As a sport for fitness and endurance training, popular in the US and Europe, kayaking in Vietnam is gradually gaining popularity too.
Kayak is a water sport that uses small boats and double paddles for movement. Kayaks come in different sizes and types, depending on the intended use, but most have 1-2 seats and a deck that covers the legs.
When kayaking in Vietnam, visitors will be free to admire natural beauty, enjoy the fresh air instead of sitting in a car or boat. In addition, visitors can organize recreational boat races with friends and family.
If you are a kayak lover, read on to learn about the most beautiful spots for kayaking in Vietnam.
Tu San valley – Nho Que river
Located on Nho Que River, Ha Giang province, Tu San is the deepest canyon in Southeast Asia. Located between Dong Van and Meo Vac, the alley stretches 1.7 km with cliffs as high as 700 – 800 m.
To reach Tu San alley, from Dong Van, visitors arrive at Ta Lang point on a happy path. From here, on Google map, there will be directions to Nho Que River.
Here there are houses that rent kayaks for 50,000 VND per person and canoe for 100,000 VND. Guests should call in advance to book a boat. The road down the river is winding and difficult to go, traveling time is about 40 minutes – 1 hour.
Kayaking along the jade-green Nho Que River, visitors will see a magnificent limestone alley, enjoy the fresh and cool air. In February and March, the two sides of the river are colored with the red color of rice flowers, contrasting with the green color of the water, like an ink painting.
From Hanoi, visitors can travel by private vehicle along the National Highway 2A – Vinh Yen City – Highway 2C – Tuyen Quang City – Viet Quang town – Ha Giang city. From the city center to Dong Van town, there is about 130 km of mountain road with many bends on sleeves.
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Ba Be Lake
Ba Be Lake, Bac Kan province, is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the North. Located 150 meters above sea level and surrounded by mountains dating back 450 million years, the lake is recognized by UNESCO as one of 20 beautiful freshwater lakes that need protection and development. Ba Be Lake is one of the best kayaking spots in Vietnam.
Strolling by kayak through the ravine, visitors can admire the calm blue water surface, adorned by mossy rocks and ancient trees along the lake. The lake also has many attractions such as Puong cave, where large stones are stacked hundreds of meters high, or Ba Gao island, associated with folk tales.
During the journey, visitors will discover the culture of upland villages of the Tay and Dao people such as Pac Ngoi, Coc Toc, Po Lu …
Tickets to visit 45,000 VND per person. In addition to renting a kayak priced from VND 50,000 per person, visitors can rent a boat to visit the lake from 500,000 to 800,000 VND per boat and can join other groups to save costs.
There are 4 boat stations here: Buoc Luom (Nang river), Keo Sluu wharf, Choc Thep wharf, ferry terminal opposite Keo Sluu. In which, Keo Sluu wharf is the most crowded place, however, visitors need to book a kayak in advance with the boat owner. In addition, Choc Thep wharf in Lake 1 is the most concentrated place to rent kayaks.
Ba Be National Park has located 70 km from Bac Kan city and about 200 km north of Hanoi. Visitors can come here by private vehicle in the direction of National Highway 3 through Thai Nguyen.
At My Dinh bus station, there is a bus to Hanoi – Cao Bang route, through Bac Kan. From the city, tourists rent a motorbike or take a taxi to Ba Be Lake.
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Halong Bay
Halong Bay, Quang Ninh Province, is one of the top 25 destinations in the world, voted by National Geographic magazine and the top destination for kayaking in Vietnam by Wanderlust.
Boating in the clear blue bay, calm water, windtight with more than 1,600 large and small islands, visitors will admire towering limestone mountains at a close distance or visit caves.
In particular, the suggestion is Sung Sot cave, Thien cave, Luon cave … More specifically, visitors can watch the fish swarm under the slot or colorful coral reefs.
In Halong, there are many places for renting kayaks. Specifically, in the Luon cave area, the rental price for a kayak is 50,000 VND per person, and in the Ba Hang area, for 40,000 VND per person. In addition, there are Lom Bo island, Cua Van, Hang Co, Cong Dam, Vung Vieng, Hon Ban Chan beach.
Currently, overnight cruises in Halong Bay include a kayaking experience.
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Lan Ha Bay
Adjacent to Ha Long Bay to the South, Lan Ha Bay surrounds the Cat Ba archipelago.
Covering more than 7,000 hectares, the arc-shaped bay has more than 400 islands, large and small, covered with trees. Downstream and wriggle through small islands, visitors will see coral reefs, seaweeds below because the water here is clean and clear.
From Cat Ba, visitors have 2 options: boating to explore the bay from Monkey Island or at Ba Trai Dao area. Here, visitors can combine visiting Cua Van fishing village or Ha Long Bay spots such as Luon cave, Sung Sot cave, Sang Toi cave.
If traveling with a small group of people, tourists can go to Beo wharf, rent a fisherman’s boat or take a graft boat to the bay for kayaking, priced from 100,000 – 300,000 VND per person. If you go with a group of more than 15 people, you can rent a boat for about 1,000,000 – 4,000,000 VND.
Chay River – Dark Cave
Chay River – Dark Cave is a destination of Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh province. Chay River with many beautiful rocky rapids, many aquatic animals is one of the tributaries of the Son River, originating from the Chay stream.
Kayaking, visitors will fully capture the eye of the turquoise blue river, nestled by the majestic limestone mountains. At the same time, visitors will also pass through ancient trees or cornfields of the local people.
In addition, the river will take visitors through ancient riverside villages such as Ha Loi, Phong Nha, Na, Tram, Me, Chay Lap …, which preserve the cultural beauty of indigenous people.
In particular, visitors can play zipline or visit Dark Cave, a pristine cave with thousands of stalactites and is home to many animals such as swallows and bats. In the cave, visitors can take a natural mud bath, swim through Thuy Tien Lake, or learn about the cave plants.
The ticket price to visit the package of the two places above is 450,000 VND for guests from 1 m3 high with a full range of games, kayaking, mud baths. Child ticket 150,000 VND. To explore the two places above, visitors have 2 options: from Phong Nha boat station or vice versa from Tro Muong wharf.
The national park is about 45 km from Dong Hoi, where visitors can rent a combined tourist car, taxi, or motorbike to the national park. If you choose a tour, a touring car will pick you up from Dong Hoi.
Tuyen Lam Lake
Tuyen Lam Lake National Tourist Area is surrounded by pine forests and owns many oases. Boating on the lake is a new experience, loved by many tourists in Dalat. October – December, when the maple leaves turn red and yellow, is also the best time to visit the lake.
In addition, visitors can experience strawberry picking, persimmon picking, and exploring Tuyen Lam forest.
Currently, Dalat travel companies often sell boating tours, depart at 8:30, and end at around 12:30, afternoon from 13:30, and end at 17h. Tours usually cost about 250,000 – 300,000 VND per person.
Dalat is about 350 km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City. In addition to flying directly to here, popular options are car seats, bed cars from Ho Chi Minh City with ticket prices 150,000 – 350,000 VND.
Some high-quality cars pick up guests at home. The remaining vehicles will pick up passengers at the representative office or Mien Dong bus station.
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Bai Sao beach- Phu Quoc
Located in the town of An Thoi, south of the island, Bai Sao with 7 km of fine white sand is known as the most beautiful beach on the Phu Quoc island. This is also one of the destinations for many water sports activities, including kayaking in Vietnam in general and in Phu Quoc in particular.
Visitors can paddle out to the middle of the blue sea, in the warm afternoon sun, listen to the whispering waves, and watch the sunset fall. When only white sand and immense seawater are surrounded, you will be in harmony with nature, temporarily forgetting the bustle and business in the city.
In addition, in Phu Quoc, visitors can also experience kayaking in Bai Dai beach. Rental boat prices range from 100,000 to 150,000 VND per unit.
From Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can choose to fly directly to Phu Quoc airport.
Alternatively, tourists from HCMC can take the bus to Rach Gia city for savings. The ticket price is about 110,000 – 150,000 VND. From here, you continue to move from Rach Gia pier to Phu Quoc island.
Speed boat ticket price is 250,000 VND per person. On the speed boat, you can buy a bus ticket from An Thoi port to enter Duong Dong town, Phu Quoc.
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Above are the top 7 beautiful places to go kayaking in Vietnam. Hopefully, this article will help you choose the right place for your plan and have an unforgettable experience when traveling in Vietnam.
