Vietnam’s off- the -beaten-path places, the hidden treasure to unvail in your Vietnam Holiday.
Travelling resposibly is an emerging trend among global travellers.Tourists would like to escape from the major tourist hubs and are more interested in exploring the off the beaten track destinations for their peace of mind vacations to admire prsitinely natural landscapes of mountains, forests & waterfalls; to take part in healthy activities of trekking, biking, homestaying; and to get a good sense of local cultures.If you are the followers of that trend, Vietnam should be listed as the mustsee destination worth your exploration in coming future.
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The scenery up Tram Ton heaven gate in Sapa
While iconic Halong bay, Sapa, Hanoi are all worth a visit for the first -timers, there are still many hidden gems dotted around the country for your ultimate hideaway to experience Vietnam’s peaceful countryside, magnificient mountainscapes & untouched islands, and good insight of local cultures.If you are fed up with Hanoi’s bustle & hustle or touristic Halong bay, read our detailed blog sharing about ” TOP 10 OFF THE BEATEN TRACK PLACES IN VIETNAM “, the most unique and beautiful places that are lesser known by mass tourism in Vietnam.
1. Ba Vi national park – the hidden gem of Hanoi capital.
Ba Vi national park is the highest mountain range of Hanoi capital, standing out with three gorgeous mountains covered with the clouds all year around.Although the location is just a stone throwing away from Hanoi, Ba Vi mountains are almost new to foreign visitors.At the height of 1,000 metter compared to the sea level, the park’s climate is cool & fresh, the scenery is pristinely green & majestic with tropical rained forest & mountains.An escape to Ba Vi national park, you can admire scenic landscapes of magnificient mountains, valleys & waterfalls; inhale the fresh air, take part in healthy trekking routes to conquer Ba Vi mountains’ summits; and getting to know about Vietnam’s ancient & modern history while visiting temples & French vestiges.
The view of Ba Vi mountains’ landscapes from the summits
2. Bac Son valley – the green paradise.
Bac Son valley is featured with outstanding towering mountains embracing the pristine valley, the home to different local ethnic mimorities such as Tay, Dzao, Thai, Viet….They have settled their scattered hamlets along the foot of mountains, near the water source and cultivate the rice on the valley.Bac Son is a really rural countryside of beautiful scenery with green valleys of rice fields, river & local villages, backgrounded by majestic mountainscapes – all create a green paradise.The ideal time to admire the best beauty of Bac Son valley is in July & November when rice fields turn its green color to golden one – best captivated with a trek to conquer Na Lay summit, the highest one in this valley.
Bac Son valley with stunning scenery of mountains, ricce fields & local villages
Just 180km far from Hanoi, Bac Son valley is still unknown to most of local & international travellers.You can easily explore this untouched place on a day or 2 day trips from Hanoi. We recommend you a beautiful hike with big effort to conquer Na Lay peak, homestaying & tasting home-cooked dishes in a local Tay family when doing trips to Bac Son valley.
>>> All included in : Bac Son valley day trip from Hanoi
3. Ba Ba lake , the uniquely beautiful lake on high mountains.
Ba Be lake is the largest natural lake in Vietnam and belongs to Ba Be national park, home of Tay, Dao and H’Mong …The lake itself is really unique for its high location on the top of mountains and is watered by three separate rivers that flow down from the highest peak.The total area of the water surface is over 650 hectares, surrounded by many ranges of limestone mountains, caves, and underground rivers.
Pristine beauty of Ba Be lake
If you want to get out of all the hustle & bustle of life and immense yourselves in natures, Ba Be lake will be a wonderful off-the-beaten-path place to explore in your Vietnam journey.The lake is 250km far from Hanoi, it will take time to travel & visit its attractions so we recommend you a 2 day trip to Ba Be lake or can be connected with Bac Son valley or Ban Gioc waterfall in Cao Bang in 3- 4 day itineraries from Hanoi, you will ride a boat around the lake with stops to visit its top highlights : Ba Goa island, An Ma temple, Dau Dang waterfall & Puong grotto.Homestaying in a local Tay family facing the lake offers you chances to admire the lake’s beauty & its tranquility.
>>>See the best of Bac Son valley & Ba Be lake in :Â Unvail the hidden gems of Bac Son valley & Ba Be lake 3 days
4.Pu Luong nature reserve, the scenic rural countryside with waterwheels in Vietnam
Pu Luong nature reserve is among a few “off the beaten path” places near Hanoi that we highly recommend you for nature & culture lovers doing trips to Vietnam.The reserve is typically characterized by two parallel mountain ranges of tropical forests, between them are green valleys of rice terraces & rustic hamlets of local Black Thai & Muong, the main hill tribes in the region.To get the river water from low-lying streams to feed their rice fields, local ethnics have created many waterwheels in the region.Those tools, together with mountains & rice fields make Pu Luong nature reserve a worth place to visit in Vietnam.
Scenic Pu Luong nature reserve – rice fields & waterwheel
Recently, Pu Luong becomes a great destination for a few day trips from Hanoi.Trekking in the forest and along with rice paddy fields, cycling through the reserve, and visit many beautiful small villages are among the activities travelers like.
>>>You may love this experience :Â 2 day Pu Luong Trekking Tour
5. Mu Cang Chai, the land of breathtaking rice terrace in the world.
Mu Cang Chai is a remote district of Yen Bai province, 300km far from Hanoi.In spite of its fame as the most beautiful rice terraces in the world, Mu Cang Chai is still an off the beaten path place in Vietnam due to its far location to reach from Hanoi.Ideal time to visit Mu Cang Chai is between late May to early October if you love to capture the beauty of rice terraces in falling water time, growing rice time & rice harvest time.
Mu Cang Chai of the most stunning rice terraces in Vietnam
Besides the rice terraces, Mu Cang Chai is a wonderful site for non-touristic trekking routes along the mountainslopes, chances to visit the hill tribes’ remote hamlets, homestying with local families, thus getting to know more about their daily life & their unique cultures. You can connect your visit to Mu Cang Chai with Sapa or Nghia Lo valley in 3-5 day travel journey from Hanoi capital.
>>> Let’s see this adventure for the details :Â Â Intensive Mu cang Chai trekking tour 4 days
6.Cao Bang, the hidden corner of the most impressive waterfall in Vietnam.
Bordering with China, Cao Bang is a far – north untouched place in Vietnam, highlighted for its most stunning waterfall in Vietnam, UNESCO’s global geopark of breathtaking mountains and its strong hold for Vietnam revolution between 1941 & 1954.An adventure to Cao Bang is best done from August to October for beautiful pictures of limestone pillars, rivers, rice fields & waterfall when sky is clearly blue & rice change its colors from green to golden.
Cao Bang’s harmornious landscapes of rivers, rice fields & mountains
Far to reach from Hanoi, we recommend a trip to Cao Bang in connection with Ba Be lake, Bac Son valley, Ha Giang for your complete admiration of Northeast Loop Vietnam
>>> See the best of Ba Be lake & Cao Bang in :Â Ba Be lake – Ban Gioc waterfall Exploration 3 days
7. Ha Giang, the heaven on earth with Dong Van Geopark & Hoang Su Phi rice terraces.
Ha Giang is really a place of spectacular scenery and a hidden gem in Vietnam worth your coming Vietnam adventure.As a frontier province up the northern point of Vietnam with China, Ha Giang is far to reach and challenges us with many winding & steep passes but worth our conqueration. The landscapes become more & more magnificient when we travel up to northern districts of Ha Giang – the core area of Dong Van UNESCO Geopark, we feel like stepping into “the heaven” when exposing ourselves down Ma Pi Leng Pass or boating along Ngo Que river. The western part of Ha Giang is Hoang Su Phi district of outstanding rice terraces & non-tourist treks, the place you should not miss as well when doing adventure trip to Ha Giang province.We highly appreciate Ha Giang’s raw beauty & its rich culture as the most off-the-beaten- track destination in Vietnam.
You may love to know : when is the ideal time to visit Ha Giang?
Gorgeous landscapes in Ma Pi Leng Pass – Ha Giang
>>> For the complete Ha Giang exploration :Â Â 6 day Impressive Ha Giang Adventure to Dong Van Geopark & Hoang Su Phi
8. Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, the kingdom of unspoiled caves & jungles in Central Vietnam
Phong Nha Ke Bang National park is a highlighted name in Vietnam in general & in Quang Binh province in particular. Phong Nha- Ke Bang Park features a large area of tropical forest on limestone zone and a dense system of awesomely beautiful caves such as Phong Nha cave, Paradise cave, Son Doong grotto – the biggest cave in the world.Thanks to its values of geological & natural beauty, this national park was recognized as a UNESCO World natural heritage site in 2003.Though its fame, Phong Nha Ke Bang is still on its early state to get explored and offers its raw natural beauty.If you are interested in adventurous expeditions with mountain climbing, forest trekking and grotto exploration, the hidden trekking routes in this national park are worth for your coming footprints to discover.We suggest you to find your chances to conquer Son Doong cave for your trip of life-time experiences.
Read more for : Top 15 place you should not miss when visiting Quang Binh
9. Quy Nhon, a hidden gem in Central Vietnam.
As the beach town in Central Vietnam and usually considered as a stopover destination while travelling between Nha Trang and Da Nang (or Hoi An), Quy Nhon has long preserved its untouched beauty unexplored yet by local & international tourists, which precisely makes it an obscure treasure in Central Vietnam.
Besides Da Nang, Quy Nhon is listed as one of the most desirable city for retiring and living in Vietnam with the large, terrific beach-blessed shoreline, appealing streets, friendly local people, fantastic food options and plenty of exotic places that are hidden from tourists for centuries.Though it is quite famous among local people, Quy Nhon is still an off the beaten path place in Vietnam for international travelers, thus, it still keeps a whole heap of secret beaches, pristine landscape and unspoiled villages – a peaceful hideaway for your coming Vietnam vacation.
10.Con Dao islands, the obscure paradise of stunning beaches & natures
Con Dao is an off-shore archipelago including 16 islets in the southern coast of Vietnam.Each of those islands boasts its own unspoiled sandy beaches & tranquil beauty which are great for your leisure escape when doing trips to Con Dao islands.
Stay in Con Son island, the biggest & inhabited one in Con Dao islands, you can sunbathe or swim on a number of pristine beaches along its coastal line or take part in the jungle’s hike to explore Con Dao national park’s rich fauna & flora.From Con Son island, to reach the other surrounding islets, you can join in day boat tours with swimming or scuba diving activities to discover the marine life of intensive coral reef, sea turtles & different types of fishes vividly in emerald sea water.
Bay Canh island – one of the islets in Con Dao archipelago
In addition to its natural landscapes, Con Dao islands were ever used a tough prison by French & American to imprison the political Vietnamese who did struggles against French colony & American government.With their notorious mistreatment & execution to the prisoners, Con Dao prisons were ever considered as “The Hell On Earth” among Vietnamese communists at that time.Travelling to Con Dao archieplago, you can have a good insight of Vietnam’s history by visit the typical historical sites such as prisons & cemeteries revealing about the black past of this land.
Let’s visit Con Dao islands – “the Hell on Earth” in the past & “the Hidden Paradise” now for your lifetime Vietnam trip of great memory…
Dam Trau beach – Con Dao island
Explore Vietnam’s off the beaten path places with Golden Holiday Travel
Hopefully, our share of TOP 10 OFF THE BEATEN TRACK PLACES IN VIETNAM are helpful to plan your coming journey to Vietnam.Which of the above places will be your next destination? Please, share us in the comments.Travelling to Vietnam, in need of travel consultancy, travel service of Vietnam Holiday Packages, car rental with driver, feel free to drop us an email to goldenholidaytravel.vn@gmail.com or contact us at +84.988451530 ( whatsapp, viber), our travel expert will promptly reply you back with useful consutancy & suggestions.
See you in Hanoi, Vietnam !
Golden Holiday Travel Team
