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.
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.
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.
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).
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!
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 to Ta 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.
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 at 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.
Overview
