Vietnam is now a successful and well-established destination, but there is still much to explore in a country that has successfully shaken off a troubled past.

While those making for the country’s northern hills tend to head for Sapa, the more adventurous are discovering the area around Ha Giang – the highest point of latitude in Vietnam on the border with China. A six-hour drive from the capital Hanoi and reached via a network of good roads, Ha Giang has much to engage the visitor. Besides stunning mountain landscapes and terrains of pristine rice paddies and terraces, the area affords views seen nowhere else in an elongated land that also neighbours Laos and Cambodia. A chance to glimpse the lives and share the hospitality of some of Vietnam’s most secluded ethnic minorities, to wander around atmospheric local markets and discover some of the country’s most ancient villages and settlements all combine to provide an engaging stay, while the more energetic may wish to enjoy a series of treks and hikes. This is off-the-beaten track Vietnam with clean, simple accommodation and is best enjoyed in the spring.

Contact: Peter Holroyd on 01892 515966.