The stunning Sapa Valley is surrounded by some of the tallest peaks in Vietnam and is ripe for adventure. From the center of Sapa town — a bustling tourist hub — it doesn't take long to find a local guide willing to teach you about local culture on a trek through the mountains. Sapa excursions are a special blend of back to basics adventures and heart-warming cultural exchange. Multi-day hikes take you along simple farming trails, up steep mountainsides, and through intricately terraced rice fields. Hike Sapa in the summer for vibrant green vistas; in fall for the golden harvest, and in spring to learn all about rice cultivation. For lunch, tea, chats, and overnight stays, you'll stop by the remote mountain villages of a number of Vietnam's ethnic minorities. The H'Mong, Red Dao, and Giay communities are just a few of the cultures you'll be introduced to in Sapa.

The coastal city of Dong Hoi sits beside one of Vietnam's most breathtaking national parks, Phong Nha-Ke Bang. Made famous less than a decade ago by the discovery of the world's largest cave, this area offers adventures in abundance. While the cave with the grand world record title requires a good deal of time and money to explore, the rest of the park is littered with other, more accessible caves. There's Dark Cave, which requires a zip line approach and ends in a headlamp-lit mud bath. Then there's Paradise Cave, with its leisurely 1.2 mile (2 km) long walkway and astonishing stalactites and stalagmites. Outside in the fresh air, you can hike, swim, and row your way between the forested mountain peaks, soaking in every ounce of natural beauty this place has to offer.