Highlights:
- Enjoy the charming beauty of Mai Chau Valley, surrounded by lush rice fields and special culture created mostly by Thai ethnic group.
- Immerse yourself to the poetic nature in Moc Chau Plateau while viewing tea plantation, rice fields and endless grass steppes.
- Visit an old battlefield between French Army with Viet Minh Army is the major attraction in Dien Bien Phu.
- Visit Multi-Ethnic Market and some ethnic minority villages in Tam Duong.
- Trek through Muong Hoa Valley to see the terrace rice fields and visit some ethnic village in Sapa.
- Explore Bac Ha Market is one of the biggest and most well know in all of North Vietnam
- Take a boat trip around Thac Ba lake to see local fishermen working and trek to nearby to discover their daily life activities of Dao white pants villages.
ITINERARY:
DAY 1: HANOI – MAI CHAU (-/LUNCH/DINNER)
Our tour guide and car will pick you up at your hotel in Hanoi and drive you to Mai Chau.
During the trip we enter the dramatic northern mountainous area where you will be overwhelmed by sublime beauty and serenity.
In Hoa Binh we will make a stop visit the Muong and the Dzao minorities.
We will continue our way up to Mai Chau, passing some magnificent viewpoints, which offer you a panoramic view of the valley. Lunch at local restaurant.
In the afternoon we arrive in Buoc Village, a village of the Thai people who inhabited the major part of the area. Biking or walking around to visit the village or relax at swimming pool. Dinner and stay overnight at Buoc village, Mai Chau.
Inclusion: transportation, meals: lunch and dinner, English speaking guide, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 2: MAI CHAU – SON LA (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER)
Waken up by the chickens and roasters of the village in the early morning.
After a by our host prepared breakfast we are going to walk around town to experience the true essence of daily life of the local people.
Later this morning we will continue our trip by car and drive towards Son La. We plan to make a stop at the tea plantation of Moc Chau and have a tea break with the H'mong tribe. During our way we also visit some Black Thai villages and make a little promenade over the amazing by hand-made bridges.
After arrival in Son La Town we visit the impressive Colonial Prison.
We spend the night in a hotel in Son La.
Inclusion: transportation, meals: breakfast and lunch and dinner, English speaking guide, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 3: SON LA – DIEN BIEN PHU (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER)
The road we follow today is spectacular as we climb the Pha Din Pass , known as the second highest and longest pass of Vietnam with an altitude of 1,500 m.
The view is breathtaking and magnificent. At the middle pass, we visit a multi-ethnic primary school and a village of the White H'mong hill tribe where children in colorful traditional clothing welcome us with warm smiles.
Lunch at local restaurant.
In Dien Bien Phu , we visit famous sites of the Indochina War led by the French in 1954, such as De Castrie PC, the War museum and Elliane Hill.
Overnight in Dien Bien Phu
Inclusion: transportation, meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, English speaking guide, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 4: DIEN BIEN PHU – LAI CHAU – SIN HO (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER)
The picturesque road from Dien Bien Phu to Tam Duong goes along the Chinese Border and the Nam Na River.
We visit some Black Thai villages, which are famous because of their wooden houses on piles. Lunch on the way. Dinner and overnight at guesthouse in Sin Ho.
Inclusion: transportation, meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, English speaking guide, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 5: SIN HO - TAM DUONG TREKKING (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/-)
Tam Duong is a frontier town situated in a beautiful valley between limestone rocks.
This place is the home of many hill tribes such as the H'Mong, Man Tien, Lu and Cu Chu people.
Authentic in lifestyle and colorful in costumes, most of the tribes were emigrated from South China during the 17th - 18th century. A full day of trekking through their villages, hidden behind mountains and hills, enables us to learn how self-sufficient life is.
A picnic is prepared for lunch. We will continue our trip with visiting a home-run tea factory as the area is famous for its tea plantation.
Also this night is spent in the Tam Duong guest-house.
Inclusion: transportation, meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, English speaking guide, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 6: TAM DUONG – SAPA (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/-)
This morning we are going to visit the Tam Duong Multi-Ethnic Market, an ideal place to meet local people.
Ethnic groups from every part of the region come here to exchange their agricultural and handicraft products.
After this interesting experience of interacting with the local people, we make a promenade to Pa Pe, a village of the Lu minority. The people here are famous because of their black teeth. When girls have the age of 10 they have to chew a certain type of plant (growing in the woods) which causes black moisture upon the teeth.
Having black teeth is considered as a symbol of beauty in this tribe. After this amazing visit we continue our way to Sapa.
Stop at Tram Ton Pass -the highest pass in Vietnam , 1900m, view the heaven gate and large valley and nice Silver Waterfall.
We come higher and higher in altitude as we reach Sapa where we spend the night in a hotel.
Inclusion: transportation, meals: breakfast, lunch, English speaking guide, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 7: TREK TO VILLAGES: Y LINH HO – LAO CHAI – TA VAN VILLAGE (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER)
Sapa is not only an ideal place for retreat with its moderate climate, it is also a place of cultural value and breathtaking mountainous scenery.
The town of Sapa is inhabited by colorful hill tribes, which are based on the foot of Fan Xi Pan Mount and other surrounding valleys.
Here we spend our whole day trekking around the river of Sapa Valley, to the first village of the black H'mong (Catcat), walk around to visit villagers and the hydroelectric power station built by the French in the old days.
Have lunch in a restaurant.
In the afternoon, take the path along the valley between mountains to get to Laochai village.
Enjoy the panorama of villages among terraces.
Visit H'mong people living in wooden and bamboo houses.
Continue going to Tavan village to visit the Dzay minority.
Dinner at the home-stay. Overnight in Tavan village at a Dzay family.
Inclusion: transportation, meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, English speaking guide, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 8: TREK ROUTE: GIANG TA CHAI – SU PAN – SAPA – BAC HA (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER)
We continue our walk to the village of Giang Ta Chai. During our trek we will again be exposed to local life and the daily activities.
We trek up and down and through bamboo forest, see three different ethnic minorities until we stop at a nice waterfall in GiangTaChai Village of the Red-Dzao.
Come back to Sapa by car.
Have lunch at local restaurant.
We will be picked up by our driver who brings us to Bac Ha. During this ride we pass the Chinese border (Lao Cai) where you can get a glimpse of the Chinese town of Hekou , and visit a nice temple there, located just at the other side of the Red River . Bac Ha is situated in the highlands and is mostly populated by the beautifully dressed Flower H'mong minority (famous for its multi-ethnic market).
The environment is paved with plum trees. If you visit the town in spring you will be overwhelmed by the beauty of the white plum blossom.
We spend the night at homestay .
Inclusion: transportation, meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, English speaking guide, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 9: BAC HA – THAC BA LAKE (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER)
From the early morning, thousands of people of different minorities from every corner of the area flock out to Bac Ha for their weekly most important activity, Bac Ha Sunday Market.
Living in the high and remote mountains, these people consider the Sunday Market as a good chance to go out, meet people, drink alcohol and exchange their handy-made products. We will see a lot of hill tribes in colorful dressing participating in this colorful melting point.
We continue our drive to Thac Ba Lake .
This night we stay with our friendly host in his beautifully constructed stilts house at the lake side.
Inclusion: transportation, meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, English speaking guide, all entrance fees, accommodation.
DAY 10: THAC BA – HANOI (BREAKFAST/LUNCH/-)
Thac Ba is the biggest man-made lake in Vietnam and captivates travelers with its incredible authentic beauty and more than 300 islets under lush vegetation. We participate on a boat trip and visit some Dzao and Tay villages.
After lunch in a local restaurant, we will return to Hanoi. Drop you off at hotel in Hanoi. Tour ends.
Inclusion: transportation, meals: breakfast and lunch, English speaking guide, all entrance fees.
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