in eco-friendly hotel is high chance that you are looking for a good time, or at least a battery-charging moment.

Do you know that living in an eco-friendly hotel makes you happier then maybe your time in Vietnam will be a little happier, a little simpler, and definitely more environmentally friendly.

Topas Eco Lodge – Sapa

After your 45-minute drive in the natural landscape of Sapa, the white granite bungalow cluster appears atop a mighty hill. The surrounding mountains make these bungalows seem almost too delicate, improving and emphasizing the pristine feeling of the Sapa natural landscape. They work hard on saving electricity, water usage, and reducing waste.

There is a wide range of hiking and biking activities and you just need to pick the most appealing experience to maximize your stay.

Buffalo Eco Garden – Ninh Binh

Resting so close to the Trang An complex (recognized by UNESCO as a cultural and natural heritage complex) in the peaceful desired destination of Ninh Binh, Buffalo Eco Garden is for you or your family. This is a place that exudes natural and countryside charms for you to enjoy the peacefulness of the Vietnam landscape.

Eco green boutique hotel Da Nang

Founded in 2016, Eco Green provides guests with fantastic relaxation. The hotel prides itself on applying green hotel practices that minimize its negative impact on the environment. Environmentally-friendly materials were used to build the hotel, and their operation system runs on solar energy and water-saving engines. In addition, the room structure is designed to maximize air flow, natural sunlight, and reduce the need for air conditioning.

Bho Hoong Bungalows

Located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Da Nang City, tucked in the Truong Son mountain range, this exotic retreat offers intimate access to the tranquil life of the ethnic hill tribes that surround it. These five stilted bungalows, made of wood, rattan and thatched roofs have been individually styled and named after five animals that are sacred to the Co Tu tribe. The interior has been lovingly carved, woven and painted by artisans, reflecting their unique culture and heritage.

All bungalows have a private balcony overlooking the Kon River. The bungalows may look simple, but the skills and craftsmanship that have been passed down the Co Tu line for generations helped create these beautiful homes that remain secure during the harsh weather conditions the Vietnamese coast often sees.

Chay Lap Farmstay

Chay Lap is a community-owned and operated ecotourism association, situated on a peanut and maize farm beneath the towering limestone cliffs of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. There are ecotourism services for tourists, including the opportunity to stay in homestays, as well as biking, kayaking, and trekking tours that take you above and underground in this vastly unexplored region.

By staying at Chay Lap, you will directly support this gorgeous World Natural Heritage Site’s conservation efforts, as well as drive employment opportunities and provide a modest income for the families who live in the area.

Lak Tented Camp

Lak Tented Camp overlooks Lak Lake, Vietnam’s largest natural lake, and is a picturesque sight. The tents have basic amenities, but if you want something a little more comfortable, opt for the sophisticated wooden bungalows. Whatever you choose, you will wake up to unforgettable sunrises on lakeside balconies.

They also have various activities, including kayaking, mountain biking, village walks, fishing, gardening, and more. The onsite restaurant serves dishes made from ingredients that are sourced directly from the on-site gardens.

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