Here, the many dozens of ethnic minority people live, and provide food shelter, and fiery rice wine to weary trekkers in home-stay accommodation, from the dizzying heights of the Northern highlands and the watery world of the Mekong Delta the trekking options in the Vietnam are endless.

NOTHERN HIGHLANDS

Vietnam’s foremost trekking region, the Northern Highlands is home to towering mountains, bamboo forest, swathes of gold rice terraces, and wild rivers. The relative remoteness of the Northern Highlands not only means that the environment is still in great condition, but beyond the main cities and towns, visitor will often have the places they visit to themselves. Here, visitors can see some of Vietnam’s most pristine landscapes before development set in. For the trekker, the region is also attractive due to its amazing variety of ethnic minority people. Proudly retaining much of their traditional lifestyle and customs, trekkers have ample opportunities to observe local life, and if the timing is right, take in a colorful local market where villages best comes alive in a kaleidoscope of colors, sights, sounds and smells. With the region also being home to some of Vietnam’s biggest mountain including Mount Fansipan, which at a dizzying height of 3,143m is also Vietnam’s tallest, in the Northern highlands trekkers have the perfect recipe for a great trekking holiday.

Tope treks : Sapa region ( Lao Cai ), Mai Chau ( Hoa Binh ), Cao Bang Province, Dong Van/Meo Vac region ( Ha Giang ), Cuc Phuong National Pack.

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS

The Central highlands is situated along the Lao – Cambodia border and extends from Cat tien National Park in the south to Quang Nam in the north. Whilst the mountains might not be as tall as the Northern Highlands, the region’s natural beauty and situation on a number of contiguous mountain plateaus up to 1000m in height surrounded and ideal place for trekking. The Central Highlands is home to primitive forest and numerous national parks, including one of Vietnam’s most famous, Cat Tien national Park. In the Central Highlands trekkers also have the opportunity to encounter some of Vietnam' most prominent wild life and some of its most endangered, including Indochinese tiger, wild Asian water buffalos, and Asian elephants. Home to a number of ethnic minority communities, trekkers also have the opportunity witness unique customs and traditions barely affected by modern day life. Unlike the Northern Highlands, the close proximity of the Central Highlands’s to major cities and towns like Ho Chi Minh city and Nha trang make it a relatively easy detour for those with limited time.

Tope treks : Da Lat region, Cat Tien National park, Buon Ma Thuot, Yok Don national Park, Pleiku region, Kon Tum, Bach Ma national Park.

MEKONG DELTA

The lush greenery surrounding the watery world of the Mekong delta provides a dramatic contrast to trekking in Vietnam’s mountainous regions. Here life revolves around the river which is both the life sources of the region’s agriculture and the main transport artery of the region. Whilst trekking in the Mekong Delta is more suited to shorter day trips, the region contains many minority villages, and the flat land allows for more sedate hiking. Moreover, the region’s waterways and the people it supports also provide an interesting twist to most walks where floating markets, boat activity, lush mangrove forest and cultivated rice fields become the feature.

One the region’s most popular mountain treks is to the summit of Cam Mountain (1224m), the Delta’s highest peak. Along the way walkers pass whole communities, including huts, temples and even a post office. At the summit walkers are confronted with the unexpected sigh of an eight story mountaintop pagoda, which during holidays, can be traversed for spectacular views over the Delta and its endless rivers and rivers and rice fields.

Top treks: That Son region, Cam Mountain