This is an
adventure to the far-east and west of Vietnam, it takes you away from the
worries of life to the northernmost region of Vietnam where the people are still
very poor and especially, it is home to many ethnic minorities whose lives are
not existed in our modern world and are something that we need to learn.
You also have an opportunity to view beautiful landscapes, the landscape here is
so different from anywhere in Vietnam. During the trip you will meet many ethnic
minorities who live in the remote, untouched areas, and still keep their unique
traditions, cultures. Experience such a tour, is an adventure for life!
Day 1 Ha Noi - Mai Chau
Morning drive from Hanoi to Mai Chau, a beautiful valley in Hoa Binh province.
As soon as you get out of Hanoi , the limestone mountain ranges rush up and give
the scenery an imposing view. Arrive in Mai Chau late noon, have lunch in Mai
Chau and hike around the villages full of house-on-stilts and textile products
of local people to learn about the routine life of Thai tribal people. Among the
villages you will pass by during this trip, Mai Chau is the closest place where
you can meet the hill tribal people, though, due to the ease to reach the
nearest town of Hoa Binh , the village is gradually losing its primitive
characters. Still, it is the most convenient 1st stop on the long route of the
Northwest Loop . The village is inhabited by Thai people, who are believed to be
homogenous with the Thai people in Thailand and Southern China . Amongst the 53
ethnic groups of Vietnam, they are considered one of the most civilized for the
delicate dress, for beauty and elegance of women, and for nice, wide, spacious
houses-on-stilts, and above all, for hospitality
Overnight: Thai village homestay
Meals included: None
ETHNIC MINORITIES OF VIETNAM
There is nothing better than walking amongst the rice paddy patchwork that makes
up the mountains of northwest Vietnam . To awake and wander off from the village
among the clouds and watch as the mist rises from the mountaintops is
unforgettable. Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic minorities and a number of these
have made the mountainous region of the north their base. During our time here
we’ll meet many of these fascinating people and have the privilege of staying as
guests in their villages. As we wander through the mountains we're constantly
met by the delighted squeals and smiles of children and we'll see many members
of the ethnic groups who still wear their traditional dress. We'll meet people
dressed in exquisite hand-embroidered clothes,and others weaving fabrics,
embroidering ancient patterns, dying cloth with indigo and using beeswax to
create a batik design. The ethnic groups are well adapted to the harsh life on
hillsides, and you will see many terraces built into the slopes where rice and
vegetables are grown.
Day 2 Mai Chau - Son La
Upon leaving Mai Chau the roads begins to deteriorate; however many villages dot
the hillsides and undulating terrain make for an interesting journey, you are
crossing the most magnificent part of the Hoang Lien Son range, the Tonkinese
Alps, the home of most colourful-dressed Montagnards who still maintain lots of
their long-term culture and traditions Along the way we stop in Xa Linh for a
two hour trek past many timeless hill villages which are home of the Hmong hill
tribe people. Travelling to Son La across the Moc Chau Plateau where located
hundreds of immense farms of dairy cattle and where produce the best tea of
Vietnam we catch a glimpse of the many tea plantations and see the Black Thai
hill tribe people. They belong to the same Thai ethnic group, but are different
from the White Thai in Mai Chau by their tradition and habits. To see them
leaving the very early morning market, you should wake up an depart early too.
We arrive in Son La in the afternoon, check-in and relax before dinner and
overnight in the hotel.
Overnight: Cong Doan hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 3 Son La - Dien Bien Phu
The provincial museum and the nearby old prison are some of this hill town's
major sights. We can pay a visit to an old French prison used during the 1st
Indochinese War before we leave for our next destination. The winding roads
cross over the Pha Din Pass before heading to Dien Bien. The most picturesque
scenery is that of Pha Din Pass , which is well-known as a historical site
during the French War in 1954, a high and dangerous pass at an elevation of
1,300m, and a breathtaking view.
After checking into our centrally located hotel we enjoy a walk around to see
this fast growing town. Dien Bien is only 35km from the border with Laos . Being
the last battlefield of the French during their war with the Vietnamese, which
ended with the fall of the French colonial control in Indochina and the
replacement of the US Army not so long, Dien Bien Phu now returned to be a green
valley inhabited by dozens of the ethnic groups. Visiting the historical sites
in Dien Bien will also make your trip more memorable. To name a few, they are
Dien Bien Museum, A1 Hill, the shelter of the French general De Castries and the
cemetery and memorial of the Vietnamese and French soldiers died during the
fierce fight in 1954
Overnight: Muong Thanh hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 4 Dien Bien- Lai Chau
The journey north continues on to Lai Chau Town . You should know that soon
before 2010, the nice valley of Lai Chau will be underwater in a construction
plan of the biggest hydropower station in Southeast Asia . Along the way we see
very few other travellers, mostly rural dwellers who are just as interested in
finding out about our lives as we are of theirs. The communication with the
people from tribal groups living surrounding Lai Chau like Black Thai, White
Thai, Muong and Dzao people will sweep away your tiredness of the long trip.
After checking into hotel, you have the option of embarking on a boat trip along
the Da River, passing through the stunning mountain landscapes, the pace is very
relaxed, a perfect way to observe the local lifestyle in close up.
Overnight: Lan Anh hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 5 Lai Chau – Sin Ho - Phong Tho - SaPa
Today we head South to Sapa via Phong Tho, the old chief town of Lai Chau
province before Dien Bien took over this role in 1993. First stop on the way is
Sin Ho which is home land of the Red Hmong, Kho Mu, Mang and Dao ethnic
minorities. They are settled there longtime ago and still retain their
traditional culture and habits. The trip to Sin Ho is occasionally suspended due
to the restriction of the local authority. Departing Sin Ho we make our way past
the hilly region to Phong Tho. This timeless town is surrounded by stunning
mountain backdrops and lush tea plantations. After lunch in Phong Tho we keep
driving on another one of Northern Vietnam 's most spectacular roads on the way
to Sapa. This bumpy road links to many hill towns and villages. At an elevation
of 1,600 meters, Sapa was founded in the early years of the last century as a
hill resort for French administrators when the heat on the plain became
unbearable. After checking into hotel we can soak up the fresh climate as much
as we want by spending our time wandering around this charming town and some
legacies of the French period
Overnight: Royal hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 6 SaPa
In the morning we take a short trek to Catcat village, the village of H'mong
tribe in the valley, which remains very generally uncorrupted outside forces.
Excellent views of the valley, the magnificent limestone and paddy fields of
H'mong village. Enjoy some visits to local families and reach their customs.
After the village down into the valley, the Cat Cat waterfall will be visible. A
"White curtain" cascade appears, surrounded by flowery valley and deep-green
pines. The rocks near the river and waterfall provide a marvelous place for
picturesque photos and sunbathing during good weather…
In the afternoon our vehicle will take us to TaPhin valley, around 15kms from
Sapa. Here you will see the ruins of the old French Colonial Church by the
left-hand side of this dirt road where we stop to get entrance fees to enter the
village. Leave your jeep at the end of the dirt road then walk into the village
to visit the rich culture and friendly tribes here we visit the villages of the
Red Dzao and Black Hmong minority people, enjoy the view of the valley and visit
the caves in the village's outskirts. Our guide will assist you communicating
with the locals while visiting around the village. Take a ride back to Sapa for
around 30 minutes and you must stop some times on the way to take photos of the
fabulous valley. Many "Kodak moments" are awaiting for you along the way.
Overnight: Royal hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 7 SaPa - Bac Ha
Today we continue our trip to Bac Ha through LaoCai border town, after having
lunch and take a brief look at Ha Khau border gate, we drive up a 30km
spectacular pass to BacHa. With a dozen of tribes living in the surroundings,
including Flower HMong, Chinese, Nhang, Dzao, Nung, Phu la, Thai and King (or
Viet), the Sunday market of Bac Ha is extremely exciting especially in the early
morning. Not a unique in the Northern mountains of Vietnam but one of the very
few places whose infrastructure allow the car to reach, Bac Ha soon became a
captivating destination. Anyhow, the difficult road helps maintain the colours
(literal and figurative sense) of the area. The Sunday market in Bac Ha is often
held? well, on Sunday, and a lot of the market sellers are women from the tribe
of Flower HMong, who are famous for their wonderful craft and hand-made
flowering clothes and textile fabrics. The market is most exciting just for a
half day. By 14.00, you may see people leaving (after eating) back to their
villages, you can hike around to follow them to their villages too, or take your
car heading to further hamlets in Ban Pho, Trieu Cai, or Na Hoi, or trek there
and be picked-up to return to Bac Ha, all the villages are within 2- 4km from
the marketplace.
Overnight: Sao Mai hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 8 Bac Ha - Hoang Su Phi - Ha Giang
Leaving Bac Ha we set off on a full day journey through Sin Man and Hoang Su Phi
to Ha Giang Town. Have your camera at the ready, because the road between Bac ha
and Xin Man features a unique and beautiful landscape, plus a fantastic market
in Can Cau located right in the heart of mountains. After Can Cau, we proceed
along the Chinese border to the remote and seldom-visited province of Ha Giang
The rough but scenic route traverse a dense jungle before crossing over a pass
and dropping down to Sin Man. This day is a real challenge for our driver as we
travel by winding roads with many uphill and down hill drives. Along the way we
may encounter the Nung, Tay, Red Dzao, Dzao Ao Dzai, La Chi and Co Lao, just
some of the many hill tribe groups who have settled there. We pass by Hoang Su
Phi with many villages of Black Mong, Nung along the way and 100-km up and down
mountain passes with amazing landscape of mountainous rice paddies. Then we
continue along the Lo river to Ha Giang. Ha Giang is located at the highest
latitude in Vietnam . It is surrounded by Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, and
Yen Bai. This is a political sensitive area - Ha Giang shares its borders with
Vietnam 's arch-enemy China - and your guide will apply for a "permit" for the
days to come. Arrive in Ha Giang town is always a great moment - plus, the town
has an excellent massage center.
Overnight: Phuong Dong hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 9 Ha Giang - Sa Phin - Dong Van
Rise and shine for a few hours drive over an endless winding road to the most
northern town of Vietnam , Dong Van. You'll travel through many of the Heaven
Gates such as Quan Ba, Yen Binh, and Dong Van. They are so called because one
gets the feeling of touching the sky, the heaven gates. This is the best time
and place to enjoy the wonderful sightseeing of the vast limestone mountain
range and perpendicular rock walls which give a feeling of adventure while being
lost in a magic land where we are surrounded by many rocks of all shapes and
sizes. Then we continue our trip to visit the infamous Vuong Palace , a H'mong
high-rank family during French colonial rule. This palace attracts keen interest
from architecturally minded visitors due to its mixed style of European and
Chinese architecture. The more you go north, the further "normal" Vietnam seems
to vanish and most people you'll see wear their traditional, extremely colorful
clothes. But you won't be the only one who is amazed, so are Ha Giang's
inhabitants who seldom see a foreigner. In Dong Van you'll spend the night in a
simple, government run "nha khach" (guesthouse).
Overnight: Dong Van guesthouse or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 10 Dong Van - Meo Vac - Lung Phin - Bac Me
The trip from Dong Van to Meo Vac is one you'll never forget: along a steep,
hundreds of meters deep abyss the road will take you through a spectacular
mountain area with on your left side China . Meo Vac is conquered by the Lo Lo
and Pu Peo ethnic minority people. They still retain their age old cultural
traditions and are recognisably distinct from each other by their dress. The
remoteness and the simple lifestyle of local people are a highlight of Meo Vac
although conditions are very basic. Main goal of this day is a visit to the
market of Lung Phin, a small village where time has stood still for ages. Miles
and miles before you'll reach Lung Phin there's an endless stream of people
accompanied by goats, cows and dogs - for human consumption - who are heading by
foot to the market. After spending a few hours in the amazing village of Lung
Phin, you'll keep going to Bac Me via Yen Minh, using a short cut way.
Overnight: Song Gam hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 11 Bac Me - Bao Lac - Nguyen Binh – Ba Be lakes
An early morning start to drive through the rolling hills and the picturesque
scenery to Ba Be National Park. The roads are very bumpy and zigzagging however
we will have a chance to meet the Hmong, Dao, Tay and Nung ethnic minorities who
make for the main population of this region. We are sure to attract their
attention as this part of the country receive very few visitors. Depending on
road and traffic conditions we arrive in Ba Be by late afternoon or early
evening
Overnight: Ba Be hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 12 Ba Be lakes
The legendary lake of Ba Be is just one continuous water body although the name
means three lakes?. Today we embark on a boat cruising down the Nang River which
is the main water source of the lake. This exciting river trip will give us a
taste of the tranquil countryside and an enjoyable exploration of the Ba Be
National Park. We traverse the Poong Grotto en route before stopping at some
nearby hill tribe villages and getting off the beaten track to the scenic Dau
Dang Waterfalls. In one of the desolated villages near the water you'll spend
the night in a traditional Tay house.
Overnight: Tay village homestay
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 13 Ba Be - Cao Bang
The following destination of our trip is Cao Bang Town . After breakfast we set
off on our half day journey past the spectacular mountainous landscapes, with a
mixture of steep terraced rice field and hill villages. Along the way, we can
make stops at our pleasure, to stretch our legs and shoot some wonderful
photographs. The remainder of the day will be free to explore the town or simply
to relax.
Overnight: Huong Thom hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 14 Cao Bang- Ban Gioc Waterfalls
An eighty kilometers long road will take you to the Ban Gioc Waterfalls. Half
way you'll visit a village of the Nung minority. Close to the Chinese border
you'll make a short walk to the falls which are 300 meters wide and 50 meters
high. In winter, the dry season, it's possible to take a boat to the falls. On a
short distance from the falls are the Nguom Ngao caves. The local guides will
take you for a trip to underground rivers and lakes and sinter caves. Late in
the afternoon you'll return to Cao Bang.
Overnight: Huong Thom hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 15 Cao Bang - Lang Son
Heading out of town , we make our way north to the historical cave of Pac Po
where Ho Chi Minh set up the headquarter for the August Vietnamese Revolution in
1945. After seeing this vestige site we continue our journey past the many hill
villages and the tranquil town of Dong Khe and That Khe. The journey north
continues along the National Highway 4 and follows the Ky Cung river which flows
around the foot of limestone mountains to Lang Son. If time permits we will
visit Mau Mount. It's about 30 kilometres from Lang Son city to Mau Mount on the
winding narrow mountain path, like a snake, lies tucked between 2 steep
mountains. Mau Mount is 1542 m above sea level. This area's picturesque scenery
turns it a mini Sapa characterized with the beautiful steep mountains. In the
late afternoon we arrive in Lang Son. Just don’t forget to visit KyLua busy
night market.
Overnight: Huy Hung hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 16 Lang son- Hanoi
Langson is the capital of this mountainous area and is an important crossing and
trading route with China . As a trading post, Langson has some markets worth
visiting. You’ll find everything from electronics and gadgets to textiles and
house wares. Its definitely buyer be aware, as there’s lots of knock-offs of the
original. If the markets aren’t your thing then just a couple of kilometers from
town are two large, beautiful caves and the ruins of the Mac Dynasty Citadel
worth a visit. Tamthanh Cave contains a pond and offers great views of the
surrounding farmlands. Nhithanh Cave , formed by the river that flows through
it, has poems carved into the entrance by the man who discovered the cave in the
18th century. After your morning of exploration its time for lunch and prepare
for the trip back to Hanoi . The road from Langson is a modern highway that
quickly carries down from the mountains, back onto the Red River Delta and into
Hanoi . Back to the hotel for dinner and a toast to the completion of one of
Vietnam 's most spectacular loops.
Meals included: Breakfast.
Tour includes:
• Accommodation with daily breakfasts
• Extra meals as per the itinerary
• Private transfer round trip by 7 seater
• Tours and excursions as described in the program
• Entrance fees and permits where applicable during guided time
Tour excludes:
• Pre & post trip arrangements
• Transfers beyond the itinerary
• Local English speaking tour guide (30 usd/day)
• Entrance fees and permits during free time
• Travel insurance (compulsory)
• Food & drinks not mentioned within the itinerary
• Tips and gratuities
• Expenses of a personal nature such as bar bills, laundry and telephone charges
• Other services not clearly described in the program
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