Bac Giang Province is an off the beaten path destination in Vietnam and not mentioned much in travel guide books either. The province is home to ancient villages, lichee gardens, primeval forests and over 20 ethnic minorities with untouched culture.

Lai Chau Province is located to the North-West of Vietnam, home to rugged mountains and a number of ethnic minorities with traditional lifestyle. The province has great potential for adventure travel and sustainable tourism with participation from local ethnic minorities.

Cao Bang Province is located to the North-East of Vietnam. The province is known for the surreal mountain landscape and the ethic minorities with untouched culture. Community-based tourism in Cao Bang was started only recently and not yet even known among the travel professionals in Vietnam, let alone the foreign travellers to the country. The below destinations may be on your travel itinerary to make your holiday to Vietnam more of a responsible one.

Ha Giang Province is perched to the exstreme north of Vietnam, 320km from Hanoi. The province is home to 22 ethnic groups (Kinh, Hmong, Dzao, Tay, Nung, Lo Lo, San Diu, Pa Then,..) whose life was relatively separated from the mainstream society until recently. Besides, Ha Giang is home to the stunning Dong Van Karst Plateau listed as a member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network. With the rich cultural legacy and the unreal natural beauty, Ha Giang has the potential to be one of the tourist hotspots of Vietnam in the time to come.

Dien Bien Province is home to 21 ethnic groups with the Black Thai People accounting for most population in the province. Dien Bien possesses high mountains with potential for great trekking tours, hiking tours and mountain climbing trips. Besides, Dien Bien was the site of the world-wide famous battles that led to the termination of the French rule over Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Responsible tourism in Van Chan District
Van Chan District is 72 km west of  the provincial capital of Yen Bai and 200 km from Hanoi. Van Chan possesses fresh natural beauty with wild mountains and vast green tea plantations. The district is inhabited by a number of ethnic groups such as Thai, Hmong, Muong...who maintain their traditional culture for centuries. Though there are no luxury hotels in Van Chan, there are a number of ethnic villages taking part in providing tourism services to the travelers visiting the area.

Ngoc Chien Commune of Muong La District is 80km north-east of Son La City. Ngoc Chien has the average elevation of 1,800m above sea level, has cool temperatures all year round. The commune is covered with 12,000 hectares of pine forests. Beside the temperate climate, scenic landscape and the fresh ecosystem, Ngoc Chien also has hot-springs at Luot, Dot and Khau Vai Villages. The commune is inhabited by the Thai, Hmong and La Ha ethnic minorities who maintain the lifestyle almost unchanged for centuries.  

Lao Cai Province is located in the north-west of Vietnam, 380km from Hanoi. The province with mountainous terrain is home to the highest peaks in Vietnam. Besides, Lao Cai is home to many ethnic groups, some of whom live separated from the mainstream society and most of whom maintain their traditional culture unchanged for centuries.