5 DIY Day Trips for Vietnam Travel

As a digital nomad who is currently on his first nomad travel experience, I have done my fair share of research on DIY ( Do It Yourself) day trips in Bali and Vietnam. I am an avid believer that too much planning can truly effect an experience and pull individuals from the moment which is the golden time during travel.

Vietnam Travel is unpredictable, loss of conformity, and a culture shock. With the recent boom in tourism and a savvy Vietnamese culture that has bought into tourism, there is ample opportunities for planned tours.

Of course, if you’re like me, you might like to avoid the crowds and take the road less travelled. Sure, there’s Ho Chi Minh City, there’s The Mekong Delta, there’s Hoi An, and Hanoi — nothing against any of these areas, by the way. But, there’s an entirely different side of Vietnam outside of the obvious that demands to be seen.

 

Here are just a few destinations that are fantastic alternatives for those who are looking for a true adventure with what I will refer to as a DIN ( Do it Nomad ) day trip.

1.) The Paris of Vietnam Travel – Da Lat ( 1-day itinerary )

With a past that consisted of French rule and a traversing mountain landscape, DaLat is the antithesis of Ho Chi Minh City. Colder weather and a more tranquil city surrounding attracts nomads and local Vietnamese to this city that has some kind of Paris energy. Sure, there is the Crazy House, bustling markets, and antique train station — which are all worth a visit but to get a more authentic experience here is a 3-part itinerary to an epic day in Dalat.

Hike Lang Biang Mountain to Start the Day

DaLat is a place full of scenery and for nature enthusiasts who like a good trek, Lang Biang Mountain is the tallest point in DaLat.

How to Get There

Lang Biang is located 12 km from Da Lat centre and is within an easy reach by bike, motorbike or a local bus.

Local bus #5 (look for Lang Biang written on the bus windows) leaves from Da Lat bus station near the central market every hour and drops you off by the main entrance to the national park. The journey shouldn’t take longer than 45 minutes.

If you are planning to reach the mountain on a bike or scooter, you can leave your transportation parked at one of the stalls just outside the park. The friendly locals will look after them for a small fee.

Where is the Right Hiking Path?

Step 1. On your arrival to Liang Biang, get your entry pass at the ticket booth on your left-hand side by the main entrance.

It’s not really clear whether you need to buy a ticket or not if you are going to hike the peak. Most likely, the pass is needed only if you are going to see the Holywood-style Lang Biang sign in the park. And take pictures with horses painted to look like zebras. Don’t ask!

But we bought ours anyway. Further down the path, there’s another checkpoint so beware that in high season, someone might demand to show the ticket.

The next step is crucial.

Step 2. After buying your tickets DON’T go through the main gate but take the narrow path to your right-hand side right outside of the main entrance instead.

The path, depending on the time of year, can be muddy and may not look like a path, but it is. It will lead you into the national park through the strawberry fields, veg greenhouses and a coffee plantation.

If in doubt, ask the locals. They are used to people hiking up this way. It’s safer than the main road and more peaceful too.

Step 3. Once in the forest, follow the steep path up until you see the main road. The trek, depending on your fitness level, takes approximately 2-3 hours. Once you see a large map in a wooden frame and a small wooden ticket booth, you know you are on the right path.

A challenge to kick off your day in DaLat that will prime you for the next parts of the day trip.

Elephant Waterfall + Happy Buddha Temple

What is a day trip without a visit to an epic waterfall!? Elephant falls is one of the most impressive waterfalls near Da Lat. The rocks below and around the falls resemble the texture of an elephant’s skin and the sheer power of the falls is like that of an elephant. The falls also lie about a 5 minute motorbike ride from Linh An Pagoda, home to the larger than life Happy Buddha statue.

The Happy Buddha of Da Lat is so close, any visit to Elephant Waterfall would be incomplete without a visit to the grinning giant. The Happy Buddha is only 400 yards west of the falls. You can park at either site and walk to the other.

Catch the Vintage Train from Da Lat to Linh Phuoc Pagoda

After enjoying some time away from the Da Lat city center, hop on your motorbike and head back into town to the vintage Da Lat railway station.

You can’t arrive in Da Lat by train. The city is only accessible by bus or flight. But you can go on a short joy ride in a vintage train, to visit the Linh Phuoc Pagoda in the nearby village of Trai Mat. It’s a journey set up entirely as a tourist attraction, but Ninh Phuoc Pagoda is as unique and wierd as Da Lat itself so it will not disappoint. In a region that contains a crazy house ( literally ) and giant concrete chickens, Linh Phuoc Pagoda fits right in. It’s a temple that is a bit over done and extravagant but it’s an experience and a cool way to have a destination at the end of a vintage train ride.

Da Lat has it’s own unique charm and is sure to have something for each type of nomad to enjoy.

 

2.) The Disneyland of Vietnamese Travel + The Lanterns Market ( 1-day itinerary ) 

Arriving in Hoi An, I had heard about it’s coastal vibe and Venice-esque appeal ( it’s a new word ). According to Lonely Planet 

Hoi An is Old town exploration. Flavoursome cuisine. Tradition by the water.

I couldn’t agree more with the appeal of Hoi An and it’s ability to enhance and invigorate all of your senses. From the exotic seafood markets to the colorful lantern-filled nights, it is a city breathing authenticity and tradition. During the day it can be a bit quiet which is why I came up with an outside the Hoi An box itinerary that will still allow you to appreciate the city after sunset. You will need a motorbike for this DIN ( Do it Nomad ) trip and an open mind. Let’s get into it!

Sun World Ba Na Hills

On top of the lush green mountains…only accessible by one of the most elaborate cable car systems in the world…sits the mountain top theme park of Ba Na Hill.

As you can imagine and I can tell you from direct experience, this place is a popular tourist destination so it is highly recommended to leave for Ba Na hill from Hoi An before 7am. The drive takes about 45 min – 1 hour depending on your speed.

Arrive early to get the most out of your Vietnam Travel Experience

Highlights of my day at Ba Na Hill include the majestic stone hand bridge, meditation gardens, and the roller coaster!

This is how I spent my Ba Na Hills day but make sure to see what else this mountaintop resort complex has to offer for your group and your own interests.

Explore the Marble Mountains

Naturally, when I hear the word “mountains”, I expected to see a mountainous landscape like Big Bear or Lake Tahoe in California. These are the mountains I grew up snowboarding on and they are engrained in my memory. The Marble Mountains of Vietnam are not quite these kinds of mountains. What these “mountains” lack in pine trees and fresh natural air — they make up for it with larger than life caves and a nice view of the Da Nang coastline.

Parking for the Marble Mountains can be found at one of the local’s shops near the entrance. I paid 5 VND and I wouldn’t pay any more than that to have them watch your motorbike for an hour or two.

Interlude : Vietnam Travel Edition

Before I deep dive into my description of the Marble Mountains, I wanted to tell a story about my motorbike ride from Ba Na Hill to Marble Mountain. The ride is about 30 minutes and most of it will be on highways. I wish good fortune for you on your ride as I wasn’t so lucky this time around.

Nearly sandwiched between two large trucks honking their horns, I realized there was a bee on my left forearm but it was already too late. He stung me, I yelled, and dodged the trucks and traffic to get to the right shoulder as fast as I could. I got the stinger out swiftly and in seconds I could see the swelling starting. So what did I do next you may ask…

With the inability to find a pharmacy and no established city near by, I pulled off into a town and looked for a cafe. I knew from past experience that if nothing else, apply honey to a bee sting. I talked the Vietnamese barista into lathering the sting with some honey and I let it soak in. It wasn’t going to stop me from seeing the mountains. The show must go on so on it went.

What to Expect at Marble Mountains

After about a 7 minute climb up the steps, you arrive at a buddhist temple on Marble Mountains. You can continue past it or stop to take your time. There are two climbs behind the temple, one that takes you to the highest point and the other leads to a cave. The highest point steps are unpredictable and large so it’s a bit of a challenge to get the reward of a view of the Da Nang coastline. The cave is a cool refuge but if you hike back down and go to the opposite side of the site, you will find an entrance to another cave.

Upon entering the darkness, it seems the cave will be just like the other but as you wrap around a corner, the light appears and you are within a huge cave dwelling with a ceiling of around 20 meters! There is something ethereal  about this cave. The monks use this space as a sacred space and the buddha carved into the cave wall watches your every step. It is a cool experience!

Return to Hoi An at Sunset and Spend a Night under the Colorful Lanterns

Get ready for a night of old town exploration and and infusion of new sense triggers. Finish off the 30-minute ride from Marble Mountain to Hoi An and head down to the canals and night market at Sunset. Sunset is usually between 17.30 and 18.00 in Vietnam in April-May.

The city comes alive at night and so do your senses as the seafood, colored lanterns, and local music enliven the streets of Hoi An. Enjoy the night!

3.) Motorbike along the Son Tra Peninsula and See a Dragon Breathe Fire in Da Nang ( 1-day itinerary )

Escape the city center of Da Nang for the day and head to Son Tra Peninsula. A 15-20 minute ride from the city center, you can’t miss the Lady Buddha perched up on the hill. During the day it can be a bit quiet in Da Nang city center which is why I came up with an outside the Da Nang box itinerary that will still allow you to appreciate the city after sunset. You will need a motorbike for this DIN ( Do it Nomad ) trip and a worry less mentality. Let’s go!

See the 67m Tall Lady Buddha Da Nang at Linh Ung Pagoda

Being the tallest Buddha statue in Vietnam, Lady Buddha Da Nang is located at Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang. It is only 9 km away from My Khe beach, or 14 km from Da Nang city center. Lady Buddha Da Nang statue is inside Linh Ung pagoda courtyard and is a staggering 67m tall. The lotus itself has a diameter of 35m!

From this area, you can see the whole city, mountains and Son Tra Sea. Looking beyond, you can see the Marble Mountains and the beach surrounded by fine white sand shore. In early morning or in the evening, the blue clear sky and cool winds will leave you feeling refreshed and accomplished.

 Explore the Son Tra Peninsula and enjoy the ride

There is much more riding to be had around the Son Tra peninsula and it’s time to just let the road guide you. I turned off my navigation and just set out on one of the roads along the coast. The views are beautiful at every turn and there are ample opportunities to take pictures of the Son Tra Sea below.

Once you have enjoyed the open road, simply retrace your journey and begin heading back towards the Da Nang city center.

Catch some waves or just go for a swim at My Khe Beach

Closed to the city center (5km), the most popular beach My Khe, also known as China Beach stretches 10km from the base of the Son Tra Peninsula to the Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son). You can surf at My Khe! Take your time along this pristine coastline and soak up the sun.

Channel your inner foodie and see the Dragon breathe fire

Once you have enjoyed the best beach in Da Nang, ride back into the city center and grab an early dinner. I had no idea that Da Nang had such an up&coming food scene until I stayed in the city center.

The central Vietnam city is a true melting pot — a combination of native Vietnamese, expats from all parts of the globe and an aggressively high amount of South Koreans on holiday. Not saying the South Koreans are aggressive but they do travel in numbers!

I was lucky enough to meet up with a friend I crossed paths with earlier in Da Lat and she took me to one of the local secret spots that ended up being the best meal I had in Vietnam!! Are you ready!?

The Best Meal I Have Had in Vietnam

Banh Xeo is served in slightly different ways all over South Vietnam, but there’s nothing like the Banh Xeo served in Da Nang at Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng (pronounced bah zwong). To the unfamiliar, Banh Xeo, which translates to sizzling pancakes, are rice and turmeric flour crepes filled with bean sprouts, shrimp and pork.

At Bà Dưỡng, Banh Xeo are piled high on platters along with side dishes of cucumbers, greens like mint and lettuce, raw bean sprouts, kebab-like sausage on wooden sticks and ultra-thin rice paper wrappers. The idea is to wrap the Banh Xeo inside the thin rice wrappers and stuff them to the rim until you can’t fit any more side ingredients. Hands down the best meal of my Vietnam journey!

Attention : Calling all traveling Foodies

To see a full guide of the best places to eat in Da Nang, the 2foodtrippers are experts on the Da Nang food scene and will be sure to stir you in a tasteful direction.

After a tasty meal and a full belly, make your way down to the Dragon Bridge around 19.50 ( 7:50pm for my fellow Americans) in order to get a good spot. The Dragon will spit out water and breathe fire at 20.00! It’s a bit of a tourist attraction but is still unique only to Vietnam and worth seeing.

 

4.) Experience “The Inland Halong Bay” of Vietnam Travel : Tam Coc of Ninh Binh ( 1-day itinerary )

 

Ninh Binh is one of the most beautiful displays of Nature’s landscapes in all of Vietnam yet it usually gets overlooked. As a digital nomad, I highly recommend Ninh Binh during your Vietnam Travels.

A rule of thumb when planning out your stay in Ninh Binh, do not stay in Ninh Binh! It sounds contradictory but it is a boring and ugly city.

Plan Your Stay in the Tam Coc Village

Instead, I chose to stay in the village of Tam Coc, near the rice terraces and all the beautiful landscapes. I stayed at the Tam Coc Green Garden Bungalow and it was perfectly located to all the sites I wanted to hit on the day trip I will be touching on here. Plus, Nhung and her family were so sweet and warming. I can’t say enough good things about my stay here.

Alright, back to the action! Since we have already established where to stay in Ninh Binh, now it’s time to map out the top DIN ( Do it Nomad ) day trip in this scenic space. Let’s get into it!

Mua Cave Hike at Sunrise

I personally really enjoy starting a day trip with a morning hike. Morning people will jive with that and non-morning people… I encourage you to give it a shot. The morning hike gives you a sense of accomplishment and is a nice stepping stone into the rest of your adventure filled days.

Set your alarms the night before and put that phone as far away from the bed as you can. Don’t want to risk missing out on the sunrise while you hike up to the Mua Cave Viewpoint. I arrived to start the hike at 6:30am and was one of the first people on the steps. Yes, there are steps and it is quite steep. It is not a long venture, maybe 10-15 minutes to the top and the views are absolutely breathtaking. The viewpoint provides a 360 degree panorama of the limestone cliffs, rice paddies, and Tam Coc river.

I have been lucky enough to see my fair share of rice paddies/terraces over the  past 2 months spanning between Bali and Vietnam. Tam Coc provides a different type of display as large limestone rocks rise up from the valley floor alongside the rice paddies. It is a truly majestic site and you’ll want to spend ample time on top of Mua Cave to really take in these views.

Head to the Buddhist Temple : Bich Dong Pagoda

This elegant collection of cave temples is a couple of kilometers from Mua Cave Viewpoint ( about a 15-20 minute motorbike ride ). The temple consists of 3 different levels. The Lower Pagoda is located at the base, from which 100 steps lead to the Middle Pagoda, where there’s a shorter but steep ascent to the Upper Pagoda. Inside each cave temple, statues peer out towards you through the incense haze. Coming out of each section of the pagoda, I was greeted with unreal countryside views.

Tam Coc or Trang An Scenic Landscape Tour

There is a consistent debate on the web and in the Digital Nomad circle about which scenic landscape is a better experience in Ninh Binh.

Authenticity outweighs Tourist Popularity

Personally, I usually look for the most authentic experience. Trang An seems to be the more popular of the two and after the Mua Cave hike and Bich Dong Pagoda, the Tam Coc tour appealed to me more. I was told by a Tam Coc local that Trang An is made more by hands than Tam Coc. It took me some time to understand what she meant. Tam Coc is in the village and seems to be the more naturally preserved of the two.

Like anything else with travel, you should never let someone else’s experience be the deciding factor for your journey. With that being said, I did not experience Trang An by boat for my self but the Time Travel Turtle blog  gives a nice description of the Trang An boat experience.

How to Do the Tam Coc River Tour Right

Arrive to Tam Coc around 16.00 to catch the last tour of the day and a possible sunset on the water experience. Another plus about the Tam Coc tour that I nearly forgot to mention is that you can take the tour by yourself or with a friend. At Trang An, you have to wait until there is a group of 5 foreigners/local enthusiasts to take the tour.

I heard a funny story from a fellow nomad about her experience at Trang An with a couple other foreigners and two Tam Coc locals who appeared to be hammered on the boat tour. She said that took away from some of the peaceful views but that nothing could phase her experience of the large limestone karst peaks and caves. Not even a Tam Coc local nearly falling overboard!

I hopped on board with a nice Vietnamese woman who guided my tour with her two feet. Yes, she paddled with her feet, not her hands. I thought at first it was a part of her act and that she would switch to the norm. But, sure enough, she paddled our boat with those feet the whole way. The tour lasted about 2 hours and we went under 2 caves along the way. You can walk along the Tam Coc river or even ride a bike but the vantage point from the water is second to none.

Expect the Unexpected While Traveling in Vietnam

As soon as we made the turn to start heading back on the tour, I felt a rain drop on my head…then another on my forearm. I began to smile thinking about rain falling while we coasted down the river. My smile became a bit obscured when it really started to rain and my camera was in jeopardy. Magically, an umbrella appeared to my right as my guide kindly had me covered. There I was, umbrella overhead. Listening to the sound of rain drops along the river’s surface as we slowly drifted. Surrounded by large limestone karst peaks and an abundance of jungle green plants, I was happy to be stuck in the rain. I hope I made my point for Tam Coc compared to Trang An. It’s of course a bit bias but I digress. Your Tam Coc day trip awaits!

 

5.) See Halong and Han La Bay on Board CatBa Vision Tour ( 1-day itinerary )

As a digital nomad and solo traveller, I pride myself on the DIN ( Do it Nomad ) day trips. As you can tell, I write solely from experience and also from fellow nomads who travel like me. There are a few times that an exception can be made to the Do It Yourself motto.

For example, when you don’t own a large boat and your friends that do are no where in sight. I thoroughly approached multiple tour companies on CatBa island to try to plan out my own day trip with a guide but there is no such thing available. At least not that I could find while researching and walking the main streets. I was much more interested to see Han La Bay that Halong Bay.

I wanted to add this experience to the list because they are literally hundreds of companies that offer tours to Halong Bay from CatBa or Hanoi.

CatBa Vision Tours was the company my fellow nomad friends and I chose and it was a really cool experience. They offer a variety of tours at reasonable prices and the boat is really nice. I have recommended them to some other nomads I met in the North who were heading down South and planned to see Halong Bay.

What to Expect on CatBa Vision Tours from CatBa Island, Vietnam

Han La Bay is the lesser known bay of the two but is really just as stunning as Halong Bay. You will get to see both on the boat tour and will also get to kayak through caves and into lagoons.

You can also jump off the 2nd deck of the boat if you are a thrill seeker like yours truly. CatBa is a cool island town and the boat tour will give you a nice get-away if you start to get island fever after a few days and nights.

Anyway, these are just a few places I’ve logged in my brief Vietnam travels. With a little luck, I’ll have plenty more to talk about as my margins continue to expand, both in South East Asia and beyond.

Keep It Sintra Wherever Your Travels Take You

My intention with this blog is to provide an alternative outlook that may spark your interest or confirm your feeling that being a digital nomad is possible for you. If this reaches even one person and it gives them the knowledge needed to take the first step, then it makes it all worth it. Vietnam travel is a great way to see some authentic parts of South East Asia.

Planning to Digital Nomad in Ho Chi Minh City?

If you are a nomad planning to start your Vietnam trip in the capital of Ho Chi Minh, here are my tips and recommendations for setting into the big city. Plus, the best cafes in HCMC to digital nomad from and get heavily caffeinated.

If you are enjoying my content, simply subscribe to get curated content delivered straight to your inbox. You are appreciated and as always… Keep it Sintra.