These are the best activities for those who like adventure!
Whether you’re travelling through Vietnam for one week, two weeks or a month make sure to check out these thrilling adventure activities! These are action-based activities so if you’re not a thrill-seeker then maybe these aren’t for you.
Ha Giang Loop
I think this was my favourite thing we did in Vietnam, if not my whole South-East Asia trip. Picture this, you’re on the back of a motorbike of some random young Vietnamese boy, cruising through the mountains along the Vietnam-China border. The sun is going down and you’re nearly at your next destination. Your face is dusty and your cheeks hurt because you’ve been smiling all day because of the beautiful views.
The Ha Giang Loop is located in the North of Vietnam. It’s a motorbike tour which lasts three or four days. You can book a tour through hostels in Hanoi or directly with hostels who offer the tour in Ha Giang town.
For example, we booked with Nexy Hostel in Hanoi who will book you a tour with Hong Hao in Ha Giang. Other popular options include Jasmine Tours and Buffalo Hostel.
You should leave your large backpack at your hostel in Ha Giang and bring a smaller backpack with you for the next three or four days. You will have this tied onto the back of your motorbike for the duration of the trip.
The groups are usually 8-15 bikes in size. It’s a really social event. Everyday you will eat, drink and chill out with the other travellers in your group so it’s a great way to meet new people!
The drivers speak very little English so communication can be challenging at times but it’s all part of the experience.
You can choose to drive the motorbike yourself too. I wouldn’t recommend this though as it’s an added stress and people do slip and fall. Also, you will be so focused on driving that you won’t be able to take in the incredible scenery throughout the journey!
Sand Dune Tour in Mui Ne
When I signed up for this I didn’t realise how much of a thrill it was going to be. Mui Ne is located in the south of the country. It’s the only place with sand dunes in Vietnam. People come to Mui Ne purely to do this tour because it’s so popular.
The tour starts at 4am, when your brightly coloured open top jeep will pick you up from your accommodation. You will drive towards the white sand dunes first. They transfer you to a quad bike where you hang on for dear life as you are transported to the top of the tallest dune.
Here you will watch the sun go up and the moon go down. As it starts to get brighter, you can take a toboggan down the side of the sand dune. Local guys sell these short rides for about €2.
After this you will get back on the quad and hurtle down one tall sand dune at a decline of 45 degrees. Catch your breath for a second and take in another viewpoint. Then it’s back to the jeep where you’re brought to the red sand dunes.
After a brief climb, you’ve got yourself another viewpoint. After half an hour here you are brought to a fishing village. This was underwhelming as I couldn’t get past the smell of rotting fish and the rubbish thrown everywhere.
Lastly, you walk through a stream until you find the point where the red and white sand dunes meet. It’s confusing at first but when you reach the end it is absolutely beautiful.
The tour wraps up around 9am, at which point you’re shaking from both adrenaline and because you’re starving for breakfast.
Alpine Coaster in Da Lat
Da Lat is a quaint city nestled amongst mountains. It offers a lot for such a small place and is definitely worth adding to your Vietnam itinerary.
I’ve always dreamed of hitching a ride on an alpine coaster so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity in Da Lat. The coaster is located outside the city near the Dalanta Waterfall. You can take a taxi or drive a hired scooter to it.
You sit in a toboggan-like seat which is attached to a rail which runs down a mountain. You can control the speed of the coaster yourself. The ride turned out to be much longer than I expected! There was lots of twists and turns and I loved being able to fly down the mountain at high speed.
You then dismount and admire the views of the Dalanta Waterfall. Then it’s back onto the coaster for one last ride.
You can choose to ride the coaster with a friend or just by yourself!
Pineapple Island Theme Park on Phu Quoc
Getting to Pineapple Island is a thrill in itself! The small island is located off the coast of Phu Quoc, a larger island which is to the south of Cambodia but is a part of Vietnam. You can fly there from Ho Chi Minh City.
To reach the theme park you must traverse the sea via the world’s longest sea-crossing cable car. The journey takes 30 minutes in total and is not for the faint-of-heart. The multi-coloured fishing boats down below you will look like small figurines.
Once you reach the island you can explore to your heart’s content. For just €25 you get entry to the waterpark, the theme park and a return journey on the cable car!
The waterpark was the best part – it was made for adults! There are also child-friendly slides and areas. However, for the most part, it is designed for the thrill-seekers with some of the most terrifying water slides you will ever see!
We went early and left only when the park was closing because we were having so much fun. This was one of my highlights from Vietnam and I would really recommend you include it in your itinerary!