yesd travel vietnam

• YESD Social Enterprise

Responsible Tours in Vietnam with YESD

by YESD Social Enterprise

Immerse yourself in Vietnam’s rich culture and breathtaking landscapes with YESD's authentic and responsible tours! We curate unique experiences beyond sightseeing, fostering genuine connections with local communities. Travel with a purpose—explore hidden gems like Ha Giang, trek through stunning mountain ranges, or navigate bustling Hanoi alongside knowledgeable local guides. YESD prioritizes responsible tourism, ensuring your exploration benefits the places you visit.

Choose from handcrafted itineraries or create a custom tour perfectly suited to your interests. Whether you crave a week-long adventure or a shorter excursion, YESD caters to all travel styles. Go beyond the tourist trail and discover the true essence of Vietnam.

Support local communities, explore hidden wonders, and embark on an unforgettable journey with YESD!

Program Highlights

Immerse in an authentic experience with our tours, where locals are empowered with employment, income, and learning opportunities, enriching your journey through Vietnam.

Choose responsible tourism with us, where we actively minimize negative impacts on the environment and local communities while boosting local economies.

Make your travel meaningful beyond borders—10% of profits go towards vital infrastructure improvements and resources.

Discover Vietnam's culture and life firsthand as our guides and hosts offer special insights, creating authentic connections and unforgettable memories.

Opt for responsible tourism that not only enriches your experience but also benefits local communities and preserves the environment for future generations.

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BEST TRIP OF MY JOURNEY. DO THIS!! - YESD Responsible Tours

• Asia    
• Vietnam    
• Ha Giang Province    
• Ha Giang    
• Ha Giang - Things to Do    
• YESD Responsible Tours

BEST TRIP OF MY JOURNEY. DO THIS!!

We took the three day motorbike trip through the mountains of northern Vietnam with YESD. Not feeling 100% confident about driving a motorbike on our own, we asked for guides to take us. Best decision ever! Our two guides Tung and Song were incredible: they were very safe, professional, and friendly. A bit nervous at first, my fears were quickly put to rest when I experienced how the guides were so cautious and safe on the road. The scenery is like nothing I have ever seen before!!! These mountains are a phenomenal feature on planet Earth. THE TRIP WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY MONTH IN VIETNAM. Just do it. And feel good that YESD is a safe and professional company.

We are incredibly grateful that you took the time out to leave us this note. We look forward to serving you again. Kind regards, Phuong

This is a truly real experience of the beautiful countryside in northern Vietnam - by car. We had excellent guide - Mu - who explained us everything we asked for. She knows a lot about ethnic minorities! Even other tourist groups listened to what Mu was explaining to us. Very good and skilled driver for the full 5 days. We recommend the YESD company.

Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a beautiful review. Mu wants you to know that she had good time with you! Please do come again one day!

My husband and I did the 4-day Ha Giang trip with private car and guide. We normally prefer to travel more independently but this turned out to be the absolute best way to do it. The only thing we would have changed is we wished we could have stayed a month - at least! Each day was filled with one fascinating site and experience after another. We didn’t want it to end! Everything about the pre-trip planning with Tuyet was pleasant and easy. If she makes a suggestion, take it, she knows best! 😉 Communication and replies to my many questions was quick and the information given was accurate and thorough. After so many months of emails and WhatsApp, we were very happy to have an opportunity to meet in person in Hanoi before we departed. Every detail during the tour was first class. We felt an immediate and lasting bond with our guide and driver. The trip was the best it could be and they exceeded our expectations every day, in every way! The accommodations and homestay families were so lovely and they made us feel welcomed and right at home. The driving was long but the scenery and our conversation together made it very enjoyable and we learned a lot about the area and its people and traditions along with the hikes and daily village life encounters. The food throughout was plentiful and delicious and they had no problem providing vegetarian alternatives for me. We never felt rushed and my husband, an avid photographer, had plenty of time for the hundreds of photographs he wanted to take each day. The scenery was some of the most beautiful we have seen during many years of travelling. The area is still untouched and very authentic. The large weekly market was a highlight of the trip as was visiting the Women’s Hemp Cooperative and watching and learning the age-old process. The cost of the tour was a splurge for our limited (SE Asia) budget but we felt confident in our choice and were happy to support a responsible tourism company and local families spending our money this way. If you are reading these reviews, stop now and look no further! Book an experience of a lifetime with YESD! No matter who your planner, driver, or guide is, it can be guaranteed they will be one of the very best! You will not regret it, and you will never forget it!

Thank you for giving us a shot, and even more for leaving us this review. Being a small company, this means a lot to us! Please come to our beautiful country again soon!

YESD Responsible Tourism was a pleasure to be in contact with. They were quick to help answer all our questions and even to reply our e-mail, when we realised very lateon our way to Ha Giang that we were delayed by more than an hour. We had booked a 3D2N stay at a local family in Ha Giang with two days of trekking. YESD were very good to accommodate our requests and made sure everything from food preferences (a vegetarian diet) to shuttle from bus station to the family's home was handled with utmost care. The family we stayed at were very nice and open, and although they hardly spoke English, we managed just fine with Google Translate and body language. Our tour guide was a little better at English, but was also hard to understand at all times. We did however enjoy our trip very much and had a lot of fun with our sweet guide Lim, who was very good to show us different flora and fauna as well as tell us a lot about the local culture. And he was easy to talk to and even with the language barrier, we mostly felt understood and informed.

It was a pleasure serving you. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback and being so open with us. We hope you'll come and see us again soon!

We (myself and two friends) did 4 days and 3 nights combination tour- 1 day trekking followed by the 3 days motorbiking. All of the homestays/accommodations were great - we especially enjoyed getting to sharing home cooked meals with the families hosting us. The guides were kind, knowledgable, and spoke great English. In particular, our motorbiking guides were AMAZING - we felt very safe riding with them so we could thoroughly enjoy the jaw dropping vistas around us from the bike and also enjoyed grabbing lunch/dinner with them while on the road as well. All three of us were drawn to YESD as a tour company because of their commitment to sustainable tourism and we found that this mission shone through in creating a truly unforgettable experience. Ha Giang was a highlight of our trip thanks to YESD!

My boyfriend and I planned to travel through Ha Giang with two guides; mr Son and mr Van, driving us for three days through the loop around Minh Yihn and Dong Van, incl. Heavens Gate and other amazing sites. It was amazing! The experience of driving through the Ha Giang mountain landscape in the open air, even in the times where there was more cloud than scenic views, was absolutely astonishing. The landscape is incredible and the local communities and -ways of life, are exciting and accessible. We stayed our first night in a homestay in Thon Ta village just outside of Ha Giang City, as we arrived in the evening before our booked tour. The homestay was arranged by YesD and was really fun and nice: mrs Dung who hosted the place with her husband and daughter in-law and grandchild was very sweet and while she cooked, her husband served homemade corn-wine and got us good and relaxed and feeling like home. That way of hosting was extended to us the following night, where we arrived at a new homestay further into the mountains after a day of driving and sightseeing with mr Van and mr Son. Mr Van and mr Son were so nice: sweet, laughing and considerate company. They showed us nice places, facilitated nice food in local venues, and always took into consideration that we were vegetarian. Even as we were invited to a pork based feast and mr Van's extended family home in the mountains, he picked up tofu to make sure we could participate in the party without breaking our principles. The feast was maybe the high light of the tour: being invited in for the tet celebration with a crew of locals, overcoming language barriers by cheering in homemade liquour, eating delicious food and laughing across the table was definitely an enriching way of engaging with the local community, rather than objectifying them in pictures. that was why we came <3 to experience the frontier land with local community engagement, and sending money and support back to local communities who need it and grow from it! we are very happy with that exchange, and experience! all our love goes back to the trip <3 we hope to see us again

It's always a pleasure seeing you two. Thanks so much for your feedback and good vibes. Mr Son and Mr Van would be very happy to learn of your praise! Looking forward to seeing you again in our country!

YESD Responsible Tours

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Ha Giang Comfort Car Ride 4D3N

Ha Giang Easy Rider 3D3N

Ha Giang Trekker 2D2N

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

YESD Responsible Tours Guide - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

YESD Responsible Tours

• See all photos

Ha Giang Comfort Car Ride 4D3N

Ha Giang Easy Rider 3D3N

Ha Giang Trekker 2D2N

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

YESD RESPONSIBLE TOURS (Ha Giang) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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Wander-Lush

Perfect 5-Day Ha Giang Itinerary for Touring Ha Giang by Car

We call this the Happiness Road’, our guide, Trang, exclaimed.

We were skittering along one of the most perilous stretches of highway I’ve ever travelled on, our car hugging hopefully onto the side of a limestone cliff.

Laid out before us was a classic view of Northern Vietnam: infinite hills, peaks and gorges; stacked rice terraces, and concentric circles of walking tracks and unpaved roads etched into the mountainside.

It was February, and the first rays of spring sunshine bathed the hills in light and shadow, giving the landscape even more depth. This wasn’t like anywhere else I had been in Vietnam. It wasn’t like anywhere else I had been in the world.

More from Vietnam

Discover the best city guides, itineraries, travel tips & hidden gems in my Vietnam Travel Guide.

Ha Giang (Hà Giang) is Vietnam’s final frontier. Infinite in size and sparsely populated, it was the last part of the country to open up to tourism.

The ‘Happiness Road’ we were travelling on was only completed in 1967; before that, Ha Giang was practically insulated from the rest of Vietnam, closer to neighbouring Yunnan Province than it was to Hanoi.

Even today, you still need a government permit to visit the politically sensitive Chinese border area. In the far north of Ha Giang Province, a 350km loop road cuts through the mountains, guiding visitors through some of Vietnam’s most rugged territory.

After decades of isolation, Ha Giang’s popularity amongst tourists is growing fast. Since it’s so spread out and still lacking in infrastructure, having your own transportation in Ha Giang is pretty much essential.

Riding motorbikes along the Dong Van Loop is the thing to do in Ha Giang. But for anyone who (like us) doesn’t know how to ride, travelling by car is the next best choice.

It’s possible to hire a car and driver once you’re in Ha Giang – but for the sake of ease and comfort, we decided to travel on an organised tour from Hanoi.

We chose a five-day custom Ha Giang tour with YESD Vietnam, a responsible tourism outfit based in the capital.

In this post, I’ll tell you why I think it’s worth spending a bit more time and money to visit Ha Giang. Ha Giang often gets compared to Sapa, so I’ve included a few thoughts on this and why it’s a good lesson on the importance of responsible tourism.

Travelling by car in Ha Giang doesn’t mean having to compromise or miss out on any of the popular sights. In fact, choosing a company like YESD will give you access to some parts of Ha Giang other tourists don’t typically get to see .

After our detailed Ha Giang itinerary, you’ll find my honest review of our five-day Ha Giang tour with YESD Vietnam.

Note: This is not a sponsored post! I paid my own way in Ha Giang. As a fan of YESD and a friend of the founders, I wrote this Ha Giang itinerary in support of their work.

Please note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link (at no extra cost to you). Learn more.

Why visit Ha Giang?

Ha Giang Province is located in the far north of Vietnam – as far north as you can get without crossing over into China. Still relatively unpopular among foreign tourists, it has a certain mystique that I found very appealing.

But it’s not like people are still whispering about Ha Giang. The secret is definitely out, especially among Vietnamese tourists and the expat community in Hanoi.

Still, Ha Giang has an aura; a reputation for being an untouched paradise far removed from the trappings of over-tourism. Its reputation is well-deserved: Ha Giang is certainly beautiful and offers a tourism experience you simply can’t find elsewhere in Vietnam.

I don’t want to romanticise Ha Giang. With extreme isolation comes poverty and a whole bevy of social and environmental issues that we, as tourists, shouldn’t ignore.

There are three things people come to see in Ha Giang: The dramatic landscapes, the ethnic diversity (more than 90 percent of Ha Giang’s residents belong to 16 ethnic groups), and the Dong Van Loop road, which offers some of the best motorcycling in Vietnam.

Ha Giang or Sapa?

There was a time when Sapa (Sa P ả ) was considered a fringe destination. That’s certainly not the case anymore. By 2020, Lao Cai Province (Lào Cai) where Sapa is located is expected to welcome more than 6 million tourists annually.

Sapa is far more accessible than Ha Giang, with more accommodation options and better tourist infrastructure. But the downsides of over-tourism in Sapa are now well-documented and well-known. Could Ha Giang be ‘the new Sapa’?

I sometimes hear people refer to Ha Giang as ‘the Sapa of a decade ago’. Ha Giang is geographically close to Sapa and offers a lot of the same experiences: Rice terraces, trekking, homestays , ethnic minorities, Sunday markets .

The breakneck speed of development in Sapa has produced some rather troubling side-effects, including environmental destruction, commercialisation of traditional culture , and social problems. I’ve heard that a lot of children in Sapa are being put to work in the tourism industry and are missing out on an education as a result.

I’ve heard stories of women who stalk tourists relentlessly when trying to sell them handicrafts. I’ve heard that many hotels and restaurants in Sapa are owned by business people from the city, and that the local community sees little return.

Sapa has a lot to offer tourists (there’s a reason it’s so popular), but it’s losing its appeal. I’m sure these things are going on in Ha Giang too. But I really hope Ha Giang isn’t destined for the same fate.

Tourism in Ha Giang is still in its early stages. That’s why it’s so important to travel responsibly and set a good precedent. One of the main reasons we chose YESD was their commitment to social and environmental sustainability. I’ll talk more about their various initiatives at the end of the post.

• For more information on the impacts of mass tourism and what you can do to be a responsible traveller, I recommend you check out this post by Kate at Travel for Difference .

Travelling in Ha Giang by car

Motorbiking in Ha Giang is a right of passage for many young Vietnamese people. Travelling in the days after Tết (Vietnamese New Year), we saw literally hundreds of couples riding.

More and more backpackers and expats are heading up to Ha Giang to conquer the Dong Van Loop. In the next few years, I expect Ha Giang will probably become a ‘must-do’ for tourists visiting Vietnam.

Even if I did ride a motorbike, I would think twice before riding in Ha Giang. I know plenty of people who have done it – they are far braver than me!

The roads are rough and unforgiving. The highway is often plied with trucks carrying rocks. The distances between homestays are long.

If, like us, you don’t know how to ride a motorbike – or if you’re travelling with kids – you’ll need to find an alternative way to get around.

It’s possible to travel to Ha Giang City or Dong Van City by bus from Hanoi or Lao Cai (Sapa). From there, you can use a combination of public transport and hire cars to see most of the sights.

You will have to sacrifice on certain things though, and it will be a lot more complicated to organise and time consuming to execute. Of the options that currently exist for non-bikers, private car is by far the best choice.

Road safety and the comfort factor was important to us, and our car certainly delivered on that. We were a bit concerned that being in a car for long periods of time would make use feel disconnected, but I didn’t find that to be the case.

I was personally anxious about missing out on photo opportunities, but our driver was always more than happy to stop. Trang included lots of trekking and short walks in our itinerary to break up the long drives.

We stopped off at all the scenic viewpoints (Trang always knew the best place to break), and we often pulled up a few hundred metres out so we could walk the final stretch.

Our 5-day Ha Giang tour itinerary

Our 5-day Ha Giang tour with YESD Vietnam followed the classic Dong Van Loop itinerary. The loop normally takes three or four days to complete by motorbike, starting and finishing in Hanoi.

Since we had some extra time, we added in a full day of trekking in the villages around Ha Giang City.

We also dedicated a morning to visiting a small Hmong village outside of Dong Van. One of the best things about travelling with YESD was the chance to explore parts of Ha Giang where few other tourists go. These ‘add-ons’ were by far the most enjoyable and rewarding part of our trip.

Our route through Ha Giang was as follows: Hanoi — Ha Giang City — Thon Tha & Khuoi My — Ma Pi Leng Pass — Meo Vac — Dong Van — Sa Phin & Sung La — Lung Tam — Nam Dam — Tam Son — Hanoi

Here are some of the highlights of our time in Ha Giang with YESD.

Thon Tha village

After meeting our guide, Trang, and driver, Mr Ky, in Hanoi, we hit the road. The drive up to Ha Giang took us the better part of six hours. Once we arrived in Ha Giang City, we headed straight to Thon Tha (Thôn Tha), a small village of about 500 people just outside the main centre.

Tourists have been coming to Thon Tha since 2007 and the village is well-equipped to accommodate guests. Several families have turned their traditional wooden stilted houses into homestays.

Anyone who can speak English freelances as a guide. Most people in Thon Tha are from the Tay ethnic group and make their living off the land.

YESD has been working with the community here for several years to help elevate the quality of the homestays, provide hospitality training, and implement responsible tourism practices.

To get to Thon Tha, you have to stray from the main Dong Van Loop. As a result, we didn’t run into any other tourists during our stay. Sleeping in a stilted house surrounded by lush rice fields, we certainly felt like we had ventured off the beaten track. It was the perfect start to our time in Ha Giang.

We spent our first afternoon walking around Thon Tha and trekking to a nearby waterfall, chaperoned by a few local kids who were still on school holidays for Tet.

Khuoi My village

Our second day was spent trekking with our local guide, Mr Lim. We set off early and apart from a brief afternoon shower, had perfect, crisp February weather.

We weren’t long into the trek when we crested a small hill were met with one of the most spectacular scenes we saw in Ha Giang: A sparkling rice terrace, as tall and wide as the eye could see.

As we continued walking up into the mountains, the landscape morphed quite dramatically—one minute we were scaling slippery rice terraces, the next we were in the middle of a tea field, and then suddenly we were under a canopy of palm trees.

By lunchtime we had reached our destination, Tay Con Linh ( Tây Côn Lĩnh) peak and another village, Khuoi My ( Khuổi My ).

Home to 200 families from the Dao ethnic group, Khuoi My also has some basic tourism infrastructure, including a few homestays.

We scaled the wooden stairs of one stilted house to eat lunch with a local family. They were incredibly welcoming, proudly showing off their collection of traditional Dao costumes (they even let me try one on).

We were gawking over the beautiful textiles when the family patron – a man in his 80s – reached up into the rafters of the house and pulled down a plastic bag full of leather and cardboard-bound books.

He leafed through them, explaining that they were records of Dao coming-of-age and marriage rituals, handwritten in the most beautiful script.

Next, he pulled out a shaman’s robe embroidered with fantastic Taoist motifs. That house is a living museum; a repository of age-old traditions hidden away in the hills.

After lunch, we trekked back to our homestay in Thon Tha. Our host, Mr Thien, and his family have been working with YESD for several years. We were among the first guests to stay in the new house Mr Thien recently built to house guests.

It’s built in the traditional Tay style – complete with thatched roof – but with en-suit bathrooms added. Like all the homestays we visited in Ha Giang, Mr Thien’s place was incredibly homely and comfortable.

Independent travellers are also welcome to stay at Mr Thien’s Homestay in Thon Tha. Meals are available at an extra cost, and he can also help with organising treks and transport.

Ma Pi Leng Pass & Heaven’s Gate

Day three of our Ha Giang tour and we were back on the road, headed east towards Dong Van. As we drove, the landscape started to shift quite noticeably.

Tea fields and rice paddies quickly gave way to limestone peaks and rocky canyons as we entered into the Dong Van Karst Plateau , a UNESCO-recognised geopark.

This is what people picture when they think of Ha Giang. Towering mountains, bottomless valleys, patchwork fields, precipitous rice terraces. The views from the car window were breathtaking. I was a bit nervous about asking Mr Ky to stop for photos – turns out I had nothing to worry about.

It was his first time in Ha Giang too, and early in the day he set up his selfie stick and started live-streaming the drive to Facebook. Seeing Ha Giang with fresh eyes, he was just as enthralled with the landscape as we were.

Even Trang, who has been to Ha Giang a hundred times, was visibly affected by the beauty we were seeing.

We stopped to climb a hill for a view of Ha Giang’s famous ‘Fairy Breast Mountains’. Quản Bạ Valley was shrouded in mist, so unfortunately the visibility wasn’t so great.

By the time we arrived at Ma Pi Leng (Mã Pì Lèng) Pass, the weather had cleared enough for us to catch a glimpse of Chinese territory on the other side of the iridescent Nho Qu ế River.

We encountered groups of children and young couples taking in the views as well.

We were now travelling on Ha Giang’s famous ‘Happiness Road’. The 180km stretch of highway was built at the behest of Ho Chi Minh himself who after visiting Ha Giang for the first time in the 1960s, thought it was about time far-flung Ha Giang Province was connected with the rest of Vietnam.

More than a thousand volunteer youth from across the country constructed the road using rudimentary tools. Many perished in the effort. The road officially opened in 1967 and was given its nickname to commemorate the young people who toiled to build it.

As we drove further into the mountains, we started noticing groups of girls and young women on the roadside. Their brightly coloured clothes made them stand out like flowers against the grey and stony backdrop. Mountain-dwellers, Flower Hmong women dress in vibrant colours to look conspicuous.

We stopped to talk to a few girls and learned of a festival happening in the nearby town of Meo Vac ( Mèo Vạc ). The friends had walked for hours up steep mountain tracks from their villages to participate in the festivities.

We arrived in Meo Vac too late – the festival was already over. We took a quick stroll around the small city instead, passing by young Hmong couples courting in the parks.

Dong Van City ( Đồng Văn ) caught me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting to see such a ‘developed’ city in Ha Giang. Tourism has definitely taken off in Dong Van, catering mainly to Vietnamese visitors.

The biggest city in Ha Giang Province and a popular pit stop on the Dong Van Loop, the city centres on an ‘Old Quarter’, a courtyard ringed with coin-roof houses that have been converted into cafes and souvenir shops.

I found Dong Van too touristy. It wasn’t really my thing, so I opted to spend the afternoon soaking in a Dao herbal bath at the only resort in town. After a pleasant dinner at the best restaurant in town, we were early to bed.

The next morning, we found Dong Van’s better side after following an alleyway behind the square. We got our first look at traditional Hmong rammed-earth houses, all dressed up pretty for Tet.

Sa Phin & Sung La

I was pleased to leave Dong Van behind and get back to greener pastures. We set off early, driving north towards the Chinese border, armed with the registration certificates our hotel had issued for us overnight. We were well and truly off the tourist trail and following the most perilous road we drove on in Ha Giang.

We were headed for a small Hmong village hidden in a valley behind Dong Van. Thick fog and the poor condition of the unpaved road eventually made driving too dangerous. After a few kilometres, we got out and walked.

Trang led us into the tiny Flower Hmong village. Bordered by ancient, towering Bodhi trees, it was incredibly atmospheric and more than a little bit eerie.

This particular village was a sharp contrast from the other communities we visited in Ha Giang. It was extremely isolated and visibly poor. We wandered around and admired the earth houses.

As we made our way down a hill to the outskirts of the village, two separate families invited us into their homes to drink rice wine. They were incredibly generous, sharing what little they had with us.

Trang had to communicate in basic Vietnamese with one of the kids – all the adults in the village spoke exclusively in Hmong. We asked one teenager if he planned to leave the village and move to the city. I was surprised when he answered us ‘No’. The village looked idyllic, but life there must be tough.

Outside one of the houses, we came across a group of kids collecting stagnant water in plastic containers. Trang explained to them how they could use river stones to filter out the debris and impurities before drinking it.

As we were leaving, Trang mentioned how she’d like to invest in the community and possibly bring a group of volunteers in to set up a water purification system.

In the afternoon, we continued driving along National Road 4C to Sa Phin Commune ( Sà Phìn ) and Dong Van District’s most famous tourist site, the Hmong King Palace.

Vương Chính Đức (AKA the Hmong Kind) was a well-known figure during Vietnam’s period of French colonial rule. He famously joined forces with Ho Chi Minh in the fight for independence.

Vương ‘s home, built in the 1920s, demonstrates an interesting mix of European and Chinese styles. Lavishly decorated, there are poppy buds and flowers carved into almost every wooden surface ( Vương made his fortune trading opium).

Vuong’s house now lies empty and is undergoing restorations. Some of the family’s decedents still reside in Sa Phin – a few of them in houses opposite the palace gate.

I had to laugh when Trang pointed out where the ‘successful’ Vương lived – the house with the Viettel billboard for an awning. From opium to mobile phones. How times change!

Our next stop was Sung La (Sủng Là), another small Hmong village. Set in an idyllic valley surrounded by fields of flowers, Sung La was made famous by the book and film Story of Pao . Sung La is also well-known for its flowers.

Most of the roses sold in Hanoi are grown here. A few enterprising locals have set up small wildflower plots at the village entrance and charge tourists a fee to take selfies (we recently saw this in Mai Chau as well).

The village was packed with Vietnamese tourists when we visited, so we only managed a quick stroll around.

We arrived in Quan Ba ( Quản Bạ ) District and the green valley floor we had admired from a hilltop a few days earlier. Having almost closed the loop, we were coming towards the end of our Ha Giang tour.

We stopped in at Lung Tam Commune for a brief visit with the local hemp co-op . Managed by a group of Flower Hmong women, the business is run in partnership with Craft Link and a few other NGOs.

The ladies produce exquisite natural hemp cloth that they colour with natural dyes. They also do applique, batik and embroidery.

I really love the contemporary motifs they use in their designs, made to symbolise the Dong Van Geopark and other points of interest in the local area. Their textiles and accessories make for perfect Ha Giang souvenirs.

(You can also purchase their products at the Craft Link shop, one of my favourite souvenir shops in Hanoi .)

After a brief demonstration of the various stages of hemp cloth production, we were ushered into the gift shop. A group of Vietnamese tourists joined us – most of them left with bolts of hemp fabric bought off the roll for very reasonable prices. I ended up buying a wall hanging.

We spent our last night in Ha Giang in a traditional coin-roof house in the small village of Nam Dam (Nậm Đăm). We shared dinner and drinks with our Dao host family and the homestay’s other guests.

I’ve experienced this kind of ‘hands-on’ hospitality again and again in Northern Vietnam – where visitors are welcomed sincerely, and not just served. It’s one of the things I love most about travelling here.

Early the next morning, we went for a stroll around Nam Dam village, where we found a field of pink buckwheat flowers.

The final stop on our Ha Giang tour was the town of Tam Son ( Tam Sơn ). Fortuitously, it was a Sunday – market day – so we got to spend some time at the wet market.

Once a week, families from surrounding towns and villages converge on Tam Son to do their shopping.

Most come dressed in their Sunday best, i.e. their traditional garb. The result is a colourful conglomeration of ethnic groups: Hmong, Dao, Giay, Nung, and many more.

Paired with the gnarly stalls and the dimly-lit market interior, the vibrantly dressed women made Tam Son feel really authentic. We were flies on the wall for almost an hour as we lapped around the marketplace in awe.

Stallholders at Tam Son primarily sell fresh produce, but we also saw lots of agricultural supplies and a few stalls selling handmade textiles.

Our Ha Giang tour ended the same way it had started, in a small town, surrounded by friendly people and full of eye-opening experiences.

An honest review of YESD Vietnam

We try our best to travel responsibly no matter where in the world we are. But we felt it was particularly important to choose a responsible company to travel to Ha Giang. By the same token, we wanted to go with an experienced outfit that knew the area well.

We wanted a guide, and we wanted the chance to visit a few less-touristed spots while also ticking off the main sights. YESD Vietnam was a perfect fit for us.

Ross has been volunteering for YESD for a couple of months, so we had a pretty good idea of what they’re all about. The company was founded by three friends – all young Vietnamese women . They use local guides and homestays, and a percentage of profits from every tour goes into a community fund for Thon Tha village.

They also lead volunteer trips to Ha Giang, where groups of students come to work on a specific project, such as building a library. YESD walk the walk when it comes to responsible tourism .

They are truly pioneers in their field. YESD has been instrumental in bringing tourists to Thon Tha and ensuring the industry develops in a way that’s beneficial to both communities and the environment.

We felt confident that our money was going into the right pockets and was going to be put to good use.

We were impressed with how organised YESD were in the lead up to our tour. Booking and online payment was easy, and Trang gave us the opportunity to customise our itinerary. The price of our tour was very competitive, our private van was great, and Mr Ky was a very professional driver.

During our trip, Trang took care of everything, including accommodation, meals, entry fees, and our Ha Giang permits. She was by our side throughout our five days on the road, always keen to answer our questions, rattle off facts and share stories about Ha Giang.

Trang pours so much energy and passion into her work. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide.

You can find out more about YESD’s Ha Giang tours here . YESD also run ‘easy rider’ motorbike tours in Ha Giang, and offers a range of other tour packages throughout Northern Vietnam.

5 day Ha Giang Itinerary: Save it

Vietnam essentials

Here are the booking sites and services I personally use whenever I travel to Vietnam .

FLIGHTS: Find affordable flights to Vietnam using Skyscanner .

VIETNAM VISA: Use iVisa to check if you need a tourist visa for Vietnam and apply for an expedited e-visa online. Use OneWayFly to obtain proof of onward travel/hotel reservation if required.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: Insure your trip with HeyMondo , my preferred provider for single-trip and annual travel insurance.

AIRPORT TRANSFERS: Pre-book a private hotel transfer from Hanoi Airport or Ho Chi Minh City Airport via Get Your Guide.

SIM CARD: Buy an eSIM and data package for Vietnam online before you go. My top choice is the Asia Link Regional eSIM by Airalo (10 GB for 30 days).

ACCOMMODATION: Find the best hotel deals in Vietnam on Agoda or book a Vietnam hostel .

TRAIN TICKETS: Reserve your Vietnam Rail tickets for the train to Sapa , Da Nang, Hue or Saigon via 12GoAsia.

BUS TICKETS: Buy your domestic bus or plane tickets in advance using 12GoAsia or Bookaway .

FOODIE EXPERIENCES: Find the best cooking classes and foodie experiences in Vietnam on Cookly. Here are my top 15 Vietnam food experiences to help you decide.

DAY TOURS: Find the best city tours and day excursions in Vietnam on Get Your Guide. Check out my top 10 best Vietnam day trips for more inspiration.

HALONG BAY: Consult my comprehensive Halong Bay guide to find the best cruises & tours.

VIETNAM GUIDEBOOK: Pick up a copy of the latest Lonely Planet guidebook for Vietnam .

More Vietnam inspiration

• Off the beaten track in Northern Vietnam – hidden gems & local favourites
• Where to go in Southern Vietnam – 5 must-sees
• The best things to do in Dalat
• How to spend 3 days in Hoi An
• How to get from Danang to Hoi An – transport guide
• How to visit the abandoned dragon waterpark in Hue
• Where to buy authentic Vietnamese souvenirs in Hanoi
• The best national parks to visit in Vietnam – for trekking & more
• Waterwheels & rice fields in Pu Luong Nature Reserve
• Cycling the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Phong Nha
• Homestays in Da Bac village
• Halong Bay alternatives – where to go beyond the bay
• How to travel to Halong Bay from Hanoi – transport guide
• How to travel to Sapa from Hanoi – transport guide
• Where to stay in Sapa, Vietnam – best homestays & more
• Visiting Bac Ha Market near Sapa
• Guide to visiting Ninh Binh
• Exploring colonial architecture in Hai Phong city
• Day trip from Hanoi to Duong Lam Ancient Village

34 Comments

Hi Emily, I just wanted to write to thank you for this wonderful recommendation. My mum and I have just finished the 4D3N Ha Giang tour with YesD and absolutely loved it. While we are only halfway through our trip, it’s sure to be one of our top travel memories to date. Our guide Zen was so lovely and it was unreal being able to get a glimpse into village life and see a somewhat authentic version staying in homestays.

We’ve just arrived in Hoi An and are planning on using your 3 day itinerary as a guide!

Thanks so much again, Emily

Hi Emily, that’s awesome! So happy to hear this. Thank you for your comment. Enjoy the rest of your time in Vietnam!

Hi Emily … Fantastic ” just one question when you left Hanoi was it by car or bike to get to Ha Giang

Hi Thomas – we took a car the entire way.

Hello Emily. I am in the beginning stages of planning 3 months in SE Asia and Ha Giang is a place I read about a few years ago and we want to go. I will be traveling with my husband and 3 boys (ages 15,13 and 8). On the long driving days, can you tell me how many hours you were in the car and how many times you stopped? Did your kids stay interested in the drive? My kids do have issues with getting car sick but we have medications and bags but if there are frequent stops that would really help. Do you know if there is a different town near to Dong Van and less touristy to stay for a night? Thanks for your help. Jenny

I would go for a homestay outside Dong Van rather than the city itself. It does involve quite a lot of driving on windy roads. I think the longest day we had was 6-7 hours. I definitely wouldn’t attempt doing it in a bus with three kids, car is definitely the way to go. The good thing about going through a company like YESD is that you’ll have an English-speaking guide with you the whole time, and you can request to stop whenever you want. We probably stopped every 2 hours or so.

I hope this helps!

Just getting into adventure riding and your tips are a great help.

Ha Giang is such a beautiful, dreamy and peaceful place! It is less touristy compared to Sapa, therefore I could totally immerse myself in the authentic and interesting local life with minority people. Thank you for your informative and amazing blog post!

Hi Emily, actually grew up in Australia :-). Am planning a trip to Vietnam in January and am considering visiting Ha Giang. One question – are the roads wide enough as it is very steep or does one feel scared constantly? I don’t usually get car sick, but do have a problem with hights if the path is very small (hence trekking is also no real option for me) Many thanks for the article. I have to decide Sapa or Ha Giang. Latter seems far less touristy which I prefer. Best, Heike

The roads are actually pretty good. It’s windy in parts, definitely, but it’s not very steep. There was one narrow dirt road we took to a small village. Other than that, it’s mainly highways. I get carsick too and I don’t like heights, but I didn’t feel scared. It’s nothing like driving off-road or anything like that. As long as you have a good driver, I think it’s perfectly safe!

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. It sounds very interesting and I am excited. Have tried to contact YESD but will email them now, as I have not heard from them. Perhaps just busy. Very helpful blog. Many thanks!

Hi Emily, your posts on Vietnam have been incredibly helpful, thank you. We are heading to Vietnam in October, with our three children, we have enough time to do either SaPa or Ha Giang. Can you recommend which place to go to considering we are travelling with kids, they are 14, 12 and 5. Our 14 year old really wants to experience a Homestay. Thanks Ky

Thanks for the kind words. Unless you’re incredibly intrepid, I would recommend Sapa for families. Yes, it’s more touristy, but it’s also closer to Hanoi (less travel time) and has better infrastructure. I highly recommend staying at a homestay outside of Sapa town. My personal favourite is Indigo Snail: https://wander-lush.org/boutique-hmong-homestay-in-sapa-vietnam/

I’d only recommend Ha Giang if you go with a private car and tour option like we did.

I hope this helps you reach a decision!

Great article. Well written. Appreciate your concerns for the local folks especially. I would like your advice if possible. My friend and I want to hike in the area, preferably between home stays, or at least 4-5 hours most days. Is Ha Giang an area this would work? Is YESD a company that could provide such an itinerary? Than you, Cynthia

Hi Cynthia! Yes, I think Ha Giang would be ideal.

Definitely reach out to Trang and Tuyet at YESD, I’m sure they could put something together for you!

Thank you for the informative blogpost. I’m heading to Vietnam in June! I am really interested to travel around Hagiang with a car tour as my partner and I have no bike license. Do you mind sharing how much your 5-day tour cost in total? Thank you for your help! 🙂

Cheers! Jacelyn

Hi Jacelyn,

I’m very happy to hear that! The cost of the tour differs depending on a few factors (how many people, where exactly you choose to go), so it’s best to reach out to YESD for a quote. I’m happy to share the cost of my tour with you via email—but chances are, the price will be different based on your circumstances.

Another option is the easy rider tour, which YESD also offers. Basically you ride on the back of a motorbike with a qualified driver.

Dear Emily,

Thanks for writing such a descriptive and detailed blogpost – and such representative pictures !!. We stumbled upon it looking Googling for Ha Giang without motorbike as a search argument.

Your great article sealed the deal, and we booked for a custom tour the very next day.

We mentioned your Wander-Lush article to Tuyet, our guide for the tour and she smiled fondly as she said your name ” …. Emily !!…” !! …

Honestly, not being well-travelled, I had never thought too much about the ravages of tourism on traditional existing cultures and ways of life …. So glad I found YESD via your recommendation.

I even tried to give you props in my TripAdvisor review, but was not permitted to reference your website specifically, so had to allude to it, I hope the moderator will let it pass this time …. so other readers can find your post.

Next we travel, I will try to see if you’ve written about our intended destination, you are like the new Good Housekeeping seal of approval.

Dear Warren,

Thanks so much for your comment—you’ve made my day! I’m really glad to hear that the article was helpful. I bet you got to see a different, greener Ha Giang at this time of year, though! I would love to go back in the summer or spring just for something different.

Tuyet is a good friend of ours! I’m so glad you got to meet her and experience Ha Giang with her. I have so much admiration for her, Trang and the other men and women at YESD—they really are doing a wonderful thing up there. Thank you for choosing to support them. Did you travel to Sapa as well? It’s pretty clear to see how tourism has negatively impacted that part of Vietnam and how important responsible tourism projects like YESD are in those remote areas.

Thanks for sharing on TripAdvisor! I hope you have an opportunity to spread the word among your friends about YESD too.

Sincerest thanks, and happy travels! Please don’t hesitate to email me in the future if there’s anything I might be able to help with.

Thank you for your precious time writing an excellent review. Your satisfaction really inspires me a lot.

Thank you for this great post, Emily! Ha Giang sounds like such a great destination and your tour seems like it was amazing. With all the offers out there, it can be hard to know which ones are the ‘good ones’… your experience and review helped she some light. So excited to plan my own trip there soon! 🙂

Hi Juliana! Thanks so much for the kind words. I’m delighted to hear that! Ha Giang is a special place—unlike anywhere else in Vietnam. I hope you find the tour that’s right for you. Please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything else I can help with.

Enjoy your trip planning and enjoy Vietnam!

Hi again Emily, Just a few weeks ago I went on a 5-day tour with YESD from Hanoi to Ninh Binh and around the wetlands. It was amazing! A friend from home came to see me in Vietnam and we wanted to do something new and different so a tour with these guys sounded like the perfect thing, and it was. So happy I found your article about your tour with YESD. Thanks so much for the inspiration 🙂 Cheers, Juliana

Hi Juliana,

I’m so glad to hear that! My trip with YESD is still one of my favourite tour experiences of all time. I’m so chuffed to hear that you were inspired to travel with them too!

Thanks for taking the time to return and let me know! It means a lot.

All the best, Emily

This sounds like an incredible trip. Your pictures and descriptions make me feel like I’m there. Such a fulfilling and gorgeous experience.

Thank you, Sarah! Fulfilling is a great way to describe it.

oh what a wonderful area! It’s great to see such untouched regions still to be discovered in rural Vietnam! Your pictures are wonderful compliments to such great travel inspiration!

Thanks so much, Mikayla! Tourism is pretty well established everywhere in Vietnam, so it’s nice to get off the beaten track, at least for a few days 🙂

This is so beautiful, Emily! Both your pictures and Ha Giang itself. I’ve been to Vietnam three times, but never so far north as SaPa. Partly due to the overtourism you mentioned in your post, but also because I wasn’t up for a 12-hour train ride from Hanoi. 🙂

Given the choice, from your photos and the way you describe it, I’d pick Ha Giang over SaPa any day. But I should probably get there quick. It seems many of Southeast Asia’s “final frontiers” are rapidly turning into tourist destinations that cater so heavily to foreign tourists that it’s hard to even tell what country you’re in when you visit them. 🙁

Thanks so much, Sarah! Tourism can be such a great source of income and opportunities for remote communities—but it’s such a shame when overtourism occurs. It’s a tricky one, isn’t it. Ha Giang is definitely a special place, no doubt about that. I think you would really like it!

I love the idea of doing this route by car – I’m terrified of riding on a scooter or motorcycle with my backpack, which can really throw off my sense of balance. It would be so much easier (and safer!) by car.

Me too! There have been many times in SE Asia when I wish I knew how to drive a bike, but this wasn’t one of them. Car was definitely the right choice for us 🙂

Your trip looks amazing, full of picturesque views and exposure to so much culture. I would absolutely love to bike in Vietnam but looking at your pictures the cliff faces look so steep haha

Thanks, Jacqui! It’s such a unique and beautiful part of the country! It is rather steep up there—we were certainly glad to be in a car and not on bikes. I hope you make it one day soon!

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• Travel Insurance

The journalists on the editorial team at Forbes Advisor Australia base their research and opinions on objective, independent information-gathering.

When covering investment and personal finance stories, we aim to inform our readers rather than recommend specific financial product or asset classes. While we may highlight certain positives of a financial product or asset class, there is no guarantee that readers will benefit from the product or investment approach and may, in fact, make a loss if they acquire the product or adopt the approach.

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Readers of our stories should not act on any recommendation without first taking appropriate steps to verify the information in the stories consulting their independent financial adviser in order to ascertain whether the recommendation (if any) is appropriate, having regard to their investment objectives, financial situation and particular needs. Providing access to our stories should not be construed as investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any security or product, or to engage in or refrain from engaging in any transaction by Forbes Advisor Australia. In comparing various financial products and services, we are unable to compare every provider in the market so our rankings do not constitute a comprehensive review of a particular sector. While we do go to great lengths to ensure our ranking criteria matches the concerns of consumers, we cannot guarantee that every relevant feature of a financial product will be reviewed. We make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information. However, Forbes Advisor Australia cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of this website. Forbes Advisor Australia accepts no responsibility to update any person regarding any inaccuracy, omission or change in information in our stories or any other information made available to a person, nor any obligation to furnish the person with any further information.

Travel Insurance For Vietnam: Everything You Need To Know

Updated: Apr 26, 2024, 11:14am

Table of Contents

Do australians need travel insurance for vietnam, what does travel insurance for vietnam cover, frequently asked questions (faqs).

Vietnam is an increasingly popular travel destination for Australians, with the country even hoping to encourage more Aussies to visit by potentially waiving visa requirements in due time.

The Southeast Asian country is set to be high on the list for Aussies going overseas in 2024. The number of Australian tourists in Vietnam now exceeds pre-pandemic levels: more than 317,000 Australians visited Vietnam in 2019 , while there were 390,000 Aussie visitors in 2023.

Plus, as more and more flights become available, such as low-cost carrier Vietjet Air launching a direct service between Hanoi and Melbourne earlier this year, getting to Vietnam is becoming easier for Australians.

If the direct flights, fascinating history, vast scenery and delicious food aren’t enough to convince Australian travellers, the cost may be. Vietnam is considered one of the cheapest travel destinations in the world for Australian tourists due to our strong conversion rate against the Vietnamese Dong and the nation’s low cost of living in comparison to our own.

And while cheap thrills may be what you’re after on your vacation, it’s important not to skimp on the necessities that may cost that little bit extra—such as travel insurance. This guide outlines what you need to know regarding travel insurance in Vietnam.

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Including medical treatment, doctors’ visits, prescribed medication, specialist treatment & medical transport costs

$2,500 with option to increase to unlimited

Investing in travel insurance is a good idea for any overseas trip. Travel insurance policies can help protect you from having to dive deep into your pockets, with many offering unlimited medical treatment while abroad and cancellation cover for your trip should the unexpected occur.

Travel insurance is not just handy for medical purposes or travel changes, either. Your personal items can be covered, should any baggage go missing or an important item be stolen—which, unfortunately, often occurs in Vietnam.

Smarttraveller warns Australians to be alert at all times in Vietnam, considering petty theft–including bag slashing–is common in tourist areas and crowded places, especially during holiday times. Snatch-and-grab theft by thieves on motorcycles is also common, the website states.

Like most international travel insurance policies, you will be able to find basic coverage for your trip to Vietnam, or choose to opt for a more comprehensive, albeit more expensive, policy.

While a basic policy will often cover medical expenses and lost luggage,a comprehensive policy includes a lot more. Most basic policies also likely won’t offer compensation for travel delays, stolen cash, accidental death and more.

Additionally, if you are going on a trip to multiple countries within the year, it may be worth opting for an ‘annual multi trip’ insurance instead—making sure that there are no exclusions to the regions you are wishing to visit.

Visa Requirements For Australians Travelling to Vietnam

You’ll still be allowed to travel to Vietnam if you don’t invest in travel insurance, but you do so at your own risk—and, as stated, it is highly advised to have a travel insurance policy for any overseas trip.

However, what you cannot do is enter Vietnam as an Australian tourist without a tourist visa. While Vietnam will grant Australian citizens visas on arrival, applying for one online is much easier.

A tourist visa costs under $100 AUD; however the exact price depends on your length of stay.

The Vietnamese government may consider waiving visas for Australian citizens, especially since many other SEA countries have done so such as Indonesia and Thailand .

However, at the time of writing, Forbes Advisor Australia has confirmed that Australian citizens must still obtain a visa to visit Vietnam for tourism purposes.

The exact inclusions of your travel insurance will be dependent on your personal policy and the provider.

However, generally speaking, you can expect a travel insurance policy for Vietnam to offer some level of cover for:

• Medical expenses;
• Lost, damaged or stolen luggage;
• Travel cancellations or delays ;
• Personal liability;
• Credit card fraud;
• Covid-19 expenses;

If you are partaking in certain sports and activities, you will need to make sure that you choose a policy that covers them. You’ll also need to make sure that your policy covers any pre-existing medical conditions as well.

Plus, if you are travelling with valuables, you may wish to opt for a policy that lets you increase the protection cover on your items.

Ultimately, you need to consider what your trip consists of, what you will be taking with you, and your physical health to establish what policies would be appropriate for you.

From there, you can compare quotes of different policies and providers to ensure you have the optimal—yet affordable—cover for your trip to Vietnam.

Does Travel Insurance Cover The Ha-Giang Loop?

Considered one of the most scenic motorcycle routes in the world, the Ha-Giang Loop is a popular tourist activity in Vietnam for adventurous travellers. If the Ha-Giang Loop is one of your goals, you’ll need to make sure you have travel insurance that covers motorcycling.

Occasionally a policy may include this as one of their included ‘sports and activities’, but it is more often the case that you will need to purchase an additional ‘adventure pack’ that is either specific to, or includes, motorsports.

Even so, when purchasing an additional pack to cover motorbikes, you need to be cautious of the conditions. For example, some policies will only cover motorcycle riding if the bike you are riding has an engine under a certain size.

Often, coverage will cease and claims won’t be accepted if you haven’t been wearing the correct safety equipment such as boots and a helmet, or have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

What Does Travel Insurance Exclude?

Your travel insurance policy may exclude some activities that you wish to partake in, unless you can opt-in to purchase an additional adventure pack as explained above in regards to motorbike riding.

Just like with the inclusions of a policy, the exclusions depend on what type of policy you choose, and what provider you go with.

Commonly, however, you won’t be covered for instances where you:

• Break the law;
• Are under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
• Partake in an excluded activity;
• Receive medical treatment for a pre-existing condition that was not disclosed;
• Travel to a ‘Do Not Travel’ destination as outlined by Smarttraveller.

As always, it is essential to read the product disclosure statement (PDS) of your travel insurance policy carefully to understand what you will and won’t be covered for while overseas.

Do I need a visa to travel to Vietnam?

Yes, as of April 2024, Australian tourists still need a visa to travel to Vietnam. This visa can be obtained on arrival, or purchased online prior to travel. The visa takes approximately three days to process online, and the cost depends on how long you intend to stay in the country.

Does international travel insurance cover Covid-19?

Many comprehensive travel insurance policies now cover Covid-19, including medical conditions related to Covid-19 or trip cancellations due to a Covid-19 diagnosis. However, it is not guaranteed that all policies will. It’s important to check your policy’s PDS carefully to understand what it will and will not cover in regards to Covid-19 for both you and your travelling companions.

Related: Travel Insurance And Covid: Are You Covered?

How much does travel insurance cost for Vietnam?

The cost of your travel insurance for a trip to Vietnam will depend on your age, your health, the activities you wish to partake in, and the length of your stay.

For example, for a 34 year old with no pre-existing medical conditions travelling to Vietnam for two weeks, a policy from some of our top choices for comprehensive travel insurance would cost around $130 (based on quotes from Cover-More , 1Cover , and Fast Cover ).

The prices of these quotes would change depending on a chosen excess, cancellation cover, and any additional coverage options you may choose to purchase such as adventure packs or cruise cover.

Related: How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost?

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Sophie Venz is an experienced editor and features reporter, and has previously worked in the small business and start-up reporting space. Previously the Associate Editor of SmartCompany, Sophie has worked closely with finance experts and columnists around Australia and internationally.

Never forget: Vietnam Traveling Wall in Fort Myers through Sunday

O ne month ahead of Memorial Day, those honoring slain Vietnam War and other U.S. veterans are heading to Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers.

Through Sunday, the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall and Cost of Freedom display are at the park, 7330 Gladiolus Drive. The wall serves as a tribute, etched with the names of more than 58,000 fallen American heroes.

Bob Sheehan, director of outreach operations for Hope Hospice, helped spearhead the effort to bring the wall to Fort Myers. A Vietnam War-era veteran, he's visited the original in Washington, D.C., many times, he said, taking a minute to gather his thoughts when asked about bringing the replica to Southwest Florida.

"I'm proud of our country; proud of our military," he said, thinking of those who he knew and whose names are on the wall. "All the men and women, the sacrifice. They are the true heroes. Never forget, never forget those who didn’t come home."

The 80% scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., the wall measures nearly 400 feet long. The Cost of Freedom Tribute includes panels honoring American sacrifices in conflicts through the 20th and 21st centuries, including World Wars 1 and 11, the Korean War, 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Sheehan said the wall arrived Wednesday with a full escort of veterans and officers; many of whom stayed to connect the displays.

Hope Healthcare and Chapters Health brought the traveling exhibit to Southwest Florida. The traveling exhibit is to give those who can't travel to the original site, a chance to pay tribute.

Sheehan, a proud military dad to an Army major son, was happy to bring the memorial to Fort Myers. His son, with 20 years in, is based in Washington, and assigned as an air defense officer keeping the capital safe.

"It's touching to me he’s there with the original wall and guarding that area," while the replica is here, he said.

The exhibit is free and open during park hours. For those who visit the exhibit, parking is waived, Sheehan said.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Never forget: Vietnam Traveling Wall in Fort Myers through Sunday

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The Best Places To Visit In North Vietnam

If you have the chance to cross Vietnam and travel through its most splendid regions, you will notice the variety of landscapes, people and culture it harbors from a province to another -if not from a city to another. With its numerous mountains, national parks, rice terraces and ethnic groups, Northern Vietnam itself brims with many breathtaking places to see and cultures to discover. You want to visit the North of Vietnam but don’t know where to start? Here are some of the top places to visit in North Vietnam.

Best places to visit in North Vietnam

Located 6 to 7 hours from Hanoi, Ha Giang is a splendid and dreamy province, with landscapes like you’ve never seen before. As the latest region opening to tourism in Vietnam, Ha Giang is one of the least crowded place of the country, to the delight of visitors searching for quietness. Nonetheless Ha Giang is becoming more and more popular among tourists because of its magical atmosphere. Indeed, the endlessly mountains overhanging the colorful rice terraces create poetic sceneries through the seasons. Moreover, with about 22 ethnic minority groups, Ha Giang is home to many traditional villages sheltering different cultures and traditions. Staying in a traditional homestay during your journey is a must-do if you wish to experience the locals’ lifestyle.

The loop is definitely the best way to get an overall experience of Ha Giang. With about 400km of sinuous roads through the mountains and small villages, you can easily get a grasp of the province’s cultural and natural richness. For a fully adventurous experience, renting motorbikes or riding behind a tour guide would be the best choice. But if you want to travel comfortably, you can still enjoy the sumptuousness of Ha Giang by car.

While roaming the roads, you will be able to stop at the best spots of the region. Take the challenge to climb the highest mountains and contemplate breathtaking views as a reward. Sail between the steep cliffs on the beautiful Nho Que river, next to China’s border. Explore the newly-discovered cave of Lung Khuy, and get ready to be amazed during the whole journey!

Although the city of Sapa has become quite urban and crowded, it remains an exceptional destination because of its stunning mountainous landscapes and cultural diversity. For hiking enthusiasts, Sapa should meet your expectations, as you can find a few treks around the city. The trails will lead you through the rice terraces, waterfalls and small traditional villages of ethnic minorities living there. For the most adventurous ones, Sapa is also known for hosting the highest peak of Vietnam: Fan Si Pan.

As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Halong bay must be the most famous attraction in Northern Vietnam, if not in the whole country. Its calm waters harbor a lot of fishing villages, fantastic caves and lovely beaches, that you can enjoy on a comfortable traditional junk boat. Whether you want to explore the landscapes and local culture or just get a relaxing time, you will surely find your happiness as you sail between some of the 2000 limestone karsts arising from the waters. Moreover, for those wishing to extend their visit in the wetlands, an exploration of Cat Ba islands beautiful beaches and Lan Ha bay National Park’s diverse flora would be a great experience.

If you visit Northern Vietnam, you should n’t miss the opportunity to explore Ninh Binh . From Tam Coc to Bich Dong pagoda , there is no doubt that you will fall in love with the extraordinary sceneries the region has to offer. With a few natural reserves and national parks , you will be immersed in the fantastic fauna and flora of Vietnam.

Also known as the “dry” Halong bay, the landscapes from Tam Coc to Trang An are truly spectacular and leave a deep impression. People can admire the beautiful views while enjoying a peaceful boat ride on the river, or ride a bicycle in the middle of the colorful rice paddies and steep mountains. Walking to the Bich Dong pagoda and climbing on top of the mountain are also interesting -and challenging- experiences, as you will be able to contemplate the stunning views from above.

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