Eight treks for discovering Vietnam’s rural heartlands.

Lonely Planet, the world's leading travel guide book publisher, has suggested eight treks for discovering Vietnam’s rural heartlands, saying "the mountainous north of the country offers the best trekking opportunities."

"Many of Vietnam’s top hikes are best attempted with local support. The tropical terrain can be challenging, the weather can be unpredictable and you’ll need someone who speaks the local languages to make arrangements for meals and accommodation in hill-tribe communities," the publisher says.

Cultural treks from Sapa

According to Lonely Planet, "hill-tribe treks from Sapa are a core part of the tourist experience in northern Vietnam, and hiking here is quite mainstream these days."

"Don’t expect to get too far off the beaten track - the most popular villages have entry fees, souvenir shops and a rather entrepreneurial attitude towards tourism. Favor treks to Sin Chai, Cat Cat, Ban Ho, and Y Linh Ho, which will take you away from the heaviest crowds," it notes.

"For a more authentic experience, trek over two days with an overnight stop in a local homestay, or save your trekking for a more remote location such as Bac Ha or Ba Be National Park," it adds.

Sapa, a resort town in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, is one of northern Vietnam's top tourist attractions.

The climate in Sapa is cool all year round with unique indigenous imprints, including the culture of the two ethnic minorities Hmong and Dao, combined with the European architectural space.

In November, Sapa town in Lao Cai province was named among Asia's 10 new winter wonderlands beyond Nepal by Canadian travel site The Travel.

"Vietnam’s winter wonderland is a place of awe," The Travel wrote, placing Sapa in fifth position in its list.

Tribal treks around Bac Ha

The village remains a charmingly unspoiled hub for hikes to the villages of 11 tribal groups, including the Flower Hmong, Dzao, Giay, Han, Xa Fang, Lachi, Nung, Phula, Tay, Thai, and Thulao.

"For an easy day hike, try the eight kilometer (5-mile) hike through the Flower Hmong village of Thai Giang Pho to the Tay village of Na Lo, passing some of the finest rural scenery anywhere in northern Vietnam. For a great overnight route, test your legs on the 10 kilometer (6.2-mile) hike through rice paddies, cinnamon forests and misty hills to the Dzao villages of Nam Det and Nam Khanh," Lonely Planet gushes.

The travel guide publisher also suggests: "Be back in Bac Ha by the weekend: the Sunday market in Bac Ha and the Saturday market in nearby Can Cau both draw tribal people from across the region. There are also markets in the villages of Coc Ly, Lung Phin and Sin Cheng."

Fansipan

Fansipan is the highest mountain in the Indochinese Peninsula, comprising Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, hence its nickname "the Roof of Indochina".

"At 3,147 meters (10,326ft), Vietnam’s highest mountain presents a satisfying challenge - though the paths are rough and regular rain means the going can be slippery underfoot."

It notes: "The summit of the mountain known as the “roof of Indochina” is most easily reached from the Tram Ton pass on the northern side of the mountain, accessible by local bus from Sapa. There are also challenging alternative trails starting from the villages of Cat Cat and Sin Chai that require camping for one or two nights."

Fit trekkers can tackle the Tram Ton trail in a day, returning via the cable car across Muong Hoa Valley.

Nestled in a range of magnificent mountains, Muong Hoa Valley covers about eight square kilometers and sits at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level. It contains the communes of Lao Chai, Ta Van, Hau Thao, Su Pa, Ta Phin and Ban Ho.

Ba Be National Park

The green Ba Be National Park offers everything you could ask for from the Vietnamese highlands: limestone peaks climbing out of misty valleys lined with ribbon-like lakes, dense jungles hiding myriad bird, mammal and butterfly species, and a dozen villages populated by the Tay, Dzao and Hmong communities.

"Treks here are as they were in Sapa a generation back, offering a deep dive into mountain culture and a way of life that still moves with the rhythms of the seasons."

As well as sampling village life, you can drop in on dramatic waterfalls and tortuous cave systems, and stop overnight at quiet homestays overlooking the lakes," Lonely Planet notes.

Cat Ba National Park

The park is situated in the Cat Ba Archipelago, which consists of 366 islands. It is about 45 kilometers east of Hai Phong city, 150 kilometers southeast of Hanoi and borders Ha Long Bay to the north.

Cat Ba National Park is at the heart of the UNESCO Cat Ba Archipelago Biosphere Reserve and it shares the distinctive scenic beauty of the Ha Long Bay area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"The “easy” option here is the short, strenuous hike to the top of Ngu Lam peak, a modest ridge offering views over the surrounding jungle, though many opt for the more challenging nine kilometer (5.5-mile) hike across the park to the fishing village of Viet Hai, where you can stop over at a friendly homestay," Lonely Planet advises.

Cat Tien National Park

"The most popular trip is the half-day hike from the national park headquarters in search of golden-cheeked gibbons, though this involves an early start to catch the primates’ hooting dawn chorus. Most trekkers drop in on the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre for more simian encounters; trip fees help fund the park’s conservation activities," the publisher says.

Cat Tien National Park is one of the country's top reserves of natural resources with lots of rare, specious and endemic genes of fauna and flora, and a plentiful site for scientists, domestic and foreign tourists.

"Cat Tien National Park is part of the wet tropical forest complex and one of the specious natural forests remaining in Vietnam. That is why this area is significant not only in Vietnam but in the world as well," according to the UNESCO website.

The diversity of Cat Tien has been recognized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) when this international organization selected the park as one of 200 global ecological zones including the land and its water area with its wellknown biological diversity.

In 2001, Cat Tien was listed by UNESCO as the 411th biosphere reserve zone in the world.

Mai Chau villages

The township of Mai Chau floats on a green carpet of rice fields, about 135 kilometers (84 miles) southwest of the capital city of Hanoi. This is pretty rather than challenging terrain, with the most popular destinations for walks villages inhabited by the White Thai, according to Lonely Planet.

"For a taste of what the area has to offer, try the 18-kilometer (11-mile) trek from Ban Lac village to Xa Linh village. Longer treks can be arranged through local homestays and lodges, though we recommend coming during the week to avoid the weekend crowds," it adds.

As one of the most famous homestay villages in Vietnam, Mai Chau is home to the White Thai ethnic group, distantly related to the same minority in Laos and China. White Thai people own special cultural customs and unique farming techniques. One of the most distinctive features of Thai people’s lifestyle is their architecture.

Cao Bang

"Tucked away near the Chinese border in the far northeast of Vietnam, Cao Bang is the place to discover rural communities that have so far escaped the influence of mass tourism," Lonely Planet writes.

It suggests "the main destinations for hikers are hillside villages of the Tay, Nung, Hmong, Dzao and Lolo people, with markets that shift from village to village on different days of the lunar month."

The publisher advises: "There are easy strolls around Ban Gioc Waterfall and Nguom Ngao Cave - both served by local buses from Cao Bang - but to access outlying villages, you’ll need local support. Most treks are multi-day affairs, and your guide will need to make arrangements for overnight stays."

Tucked away in a remote area of northern Vietnam, Cao Bang province is bursting with beautiful geo-cultural sites. With five major river systems and 47 lakes, water plays a vital role in shaping the landscape and local life.

Non Nuoc Cao Bang has been recognised by UNESCO as a global geopark, becoming the second of its kind in Vietnam. The first is Dak Nong Geopark in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong.