Things to Do in Vietnam in July

A private journey from Hanoi into the cathedral-like landscape of Ninh Binh reveals limestone karsts shrouded in mist. You glide by wooden sampan through silent river caves hung with stalactites. You hear the dip of the oar in emerald water. You will climb ancient steps to pagodas perched high on cliffs. The view looks over a patchwork of flooded rice fields. The only sound is a distant bird.

This trek puts you in the misty highlands of northern Vietnam. You walk dirt paths past cascading terraces of young rice. They shimmer in the humid air. You share a meal in a stilt house. There, the smoky aroma of wood fire and simmering broths fills the open room.

Venture into the Son Tra Peninsula's jungle canopy near Da Nang. The air hums with cicadas. Your eyes strain to spot flashes of crimson and slate grey in the dappled light. You might lock onto the gaze of a red-shanked douc langur. Its fur is a shocking palette against the green leaves.

You are welcomed into a Da Nang home kitchen. The tang of fresh lime and the pungent hit of fish sauce mingle in the air. You learn to shape rice flour into delicate dumplings. You feel the steam from a boiling pot warm your face.

This transfer from Hue to Hoi A becomes a coastal adventure. It climbs the serpentine Hai Van Pass. Cool ocean winds whip your hair. It stops at the Cham ruins of My Son. There, birdsong echoes off ancient, moss-covered brickwork. It finishes in the lantern-lit glow of Hoi An's old town.

Zigzag through the watery world of the Mekong Delta near Ben Tre. You will putter down narrow canals on a scooter under a canopy of coconut palms. Then you switch to a silent sailboat. You hear only the flap of the canvas. You taste the startling sweetness of just-harvested tropical fruit.