You know you’ve been living in Vietnam too long when  you can instantly spot a Red Dao woman in both Binh Lieu and Sapa.  Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups, almost as many as China! The best way to start solving Vietnam’s cultural jigsaw is to head towards the Northern mountains of Sapa, Binh Lieu, Ha Giang or Mu Cang Chai. Treat yourself to some Red Dao traditional medicine, take a hike with a H’mong tour guide or book a homestay with a Tay family.  2020 brought us a new-found appreciation for domestic travel, and spending some time among hill tribes is an amazing way to learn about a new culture without traveling far.  What are your travel plans for this summer?

𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚊 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛! Would you like to come with me on a tour of Topas Ecolodge? I will be taking over @topasecolodge IG stories tomorrow, join me for #takeovertuesday to experience a day in the life of a Vietnam expat. See you there!

𝚂𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚕𝚞𝚡𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 Sometimes a good travel experience is as simple as a bath. While relaxing in a Russian banya, Bhutanese hot stone bath or Japanese onsen you might get some interesting cultural insights. A visit to Sapa would be incomplete without trying a herbal bath, a special kind of traditional therapy created by the Red Dao ethnic group. The alchemy behind this unique cultural experience draws on ancient recipes shaped through the generations of the Red Dao women. Each herbal remedy for bathing is created from different medicinal herbs handpicked along streams or in nearby forests. Slipping into the soothing water after a long day of trekking with @topasecolodge feels just like heaven! If you book your stay with my promo code Instasummer_Lena, the herbal bath is on me.

𝚃𝚛𝚎𝚔𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚎 When it comes to trekking in Vietnam, Sapa should be at the top of your list. This mountainous region is an amazing combination of natural and manmade wonders working hand in hand to create truly hypnotic patterns across the rolling hills and vast valleys. The most popular Sapa trails will take you through terraced rice paddies, glimmering waterfalls, colorful ethnic villages and to the Roof of Indochina, the majestic Mount Fan Si Pan (10,312ft). You can also trek from @topasecolodge to @topasriversidelodge with an experienced local guide if you choose to book their combo, check out my highlights for more details! The best time to visit Sapa is September, rice fields with patches of gold colour will turn this area into a photographer’s paradise! But even photos don’t live up to capturing the real beauty of Sapa!

𝚁𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚡 💫 After a few days of cultural immersion, it’s time to immerse myself in something a little different. In love with this rustic granite bathtub! What are your favorite bathtub essentials? For me it’s my Beats, vegan candles and dreamy clouds of foam... If you are in Vietnam, check out handmade, vegan and cruelty-free bath oils and elixirs by @lemongrasshouse.vn. They have an amazing sale right now!

𝙶𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙽𝚊𝚝 𝙶𝚎𝚘 Located on the top of two hills and overlooking the pristine Mung Hoa valley, Topas Ecolodge makes a perfect mountain getaway. It is the first hotel in Vietnam and the 5th in Asia to make the National Geographic list! This year, despite travel restrictions, I was lucky to experience 2 amazing lodges certified by Nat Geo: Topas Ecolodge in Vietnam and Zhiwa Ling in Bhutan. What makes these hotels so special? All properties, each handpicked by Nat Geo, share a strong commitment to sustainable practices and strive to protect the natural and cultural heritage. Topas Ecolodge truly deserves its place on the list: one of the longest-running hotels in the area, it has been investing in local schools, roads, infrastructure, water filtration and recycling systems since it's opening in 2005. Through the years, Topas Ecolodge has been maintaining close relationships with the Red Dao and H’mong communities by hiring almost exclusively from nearby villages, providing training and education and using local materials and products as much as possible. A few weeks ago I had the privilege to join a press trip to this unique lodge, it was my second stay with @topasecolodge and I loved every minute of it! Don’t miss my takeover on their IG page on June 30th, I will be taking you on a tour of the resort and sharing my top tips for traveling responsibly. Come and spend a day with me at this stunning location! Swipe left to see a rare photo of me in a swimsuit 😉

𝙰 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗, 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚞𝚜𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗 Thank you for hosting me as your IG guest @topasriversidelodge 🖤 Use my promo code Instasummer_Lena to snatch the best summer deals, check my highlights for more details!

𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚖 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 Located 350 kilometers away from Hanoi, near the border with China, Sapa is the top destination for hikers and trekkers wanting to explore Vietnam’s beautiful countryside. The area offers an unforgettable mosaic of ethnic experiences! Brightly-coloured embroidered clothes of the H’mong people, silver headpieces of the Tay, or easily spotted red turbans of the Dao women are just a glimpse of daily life in Sapa, home of various ethnic minorities in Vietnam. While Sapa town is undeniably busy, life outside is as traditional as ever. My guide took me on a journey through terraced rice paddies, valleys and hills to a remote Nam Cang village, inhabited by the Red Dao and H’mong communities. To the people of Sapa, the mountains are much more than merely an impressive geographical feature, they’re art, culture, tradition and faith. There is so much to explore! Topas Riverside, a rustic style lodge situated on the edge of Nam Cang village, makes the perfect base to discover the unique culture of Sapa’s hill tribes without sacrificing your own lifestyle. Join me today for my 24hrs #takeovertuesday on @topasriversidelodge IG stories to experience a day in the life of the Red Dao community!