Travel to Vietnam Discovery Style  

The trek to the summit of Mount Fansipan, Vietnam's highest peak (3143m), is an experience you will never forget. After an arduous day's hike, sweeping vistas over charming little towns and cultivated rice fields dotted with hill-tribe villages await you. On the way, you can encounter everything from curious cows to unforgettable views of plunging valleys. Trekking is undoubtedly the number one activity here, but you should not miss out on the other little adventures around. Sapa is a remote mountain town in northwestern Vietnam that's by far the best place to see hill tribes. The predominant minority are the Hmong, who arrived in Vietnam around 1000 BC, fleeing Yunnan (China) when their ancestors were defeated by the Zhou dynasty. You will come across Dao and Zay people as well. As the clouds swirl above the foggy mist, you head off to the mountains of Sapa. You have no idea what to expect in your one-day experience with a local tribe, but as you sit in front of your cooking hearth and make your first loaves of rice cake, you realize that this is not just another tourist activity – this is going to be an experience of a lifetime. This trip is designed in a way that encourages you to spend some time with ethnic minorities away from the crowded market, get to know them, talk about your cultures, share a meal, and maybe strike up an interesting friendship. Food is one of the golden joys of traveling and getting the chance to try rare ingredients at the source is a real treat. You should leave your cravings for burgers and pizza behind and indulge yourself in some of the delicious regional cuisines, because salmon hotpot, black chicken, and bamboo sticky rice are worth dying for. Finally, handicraft shops in Sapa offer a variety of traditional crafts and artwork, such as handwoven textiles and jewelry made from indigenous materials. Browse through the stalls to find art pieces featuring the ethnic minorities’ charming designs. These pieces are one-of-a-kind and make an excellent gift for your friends or a souvenir of your trip.

If you love trekking and nature, then the Pu Luong Nature Reserve is the ultimate experience for you. Here you can wander around the region of Mai Chau and discover hidden landscapes of its mountainous scenery. Travel through nature by bicycle or hike directly through stunning landscapes. This unique eco-tourism trip is the best way to discover natural wonders, far away from the public spotlights. The remote area of Mai Chau is home to the Black Thai, White Thai, and Flower Hmong ethnic minorities. To explore their unique culture, traditions, food, and lifestyle, just visit their villages and spend some time getting to know them better. Explore the Pom Coong village, which name means respectively “hill” and “drum” in Thai dialect. Right at the time of sunset you'll experience local women dancing with wovened shawls in hands to traditional music played by men on gongs. From early morning you will be able to see how the locals live and work on the land, so you will have plenty of time to take pictures, meet people or even take part in activities such as farming or planting rice. You will also enjoy discovering homemade meals cooked by your host family while sharing stories or simply relaxing during a game of cards. Our homestay tour is often recommended as one of the most authentic ways to travel in Vietnam. The dishes here are not served in a fancy way, but their taste and freshness draw every food adventurer back to this place. You will enjoy the bamboo-tube grilled rice, which you can dip in minced peanut sauce for a delicious taste. Grilled chicken or fish always go with tons of freshly harvested greens. If you want to experience exotic local cuisine, you should try ve sầu chiên, a local snack of stuffed and deep-fried cicadas. When in Mai Chau, don’t miss the chance to shop for beautiful fabrics woven by the White Thai minority. If you purchase a few clothes or accessories directly from locals, you will make sure your money will stay in the community. Besides that, it’s great fun watching them weaving. Mai Chau is a less touristy place than many other destinations in Vietnam, which will allow you to go on more authentic and off-the-beaten-track experiences.

Central Vietnam is home to some of the most creative cooks in Asia, where fiery spices, fresh herbs, and local beers combine to create classic Vietnamese dishes. It's a real adventure to try them, so make every meal here count! Vietnamese cuisine is a collection of many regional dishes, often involving dozens of different ingredients in a single meal. In Central Vietnam, an unforgettable culinary journey awaits you! This region's spicy dishes and extravagant, colorful foods are not to be missed during your trip through Vietnam's intricate cuisine. Here, the delicate flavors of complex dishes come together on one small plate, reflected by traditional royal Vietnamese feasts. Central Vietnam's menu is based on fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Here, the dishes are prepared to be relatively spicy and oily, as the abundance of chili peppers is used by the locals in their cooking. Compared to northern Vietnamese cuisine, which is more in line with Chinese and French cooking traditions, as well as southern Vietnamese dishes, which are mostly full of fresh seafood ingredients from the sea, central Vietnamese cooking tend to be more like Thai food traditions. Head to Hội An and indulge in a bowl of mắm ruốc, affectionately known as “poor man’s lobster”—a complex soup made with spicy groundfish and a side of bánh đập, which is a crushed rice cracker with a softer layer inside. Another popular dish here is mì Quảng, a bowl of noodles served with broth, greens, and your choice of meat or seafood. Regional chefs cut the turmeric noodles using a knife wiped with peanut oil to add an even deeper flavor to the dish. Your culinary journey is not only about trying new flavors, but also trying to prepare traditional meals on your own! Focus with all your strength and try to recreate one of the complex dishes straight from the imperial table, not only introducing the use of rare herbs and flowers, such as chrysanthemum, hoa sen (lotus), and lily-of-the-valley for decorative purposes, but also incorporating regional fruit juices, such as coconut and orange in soups, fritters, and puddings. On the other hand, you can opt for practicing dishes that are easy to recreate in the comfort of your own home after returning from your trip. Surprise your family with perfectly shaped spring rolls and endless dip-sauces ideas! Come for the food and stay with us for a unique experience.

The Demilitarized Zone trip is ideal for anyone who has a thirst for adventure and dares to think outside the box! The area has been cleared of landmines and unexploded bombs after the war, and the numerous trails have already been well-marked. Along with lakes and rivers, the area provides a fantastic opportunity for hikers, or people just looking to relax in the beautiful forest environment. Standing atop ‘Hamburger Hill’ after a trek, you are immediately transported back to the Vietnam War era, having a 360° view over the surrounding area of the DMZ. From this vantage point, you can see over 17km2 of dense jungle and forest – now cleared to reveal hidden supply routes used by the North Vietnamese Army during the war, called The Ho Chi Minh Trail. This tour is a very personal, yet educational and informative journey into the heart of Vietnam. Covering a large area of Central Vietnam, you will be able to meet war veterans to gain insight into their war stories and points of view. Our tour is a unique experience to learn about the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese perspective. We’ll take you to the rural hillside village of Tam Ky, where most tourists never go. During your visit, you'll meet local people who will share their memories of 20th-century history. You will visit tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war and a 300-years-old communal home which purpose you’ll learn first-hand from the elderly locals. But remember, Central Vietnam is not only the reminiscence of the Vietnam War! Hue Citadel, Vietnam’s former Imperial city, and the country’s cultural and religious heart is situated not even 100km away from the DMZ. It is a 15th-century royal palace that offers historical and cultural tours, as well as we can lead you on a visit to the surrounding Dai Nam Pagoda or Hung’s Tomb. Other local highlights include the Citadel’s picturesque Perfume River cruise and its Ethnographic Museum with displays of traditional costumes and tools. Hue has a collection of imperial palaces and temples that are so ornate that they look like they belong in a fairy tale. As well as staying in the legendary Imperial city of Hue, you can discover some sleepy rural villages around Central Vietnam, visit wartime battlefields and discover with us the secrets of Vietnam’s history.

Laying in the Central Highlands region, Dak Lak is a wonderful place to travel. Vietnam features a huge spectrum of different destinations, each with its own unique history, cultural background, and natural beauty. However, there are many places in this country that are far less traveled and less visited by foreign tourists. If you have been to Vietnam before and have always missed some hidden gems in the country, Dak Lak is one of those places. The journey here will take you through some of the most scenic landscapes in Vietnam, as well as take you past a variety of ethnic villages where you can live with the local people while they show you around their houses, educate you about their culture, or simply enjoy some coffee and pepper farm tours with them. Dak Lak is the coffee capital of Vietnam, rich in coffee culture, coffee products, and coffee activities. The region welcomes you to enjoy the freshest tastes and buy the best quality beans as gifts for your relatives and friends. In addition to natural resources, Dak Lak also offers you a very diverse and rich ethnic and cultural background. In Dak Lak, there are 44 ethnic minorities co-existing, each having their own beautiful traditions, but all together creating a rich and diversified culture for the whole province. Dak Lak's ethnic minorities' villages are breathtaking places, where dazzling scenery awaits you. UNESCO recognized the povince as an important piece of Vietnam's intangible cultural heritage. Feeling adventurous? Drive through those ethnic villages, winding past waterfalls, giant pepper farms, and stilted houses perched along the beautiful trail. You can meet minority people and learn about their cultures by visiting their houses and watching their traditional shows and musical instruments, like gong sets. Learn about the differences between the Ede, Hmong, Thai, Tay and Nung minorities and how they stand out from the largest ethnic group in the country, the Kinh people, making up 70% of Dak Lak's population. Enjoy an unspoiled, off-the-beaten-track experience by taking a drive along local trails and rural lanes to visit local villages and minority communities who have lived there for generations. Dak Lak province is a place for adventurous travelers, so get ready to be enchanted with original, natural wonders that are waiting to be discovered.

There are many ways to explore the Mekong region of Vietnam and discover its natural beauty and cultural riches. But by far, the most pleasant way is to navigate the waters aboard a comfortable luxury riverboat or sampan. Although visiting by boat is never as fast as traveling by air or road, the reward is embarking on an unforgettable journey into Vietnam’s rural life and history, while discovering jaw-dropping scenery that changes with every turn. There’s something more special about being at river level where you have time to take in all that unfolds before you. This is a serene journey – a world away from the hustle and bustle of Vietnam's cities – as you slowly drift by under gracefully swaying coconut trees and floating houses. Nature has created some of the most amazing sights in these regions – towering water lilies and lotus flowers so large they have earned the nickname: “Moving Gardens”. The city of Can Tho, dubbed “Venice of the East”, is full of interesting markets, each featuring its own specialty. If going to a floating market is your idea of the perfect morning, the Cai Rang floating market is the place to go. With hundreds of boats converging on this central trading point in the early morning, it’s an unforgettable experience. On the other hand, Ben Tre lies at the heart of the Mekong Delta and is a treasured destination for discovering Vietnamese culture. This province is the Vietnamese capital of coconuts and home to charming canals that invite you to take a leisurely boat trip or go on an enchanting cycling tour. Sip on the sweet delicacies of coconut ice cream and coconut candies, as you are serenaded by the sound of nature around your sampan. Furthermore, you can take a cruise through the Tra Su Forest. It’ll give you a glimpse of Vietnam's natural forests. Its ecosystem of cajuput trees and flooded forest are the home of many species of flora and fauna, making for an incredible sight for nature lovers. Cruise in a boat through the dense carpet of green ferns so thick that you can't see the water’s surface makes for an even more luxurious experience. Spending some time relaxing and letting your thoughts run free amidst the green ferns seems like a serene experience.