Here, we don't sell you an "all-inclusive" stay with lukewarm buffets and timed tours. In 2026, we unleash instincts and gallop where algorithms start to stutter.
Tonkin is no longer just a destination; it's a shockwave. Selfie sticks are put away to keep only the essentials: the dust of the trails, the humidity of the jungle, and the deafening silence of the peaks shared with no one.
Do you feel that warm breath on your neck? It's the Fire Horse, 2026 version, shaking itself off. Welcome to the Vietnam of pioneers, the one that is not visited but earned with each hoofbeat.
And remember the old adage: "If you have no signal, you are finally connected."

This is where it all began for us. In 2026, the Bac Kan region is accelerating to become a National Tourist Zone (Khu du lịch quốc gia) by 2030, a vision already approved by the government until 2050. While some see it as the announcement of an imminent crowd, we see it as the urgency to take you where the Fire Horse breaks free.
Forget about the touristy banks and boat trips, it's time for Ba Be Off-Limits: a challenging trek along the ridgeline separating Ba Be from the Na Hang Reserve. A high-flying trek combo with immersion in local communities, followed by a stealthy kayak descent on the river before catching your breath (relatively speaking) on the emerald waters of the lake with a traditional canoe crossing.
It's beautiful, it's green, it's the lung of the North.

Ba Be: the only place where "having no signal" counts as a luxury perk during your stay.
► Ba Be Nature Escape
 

At that point, when Google Maps starts to stutter... | Mr Linh's Adventures

Cao Bang is the breakout destination of 2026. But we don't just do Ban Gioc. We go further, into Ha Lang district, a secret territory where even Google Maps loses the plot.
The idea is simple: Engage in Frontier Trekking. Follow old smugglers' tracks and forgotten border markers. Walk until your phone says "No Service" and your brain "Full Reset". No camping for "kids," but nights in traditional guesthouses with creaking floors among the Nung, in a world without light pollution where only raw rock commands.

► Explore more with our Cao bang Travel Guide
 

If you have no signal, you are finally connected | Mr Linh's Adventures

Have you heard of Du Gia? Forget it. In 2026, to venture into the real Ha Giang, we go all the way to Xin Man, where the asphalt ends. And time stands still.
Mandatory motorbike, optional sense of direction. Stuck somewhere between Hoang Su Phi and Si Ma Cai, it's a pioneer territory. The Nam Dan archaeological site is just the gateway to this mineral world where millennia-old rock carvings watch over the rare passersby. Xin Man is the Far West of Ha Giang: here, you trade likes for hot tea, share meals with the Nung or La Chi, and find the sacred silence of the mountains.

If you stop by the Cốc Pài market on a Sunday morning, don’t expect three languages on the menu or glossy pictures of the food. Here, gastronomy is earned. The real local "fuel" is Già Dui rice, a fragrant gem known only to the La Chi. And for the most daring, accompany it with a grilled field rat, the local specialty. It's crispy, it's authentic, and it gives you the energy to gallop on trails where even mosquitoes turn back. An experience that sets your ideas (and stomach) to the time of the Upper Tonkin.
► Hiking on Vietnam's Hidden Trails

 

If the cliffs of Yen Thinh have been a well-kept secret for climbers since 2012, the spring of 2026 marks a historic turning point. The Fire Horse doesn't like to sit on the bench: for the first time, these vertical walls become accessible to those who have never touched a climbing rope in their lives.
The mission? Tame the brand-new Via Ferrata of the Lang Son Geopark. Progress with the help of rungs and cables, suspended between sky and rice fields. It's physical, it's exhilarating. You realize that your gym subscription was only good for carrying your groceries from the supermarket, but you keep moving forward like a poorly assembled Lego. It's climbing for those who love the view but aren't looking for a near-death experience, in an extremely secure yet totally wild setting.

► Don't miss out Lang Son : A hidden gem in Northern Vietnam
 

Enjoying Halong's rebellious little sister | Mr Linh's Adventures

Finally, to soothe the fire, head to Lan Ha Bay, Halong's rebellious little sister who still refuses to comb her hair.
Mr Linh’s Adventures advice: opt for "Spelunk-cool" kayaking. Traverse natural tunnels to emerge in enclosed lagoons where laughing monkeys are the only spectators. At nightfall, stir the water to awaken the bioluminescent plankton. Under your paddles, the water lights up in blue. A liquid fire to celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse.

► Our Cat Ba Trekking & Kayaking isn't just a tour; it’s your front-row seat to the Fire Horse’s playground.
 

Somewhere, lost in the Haut Tonkin (Upper-Tonkin) | Mr Linh's Adventures

Because a Fire Horse is not restrained by mass itineraries. We are the blacksmiths of your journey: we know the terrain, the paths, the non-paths, the places where even mosquitoes seem lost. We prepare your mounts (aka your hiking shoes) and ensure that your only concern is the horizon.

2026 is now.
The Fire Horse is already galloping.
Are you riding along or watching?