A reasonable level of general fitness is required. You'll be undertaking a variety of outdoor activities across the itinerary, of between 1.5 and 5 hours in duration, using different muscle groups. The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park cave hikes and overnight camping will be one of the highlights of the trip and two of the most active days. There will be two full days of hiking down the jungle valley to the caves and back up the next day, with time to rest and take in the experience. There will be rivers to cross, so be prepared for wet feet. The Tra Ang cave swim is optional: the total distance to swim is 600m (300m into the cave and 300m back out) whilst wearing a buoyancy aid and caving helmet with a light, in addition to your swimwear.

Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Tips for the local guide are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. We suggest the below as a guideline per person, per day:

$5 USD / 115,000 VND

Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

Tap water in Vietnam is not safe to drink; clean drinking water will be provided. Please pack your own reusable bottle, it will be well used. Whilst on the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park cave hike there may be the opportunity to refill your water bottle using streams, and we advise packing water purification tablets for this purpose.

Water bottles with inbuilt filters are becoming increasingly popular for travellers to use in countries without clean tap water. Please see our guide for advice on the best water filters for adventurers if you wish to bring your own filtration bottle on this trip.

Northern Vietnam is known for its subtropical, humid summers - this means that although it is hot, there is the chance of short, heavy showers, due to the rainy season occurring between May and September. The winter months are cooler in the north with occasional light showers, the driest months being December and January. The weather in Vietnam is pleasant at any time of the year, but due to the location, seasons and geography of the country it’s unlikely there would be perfect weather throughout the entirety of a trip.

The trip is scheduled to depart in the winter, spring and summer months between December and early September. The following is a guide to approximate temperatures to expect on your trip:

In winter, the temperatures range between 12°C / 54°F and 23°C / 73°F in the daytime and down to around 10°C / 50°F at night.

In spring, the temperatures are generally in the region of 23°C / 73°F in the daytime and down to around 15°C / 59°F at night.

In summer, temperatures can reach up to 40°C / 104°F in the daytime and down to around 25°C / 77°F at night.

A great time to visit northern Vietnam is between August and early September with pleasant temperatures between 20°C / 68°F and 25°C / 77°F.

Your baggage can be securely stored at the Phong Nha Lake House Eco Resort whilst you are camping in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, and the Anatole Hotel in Hanoi before you head to Lan Ha bay. If you wish to store excess luggage in Hanoi at the start of the trip, please submit a request to your host prior to travel.

We recommend checking out the country-specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.

No. You'll need to have a larger bag suitable for all your belongings which will be transported for you, and then a small daysack to carry personal items during each day.

The evening of the overnight train journey prior to departure, you will carry your luggage and daysack on the ten minute walk from the bus stop to the train station in Dong Hoi. On arrival into Hanoi, you will carry your luggage on the fifteen minute walk from the train station platform to the bus park.

The kayaks across the itinerary will be single or double kayaks, either sit-on-top or touring kayaks. Sit-on-top kayaks are very stable and easy to paddle for everyone, including new paddlers through to experienced paddlers. Sit-on-top kayaks can be used on the sea, estuaries, rivers, lakes and canals. Touring kayaks are designed to be stable on the water, comfortable to sit in, easy to get into and cater for all paddling abilities from a complete novice to an experienced paddler.

The SUPs will be inflatable, the brand of board will be either Touring or Alround.

The kayaks are of a standard size, 3.5m in length and 65cm wide approx. Single kayaks can take a maximum load up to 120kg and double kayaks up to 150kg.

The SUPs will be inflatable, 11'6" - 12'6" long, 32" wide and 6" thick. The recommended payloads are: 95kg / max. payload: 143kg, the paddle will be the standard type (aluminium + plastic).

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.

Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.

Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.

Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.