Dau Tieng Lake in Tay Ninh Province, around 70 kilometers from HCMC, is one of the biggest artificial freshwater bodies in Vietnam, with an area of 27,000 hectares.
Endowed with fresh air and green grass, the lake is an ideal address for overnight camping.
You can bring your own tents or utilize local rental services near the lake with prices of VND300,000 ($12.81) per person.
While camping here, visitors can try standup paddle boarding (SUP) through rice fields and fields of lotus and water lily.
From Dau Tieng Lake, you can easily visit Ba Den Mountain at a height of 996 meters that is home to Buddhist pagodas and temples.
Photo by Thanh Tuan
Thac Mo hydropower reservoir is at the foot of Ba Ra Mountain in the southern province of Binh Phuoc, about 150 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City.
Like Dau Tieng Lake, Thac Mo reservoir looks like a vast steppe and is surrounded by rubber plantations.
Nguyen Thanh Tuan, a local trekker, said between May and October is the most ideal time to camp here as green lawns appear during the low water season.
"There are not only vast grasslands for camping, but also fruit gardens. In addition, there is a wharf where you can get on a boat to visit the other side of the lake in Phuoc Long District," Tuan said.
Photo by Thanh Tuan
Tri An, around 75 km from Saigon, is one of the largest artificial lakes in Southeast Asia.
Located on the Dong Nai River, the lake stores water for the Tri An hydropower plant and is blessed with around 40 small islets, of which Dong Truong and O are the most popular with their pristine beauty.
Both islets are situated in Vinh Cuu District, Dong Nai Province. From a wharf at Dong Truong, visitors can hire a boat or canoe for VND110,000-130,000 to glide over the crystal blue waters of the lake on a 40-minute trip to O Islet, right next to Dong Truong.
For those who want to stay overnight, a boat is available for hire.
Since the islets remain unknown and undeveloped, visitors have to bring their own supplies like food, water and other necessities for camping.
Photo by Phuoc Tuan
As part of the UNESCO-recognized Dak Nong geopark, Ta Dung Lake with an area of 20,000 hectares is dubbed "Ha Long Bay of the Central Highlands" with its 36 small islets rising out of the waters.
Between August and December is the most ideal time to visit Ta Dung.
Due to its seclusion, there are almost no tourism services here, so visitors should bring their own tents, food and other supplies.
While camping here, visitors can enjoy local specialties prepared by ethnic minority groups including the Ma and Mong, rent a boat to explore Ta Dung Lake or check out a weekend flea market that represents the distinctive cultural traits of the Central Highlands.
Photo by Thanh Tuan
Located in Phu Ninh Lake Tourist Area in the central Quang Nam Province, Phu Ninh Lake, seven kilometers from Tam Ky Town, has 32 islands.
It attracts visitors with its peaceful ambience, majestic forests and turquoise waters, suitable for camping in the middle of nature. Admission to the tourist area ranges from VND70,000 for adults to VND40,000 for children under 1.4 meters.
They can windsurf, kayak, jet-ski, shimmy down a zip line, fish, camp, or bathe in mineral waters.
Phu Ninh Lake Eco Resort has 10 rooms surrounded by greenery, making it an ideal choice for vacationing.
Photo by Khanh Tran
Ke Go Lake in Ha Tinh was built in 1976 and is the largest irrigation project in the central province.
Covered by natural forests with abundant flora and fauna, Ke Go Lake is an ideal camping site for tourists in northern Vietnam.
Tourists who reach Ke Go can rent a fishing boat owned by locals to explore the scenery along both sides of the lake and enjoy grilled fish, a specialty of the region.
Photo by Nguyen Thanh Hai
Located in Vinh Linh District of the central Quang Tri Province, Mui Treo is well known for its green-covered cliffs on one side and blue waters on the other.
Surrounded by primeval forests, the area remains lesser-known to tourists, leaving its tourism potential undeveloped.
Song Muc Lake with 21 small islets lies at the heart of Ben En National Park in north central Thanh Hoa Province. Here, visitors can access some of the islets by boat, with distances varying from less than 1.6 kilometers to over eight kilometers.
A boat tour costs from VND60,000-120,000 per person.
While camping here, visitors can drop by Ben En Museum that is home to ancient treasures or go on a trek into Ben En National Park that houses rare inhabitants including the red wolf, Tibetan bear, Asian elephants, and black gibbons.
Photo by Viet Linh
Located at an altitude of more than 1,000 meters above sea level, the Cao Ly-Binh Lieu mountain peak in the northern province of Quang Ninh boasts a year-round cool climate and foggy landscape.
The campsite is surrounded by green nature and rice fields planted by ethnic minority groups like the Dao and San Chi. There are no tourism and accommodation services here.
Due to its proximity to the China border area, visitors need to bring their personal papers to enter.
You can wake up at 5-6 a.m. to hunt for clouds or visit traditional ethnic homes with yin-yang tiled roofs.
Photo by Thanh Tuan
Located at a height of 1,000 meters above sea level, Dong Cao Plateau, about 150 kilometers from Hanoi, boasts a year-round cool climate with vast grasslands, green forests and multi-shaped stones.
There are approximately 20 households scattered around the plateau and hiding in the forest, most of them inhabited by ethnic Dao or Tay who mainly depend on agriculture.
Photo by Thanh Tuan
