Posts by Apilipol

Awesome! Thanks so much!!!! We’ll look into these options. Have a great day

Hello, We’re spending 3 weeks in Rio between February 20 and March 15, 2027, to visit our son and daughter-in-law. We’re thinking of one or two "escapes" from Rio—3-day trips to get away from the city (so not too far, max 3–4 hours by car or bus). We’re all ears for suggestions! We love beautiful nature and authentic experiences, not so much the touristy spots... even though those spots are often in beautiful places, we’d rather avoid them. Thanks for your insights! Catherine

Thanks, we’ll do it tomorrow. Otherwise, we also found a site called Get Your Guide, and for Dong Van, it offers day hikes... we’ll check it out and give it a try.

We’re in Dong Van for a few days and we’re looking for a guide to give us advice and accompany us on some beautiful walks, hikes, and scenic sites to see. Would you have a contact to share or a method to find one? There’s no visible offer here for newcomers like us! Thanks so much for any info that could help! Catherine

Great. Thank you so much for this info. I think we now have all the cards in hand!!! We’ll plan our route once we arrive, now that we’re sure we can find a guide on the spot. Best regards, Catherine

Thank you so much—your answer really sheds light on the different options available to us. This will help us refine our plans. Best regards,

Hi there, and thanks for the info! We’ve been thinking it over, and we’d like to go all the way to Dong Van using public transport. It seems doable: Hanoi to Ha Giang (it’s long but manageable), then Ha Giang to Dong Van (5-hour bus ride). We’d stay 3–4 days in Dong Van before heading back the same way, as other adventures await us.

Do you know if we can find local guides in Dong Van for hiking? If so, do local guides usually have a vehicle, or should we plan to rent a scooter?

Thank you so much for your message—it really shed light on the situation and answered our questions.

We used to travel in West Africa, where we’d plan our itinerary day by day, using public transport, enjoying total freedom, and the simplicity of connections, etc.… But here we are—we have to adapt! We’ll be arriving in Hanoi on November 3rd, and as you suggested at the end of your message, we’ll get in touch with a French-speaking agency (if you have any recommendations…). For our trip to the northern part (we were tempted by Dong Van and Meo Vac), it’ll be easier to communicate directly to stay as close as possible to our expectations… and our budget, I hope.

On the other hand, we’re also planning a little getaway to Cat Ba, hoping we can at least explore that area without a guide!

Thanks again for all this info!! Catherine

A message in a bottle: For a three-week trip in November... is it possible to go hiking without a guide in northern Vietnam, getting around to the hiking sites by public transport, bikes, or on foot? And if so, which areas specifically? Thanks to anyone who replies!8

thanks for taking the time to reply! we’ll see what’s possible when we get there, and...we’ll adapt!!!!!

Hey there, we're back! So, we contacted Nhu, whose details you gave me. She’s offering us a 6-day trip (Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Yen Minh, Dong Van, Meo Vac, Di Giang, and back to Ha Giang), including visits to ethnic minorities... with 3 hikes of 5 to 7 hours packed in. We don’t have the cost yet, but whatever it is, it doesn’t really suit us. We’d dreamed of settling in a small town for a week and finding a guide for day hikes (around 6 hours of walking), or even 2-day treks with homestays. But it seems like the tourist reality in Vietnam—at least in this region and from what we’re seeing—is all about cramming in as much as possible in record time.

Anyway... we have another option: head to Lao Cai and, once there, try to find a hiking guide with a car to explore the area. So much for our dream of Dong Van and Meo Vac! Do you know if that’s possible? Are there reliable, independent guides available for this kind of request?

Thanks no matter what! Catherine

thanks. We’ll reach out to them, because you never know! They might have contacts who could meet our needs!

thanks for this info.... So that means there are guides outside the big tourism agencies! But we were actually thinking of avoiding Sapa, which seems to be quite the hotspot. I’ll still note down their details though, and we’ll think it over before contacting them so we’re clear about what we want.

My husband and I are planning a 10-day trip to Northern Vietnam in November, traveling independently (no agency organizing everything) and using local buses. We’d like to spend at least 3 days in each place (including Meo Vac). We’re wondering if it’s possible to find local guides for day hikes, and if so, in which towns/villages (Meo Vac plus one or two other spots to explore the surrounding area). Thanks!