Off the beaten track holiday to Vietnam
This trip can be tailormade to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more luxurious trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments before relaxing in comfort in some of the best and most characterful local accommodation! Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
This itinerary is designed to reveal the quieter side to Vietnam and focuses on accommodation, excursions and transport that promote Responsible Tourism wherever possible.
It is not always possible to use environmentally friendly or ethically minded accommodation in Vietnam as it is still a relatively new concept here. However, of note is the Topas Ecolodge which is run on an environmentally sensitive basis, generates its own electricity and hot water, the bungalows are made from local materials, and much of the produce used in the meals cooked at the lodge is grown on the premises. It also employs and trains local people from the minority tribes to help provide additional incomes to their communities.
Not included in this itinerary but perfect to add if you would like some time relaxing on a beautiful beach at the end of your trip, is the exceptional Evason Hideaway and Six Senses Spa in Nha Trang. This property is the epitome of barefoot luxury and operates a comprehensive environmentally responsible policy. They source all materials and food locally wherever possible, generate as much of their own power as possible and take an active role in maintaining and preserving the local environment.
By using cyclos you are helping subsistence level workers earn an income and reducing your carbon footprint while using the train helps to minimise your carbon footprint and is an interesting alternative to the car.
Singapore Airlines is one of the most environmentally responsible airlines in the world, devoting a lot of time and resources to minimising its impact on the environment and local communities. They also support a number of charities in many of the locations they serve.
Community
Your time in small rural communities, particularly the homestay in Ha Giang, helps to bring in much needed currency and encourages the preservation of traditional skills and practices that may otherwise be forgotten. Eating at local restaurants along the way you get to try the local cuisine and support local businesses.
By visiting locally run NGOs and charities you are supporting them in the vital work they do with Vietnam's vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society who often receive little or no help from the government. Such as KOTO restaurant - an NGO which rescues vulnerable street children and trains them in the hospitality industry. Also by eating at Baguette et Chocolate you are able to support the charity which runs it and has trained almost 2,000 young people from the area since it was set up in 1995, helping them gain jobs in the industry all over Vietnam.
By buying crafts, homewares and from gifts from selected organizations you can help support local communities and their skills. For example, Craftlink, a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to assist small Vietnamese producers develop their businesses and find market opportunities. Many of the poorer and more marginalized people of Vietnam, such as the hill tribe minorities and street children, are being left behind by the economic miracle that is sweeping Vietnam. Also the Indigo Store, where you can help preserve local textile skills by purchasing your gifts from a retail outlet for the textiles and embroidery of local ethnic minority people. Indigo Store orders its stock directly from the villagers who are paid fairly for their work and encourages the conveyance of the traditional skill to the next generation.
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