If you don’t have a lot of time for travel but still want to squeeze in a day hike, this post will list a few close by destinations for your consideration (those places will still take at least an hour or two to get to though). They will be listed in ascending order of difficulty (judged by how many % of the hike will be climbing up and down the slopes). As is the norms in Vietnam, you’ll come across people everywhere, so no worries about getting lost in the woods (unless your path deviates an absurd amount from the trail). Some trails have clear, visible markers, while others don’t. Most if not all of the trails below have food & beverage stalls along the trail path (tourist price applies).

Mostly flat terrain (cycling also available):

1. Mã Đà forest (Đồng Nai province)
2. Nam Cát Tiên national park (Đồng Nai province)
3. Tà Lài (Đồng Nai province)
4. Phước Bửu forest (Vũng Tàu province)
5. Cần Giờ mangrove forest (HCM)

400-meter elevation gain (these mountains are all in Vũng Tàu and have Buddhist temples you can visit).

1. Dinh
2. Thị Vải
3. Tóc Tiên
4. Minh Đạm

800-meter elevation gain (cable car available)

1. Chứa Chan Mountain, Đồng Nai province
2. Bà Đen Mountain (Black Widow), Tây Ninh province

Some tips for safety:

• As HCM is in a tropical zone, outdoor daytime temperature isn’t going to be very supportive of your and your dog’s activity. The same elevation gain or hiking distance in a colder climate may take double or triple effort to cover in a much hotter weather. Heat is the main reason I don’t hike anymore since moving to HCM. (But then this year, hiking and trail running have become so popular that there are groups of weekly hikers and runners who carpool every Sat and Sun from D2 and D7, making the trails much more accessible. I personally don’t want to drive 2 hours, hike in the heat, then drive 2 hours back).
• Watch out for signs of heat stroke, sun burns and dehydration, for your self, your human companions and your furry friends. Keep in mind that if an emergency arises during the hike, it’s impossible to get competent medical or veterinary care, so better safe than sorry! Any time any members of your hiking group looks like they need a rest or water refill, do so promptly!

• Note that the trails are not as maintained as those you’d find in developed countries such as the US, UK or Europe. For my shorty furry pal, part of the hike was like a little agility course.
• First, over:

Then, under:

Then, rock obstacle zig zag:

For him, it’s all good game. He’d run up ahead and then go back to find me trailing behind 🤣.

We took lots of water breaks. I carry about 1.5 liter of water for myself and another 1.5 liter for my dog per 3-4 hour hike (my dog is 12kg). I bought a water bottle with a bowl attached below, so if my dog doesn’t drink all the water, it can be dripped from bowl back to the bottle.

I used to solo hike a lot as I’ve always been too slow to keep up with a group. Having my dog as hiking companion has been a wonderful change. The little guy (5.5 year old at this time of writing) was born in Saigon and lives in the city all his life. We walk and run together in the heat a lot (actually I just follow his @ss all the time 🤣) so he’s very well accustomed to the weather. But this year has been extremely dry and hot. Even my dog got dehydrated during the hike despite the water breaks.

Photo of a dried up pond in mid-May – when the rainy season should have started in April. I’ve only taken my dog on flat terrain hikes. They’re easier but the scenery is quite boring (mountains with scenic views are a no-go for my buddy in this brutal weather). Most of the forest hikes just look like this:

On the other end, there are lakes and waterfalls which you can hike (and kayak and SUP) such as in Madagui (Lam Dong), Tri An lake (Dong Nai), Buffalo Head (Dong Nai), etc.

These wet routes are a whole other world – wet rocks are slippery and your dogs may not be able to cross the stream. Mine is a decent swimmer, but we haven’t tried out the wet routes yet, as all the streams and ponds we’ve crossed so far have completely dried up.

As for off leashing my dog on the hike, it was SOOOO much easier, as there is almost NO distraction around. In the city, my dogs would be sniffing every trees with pees (typical male dog behavior!), would potentially snatch trash on the street and eat it, get chased by street and stray dogs if we cross their territory, roll in whatever is dirty, charge at stray cats/rats/birds/geckos/neighbors’ expensive fighting roosters, get run over by bikes, cars, etc.

My dogs’ recall is just partially decent in the city, but on the trail, recall is 100% perfect as there is nothing interesting enough for sniffing, chasing, eating or rolling himself in. In all of the places listed above, since they are all inhabited, you will very rarely come across wild life, and the noises you make when walking will most likely scare the few rare wild animals away.

One more tip, after the hike, stop somewhere for a shower or swim before heading back to the city. Sitting in the car or on a bike with all the sweats for 2 hours is…. just sayin’.

PS: stay tuned for updates on wet routes and overnight hikes