Forget the world's hustle, the incessant hum that dampens souls. Instead, imagine a call, an ancient whisper from the mountains of Northern Vietnam. Nine days to surrender to a land shaped by wind and rain, sculpted by ancient terraced rice paddies, crisscrossed by time-worn paths. This almost initiatory itinerary is a path to deeper meaning, a sacred union with nature, guided by the slow pace of High Tonkin's wild life.
One Pilar Pagoda, emblem of Hanoi - Mr Linh's Adventures
Welcome to Hanoi, where the buzz of motorbikes and the aroma of street food greet you in the heart of the country's culture. It's a jolt! The Temple of Literature, the Lake of the Restored Sword with Ngoc Son Temple, and the Old Quarter mark the threshold of an adventure that has only just begun.
Ba Be, a life along the water - Mr Linh's Adventures
The next day, an early departure for
Ba Be National Park, one of Vietnam's largest national parks. As the road winds away from the millennial capital, snaking northward, concrete slowly gives way to jungle, and noise to birdsong. Arriving in Ba Be National Park, the air becomes cooler, clearer. A traditional dugout canoe glides silently on the glassy surface of the lake; time seems to stand still between limestone cliffs and thick jungle. After a local lunch and settling into your lodge, the afternoon is dedicated to a peaceful kayaking excursion on
Ba Be Lake. Stone, wood, water, and air form a special alchemy as the boat silently approaches the gaping mouth of
Puong Cave. It's a place where legends hide in the shadows and bats whisper forgotten human stories.
Heading to Tham Phay Cave - Mr Linh's Adventures
But the following day, nature's true call deepens into the jungle, on a path barely visible beneath the canopy.
A hike through thick forest and tangled roots leads to
Tham Phay Cave, a raw, untouched, and impressive cave. Inside, it's a world of mineral silence, a theater of imposing stalactites shimmering in the darkness, reflecting the crystalline glints of the underground river flowing below. This is where the adventure takes on a new, raw, untouched dimension. Tham Phay is a descent into oneself.
Tham Phay Cave, an initiatory exploration - Mr Linh's Adventures
The adventure unfolds amidst hypnotic karst landscapes, opening today from Ba Be onto the golden expanse of Na Hang. Here, it's a land of calm lakes and tranquil valleys, overlooked by sheer rock faces against which tiny villages nestle. The trail crosses terraced rice paddies that shimmer in the sun, where water buffalo graze and the silhouettes of peasants in conical hats outline the ancestral movements of farm work. It's a transition both visual and spiritual, a passage from the mystery of the forest to the living culture of the highlands. Even the transfer to Hoang Su Phi and its stunning terraces won't shake this feeling of warm inner tranquility.
Boat trip on Na Hang lake - Mr Linh's Adventures
Then comes
Hoang Su Phi and its dizzying terraced rice paddies. Your steps weave between these curves, sometimes supple, sometimes bold, sculpting the mountain flanks. The air here is cooler, more vibrant. Each step takes you through bamboo groves and opens the doors to
H'mong and Dao homes. Children's faces light up with wide smiles, "hellos!" burst forth amidst carefree laughter. It's likely an elder will invite you for tea. Here, hospitality isn't a service; it's a way of life. Stories are exchanged through smiles and laughter, even if you don't speak the same language.
Rice fields in Ha Giang Province - Mr Linh's Adventures
It's another day, another adventure. The transfer to Ha Giang marks the beginning of a big trekking day. Soon enough, the path becomes steeper as it ascends the Tay Con Linh massif, where mist envelops the pines and the landscape seems suspended in a dream. Walking between tea plantations and hidden villages, you feel the pulse of a different Vietnam, where tradition never had to resist change because change simply hasn't arrived. And then, around a stony path, lies the village of Nam Dam. Here, a Dao community preserves its culture with quiet pride. There's no show here, just life, lived as it always has been.
Encounters at the end of the world - Mr Linh's Adventures
From Nam Dam, the trail crosses limestone ridges towards the breathtaking
Dong Van Karst Plateau. A hypnotic mineral forest, tormented, carved with canyons, bristling with jagged peaks. Dong Van is another world where the rock changes color underfoot and the sky seems closer. Along the way, you'll stop in
Ma Lé, a village perched between sky and earth, before reaching
Dong Van. Ancient stone houses, tiled roofs adorned with traditional motifs of H'mong, Tay, Dao, and Chinese communities, converge towards the market. At dusk, red lanterns light up, and somewhere, in the shadow of a house, echoes the loving sound of "Khen" flutes.
Along the wild trails... Mr Linh's Adventures
It's time to leave this haven of peace and embark on the last stretch of our adventure: the
Happiness Road, hand-carved into sheer rock, an feat of both determination and defiance. It winds towards
Meo Vac and Ha Giang, where the highlands finally begin to descend. Here, the dizzying immensity of dreamlike landscapes seizes you: terraced fields clinging to cliffs, gorges plunging into jade-colored depths, and villages nestled in improbable places. It's the kind of landscape that makes you stop walking, not because you're tired, but because your heart can't absorb it all at once.
Hypnotic Ma Pi Leng Pass - Mr Linh's Adventures
And then… The road back to Hanoi and the city's hum. Shoes are worn, and the body aches, but in the best possible way. The mind is clear and the heart full. And as the night train carries you to new horizons, you realize that this trek didn't just take you through landscapes. It took you further, into a culture, into silences, into connections, and perhaps even into yourself.
This isn't just a tour. It's a trail that bears the signature of Mr Linh's Adventures, created with care, curiosity, and an infinite love for the unknown. It's a journey for those who want to go further, not only in distance, but also in meaning.
And once you've walked it, a part of you will never be the same again.
“Walking in nature is a means of gradually finding our way in a fast-changing world” - Bhuwan Thapaliya