What Makes These Two Businesses Vietnam’s Best-Kept Travel Secrets?
Sơn Đoòng cave. Photo by Oxalis.
Half a century after the end of the American War and the country’s unification, Vietnam has emerged not just from the shadows of its past, but as one of Asia’s most vibrant and fast-growing economies. Tourism, with its soft power and storytelling potential, has played a pivotal role in reshaping global perceptions, transforming Vietnam’s image from war-torn to a richly layered destination known for its natural beauty, cultural depth, delectable cuisines, and unforgettable adventures.
The numbers speak volumes. In 2024 alone, Vietnam welcomed more than 17.5 million international visitors, marking a staggering 39.5% increase from the previous year.
From the misty mountains of the north to the sun-drenched coastlines of central Vietnam and the fertile deltas of the south, the country’s tourism scene is as diverse as its geography. It’s a mosaic of global hotel brands, homegrown innovators, and family-run operations serving both mainstream and niche travel markets.
And yet, amid this momentum, only a handful of operators stand out for placing sustainability at the heart of their business. Even fewer succeed in doing so while achieving commercial viability, proving that travel businesses can thrive while centering the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.
To uncover what sets these trailblazers apart, AST hit the road with Chôm Chôm Travel and Oxalis, two of Vietnam’s leading adventure travel companies. What we found were not just tours, but transformative journeys that are rooted in community upliftment, ecological awareness, and a deep respect for place.
This first dispatch in our special editorial series, “Vietnam’s Best-Kept Sustainable Travel Stories,” invites you behind the scenes of the country’s most inspiring travel pioneers. These are the changemakers curating meaningful experiences, empowering communities, protecting the landscapes, and showcasing the cultural heritage that make Vietnam an extraordinary country.
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Oxalis: Leading Vietnam’s Rise as Asia’s Next Adventure Travel Powerhouse
Once one of Vietnam’s poorest provinces, Quảng Bình is now drawing adventure seekers from across the globe, thanks to the breathtaking beauty of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, home to some of the largest and most spectacular caves on Earth. The cave system is featured in BBC’s Planet Earth III and Kong: Skull Island Movie.
But this transformation didn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of forward vision, unwavering commitment, and a belief that tourism, when done right, can be a force for good.
At the heart of this transformation is Oxalis, the company that has turned Phong Nha into the crown jewel of Vietnam’s adventure travel map.
Sơn Đoòng cave. Photos by Oxalis.
From Tour Guide to Sustainable Tourism Trailblazer
In 2011, after years working in various roles in Ho Chi Minh City from tour guide to CSR specialist at Nike, Nguyễn Châu Á returned to his hometown of Phong Nha as he saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of harnessing the international spotlight on the recently explored Sơn Đoòng Cave, the world’s largest, into an adventure tourism destination.
Châu Á founded Oxalis with a vision to do more than just guide tourists. He set out to create new, world-class adventure experiences while building a tourism model that would generate jobs, protect nature, and empower local communities to become stewards of the land — rather than exploiters of it.
A New Economy Below Ground
Today, Oxalis is the exclusive operator of the Sơn Đoòng Expedition, a bucket-list journey that only allows 1,000 travelers per year to ensure minimal environmental impact. While many see it as luxury or exclusivity, it’s in fact a masterclass in conservation-led tourism. The 6-day expedition, priced at USD 3,000 per person since 2011, is fully booked until January 2027 as of July 2025.
The expedition alone has created stable employment for 125 local residents including formerly illegal loggers, providing them with monthly incomes far above the regional average. In an area once impacted by illegal logging and wildlife hunting, this conservation-led tourism model offers a better alternative: protecting the forest is more profitable than cutting it down.
“When people have a stable income, they don’t need to harm the forest to survive,” says Châu Á. “They protect it — because they see that its future is tied to their own.”
The success of Sơn Đoòng has paved the way for a growing portfolio of Oxalis expeditions, from multi-day treks to single-day cave experiences — each designed with the same core principles: safety, conservation, and community involvement.
We saw this firsthand on the overnight Hang Va expedition, where these three principles came to life in both logistics and leadership. Tours are kept intentionally small to minimize environmental impact. Guests are provided with reusable water bottles, portable water filters, and composting toilets at campsites. Cooking is done using gas and plant-based coal, eliminating the need for wood fires and preserving forest resources.
When an unexpected off-season monsoon hit overnight, causing water levels in the caves to rise rapidly and interrupting our expedition, Oxalis’s team mobilized with impressive speed and precision. Safety protocols were activated, and all guests were led safely back to higher ground.
From left: Entrance to Hang Va, AST Co-Founder Jeremy Tran and Tour Guide Lộc, and cooking station at campsite Photos by AST and Oxalis.
A Network of Lodges That Powers Community Transformation
Oxalis’s vision extends beyond the caves. The company has developed a growing network of eco-friendly lodges and farmstays that breathe new life into local economies while honoring the natural and cultural heritage of the region.
Take Chày Lập Farmstay, for example. Located in the peaceful village of Chày, it was the first community-based tourism project in Quảng Bình. In 2016, Oxalis took it over with a commitment to preserve the area’s rustic beauty while creating meaningful livelihoods for local residents.
More recently, in 2022, Oxalis launched Tú Làn Lodge, a beautiful property that blends elegant design with wild natural surroundings of grassy fields, karst mountains, and the serenity of rural life. Each stay offers not only comfort but also connection with place, people, and purpose.
From left: Chày Lập Farmstay, Tú Làn Lodge. Photos by Oxalis.
Tân Hóa: From Floodplain to Global Recognition
One of Oxalis’s most inspiring success stories is in Tân Hóa, a remote commune often devastated by seasonal flooding. According to our tour guide Lộc, who is from this area, skepticism was high in the early days as very few villagers believed tourists would travel that far to hike or explore caves in their background.
But Oxalis proved them wrong.
Through patient engagement, the company worked with the villagers, helping the community realize the value of their natural surroundings, particularly Tú Làn cave. Tourism flourished, bringing economic opportunities that were previously unimaginable. By 2023, the UN World Tourism Organization recognized Tân Hóa as one of the “Best Tourism Villages in the World.”
Adventure events like the Tú Làn Adventure Race — returned in 2025 — not only attracted visitors but also raised funds for critical infrastructure such as flood-resilient floating houses and composting toilets. These facilities improve sanitation in underserved households. This is sustainable development in action.
From left: Tú Làn cave, Tú Lan Adventure Race. Photos by Oxalis.
More Than a Tour Company
Oxalis stands apart for building access to the world’s most extensive caves. At the same time, its steadfast belief that adventure travel can be a catalyst for long-term social and environmental change. Every trek, every lodge, every partnership is rooted in a deeper mission: to build an economy that values preservation over exploitation and partnership over profit.
As adventure travel gains momentum across Asia, Oxalis stands as a model for what responsible tourism can look like: people-driven, conservation-led, and future-focused.
From left: Nguyen Chau A’s ancestral home in Phong Nha has been transformed into the Oxalis head office, floating house in Tân Hoá Commune.
Chôm Chôm Travel: Making Adventure in Vietnam More Accessible and Personal
In a market saturated with cookie-cutter itineraries and checklist tourism, Chôm Chôm Travel is redefining what it means to experience Vietnam. Founded in 2020 by Dorothée Perrault Le Hunsec, a mother of three from France, Chôm Chôm Travel is a heart-led business grounded in family values, slow travel, and a deep commitment to showcasing cultural authenticity.
For Dorothée, the family-first ethos isn’t a marketing hook. It’s the foundation of everything. She travels with her children to quality-check each experience and meet every local guide, ensuring each journey offered under the Chôm Chôm Travel banner is meaningful and safe. “I’m not selling anything I wouldn’t want for my own family,” Dorothée said during our trip to Mai Chau, one of the most exciting up-and-coming community-led agri-tourism destinations in northern Vietnam.
Mai Châu. Photos by AST and Chôm Chôm Travel.
A Business Built on Trust and Integrity
In just five years, Chôm Chôm has served approximately 6,000 trips through an expansive portfolio of over 200 bespoke experiences and with nearly 100 local guides across Vietnam. But the company’s growth has never come at the expense of its values.
Speaking at the AST Forum Ha Noi, Dorothée candidly shared how difficult it was in the early days to say no – to partnerships that didn’t align, to scaling too quickly, and to compromising for the sake of profit. But her refusal to cut corners paid off. “Trust gives your company value,” she said, adding that prioritizing authenticity over profit helped her establish a strong reputation in the competitive market.
Dorothée Perrault Le Hunsec, Founder of Chôm Chôm Travel.
That trust and credibility were on full display when AST joined Dorothée on a trip to Mai Châu. The warmth with which local communities welcomed Chôm Chôm Travel’s guests spoke to deep, long-standing relationships built on mutual respect. Chôm Chôm Travel doesn’t just guide visitors, it creates the environment in which the communities and the landscapes themselves shape and share the stories travelers come to experience.
During our trip to Mai Châu, the AST team stayed at two different H’Mông homestays. Both host families shared that the income from guests was essential, especially during low-yield harvest seasons. It’s a testament that when thoughtfully managed, tourism has the power to transform lives.
From left: Jay our host, Dorothée Perrault Le Hunsec, and Jeremy Tran. Photo by AST and Chôm Chôm Travel.
The Team Behind the Mission
Part of what makes Chôm Chôm unique is its team — most of whom, including Dorothée herself, have no formal training in hospitality. Instead, their strength lies in their lived experiences and diverse backgrounds. Marketing Digital Supervisor Loc Tran, for example, joined the team from the EdTech world. Her approach to storytelling is fresh, digital-native, and unafraid to challenge outdated industry norms.
It’s this kind of unconventional thinking that enables Chôm Chôm Travel to develop experiences that appeal across generations, all drawn by a shared desire for depth over breadth, and connection over convenience.
Middle: Loc Tran, Marketing Digital Supervisor (in white) and a Red Dao lady. Photos by Chôm Chôm Travel.
“Vietnam Isn’t a Checklist” – It’s a Living, Breathing Tapestry
While many travel companies eye expansion into neighboring countries or outbound travel, Dorothée’s focus remains rooted in Vietnam. “Our next chapter is not about going broader. It’s about going deeper,” she said.
Her goal is to develop off-the-beaten-track experiences in as many provinces as possible, often taking up to 3 inspection trips per month. The result is that Chôm Chôm Travel gives travelers access to the diversity of Vietnam not through a screen, but through human connection. For example, Chôm Chôm Travel’s 20-day culinary journey is a transformative experience that goes beyond the usual cooking classes. Guests cook with multi-generational families and explore recipes that are typically found in books or restaurants. In Vietnam’s Central Highlands, travelers join Bahnar families to prepare ancestral dishes, unlocking centuries of tradition and culture over a shared meal.
Some see it as just a gastronomic journey, but it’s also cultural preservation, practiced and shared with humility and respect.
Photos by Chôm Chôm Travel
TL; TR: Two Paths, One Purpose
What makes Chôm Chôm Travel and Oxalis more than just tour operators is not their ability to design unforgettable journeys, it’s their deep commitment to shaping a more thoughtful, inclusive, and resilient tourism economy in Vietnam.
One is a family-first company redefining bespoke, slow travel with warmth and originality. The other, a pioneer in conservation-led adventure tourism in Vietnam, harnessing the gift of nature to uplift communities. And yet, their paths converge on the same core belief: that travel should leave a positive imprint, not just on the traveler, but on the people and places they encounter.
Both companies prove that sustainability is not a trade-off, but a business advantage — a way to build trust, preserve culture, and generate impact far beyond the itinerary.
At a time when global travelers are seeking depth over distance, and meaning over marketing, Chôm Chôm Travel and Oxalis are showing what the future of tourism can and should look like in Vietnam: community-rooted, ecologically aware, and proudly independent.
As Vietnam continues to rise as one of Asia’s leading travel destinations, it’s these lesser-known champions, not the biggest players, that are writing the country’s most meaningful travel stories.
