Craving a taste of paradise? Experience bliss at these eco-resorts in Vietnam

Imagine finding peace in the gentle whispers of the breeze or the chirping of birds amidst lush rice terraces, or in the soothing rhythm of ocean waves crashing on the shore. These aren’t just daydreams but realities at Topas Ecolodge and Six Senses Con Dao eco-resorts in Vietnam.

Embracing the essence of mindful travel, these resorts cherish every moment by connecting with nature and promoting sustainability.

Topas Ecolodge: A shining gem of sustainability in Sapa, Vietnam

Known for its verdant landscapes and vibrant local culture, Sapa is one of the most popular destinations in Vietnam. Located in the northern part of the country, this charming mountain town is home to several ethnic minority groups, including the Hmong, Dao, and Giay people, who have preserved their traditional way of life for generations.

Tucked away amidst Sapa’s beautiful rolling hills and scenic rice paddies, Topas Ecolodge offers a unique eco-experience for those looking to immerse themselves in nature.

With stunning mountain views and cozy bungalows, this is a place where you can wake up to the symphony of nature, relax in private balconies overlooking rice terraces, enjoy mountaintop infinity pools, wander around the wildflower roads, and immerse yourself in authentic village visits, bustling local markets, and intimate textile workshops.

Impacting local communities

Topas Ecolodge has been supporting the local community since 1993, providing employment opportunities to the locals and offering training programs that help them build a future in hospitality.

“We employ around 100 people, almost exclusively from local villages. Our staff live on-site in two houses to avoid traveling late at night to their remote villages. Here, they are provided with the space and facilities to grow vegetables and cook their own food. We also provide full insurance so our staff are covered both on and off-site,” shares Christian Milling Nielsen, General Manager of Topas Ecolodge.

The eco-lodge also collaborates with various organizations and schools, including the United Nations International School of Hanoi and the Hanoi Women’s Club. These partnerships aim to educate both local residents and expatriates living in major cities about the importance of environmental conservation and the rich cultural heritage of the ethnic minority groups in northern Vietnam.

Topas Ecolodge actively supports a local school as a mindful sponsor. They consistently provide books and writing materials to ensure that students have the essential resources for their education.

“As a result of our work in these areas, Topas Ecolodge has strengthened its cooperation with various local governments and is now recognized by the head of authorities as an important employer of ethnic minority peoples in the Thanh Kim community. When we hold major events here, such as the Vietnam Mountain Marathon, we work closely with the local community and ensure they benefit, by donating warm clothing each winter as well as providing educational materials, recyclables, water, and other resources,” adds Christian.

Immersing in Vietnamese culture

“To bring Vietnamese culture closer to visitors, we offer daily activities such as Meo Flute, Tay Dance, and Sundown drink. These activities allow guests to experience traditional culture and interact with local people. The lodge’s Stilt House restaurant serves a wide range of local foods grown at the lodge or collected from local markets, providing guests with an authentic taste of Sapa,” says Christian.

Enjoy traditional dances, music, and crafts brought to life at the lodge by local residents, and participate in activities like trekking, hiking, biking, and visiting traditional craft workshops. These activities offer local villagers added income sources.

Each stay at the Topas Ecolodge contributes to the local economy and enhances the standard of living for community members.

Protecting the beauty of Sapa

Topas Ecolodge implements a range of innovative practices and technologies to minimize its environmental impact. One of these practices is collecting rainwater, which is used for toilets and irrigation. This not only conserves water but also reduces the resort’s reliance on external water sources.

To manage waste effectively, the lodge has implemented a comprehensive waste management system. This includes a constructed wetland that recycles materials and prevents damage to the local ecosystem. Wastewater generated at the resort is purified through sand and plant filters, ensuring that it does not have a detrimental impact on the environment. An organic filtration system is also employed in the septic tanks to treat and purify all bungalow waste.

To reduce waste, Topas Ecolodge recycles glass bottles by crushing them into fine sand for construction.

The lodge provides guests with reusable water bottles and encourages them to use the refill stations, minimizing the consumption of single-use plastic bottles.

Understanding the importance of its resources for the local community, Topas Ecolodge shares its recyclable materials with residents. They distribute food waste, metal cans, and other recyclables locally, where they are repurposed by local women. This practice promotes a sense of community and contributes to sustainability efforts.

“It’s very important to reuse as much of our waste as possible—a task that can be challenging in remote locations. One way we deal with this issue is by cooperating with local farmers to feed their livestock by using our restaurant leftovers and giving all cans and boxes to the local people to reuse in their households,” explains Christian.

The lodge also offers eco-friendly transportation options, including bicycles and electric cars, providing guests with sustainable ways to explore the area while reducing carbon emissions.

“Few ecolodges, from the most luxurious to the most basic, can claim to be 100% ‘green’. We face our own challenges from the local conditions but continuously strive to operate in a sustainable way, providing a positive impact on local communities through funding and education. 

“When we first opened, we attempted to operate entirely on solar electricity, but the inconsistent supply means we now rely on the hydropower station in the valley. Now, we keep electricity use at the lodge to a bare minimum and ask all our guests to help us with this, without impairing the quality of your stay. Additionally, the bungalows contain a minimal number of electronic devices and are outfitted with energy-efficient bulbs,” Christian shares.

Gourmet dining with a conscience

At Topas Ecolodge, every meal is an opportunity to celebrate the bounty of the region.

The lodge makes it a priority to use locally sourced, organic ingredients in its restaurant. They get nearly all their food from nearby farmers and markets, ensuring fresh, seasonal veggies, fruit, and fish. Plus, Topas Ecolodge has its own chicken coop and grows herbs and veggies on-site, stepping up the quality and sustainability of its dining options.

This approach promotes a memorable dining experience that is both ethical and delicious.

Six Senses Con Dao: Experience Vietnam’s eco-paradise through authenticity and adventure

A gem destination nestled along the pristine beaches of Con Do in Ba Ria, Vung Tao province, Six Senses Con Dao is a sanctuary for the mindful traveler. It is a place where tradition meets sustainability, where your stay experience is a celebration of nature and local life, and where the sweet scent of native flora mingles with the salty sea breeze.

From its architecturally stunning bamboo villas echoing the aesthetics of traditional fishing villages, to its innovative waste management system and hands-on sustainability workshops, your stay is woven with eco-conscious practices every step of the way.

The turtle whisperers of Six Senses Con Dao

Six Senses Con Dao is not just an eco-resort—it’s a turtle’s paradise. Here, in partnership with Con Dao National Park, the resort has released over 23,000 endangered baby green sea turtles since 2018, helping to make Con Dao the leading Green Sea Turtle hatching location in Southeast Asia.

As Johannes Steyn, General Manager of Six Senses Con Dao, reveals, “All lightings are fixed, and the entire areas of the resort’s beaches are maintained in a way that the mother turtles are familiar with to lay eggs.”

By implementing evidence-based strategies to enhance hatching success, Six Senses Con Dao has consistently achieved success rates of over 90% in recent years, surpassing the natural occurrence by nearly twofold. In extraordinary cases, the turtle clutches have even achieved a remarkable 100% hatching success rate.

From April to October, the mother turtles lay eggs on the resort’s beach and across the island. Guests visiting between May and December might even witness hatchlings take their maiden voyage into the ocean on the resort’s private beach—truly a magical moment that beckons the heart of the ethical traveler.

Furthermore, the resort demonstrates its commitment to raising awareness about sea turtles and marine conservation through a range of educational initiatives, including engaging programs like “Turtle Talk” and “Coral Talk.” These efforts aim to make a meaningful impact and contribute to the resort’s reputation as a turtle island, attracting sustainable tourism to the destination.

Immerse in local culture and nature

Six Senses Con Dao thoughtfully crafts the guest experience from arrival to departure.

Focusing on immersing guests in the local culture, the resort offers a sensory journey through the captivating sights, enchanting sounds, and tantalizing flavors of the region. Organic culinary offerings take center stage, inviting guests to indulge in a gastronomic adventure that perfectly complements the resort’s commitment to authenticity and excellence.

Drawing inspiration from traditional Vietnamese fishing villages, the architectural design and construction of the villas at Six Senses Con Dao beautifully embody this cultural influence.

“They are crafted using a combination of timber frames, bamboo materials, and natural wooden furnishings, honoring the traditional building techniques of fishing villages. This design not only allows for ample natural ventilation within the villas but also provides guests with expansive views of the breathtaking sapphire ocean, fostering a deep connection with the surrounding pristine nature,” explains Johannes.

The resort also offers a range of activities for guests to fully immerse themselves in the local culture. From guided local life and historical tours to local fishing trips, visitors can truly experience the vibrant community that surrounds them.

For those seeking adventure, outdoor activities abound, including hiking through the breathtaking National Park or embarking on a snorkeling expedition to uncover the wonders of Con Dao’s marine life, boasting an impressive array of 340 distinct coral species and 1,400 species of aquatic fauna.

Every activity at Six Senses Con Dao is a unique experience designed to deepen guests’ understanding of eco-conscious practices while cultivating a sense of adventure.

Farm-to-table, the Six Senses way

Picture this: you’re in a 1,500-square-meter sustainable garden where more than 50 plant varieties flourish, including a Mushroom Hut that supplies fresh mushrooms daily.

This is the heart of Six Senses Con Dao’s organic operation.

Food waste from the kitchen becomes natural fertilizer for the soil, and the Chicken Villa ensures that not only are food scraps utilized but also that guests have fresh, nutritious eggs daily.

As Johannes puts it, “The resort has an efficient waste management system that includes composting agricultural ingredients when they cannot be utilized in our operations.”

The resort also partners with local farmers to ensure a steady supply of rice, fruits, vegetables, and fresh seafood. This sustainable approach ensures that every meal at Six Senses Con Dao is not only ethically sourced but also boasts unparalleled flavor and freshness.

The resort’s dedicated Sustainability team offers informative sessions on various programs and conducts sustainability tours for guests to experience firsthand the journey from garden to table in the on-site garden.

Learning about these practices is not simply an intellectual exercise; it’s immersive and hands-on with the resort’s Plant-to-Plate dining experience.

“Guests can also enhance their experience by booking a cooking class, offering a hands-on plant-to-plate dining experience. During this class, they will have the opportunity to pick all the fresh vegetables needed for the cooking session, feed the chickens, and collect eggs at the Chicken Villa, immersing themselves in the role of a real farmer,” says Johannes.

Sustainable adventures at Six Senses Con Dao

Who says sustainability can’t be fun?

At Six Senses Con Dao, sustainability is not a chore, but an adventure.

“The Earth Lab lies at the core of our daily recycled and sustainable workshops, providing guests with hands-on experiences such as soap and candle making. These workshops encourage guests to utilize recycled materials, deepening their understanding of eco-conscious practices while actively contributing to a more sustainable future,” Johannes shares.

The resort also offers Alchemy Bar sessions, where guests can craft their own massage oils or body scrubs using all-natural ingredients.

Reconnect with yourself at Six Senses Con Dao

At the end of the day, what makes Six Senses Con Dao truly special is its commitment to mindful and responsible travel. They believe in disconnecting from our screens and reconnecting with ourselves, reminding us that “This serene retreat allows guests to disconnect from technology and reconnect with their inner selves, the unspoiled nature, and the world around them.”

Here, your vacation is not just a break from routine, but a journey towards self-discovery and a deeper appreciation for the environment.

So go ahead, lose yourself amidst the bamboo villas, find tranquility at the rejuvenating spa, and embrace sustainable living.

After all, isn’t that what true travel is all about?