4 REAL Ecotourism Destinations in Vietnam (And The Dark Side of Ecotourism)

“Ecotourism” has become an increasingly popular way to travel over the past decade, and Vietnam’s booming tourism industry has capitalised on it by offering plenty of ecotourism opportunities. In a country that is so naturally gifted with diverse natural geography and lush greenery, that should be no surprise, right? Unfortunately, almost none of the “ecotourism” in Vietnam is real ecotourism – most of it is just greenwashed mainstream tourism. Vietnam’s REAL (Responsible Environmentalism and Localism) ecotourism opportunities may be few and far between, but they do exist if you know where to look. The actual ecotourism hotspots are pretty well hidden, though, and I’m still discovering them even after 12 years of living and travelling in Vietnam. In this guide, I’ve gathered four of the best ecotourism spots in the country so that nature-lovers can walk the walk, not just talk the talk like most Vietnamese travel agencies. I’ve included geographically diverse locations, from mountains to mangrove swamps, beaches to caves, and from North to South. The kind of landscape that gives “ecotourism” its reputation in Vietnam (joaquincorbalan/DepositPhotos) What is REAL ecotourism? REAL eco...