Sustainable Tourism in Vietnam
Vietnam is quickly becoming a major tourism destination in South East Asia.
Neighboring China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, Vietnam is a country rich in history, in biodiversity, in traditions and in natural sites.
On Holiable, we’ll help you find eco-friendly accomodation, sustainable restaurants or ethical tourism attractions, to prepare your travels in Vietnam.
Eco-friendly travel advice for you trip to Vietnam
Vietnam is a great travel destination for eco-friendly travellers. Still preserved in terms of tourism compared to it’s neighboring countries like Thailand or Cambodia, Vietnam is becoming very popular among Chinese and South Korean travellers.
The country’s history has made it one of the first destinations for memorial/army tourism, but the country is a top tourism destination for slow travellers for many other reasons.
Vietnam has a luxurious nature and offers spectacular landscapes, whether you are willing to discover rice paddies, deltas, dry and wet caves and it’s famous karstic complexes.
Vietnam is a very long country. Visiting it from North to South is possible in an eco-friendly way, but you will have to plan a minimum of time to go from North to South.
The train system is very traveller friendly, easy to understand and tickets can be booked online for international travellers.
Eco-friendly lodging
Our advice to book eco-friendly lodging in Vietnam
- Always prefer direct booking to participate in sustainable, fair tourism practices
- Natural areas of the region, count numerous eco-friendly possibilites
- Check the sustainable principles of the accomodation you are staying at and make sure you respect them during your stay
- Read reviews of sustainable travellers that went there before you, find them here
- Be aware that most homestays and hotels prices are stated without taxes
- Most lodgings require payments or part-payments in advance
- All accomodation owners will register your passport upon check-in, make sure you get it back
- Don’t forget to relax
Food and Drink
Vietnam food delights
- Vietnamese cuisine has made it’s reputation around the world for it’s minimal use of dairy and oil and it’s reliance on herbs and vegetables
- In Vietnam, food specialties differ from North to South: plenty of discoveries in perspective
- Fish sauce, vegetables and herbs are widely used
- Vietnamese cuisine is suitable for all palates and diets, flexitarians to vegans will always find something to eat
Activities
Enjoying vietnam sustainably
- The climate in Vietnam varies a lot, whether you are visiting the North or the South region, make sure to get information on the climate of the region you are visiting at the time of your travels
- Vietnam has an incredible biodiversity and is home to overs 15,000 species of floras of which 10% are endemic
- Nature lovers will see there are countless possibilities, between National Parks (more than 30), rice paddie fields, or the two deltas
- Vietnam’s parks and natural sites can be visited on bicycle, hiking or on boats
- Never leave paths and roads, remember there are still mines in some areas of vietnam that only the locals are aware of
- Be aware that the culture and etiquette of Vietnam can be different from where you come from. As an example, shoulders and knees should stay covered in some areas (both for men and women)
- As you would at home, bring back plenty of memories and leave nothing but footprints when you visit this South East Asia Treasure