For many years, Vietnam has been a top destination for independent travellers exploring South East Asia. From lush green paddy fields to coastal limestone mountains, delicious smelling street stalls to colonial influenced architecture, Vietnam offers travellers a distinctly different experience.

For the eco-minded traveller, Vietnam has many incredible eco-friendly activities and eco tours on offer, some more adventurous than others. If you’re thinking of heading to the country and want to research tours in Vietnam, here are a few ideas to get you started:

Trekking

Uncover some of Asia’s exciting trekking opportunities as you travel rugged mountain sides and vibrant jungle trails – Vietnam has hundreds of wonderful treks to choose from.

Highlights include:
• Sapa Vietnam – a mountainous hill trek with diverse landscapes and friendly settlements of local people
• Ba Be lake – an incredible trek for seeing the wondrous nature on both land and water, follow the Nang river and see the rice terraces

Bird-watching

Of all the countries in South East Asia, Vietnam has the largest number of endemics and a total of 850 different species of bird. It’s a truly captivating destination for bird watchers of all ages. Look out for the Indochinese species, which you’ll struggle to find elsewhere. You can choose a self-guided bird watching trek through the Vietnamese countryside or book yourself a specialist bird-watching holiday. Have your camera ready!

Rock climbing

Fancy challenging yourself on your trip to Vietnam? With thousands of incredible limestone mountains across the country, you’ll find plenty of dramatic rock faces to practice your skills. Pick a rock climbing excursion to ensure the most amazing views with maximum safety. Halong Bay and the Chay River are both popular rock climbing spots.

National Parks

Vietnam has numerous astounding national parks to choose from. U Minh Thuong is a freshwater wetlands park with forest, grassland and open swamp to discover whilst Tram Chim National Park is home to the remains of Vietnam’s Plain of Reeds ecosystem. For hilly terrain, visit the Phu Quoc National Park where you will find Mount Chua. Other prized National Parks include: Cat Ba, Cuc Phuong, Bach Ma and Ba Vi.

Biking

With diverse culture, a fascinating history and charming locals, there’s so much to explore in Vietnam. Doing so on bike makes travel quick, easy and eco-friendly. Stop off for photo opportunities wherever you find them and keep yourself fit whilst you’re at it. Cycling tours are available for all fitness capacities, ensuring everyone sees what they want on the trip. The Mekong Delta and surrounding regions are a great place to start.

Cave Tours

The natural wonders of Vietnam don’t stop above land; consider exploring the caves of Son Doong – the largest cave known to man. This is an immense natural cave located near the Laos-Vietnam border. It has a fast flowing underground river and is untouched my modern man, which is truly awe-inspiring. It’s an incredible five times larger than the cave which was previously thought to be the biggest, another Vietnamese cave – Phong Nha. Son Doong measures a whopping 30,000ft long and 490ft deep.

River Tours

With over 60 million Vietnamese relying on the Mekong River for transport, food and water – it’s an important attraction for both local and visitors. Take a tour on a paddled canoe boat led by a local resident or a private river cruise company.

This post was written in conjunction with withlocals.com – a peer-to-peer marketplace where local people offer experiences and their skills to travellers. Their mission is to connect people and cultures through food and unique experiences.