| ITINERARY: | |||||||||||||
| Day 01: | Ha Noi - Mai Chau (150 km) | ||||||||||||
We start from your hotel 8:00 am and hit the road venturing away
from Hanoi. The Vietnam countryside comes up on us quickly and is what
see through the window as we head towards Hoa Binh province. We pass
through a region of spectacular limestone mountains the wind our way to
the Mai Chau valley of the Thai people. Arrival in the village at around
noon. Have lunch and take rest. In the afternoon, we spend a little
time walking around the village, learning about the Thai people and
experiencing their hospitality. Dinner and then a chances to enjoy
traditional dances and the local rice wine drunk through bamboo straws.
Sleep in their traditional house on stilts.
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| Day 02: | Mai Chau - Moc Chau - Son La (160 km) | ||||||||||||
| Today we will drive about the same distance. The road to Son La is
lined with fruit orchards, tea plantations, and towering mountains.
We'll stop along the way for chances to meet and talk to the Black Thai,
White Thai, H’mong and Muong hill tribe people on their way to work or
the local markets. In the afternoon, we visit the Prison Museum in Son
La, which remains as a poignant reminder of former French colonial rule.
Dinner and sleep in a standard hotel in town. Services included: Transfer, guide, hotel, breakfast, lunch.  |
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| Day 03: | Son La - Dien Bien Phu (170 km) | ||||||||||||
The further we drive the more impressive the mountain scenery
becomes. We will be visit villages and meet more of tribal people along
our journey to Dien Bien Phu city. Stop for lunch in Tuan Giao then
continue on to Dien Bien. Enjoy the wonderful scenery in Pha Din pass.
In the afternoon we will arrive in Dien Bien Phu, the last base of
the French in Indochina. We will visit the monuments, museums and
preserved bunkers that tell the story of the final and victorious
liberating battle of 1954. Dinner and free to explore local nightlife in
this remote mountain city. Overnight here at your hotel.
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| Day 04: | Dien Bien Phu - Muong Lay - Lai Chau (200 km) | ||||||||||||
| With about 6 – 7 hours on the road, our drive is often steep and
sometimes rugged. The road through the Lai Chau valley is both
breathtaking and dramatic, hugging rice terraced mountainsides and
fording turbulent rivers. Visually spectacular! On this day you'll have a
chance to see the most beautiful hill tribes in Northern Vietnam such
as the H'mong, Black Thai, Black Dzao, and Pazi. Dinner and overnight in
the town of Lai Chau (or Tam Duong). Services included: Transfer, guide, homestay, breakfast, lunch. |
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| Day 05: | Lai Chau - Sapa (90 km) | ||||||||||||
| A short morning walk around this peaceful town and the market
before hitting the road that winds up and through Tram Ton pass - the
highest mountain pass in Vietnam. We are rewarded with magnificent views
of the great mountain geography. Nearing Sapa – an old French hill
station now trekking mecca - the climate changes and the excitement
builds. Often shrouded in cloud the air might become cool and crisp.
Check in at a hotel with comfort and free to explore this wonderful town
of Sapa! Services included: Transfer, guide, hotel, breakfast, lunch. |
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| Day 06: | Sapa, trek and homestay (4 hours trekking) | ||||||||||||
| Have the morning to walk around the town on your own after
breakfast which is served at the hotel. Our guide will meet you at 10:30
am, when we will take a short ride from Sapa to our trekking base. We
start our trek through terraced rice fields and Hmong villages. Chances
to meet and talk with locals working in the fields are plentiful. We
will pause for a picnic lunch en route then continue trekking toTa Phin
village of the Red Dao people. Your Dao host family will warmly welcome
you to their traditional home where we will share in an ethnic style
dinner and stay the night. Services included: Transfer, guide, homestay, entrances fee, breakfast, lunch, dinner. |
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| Day 07: | Trek back to Sapa, then night train back to Hanoi | ||||||||||||
At the first of gleam of daylight, you will see and hear the
sounds of morning village life. After breakfast, we will complete our
trek on a valley route to the main road (4 hours). Alternatively, for
this long trek, you can choose to take a short morning wander around the
village for about 1 hour, resulting in more time spent with the host
family. For both options, you will be supported by our car / van back to
Sapa (30 minutes).
Back in Sapa, you will have the afternoon for showering up and
resting. However you are encouraged to spend the free time to discover
more of the secrets of this colorful town. At 5:30 pm your driver will
bring you to the train station in Lao Cai. We depart at 8:15 pm on an AC
soft sleeper class to Hanoi – a safe train journey will bring you back
to Hanoi around 5:00 am (find your own way back to your hotel – a taxi
usually costs around 50,000VND). Your adventure ends here with a
lifetime's worth of memories.
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| Tour Cost | In USD/ 1 Person - Applied up to 31 Dec 2012 | ||||||||||||
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