Destinations > Mountains
Horse Racing Festival in Bac Ha
A unique annual spectacle held in Vietnam’s northern highlands…
Hiking Ham Lon Mountain
A good hiking destination within easy reach of Hanoi…
Three Springs Silent Retreat
During Lunar New Year, I retreat into the mountains, valleys & streams that lie inland from the busy, festive & noisy coastal towns…
Núi Đá Bia | Mountain Hike
A steep ascent to a giant freestanding boulder at its peak, the hike up Núi Đá Bia Mountain offers mesmerizing views…
Sky Path Hike | Ha Giang
A soaring walkway clinging to the cliffs hundreds of metres above the legendary Mã Pí Lèng Pass in Hà Giang…
Camping on Trong Veo Stream
Wild camp by a cool, clear, freshwater stream amidst pine-studded hills & a beautiful waterfall near Dalat in the Central Highlands
Rice Terraces of Northern Vietnam
An annual spectacle of colour & beauty, the shimmering rice terraces of northern Vietnam are one of the country’s most iconic sights…
Hang Bua & Tham Om Caves
These intriguing limestone caverns are the site of the earliest known evidence of human activity in Vietnam…
Khe Kem Waterfall
Plunging through the thick jungles of Pù Mát National Park & cascading over a vertical rockface, Khe Kèm is an impressive natural sight…
Camping, Hiking & Cloud-Hunting in Cau Dat
Wild camp above the clouds in a haunting & beautiful landscape near Cầu Đất village in the Central Highlands…
Núi Đá Bạc Mountain Trek | Phu Quoc Island
Offering stupendous views, this is a fun & rewarding hike to the top of one of the jungle-clad escarpments lining Phu Quoc’s eastern flank…
Trekking to Đỉnh Tiên Sơn Peak | Phu Quoc Island
Ascending steeply through thick rainforest, a pathway leads to a nest of giant boulders atop Đỉnh Tiên Sơn, from where there are stunning 180-degree views…
Ha Giang Province | Picture Book
One of the most visually arresting regions in the nation, Ha Giang is Vietnam’s northern-most province. This gallery features 50 images showcasing the beauty of Ha Giang in order to inspire wanderlust…
New Year’s Camping in the Pine Forests
To mark the end of 2020 (the ‘Lost Year’), my friends & I went on a wild camping trip in the pine forests of the Central Highlands: an activity that’s possible in Vietnam, even as many countries continue to endure lock-downs & social-distancing
A Guide to Climbing Mount Fansipan Independently
Known as the ‘Roof of Indochina’, Mount Fansipan is the highest mountain in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. At 3,143m (10,312ft) it’s a ‘real’ mountain. But Fansipan can be climbed independently, without a guide or porters or any specialist climbing equipment, in one day…..
Phương Bối Hill: The Buddhist Monk Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Retreat
In the misty forests on the slopes of the B’lao mountains, the young Buddhist monk, Thích Nhất Hạnh, came to build a retreat in the late 1950s. Now a world-famous spiritual leader, Thich Nhat Hanh was forced to abandon the retreat in the 1960s, but the site still exists….
The Fanxipan Express: Hanoi to Lao Cai by Train (Passengers & Motorbikes)
Rattling through the night from the capital city, along the Red River Valley, and into the northwest mountains surrounding Lao Cai on the Chinese border, the Fanxipan Express is a romantic rail journey that’s cheap, comfortable & easy to organize….
On the Road & Under the Sky: Lunar New Year, 2018
Lunar New Year (Tết) is a time of gathering: of family & friends; of people & parties. But this year, I undertook to spend my Tết holiday in peace & solitude: I took my motorbike, my tent & my guitar & set off for 11 days on the road & under the sky…
Núi Dinh Mountain & Springs
Some 90 minutes from Saigon, Núi Dinh Mountain is an unexpected swell of high ground rising above flat floodplains. The mountain offers a peaceful retreat into trees & streams on its rocky slopes, upon which perch dozens of temples & pagodas….
La Nga River & Thac Ba Waterfall
The La Nga River and Thac Ba Waterfall offer freshwater bathing, lush jungle, mountain scenery and opportunities for wild camping, all within a few hours’ drive of Saigon. It’s a great inland escape for city-dwellers with their own wheels….
Bac Ha Sunday Market
In the rugged mountains of northwestern Vietnam, the town of Bắc Hà holds a big, bright and busy market every Sunday. Attracting colourfully dressed ethnic minorities from across the region, the market has become a major magnet for tourists…
Ho Chi Minh’s Cave: Hang Pác Bó
In the winter of 1941, Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam for the first time in 30 years. For several weeks he lived in Pac Bo Cave. Right on Vietnam’s northeastern frontier with China, Pac Bo is an important historical site in an enchanting location…
Theatre of Rice: Mù Cang Chải
Every year, from summer to autumn, the terraced rice fields of Mù Cang Chải, a rural district in northern Vietnam’s Yen Bai Province, put on a luminous show of picturesque harvest colours. I call this spectacular sight ‘The Theatre of Rice’….
Video: Dalat’s Waterfalls
A vicarious tour of the region’s best cascades…
Dalat’s Waterfalls: A Guide
Dalat is located in Lâm Đồng Province, a mountainous region that boasts lots of waterfalls. I visited them all, in order to compile this list & guide to the waterfalls of Dalat & the surrounding area. Many of the falls are truly spectacular, while some are ruined by tourist development…
Pu Luong Nature Reserve | Travel Guide
A sub-tropical garden of Eden featuring karst mountains, rice terraces, waterfalls, caves, hiking & homestays…