Trekking in northern Vietnam is not like trekking in the Alps or in Nepal. There are no mountain huts, no waymarked paths, and the maps are sometimes wrong. In exchange, you walk through villages where people live rather than through empty wilderness.
Choosing a route
What levels are there?
We work with three: a day walk around a cluster of villages (3–5 hours, moderate ascent); two or three days with nights in the villages; and longer routes into old forest or up to the higher summits. Each programme states the distance, the ascent and the walking hours per day.
Which level should I take?
Judge by the ascent, not by the kilometres. Ten kilometres on the flat is nothing like ten kilometres climbing 800 metres on a slippery path. If you walk regularly at home, the middle level will suit you. If not, start with a day walk.
How does Hoang Su Phi differ from the karst plateau?
Hoang Su Phi is rice terraces and tea hills, earth paths, many Dao and La Chi villages, at its best in September when the rice ripens. The karst plateau is limestone: little shade, hard sun and little water — shorter days but harder ones. They are two quite different experiences.
Fitness and health
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough to walk four or five hours at a stretch with a light pack, on ground that goes up and down. You do not need to run or train in a gym, but you do need to be used to being on your feet for hours.
Does anyone carry the bags?
Yes. On multi-day routes we arrange porters or pack horses depending on the trail. You carry only a daypack with water, a rain jacket and what you need during the day.
What about slippery ground?
The red earth here is slicker when wet than you expect, and wet limestone is worse. This is why we insist on boots with real grip and encourage trekking poles.
Equipment
What should I bring?
High-cut trekking boots you have already broken in — not new ones. Trekking poles. A rain jacket. A warm layer for the evenings, even in summer. A head torch. Sun cream. Your own medication. We send a detailed list for your season and route once you have booked.
Do I need a sleeping bag?
Not for homestays — mattresses and blankets are provided. On camping routes we provide tents and sleeping bags.
Where does drinking water come from?
We carry water for each day’s walking. Not every stream along the way is safe to drink from — ask your guide before filling up.
Food and lodging
What do we eat on the trail?
Lunch is usually a picnic we prepare, or a meal in a house along the route. Dinner is with the host family. Tell us in advance if you are vegetarian or have allergies — out in the villages nobody can go to the market for something extra.
Where do we sleep?
Mostly homestays: a shared room, mattresses, blankets, a shared bathroom, and water heated over a wood fire. Some villages are still off the electricity grid. Where a programme involves rougher conditions than that, we say so before you book.
On the trail
Is there phone signal?
On many sections, no. The guide carries separate means of communication and knows where the coverage is.
What if someone cannot go on?
The guide assesses and decides. Depending on where you are, that may mean turning back to the nearest road head or arranging a local motorbike taxi. We work these exit points out when we design a route — it is part of the survey.
What if a village is closed for a ceremony?
There will be a sign at the entrance and we go round. Our local guides read those signs, and respecting them is the condition of being welcomed back next time.