Nature & Adventure

Vietnam's landscape is extraordinarily varied — from towering limestone karsts rising out of emerald waters to terraced rice paddies cascading down misty mountain slopes. For couples who want their honeymoon to include a sense of adventure and discovery, these destinations deliver some of Southeast Asia's most dramatic scenery.

Ha Long Bay is Vietnam's most iconic natural wonder, with nearly 2,000 limestone islands scattered across the Gulf of Tonkin. An overnight cruise through the bay, sleeping on the water surrounded by karsts, is one of the most romantic experiences Vietnam has to offer.

In the mountains of the northwest, Sapa is the gateway to terraced rice fields and homestay treks through hill-tribe villages. The scenery is breathtaking, especially during the green season when the paddies are at their most vivid. Nearby, Ha Giang offers an even more remote and spectacular mountain landscape, with winding roads through deep river gorges and dramatic passes.

Closer to Hanoi, Ninh Binh — sometimes called the inland Ha Long Bay — is a landscape of karst peaks, flooded rice paddies and ancient temples best explored by small boat or bicycle. The valley of Mai Chau offers a gentler pace, with cycling through villages, lakeside stays and a genuine sense of rural tranquillity.

Underground, Phong Nha is home to some of the world's largest and most spectacular cave systems, including the vast Son Doong cave. Above ground, the national park's jungle-covered karst landscape is stunning in its own right. And in the south, the Central Highlands offer coffee plantations, waterfalls and ethnic minority villages far from the tourist trail.