Off the beaten track in Vietnam: 15 days

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Hanoi - Ha Giang

  After breakfast at your hotel, your guide will pick you up around 08:00. You will travel to Ha Giang via Tuyen Quang, passing through tea plantations, mountains, and villages of ethnic minority groups. You will have lunch at a local restaurant and arrive in Ha Giang in the late afternoon. If time permits, you can explore the city and meet the local people. You will have dinner and spend the night in a Tay house.

• day 2

  Hiking in Ha Giang: 15 - 17 km trek

  You will leave from the lodge and hike to the village of Lung Vai (6-8 hours). Along the hike, you will have the chance to admire the beauty of terraced rice fields, mountains, and palm forests. As you venture into this wild and rugged landscape, you will meet people from different ethnic minority communities such as the Man and the Dao. You will stop for a picnic before continuing your journey to the remote village of Khuoi My. Along the way, you may see farmers working in the fields, and you might even have the opportunity to participate yourself. You will continue to the village of Ban Tha before visiting Nam Dam. Dinner will be served by your host and you will spend the night in the Dzao house.

• day 3

  Quan Ba - Dong Van: 7-10 km of hiking

  After purchasing the mandatory permit at the immigration office, you will take the spectacular road leading to Dong Van, a series of long passes and deep valleys. You will then cross a landscape of pine forests and visit the H'mong King's Palace, a large fortress built by the local chief, Vuong Chin Duc, who allied with the French against the Viet Minh. It was evacuated in 1950 (his grandchildren now live in France and Canada), but it almost feels as if they left yesterday. You will stop for lunch in the mountain town of Dong Van. You will then take 3.5 hours of trekking on the highest mountains of Dong Van for a panoramic view of all the landscapes here. You will also have the chance to visit the H'Mong, Lo Lo, and Giay ethnic villages in this incredible and untouched border region. You will drive to Dong Van for dinner and spend the night in a hotel.

• day 4

  Dong Van - Meo Vac - Bao Lac: 12-15 km of trekking

  After breakfast, you will set out to discover the old quarter of Dong Van, which will lead you to the Pu Lo fortress, built in 1890 and evacuated in 1945. From there, you can enjoy spectacular views of the entire region. You will climb for 15 km to the top of the Ma Pi Leng pass, through a gigantic labyrinth of limestone peaks, stone forests, and canyons, before descending into the Meo Vac valley. You will then travel to Bao Lac for dinner and spend the night in a hotel.

• day 5

  Bao Lac - Ba Be National Park: 7-10 km trek

  From Bao Lac, we will travel 5 hours by car to reach Ba Be National Park. After lunch in the town of Cho Ra, you will set off on foot to follow the Nang River trail to the "Puong Cave" tunnel cave in the Dao ethnic village. From there, you will hike through the rainforest to discover the wildlife and climb to the top to enjoy panoramic views. You will then visit Hmong villages before reaching a Dao ethnic village. You will be invited to join a traditional meal that will be cooked over an open fire, and you can taste local corn wine with your meal. You will spend the night in a traditional Dzao house.

• day 6

  Hiking in Ba Be forest: 15-17 km trek

  You will have a traditional breakfast which may include noodles, pancakes, omelets, and bananas. This meal is considered a luxury in this isolated region of Ba Be. Upon leaving the Dzao village, a 10 km hike will take you to the H'mong village, where you will meet the school children. We often receive small gifts, such as candies, pens, and notebooks. You will find a beautiful spot for a simple but tasty picnic that we have brought. The last 10 kilometers to Coc Toc village are hilly and require some effort, crossing the Coc Toc stream where villagers make their living by fishing on Ba Be lake. On hot days, it is very pleasant to jump into the lake to cool off and take the opportunity to relax a bit in the water. Tonight, you will enjoy a superb dinner on the terrace by the river, benefiting from the warm hospitality of Mr. Linh's family, specialists in local cuisine, before spending the night in their luxurious Tay stilt house.

• day 7

  Ba Be National Park - Hanoi

  After a breakfast consisting of pancakes and Vietnamese coffee, you will enjoy a breathtaking view from the open-air balcony. You will then continue across the lake by kayak to discover the beauty of Ba Be Lake in the morning, before saying goodbye to this little paradise. You will then travel by car, following the river south, then winding through the pass to cross the hills of north-central Vietnam. You may find that the locals are fascinated by you, as there are very few tourists who travel this way. You will then join the main road to Hanoi, with a short stop for lunch, and you will arrive in Hanoi before nightfall.

• day 8

  Hanoi - Cat Ba Island

  We will pick you up at your hotel in the old quarter of Hanoi at 08:00 to start the journey to Dinh Vu port. You will then take a high-speed boat for a 45-minute crossing to Cat Ba Island. After that, you will head to Cat Ba town for lunch. In the afternoon, you will leave for Viet Hai village through Cat Ba National Park, where you can observe birds, visit the virgin forest and Frog Lake. On the way, you will have the chance to see native cats, squirrels, spotted deer, snakes, thousands of butterflies and, if you are lucky, you may spot a Ba Langur cat. You will have dinner and spend the night in a bungalow in Viet Hai village.

• day 9

  Hiking in Cat Ba National Park

  Breakfast will be served at 07:30, followed by a walk to the top of Marine Hill, which offers a panoramic view of Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay. On returning to Viet Hai village, you can try a fish massage or take some time to relax before cycling to Viet Hai port. From there, you will board the boat to explore the beauty of Lan Ha Bay. After lunch on the boat, you will then go kayaking around Hang Luon cave. If the weather is warm, the boat will take you to beautiful wild beaches where you can swim and snorkel. You will have dinner and spend the night on the boat.

• day 10

  Lan Ha Bay - Cat Ba - Hanoi - Hoi An by flight

  You can have breakfast on board the boat, with the sun rising, before continuing the cruise around Lan Ha Bay among the myriad of limestone peaks. During this day, you will visit a fish and seafood farm as well as the picturesque floating village of Cai Beo. Lunch will be served on board (or on land if we need to welcome new passengers). You will disembark around 11:30 am. From there, you will return to Hanoi.

• day 11

  Relaxation on the beach of Hoi An

  Free on the beach, or explore this charming town by yourself. It is very easy to take a taxi or rent a bike to travel.

• day 12

  Free in Hoi An - Flight to Ho Chi Minh City

  Free time until your transfer to the airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, check-in and free time for the rest of the day.

• day 13

  Ho Chi Minh City - Boat trip to the Mekong Delta

  This morning, departure from your hotel and a drive of about two hours to Ben Tre. Here, you will board a small boat to begin your tour around the waterways of the Mekong Delta. Also known as the rice bowl of Vietnam due to its large rice production, this area has also diversified into activities related to aquaculture, animal husbandry, commercial crops, and fruit trees. You will visit a brick factory, then board a small boat to wind through the canals and waterways. You will stop at a small coconut processing factory to see how coconuts are turned into oil, candies, and woven mats. After the boat trip, you will take a short walk to a local village to see mat weavers at work, before boarding the delta version of a tuk-tuk and traveling along country roads to the pier. Here, you will board the beautiful teak boat Le Jarai to continue your cruise along the river. On board, you will take part in a Vietnamese cooking demonstration before enjoying a sumptuous three-course lunch of Mekong specialties. After lunch, relax on the upper deck and admire the scenery in Ben Tre, before arriving in Can Tho in the late afternoon.

• day 14

  Cai Rang Floating Market - Ho Chi Minh City

  You will get up early and travel by boat to Cai Rang district to see the bustle of a floating market. You will meet the vendors who offer their products on boats overflowing with goods and you can buy a coffee at one of the floating cafés. Then, you will drive for about three hours to Chau Doc district, a colorful and peaceful town near the border between Vietnam and Cambodia. This afternoon, you will travel about 20 km from Chau Doc to the Tra Su forest and journey by sampan through endless waterways, lined with mangroves and lush greenery. This ecological reserve covers 850 hectares and is a haven for wildlife and flora, with more than 100 species of water birds and colonies of bats. The best time to visit Tra Su is from September to November, when the water is high, although it is accessible all year round. On the way to the forest, you will visit a small Khmer ethnic village, where you will discover the importance of Buddhism in the community and have the opportunity to interact with the monks of the local monastery.

• day 15

  Ho Chi Minh City departure

  Free time for last-minute shopping before the transfer to the airport for the return flight. This is the time to say goodbye to Vietnam and leave with a bag full of memories.