Hidden Gems in Vietnam - Unique Experiences for the Thoughtful Traveller

Vietnam often makes it onto bucket lists for its beaches, history and food. Yet there is another side to the country that is quieter and sometimes overlooked, where travel feels less like ticking off sights and more like discovering moments. This guide is not about the busiest tourist stops. It is about journeys that are ethical, sustainable, and occasionally unpredictable, which is what makes them worth remembering.

Adventure

1. A Road Trip into the Heart of Vietnam

Few countries reward a road trip the way Vietnam does. The roads twist and climb through scenery that keeps surprising you, from high mountain passes and misty valleys to coastal stretches dotted with fishing villages. Travelling this way is not entirely convenient and it certainly is not always comfortable, yet it feels honest.

In the North, the province of Ha Giang offers some of the most extraordinary views. Limestone peaks rise suddenly out of the earth and rice terraces seem carved with infinite patience. Far quieter and even more compelling is the Northwest region. Barely travelled, this area offers unique cultures and epic scenery. Further South the landscapes shift; there are gentler hills and long, languid roads that almost lull you into forgetting how varied the country is. Riding through these changes is half the point. Y Tý is a remote highland area close to Chinese border. Accessible by motorbike from Sapa, the area is praised for its rice terraces and near absence of tourists. A genuine hideaway for bikers.

Not every motorbike hire shop is responsible, of course. A few local operators, however, make an effort to keep things safe and sustainable, offering decent machines and investing back into the community. Choosing carefully can make your journey both more reliable and more meaningful. Read more about road rules and the legality of riding in Vietnam here.

To get a raw Vietnam experience yourself, you can also check out https://www.tigitmotorbikes.com/ to rent a decent motorbike that’ll be your companion throughout your journey in Vietnam.

2. The Hidden World of Vietnam’s Gigantic Caves

Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park has been called the adventure capital of Asia. Its reputation rests on its network of vast caves, including Son Doong, the largest in the world. That said, you do not need to go straight to the biggest. Even the lesser known caves can feel otherworldly. Oxalis and Jungle Boss offer excellent cave expeditions while other caves are public access and don’t require a guided tour. Simply buy a ticket and wander at your leisure. Paradise, Dark and Phong Nha are the three most popular show caves.

What stays with many travellers is not just the scale of the caves but the way local communities have been involved in shaping tourism here. Homestays and village-run services mean your money often supports the people who live nearby. The area has grown more popular in recent years, yet it still feels untouched compared to Vietnam’s better known tourist hubs.

It can be expensive to join a guided cave expedition, more than some visitors expect, but if you are going to indulge in one grand adventure during your time in Vietnam, this may be the one. We recommend basing yourself at Phong Nha Farmstay for a few days and discoving Phong Nha beyond the caves.

3. Trekking with Tribes of the Northern Highlands

Sapa town is often described as touristy yet the mountains around it remain a very different story. Walk just a little further and you find villages where ethnic minority tribes have lived for generations.

Spending time here is less about conquering peaks and more about slowing down. A trek might lead you to a family who offer a simple meal, or to an impromptu workshop where you learn how indigo dye is made. There is something about the rhythm of daily life in these communities that resists the rush of modern tourism.

Some operators run tours that feel a little packaged, but a handful take a more careful approach, connecting visitors with tribes in ways that are genuinely beneficial for both sides. If you choose thoughtfully, the experience can feel respectful rather than extractive. The most well regarded treks are organisaed by ETHOS and offer genuine immersion.

4. Go Sandboarding on the Sand Dunes of Mui Ne

Mui Ne is often considered as one of the best sandboarding destinations in the world. The ideal time to zoom down the gorgeous sand dunes is at sunrise as the sand’s temperature is perfect. Mui Ne has some massive and beautiful sand dunes and even with little to no experience, you’ll have one of the most fun adventure experiences of your life while travelling in Vietnam. Just rent out a board and practice on the smaller dunes before heading to the big boy dunes. 
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Where to do it – Mui Ne, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam

Imagine abseiling, swimming, hiking, sliding and jumping down waterfalls! When you travel to Vietnam, make your way to Dalat and learn the unconventional art of canyoning. You’ll be offered half day tours and also some hardcore tours for the more experienced folks. This is one adventure experience in Vietnam that is simply great fun. Experience the natural beauty by canyoning in Vietnam like never before with Dalat Adventure Tours.
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Where to do it – Dalat, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam

What better way to explore the many lakes and waterways of Vietnam than by kayak? Kayaking in Lam Binh is a fantastic way to explore the breathtaking beauty Northern Vietnam. Kayaks go where other big boats cannot. Paddle through islets; visit hidden caves, lagoons, unspoiled islands and floating fishing village. The forests that line the shores of this great lake are still home to a great array of rare and unusual wildlife.  If you're lucky, you make get the change to see Francois’ langur as well as other primates, wild cats and a plethora of rare birds. 
Where to do it – Tuyen Quang Province

Culture

7. A Private Journey through the Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is often called Vietnam’s rice bowl, though that phrase feels a little too functional for a place so alive. The waterways stretch endlessly, lined with mangroves, coconut palms and villages on stilts. Travelling here by a private sampan brings you into the slower rhythm of the river, and there is something quietly absorbing about it.

Mango Cruises, among others, offer overnight trips where you stay on traditional boats. It is not luxury in the conventional sense, though the hospitality feels effortless. The best moments are often small: sipping tea on deck at dawn, or watching fishermen haul nets as the river comes to life. Mekong Friends Tours are another local organisation with nice motorbike loops that incorporate boat trips and explore like in the delta. Mocay Farmstay in Ben tre is easily accessible from Ho Chi Minh City and offers riverside accomodation in the heart of the Mekong. What matters most, perhaps, is that many of these tours are run with genuine local knowledge and an eye to sustainability, which makes the experience richer and less intrusive.

8. Floating Markets and Everyday Life

Cai Rang in Can Tho is the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta. It begins well before sunrise and continues until mid-morning. The first impression is chaos: brightly painted boats jostling for space, sellers calling out prices, fruit piled high in every direction. Then, after a while, you start noticing how ordered it is, how each vessel knows its place.

The market is not staged for visitors, though tourism has found its way here too. What you see is very much the way produce has been traded for generations. Some travellers leave feeling exhilarated, others a little overwhelmed by the crush of boats, but either way it is an authentic window into daily life. To catch the best of it, you need to be up long before most tourists are even awake.

9. Vietnam’s Most Unusual Holy City

Tay Ninh is not often included on itineraries, yet it holds something genuinely unusual: the Cao Dai Holy See. Caodaism is a syncretic religion that blends elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and Confucianism, with its own vivid rituals and temples. Watching a ceremony here can be perplexing, even a little theatrical, but undeniably compelling.

Some describe the atmosphere as surreal. White-robed devotees, bright banners, chanting that rises and falls in waves. To an outsider it might seem obscure, though perhaps that is what makes it memorable. A day trip from Ho Chi Minh City is enough, but it lingers in your mind afterwards.

10. Lanterns and Tailors in Hoi An

Hoi An is rarely described as a hidden gem these days, yet it does have moments that still feel intimate. The lantern festival is one. At night thousands of paper lanterns float on the river, their reflections scattering across the water. It can feel almost impossibly pretty, though crowded too. Some people complain of the numbers, yet find themselves moved all the same.

Beyond the spectacle, Hoi An is also famous for its tailors. Many visitors leave with a suit or dress made to measure, though the real pleasure is often in the process: the measuring, the fabric swatches, the quiet conversations about details. It is one of those indulgences that feels personal without being extravagant.

11. The Architecture of Vietnam’s Ethnic Minorities

To understand Vietnam’s cultural depth, it helps to look beyond the majority Kinh population. The country is home to 54 recognised ethnic groups, each with its own traditions, dress and architecture. Museums in Hanoi and Hoi An do a good job of preserving these cultures, with reconstructed homes, textiles and ritual objects.

Some might argue that museums make things static, and there is truth in that. Yet they also provide a space where traditions that could otherwise be overlooked are given context. If you cannot reach the remote communities themselves, the museums are a thoughtful introduction, and often more respectful than casual village visits that can sometimes feel intrusive. Hanoi’s Museum of Ethnology is a great portal for learning before embarking on trips to see the ethnic groups for yourself.

12. Craft Workshops with the Hill Tribes

In the highlands of Northern Vietnam, craft remains a living part of daily life. Textiles are particularly striking, with batik and handwoven fabrics still used for clothing. Joining a workshop with Hmong or Dao artisans is less about learning a skill and more about seeing how much knowledge is embedded in small gestures: the way wax is applied to cloth, or how colours are fixed with natural dyes.

The atmosphere is often unhurried, and occasionally improvised. Not every workshop will leave you with a perfect souvenir, but that is hardly the point. What stays with you is the sense of continuity, of traditions being kept alive not for tourists but for the community itself.

13. Ethnic Markets of the Northern Highlands

Markets in northern Vietnam are as much about people as they are about goods. In places like Bac Ha, Muong Khuong, Muong Hum and Tua Chua, minority groups from the surrounding mountains gather once a week, dressed in bright traditional clothing, to trade, gossip and share news. The atmosphere is vivid, noisy and at times overwhelming, yet that is precisely what makes it compelling.

You might see women from the Flower Hmong carrying baskets of fruit, men leading buffalo through the crowds, or stalls piled with everything from herbs to handwoven cloth. Some travellers come away with photographs, others with small souvenirs, but what lingers is the sense of communities that remain deeply connected to their traditions. These markets are not staged for outsiders; they exist primarily for locals, which is why they feel so alive.

14. Ancient Cham Towers of Central Vietnam

Scattered along the central coast are the remnants of the Champa Kingdom. The Po Nagar towers in Nha Trang and My Son near Hoi An are among the best known, yet smaller sites dot the landscape. Their red-brick spires, often half claimed by jungle, tell of a culture that shaped Vietnam long before the Nguyen emperors. They are atmospheric in a way polished monuments rarely are, though you sometimes

15. Vietnam’s Museums of Heritage and Art

Vietnam’s museums are uneven at times, yet a few stand out for the clarity and depth they bring. In Hanoi, the Women’s Museum offers a powerful look at the role women have played throughout the country’s history, from wartime resilience to everyday family life. Many visitors find it unexpectedly moving, with stories told through personal objects and photographs.

In Hoi An, the Precious Heritage Museum presents the work of photographer Réhahn, who has documented Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups with remarkable care. It is part gallery, part cultural archive, and it lingers with you longer than expected. Back in Hanoi, the Museum of Fine Arts holds an eclectic but fascinating collection that ranges from Buddhist sculpture to contemporary painting. It may not be perfectly curated, but it shows the breadth of Vietnamese creativity in a way few other institutions manage.

Food

16. Let Your Taste Buds Discover Vietnam’s Flavours

Food in Vietnam is more than just a pleasure. It is part of the rhythm of everyday life. Stalls line the streets, families gather over bowls of soup, and markets burst with ingredients that often look unfamiliar at first glance.

If you take a food tour in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, you will quickly realise that even the simplest dishes carry layers of flavour. Pho is probably the best known, a fragrant broth with noodles, meat and herbs that tastes subtly different in each region. Then there is banh xeo, a crisp pancake filled with pork, prawns and bean sprouts, eaten wrapped in greens. Goi cuon, or fresh spring rolls, are lighter, almost delicate, while com tam, the so-called broken rice dish, is hearty and comforting.

What makes it special is not just the food itself but the way it is shared. Sitting on a tiny plastic stool at the side of the road with steam rising from a pot nearby feels a world away from fine dining, yet it is every bit as memorable.

History

17. Understanding Vietnam’s Past through its Museums

Vietnam’s history is long, layered and at times unsettling. The country has endured colonialism, wars and revolutions, and the reminders are never far away. Museums can seem heavy, yet they are also among the most direct ways to glimpse this past.

The Khe Sanh Battlefield Victory Museum is a bit hard to reach, but if youre motorbiking along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a stop off is well worth it.

In Ho Chi Minh City the War Remnants Museum is stark and unflinching, with exhibitions that leave visitors unsettled. Some find it too graphic, others argue it is necessary. Either way, it is difficult to walk through without feeling the weight of what the country has survived. Elsewhere, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum presents Vietnam’s struggles in a more measured way, mixing photographs, artefacts and personal stories.

The point is not to seek a single narrative. Vietnam’s history is complex, and sometimes contradictory. Museums only tell part of it, but they are a beginning.

18. The Underground World of Vietnams Tunnel Network

An hour outside Ho Chi Minh City lies the network of tunnels at Cu Chi. They were used first against French colonial forces, later during the American war, as hiding places, supply routes and shelters. Today you can crawl through sections of the tunnels yourself, though most have been widened for visitors.

Some travellers find the experience thrilling, others claustrophobic. What is undeniable is the ingenuity behind them. Life underground was harsh and often brutal, yet it allowed communities to resist for years. Standing there now, it is hard to reconcile the peaceful countryside above with the struggle that once unfolded beneath.

Further north, Vinh Moc Tunnels were built by locals to shelter from intense bombing during the Vietnam War. North of Hue, this tunnel network is far less tourity than the Southern equivelent.

19. The Imperial Citadel of Hue

Hue was once the seat of the Nguyen emperors, and its citadel still hints at that grandeur. Built in 1804, it contained palaces, temples, gardens and libraries. Much was destroyed during the wars of the twentieth century, but enough remains to give a sense of what once was.

Walking through the gates and courtyards, it feels less polished than some historical sites, which is part of its power. The weathering and scars are reminders of what the city endured. You may not find every corner remarkable, yet the scale of the place, and its history, leaves a quiet impression that grows the longer you stay.

20. Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi

In Hanoi, Hoa Lo Prison is another stark reminder of Vietnam’s past. Built by the French colonial administration, it later housed Vietnamese revolutionaries, and during the American war, captured US pilots. John McCain, among others, was held here.

Today the prison is a museum. The cells, the instruments of confinement, the stories of those who lived and died here, make it a sombre place. Some visitors come away feeling it is too carefully curated, perhaps softened by renovation. Others feel shaken by it. Both reactions make sense. What is certain is that it forces you to confront uncomfortable truths.

Relax

21. Quiet Days by Vietnam’s Beaches

Vietnam’s beaches stretch for hundreds of kilometres, and while some have become resort-heavy, others remain far quieter. Phu Quoc is often mentioned first, but you may find yourself happier on smaller islands or lesser known stretches of sand.

Mui Ne, for example, has a long coastline where kitesurfers take advantage of steady winds. The town can feel busy in parts, but walk a little further and the rhythm slows. In the evening the sea is dotted with round fishing boats, a reminder that this is still a working coastline as much as a place to sunbathe.

Some of Vietnam’s most rewarding beaches are not the famous ones. They lie quietly along the central and southern coast, where fewer visitors tend to go. The Cam Ranh peninsula, for instance, has coves that remain startlingly empty despite its proximity to busier Nha Trang. Quy Nhon, further north, is a working fishing town first and a holiday spot second, which gives its beaches a sense of being lived-in rather than curated.

Then there are the long stretches of sand along the Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan coastline. They do not always look flawless; at times the sea can be rough and the skies unpredictable. Yet on certain days you find yourself on a vast, empty beach with hardly another traveller in sight. The wind, the salt, the sound of fishing boats heading out it feels stripped back, almost elemental.

Vietnam’s coastline is not uniform. Some stretches are lined with half-built hotels, others remain stubbornly unpolished. But perhaps that is part of the appeal. The best beaches here are not perfect postcards; they are places where you can simply pause, where the beauty is quiet enough to reveal itself slowly.

22. Drifting on a Junk Boat in Halong Bay or a Trading Barge in the Mountain Lakes.

Halong Bay is the name everyone knows, but it is not the only option. Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay sit on either side of it, with the same limestone karsts rising from the sea yet far fewer boats in view. They are still touristy, of course, just not to the same overwhelming degree. Cruising here feels calmer, the air less busy, and the silence easier to find once the engines cut out.

One of the more unusual stays is InnerX, a floating homestay in Lan Ha Bay. It is small, accessible only by boat, and has kayaks to hire if you want to paddle quietly between the rocks. Evenings here are hushed in a way that larger cruises cannot replicate. It feels almost private, though you are not far from the main routes.

If you push further afield, Vietnam hides lakes that very few travellers ever see. Lam Binh in Tuyen Quang province has a vast reservoir dotted with islands, cliffs and karst that look faintly like Halong, only without the tourists. It is the kind of place where you stop and wonder why it is not better known. Dien Bien Phu has similar great lakes, mountainous and remote, where you are more likely to meet fishermen than fellow visitors. These inland waters do not have the fame of Halong Bay, yet they offer something just as striking, perhaps more so because they feel undiscovered.

23. Small Islands with a Slower Rhythm

Scattered off Vietnam’s coastline are islands that still feel modest in scale, more about fishing boats and simple guesthouses than luxury resorts. Ly Son, off Quang Ngai, is volcanic in origin, its cliffs and garlic fields giving it a character all of its own. The Cham Islands, reached by boat from Hoi An, are busier in the daytime with snorkelling trips, yet in the evenings the crowds vanish and life returns to its usual rhythm.

Further south, Đảo Hải Tặc, the so-called Pirate Islands, sit near the Cambodian border. Despite the dramatic name, they are quiet, more about hammocks and fresh seafood than buried treasure. Hon Son, between Rach Gia and Phu Quoc, has perhaps the prettiest beaches of the lot, with palms leaning so far over the sand it feels like a postcard, though one where the ink is still smudged.

These islands are not entirely untouched. Some have new homestays, a scattering of cafés, even the beginnings of tourism infrastructure. Yet the appeal lies in the balance: enough comfort to settle in, not enough development to erase the feeling that you are still somewhere off the map.

Nature

24. The Highlands of Ha Giang

Ha Giang Province, in the far North, has become something of a rite of passage for adventurous travellers. The motorbike loop here is famous, with hairpin bends that open onto views of jagged limestone mountains and valleys filled with rice terraces. It is not always an easy journey. The roads can be rough and the weather unpredictable. Yet there is a sense of discovery in travelling this way. Villages appear suddenly, tucked against cliffs, and markets spill into the streets with produce you have never seen before. For many, this feels like the Vietnam of old, though the truth is that change is arriving here too, slowly but steadily.

Change is far less apparent in the northwest in regions like Dien Bien Phu and Lai Chau. Travelling to these regions offers all the thrills of Ha Giang, with far less infrastructer, fewer commondities and much more authenticity.

25. The Central Highlands and Waterfalls

The Central Highlands are less visited than the coast, which is part of their appeal. The region around Dalat is dotted with waterfalls, pine forests and coffee plantations. Some waterfalls are crowded with domestic tourists, yet others require a little effort to reach and reward you with quiet pools where you can sit for hours. K50 Waterfall is a real highlight if you’re happy to trek for a reward.

Coffee is another part of the story here. Vietnam is one of the world’s largest producers, and tasting it at source, often brewed thick and strong, feels different to ordering it in a café. There is a mixture of wild nature and cultivated land, a reminder that humans and landscape are closely entwined.

26. The National Parks Few Visit

Beyond Phong Nha and Cat Tien, Vietnam has other national parks that remain almost unknown outside the country. Cuc Phuong, for instance, is home to ancient trees and a primate rescue centre. Bach Ma, near Hue, offers trails through misty forests to waterfalls and panoramic viewpoints.

These parks are not always perfectly maintained. Paths may be overgrown, signage sparse. Yet that, oddly, is part of their charm. You are reminded that nature here is still dominant, that tourism is only a faint trace on a much older landscape.

27. A Different Kind of Island Escape

Con Dao, once a penal colony, is now one of Vietnam’s quietest island getaways. Its history is sobering, with prisons that you can still visit, but its beaches and coral reefs make it a place of beauty as well as remembrance. Unlike busier islands, development here is restrained, which means more space to breathe.

Some travellers are surprised by how calm it feels, almost contemplative. You can spend a day snorkelling or hiking and return to a small guesthouse rather than a sprawling resort. It is not untouched, no place really is, but it does feel less compromised than most.

28. Feed Wild Crocodiles in the Salt Marshes of the Mekong Delta

Embark on a day trip from Ho Chi Minh to the Can Gio Mangrove region for your chance to explore the wildlife and learn about the history of this UNESCO designated space. Touring the mangrove and salt marsh forests by boat gives ample opportunity for spotting wildlife along the way like crocodiles and colorful birds. Then head to monkey island for your chance to see dozens of wild monkeys in their natural environment! 

Where to go - Province of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

29. Take a Boat Trip Through Ancient Caves and Grottoes  

Trang An complex possesses two ecosystems which are mainly limestone mountain ranges and wetlands. With a great natural and cultural value, the area has about 500 plants, 73 bird species, 41 mammals, 32 reptiles and 48 watery grottoes which are interspersed with 31 beautiful valleys and historical relics, particularly, archaeological relics dating from 3,000 to 30,000 years ago. Archaeologists and geologist have confirmed that the area of Trang An and Hoa Lu was formerly an ancient sea dating back to 250 million to 300 million years. 

Where to go – Ninh Binh, Vietnam

30. Cao Bang: Waterfalls, Mountains and Stone Villages

Cao Bang, in Vietnam’s far north, remains one of the country’s most striking yet least visited provinces. Ban Gioc Waterfall thunders down in great tiers, right on the border with China, and while it does draw domestic tourists, the sheer scale of it still feels breathtaking. A short drive away lies Angel Eye Mountain, a giant limestone peak pierced by a perfect round hole, its silhouette both dramatic and oddly peaceful.

The landscape here is riddled with caves, some immense and little explored. Step inside and the air cools immediately, the light fading until only shafts from above catch the stone. It gives the impression of an older Vietnam, one still half-hidden.

Many travellers stay in Khuoi Ky, known as the Stone Village. The houses here are built entirely from stone, giving the place a timeless, almost austere beauty. Several families now run simple but comfortable homestays, where evenings are spent around low tables sharing bowls of local food. It is not polished hospitality in the hotel sense, yet that is what makes it memorable.

31. Ngu Chi Son: A Wilder Alternative to Fansipan

Fansipan may be Vietnam’s highest peak, but it is not necessarily its most rewarding climb. The cable cars and crowds make it accessible, yet the sense of solitude has gone. Ngu Chi Son, just outside Sapa, feels very different. At 2,800 metres it is lower than Fansipan, though in many ways the trek is tougher and far more dramatic.

The mountain rises sharply, its five jagged peaks giving it the name “Five Fingers”. The route takes you through dense forest, bamboo groves and high pastures before scrambling up bare rock near the summit. It is demanding, with long ascents and sections that can be slippery after rain, but the views are astonishing. From the top you see endless ridges fading into China, and on clear days the whole Sapa valley stretches below like a painting.

Ngu Chi Son is not as well-known, which is precisely its charm. You are unlikely to meet many other trekkers, and the paths still feel raw, even improvised. A handful of local guides now lead climbs here, and staying in a homestay the night before means you begin the trek in the quiet of dawn. It may not have the prestige of standing on Vietnam’s highest point, but it offers something else: the satisfaction of a mountain that still feels wild.

32. Pu Luong: Terraces, Valleys and Quiet Trails

Pu Luong Nature Reserve, a few hours from Hanoi, is often described as a smaller, quieter alternative to Sapa. Its terraced rice fields spill down the hillsides, and villages of wooden stilt houses sit tucked into the valleys. Life here feels unhurried. Farmers tend their fields, children walk home along narrow paths, and buffalo graze where the land flattens into paddies.

Trekking is the main draw, though it is not about conquering peaks so much as moving through landscapes at a slower pace. Trails lead past waterfalls, bamboo groves and lookout points where the valley seems to fold endlessly into itself. Homestays run by local families add another layer, with evenings spent over bowls of hot rice wine and simple meals. Pu Luong is not completely untouched, but compared with the North’s busier trekking circuits it still feels authentic.

33. Gành Đá Đĩa: Vietnam’s Basalt Wonder

On the coast of Phu Yen province lies one of Vietnam’s most unusual natural formations: Gành Đá Đĩa, or the Cliff of Stone Plates. Thousands of black basalt columns rise out of the sea, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions that cooled into perfectly angular shapes. From above, they look almost man-made, as if neatly stacked by some vast hand.

The site is not large, and many travellers only spend an hour here, but it is strangely captivating. The contrast of dark stone against the shifting blues of the sea gives it an otherworldly quality. Visit at sunrise or late afternoon and the light makes the formations glow, while fishing boats bob in the distance. Gành Đá Đĩa remains less known outside Vietnam, which makes it all the more intriguing when you finally stand there, watching waves break against its geometric walls.

34. Wild Campinng and Foraging with the Northern Hill Tribes

Trekking through Sapa is one thing, but camping out with Hmong or Dao guides takes it a step further. The experience is not polished. You hike into the hills, gather wood, forage for edible plants and mushrooms, and make a simple base camp in the forest. Meals are often cooked over an open fire, flavoured with herbs picked only hours before.

The focus is not survival in the dramatic sense but something subtler: learning how local communities still draw much of their daily life from the forest. What grows where, which roots are good for broth, how to set a shelter against the rain. Some travellers find it physically tiring, others unexpectedly calming.

It is not for everyone. Nights can be damp, the ground hard, and comforts are few. Yet waking up to mist lifting over the terraces, with smoke from a fire still hanging in the trees, has a simplicity that is rare to find. For those who want more than just a guided trek, wild camping offers an intimacy with both land and people that lodges or hotels can never match.

35. See the wildlife in Giao Xuân & Xuân Thủy Wetlands - Ninh Binh Province

The wetlands of Xuân Thủy, near Giao Xuân village, are one of Vietnam’s least-known treasures. This is a Ramsar-listed site, meaning it is recognised internationally for its biodiversity, and when you arrive it becomes clear why. Vast mudflats, mangroves and tidal estuaries stretch out towards the sea, providing habitat for migratory birds that travel thousands of miles along the East Asian flyway.

The village itself is low-key. Families here live much as they always have, fishing, farming clams, and making rice wine. Some now open their homes to travellers, offering simple but comfortable stays where dinner might be freshly caught seafood and local vegetables. A morning spent drifting through mangrove channels or walking along mudflats with a guide gives you a sense of the ecosystem’s richness.

It is not a glamorous experience, nor should it be. The wetlands are muddy, the air salty, and the rhythm dictated by the tides. Yet that is the point. Xuân Thủy shows a Vietnam where human life is still closely tied to the land and sea, and where conservation and community overlap in quiet but meaningful ways.

36. Float around the waterways Mộc Châu’s Tan Lập Floating Village (Mộc Hóa, Tay Ninh Province)

Near the Cambodian border lies Tân Lập, often described as the floating village of the South. What you notice first are the waterways: narrow channels winding through flooded forests, their surfaces reflecting the tangle of trees overhead. Boats move slowly here, paddled more than powered, and the silence is broken only by the sound of water dripping from branches.

Homestays are scattered along the waterways, built on stilts above the water. Life is simple; hammocks swaying, meals cooked with ingredients grown or caught nearby. It is not entirely untouched, since domestic visitors come for day trips, but compared with other southern attractions it remains quiet, rural and refreshingly unhurried.

For travellers who find the Mekong Delta too busy, Tân Lập is a gentler alternative. You can spend a day gliding through mangrove channels, stop to watch birds gather in the trees, or simply sit on a veranda as dusk falls and the forest begins to hum. It feels less like tourism and more like being folded into a slower way of living.

37. Explore Dong Du Village (Nghệ An Province) by bicycle or rowboat

Đông Du is the kind of place that rarely makes it onto itineraries, yet it is exactly where you begin to understand Vietnam’s rural heart. The village is framed by mountains and dotted with lotus ponds, its pace shaped by agriculture and the seasons. Traditional houses, built of wood and earth, sit among fields that stretch towards the river.

Life here is tranquil but not static. Villagers practise water puppetry, a tradition usually associated with the north, keeping performances alive in small community spaces. Homestays allow you to stay overnight, joining families for meals and glimpsing the daily routines that revolve around farming and festivals.

Getting around is part of the appeal. By bicycle, narrow lanes take you past paddies, shrines and ponds. By rowboat or paddleboard on the Khe Lau Lake, you move through still waters surrounded by dramatic limestone outcrops. Neither activity requires rushing. Đông Du is about slowing down, about finding satisfaction in modest rhythms.