Vietnam's Landscapes

Day 1-2

Hanoi

This itinerary is all about the countryside, but if you need to stop in the city – why not make the most of it? This is our favourite alternative introduction to the capital, taking you away from the usual tourist trail and into the heart of Hanoi. Starting in the higgledy-piggledy streets of the Old Quarter and passing by an imposing Gothic Revival Cathedral, you’ll then visit a family who’s been living in the same French-colonial house for generations, wander a street painted with murals, and rub shoulders with commuters on a ten-minute train ride. Not your usual city tour, this one’s all about getting beneath the surface of the local culture to find out what makes Hanoi tick.

Highlights

Experience the many sights, sounds and smells of the Old Quarter, Hanoi’s historic city centre

Visit the home of a local family to hear stories about life in Hanoi over the generations

Visit an open-air art gallery at Phung Hung Street, where the walls are covered in murals

Travel like a local with a short train ride through the city

Day 3-4

Pu Luong

Picture emerald-green rice paddies rippling down mountainsides, lapping around stilt villages like ocean waves, with lush, forested mountains as a backdrop. That’s Pu Luong. With a local guide to act as navigator, translator and general font of local knowledge, explore Pu Luong on two different treks – each showcasing a different side of the area. Walk through rice fields to learn about traditional farming methods, visit a cottage workshop to see colourful textiles being woven, and stop in minority villages to see how rice wine is made. All this while staying in a boutique eco-retreat complete with infinity pool and spa.

Highlights

Trek through the lush rice terraces of Pu Luong, one of Vietnam’s most idyllic rural settings

Swim in an infinity pool with spectacular views over the valley and distant mountains

Meet people of the Thai ethnic minority and learn about their traditional way of life

Day 5-6

Cuc Phuong/Ninh Binh

Cuc Phuong is one of the few true wildernesses left in Vietnam. Covered in a thick tangle of rainforest, this is an entirely different trekking experience from the terraces of Pu Luong – as you’ll soon find out on a guided hike. Though you’re unlikely to see any large mammals, stop in at the Primate Rescue Centre and you’ll meet gibbons, langurs and loris getting ready to return to the wild. Then, just 40 minutes away, Ninh Binh offers yet another change of scenery: jagged karst pinnacles riddled with caves, wound through by rivers, and speckled with temples, farms and villages. Explore it by bike, hike and sampan, with a guide to show you all the hidden paths and spectacular viewpoints.

Highlights

Try to spot some of the exotic wildlife on a guided rainforest trek in Cuc Phuong National Park

Go for a gentle sampan boat ride through the magnificent karst scenery of Ninh Binh

Cycle past bright green rice paddies around Dong Tam village, with towering peaks as your backdrop

Day 7-8

Lan Ha Bay

You’ve heard of Halong Bay – dramatic limestone pinnacles rising hundreds of metres out of the Gulf of Tonkin – but what about Lan Ha Bay? Every bit as majestic and yet barely known to outsiders, Halong’s neighbour is where we go to escape the crowds. On an overnight cruise, watch from the top deck as the sun sets over those famous karsts – preferably with a cocktail in hand. Though we like to take this opportunity to slow the pace and just soak up the scenery, there are plenty of activities and excursions available too – including kayaking to secluded islets, visits to floating markets and pearl farms, and morning t’ai chi classes on deck.

Highlights

Watch the sun rise and set over the magnificent karst scenery of Lan Ha Bay

Hop off your boat and take your pick of watery excursions

Enjoy onboard activities such as t’ai chi or squid fishing

Day 9

Ho Chi Minh City

After more than a week in the countryside, it’s time to touch base with civilisation with a stop in Ho Chi Minh City. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the hectic pace of life in this buzzing metropolis, but the tour we’ve lined up for you delves into the everyday life that goes on in between the skyscrapers. Here, families run businesses out of the ground floors of their houses, little temples honour the five “mother goddesses” of Vietnam, vendors chef up sizzling street-food treats, and markets overflow with a cacophony of sounds, smells and colours. It’s village life, city style - and a fascinating counterpoint to the grand colonial buildings and war history the city is famous for.

Highlights

Explore an authentic local market where you won’t find the usual tourist tat

Wander through a maze of backstreets filled with street-food stalls, family homes, and tiny, old temples

Finish the day at a sky bar and watch the sunset over the skyscrapers

Ho Chi Minh City food market - Norman Blaikie

Day 10-13

Mekong Delta

We promised this trip was going to be about the countryside, so we couldn’t let you finish in the city, could we? Instead, round it all off with a few days at the Mango Home Riverside, a beautiful, traditional-style lodge in the Mekong Delta. This is a lush and rural region buzzing with life, all supported by the maze-like waterways that thread between rice paddies, coconut groves and stilt villages. Our friends at Mango will help you get to know the culture of the region, arranging for you to meet local families, visit workshops, browse floating markets, and cycle through farmland. Then, retire to their lovely thatch-roofed villas by the waterside to enjoy your last few nights in Vietnam.