(6
days/6 nights - Everyday)
During
this cultural expedition, you will enjoy the best of Northern Viet Nam
in the areas of Mai Chau, Lai Chau and Sa Pa. The mountainous North West
provides the perfect terrain for trekking routes. The Thai minority, a
warm and friendly ethnic group, will welcome you into their homes and
share their stilt house lifestyle. The roads wind precariously across
the mountain ranges, capturing the intensely varied lifestyles of
Vietnamese people. The final two days of your journey will be spent
trekking to stay in minority villages around Sa Pa.
Day
1: Ha Noi - Mai Chau - Son La (320kms / 8 hoiurs)
Meet your driver, 7:30 AM at your hotel or SUNRISE Travel 42 Ma May
Street. Travel through the verdant Red River Delta and witness the day
to day life of the peasant farmers. Stop in Mai Chau for a short walk
then drive onto Son La - the capital of Son La province. Overnight in
hotel.
Day
2: Son La - Tuan Giao - Lai Chau (220kms / 7 hours)
Son La has an old French prison and museum, perfect for a small walk to
visit in the morning before your departure. From here you’ll carry on
to Tuan Giao, then onto Lai Chau for the night. You’ll enjoy the
picturesque scenery as you pass the villages of Black Thai, White Thai,
Meo and Muong peoples.
Day
3: Lai Chau - Sin Ho - Tam Duong (200kms/7 hours)
From Lai Chau, the drive to Sin Ho is stunning with tiered tea
plantations and verdant rice terraces carved into the landscape.
Continue to Tam Duong for the night. If you happen to be in Tam Duong on
a Sunday morning, the town is bustling with activity as the local hill
tribes gather for their weekly market day here. Overnight in a hotel or
guesthouse.
Day
4: Tam Duong - Sa Pa (80kms / 3 hours)
From Tam Duong to Sa Pa you pass through Binh lu, up over the 1900 meter
Tram Ton pass, considered the most beautiful stretch of road in Vietnam.
Sa Pa is nestled at over 1600 meters in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains and
the valley truly is breathtaking. Arrive in Sapa, check in hotel and
have lunch then free walking around.
Day
5: Sapa Trekking (Lao Chai - Ta Van)
After breakfast and get ready for the trip, trek down to Lao Chai
village to visit the Tay and Dzay tribes then keep going along the
bottom of the Sapa valley to get to Ta Van village, which is supposed to
be one of the most beautiful area. Have a picnic lunch on the way. Get
back to Sapa by Jeep/Landcruiser. Have dinner and free walking. Stay in
the same hotel.
Day
6: Sapa trekking - Hanoi.
Have breakfast in the hotel then start trekking to Cat Cat and Sin Chai
villages of Black H'Mong tribe. Enjoy the waterfall in Cat Cat and
beautiful scenery along the way. Trek back to the hotel, have lunch and
enjoy a afternoon to explore Sa Pa town, great shopping in the market
for local produce and you can buy handicrafts from many of the local
hill tribes selling their wares there. Bus departs from Sapa at 4:30pm,
arrive Lao Cai 6:00pm Night train back to Ha Noi (soft sleeper aircon).
Trip ends 5:00am at Ha Noi station.
PRICE:
$ USD/person