Unveiled Northern Vietnam, 9 days

On arrival at Hanoi Airport, you are greeted  by our guide and taken to your hotel by private transfer. You may have free time to relax and catch your first glimpse of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. This treasured city is a fascinating blend of East and West, combining traditional Sino-Vietnamese motifs with French flair. The building boom has made Hanoi a rapidly developing city in Southeast Asia. However, it still retains an old charm brought from a thousand year of history, with many interesting cultural and historic monuments, beautiful lakes, shady parks, bustling street markets, funny shops and open air eating spots jostled in ancient houses, and historic temples adjoining colonial style structures. They offer both local and foreigner visitors an endless exploration. You can stroll through the fascinating old quarter containing many vibrant streets which are named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. The lively atmosphere in Hanoi old quarter runs from the early hours until late at night  with many street vendors calling, horns honking, and chaotic traffic with waves of motorbikes you’ve never experienced.

Today, we start our exploration of Hanoi with a drive through diverse streets encompassing a millennium of the city culture and evolution to the Ba Dinh Square. This park setting contains the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (close on Mon. and Fri. and Oct. to Nov) and the Ho Chi Minh Residence. We queue up for a walk past silent sentries to pay a homage to Ho Chi Minh and  continue  to his residence, a simple stilt house set in a well-tended garden. He has lived and worked in this place until his final days. Nearby this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda, of which the origins date back to the foundation of Hanoi City. We follow it with the Temple of Literature, which is now dedicated to the scholars of Confucius but was once the first university of Vietnam. The successful candidate records are still found in various stone steles set over giant stone turtles in the temple ground. We head towards the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (close on Mon.), where display in both outdoor and indoor sections, various documents, images and objects focusing on 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. Upon leaving this sight, we drive past various attractions, including Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, West Lake, Long Bien Bridge and Opera House. No stops planned, it is simply a view of the cityscape. We finish a round of city tour  with a fantastic water puppet show followed by a pleasant walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, one of the major scenic spots in Hanoi.

The modern comforts will be left behind as we venture into the remote north of Vietnam, driving from the delta region to the secluded town of Tu Le. This back road is  a perfect way to explore the real Vietnam as we see very few other travellers, mostly rural dwellers. They are just as interested in finding out about our lives as we are of theirs. The undulating tea plantation comes in view as we travel through  Nghia Lo, which was once  the painful  battle field in the French war.  This hill town does not offer much to see; however, it is simply a stop to stretch our legs. We set forth to  Tu Le Town, following  a zigzag road past  green valleys, rolling hills and rustic villages which may be home to the White Thai, Muong , Hmong,  and Dao Nga Hoang.  The mountains are spectacular, rising and falling endlessly in the distance and make for an interesting journey. We arrive in Tu Le, this day final destination, by mid or late afternoon depending on the roads and traffic conditions. This peaceful valley seems still untouched from the hustle and bustle of urban Vietnam. We can feel the cold air while we walk on the valley floor. We are the guests of a White Thai family and spend this night  in a traditional style house. The facility conditions are simple, but it is definitely worth place to see the amazing scenery of terraced rice fields and get away from the hustle and bustle of urban Vietnam. 

Today, we depart early for Sapa Town, climbing over  Khau Pha Pass before dropping down to  Mu Cang Chai Valley. The simple joy of travelling through this mountain region is a view of steep terrace rice fields. They are usually spectacular from May through early October while the seasonal rice is being planted in flooded terraces and harvested. We pass through undulating tea plantations to Tam Duong and venture into the local path to explore the homeland of  Lao and Lu ethnic minorities. They have settled in place long time ago and are famous for both textiles and teeth dyeing techniques.  Upon leaving Tam Duong, we drive up  O Quy Ho Pass, one of the most beautiful and challenging mountain roads in northern Vietnam. The panoramic views with a blend of rugged terrains, winding roads and cloudy mountain peak are nothing short of spectacular. We keep on our journey  past the Silver Waterfall to the misty town of Sapa, a highlight of our northern trip. This hill town at an elevation of 1,500 meters  has some warm days and cool evenings. The evident vestiges of the French colonial era are still found in place as it was once a  summer retreat place for French administrators to escape the unbearable summer heat in the  plain regions. On arrival in Sapa Town, we check in our hotel and have time to admire the townscape that  brought from the prominent architecture styles, mountain peaks, rice terraces, and colorful hill tribe people.

The imposing mountain peak of  Phansipan lends an alpine feel to the surrounding hillsides and valleys. We spend this day out to explore  some of them on a walking trip. There are many local track options to choose from, but we will opt for a trek from Giang Cha Village, home to  the Black Hmong hill tribe people. They are mostly farmers living from their slash and burnt tradition. The local footpaths are difficult at times, with some uphill and downhill walking, but it is still an exciting experience.  We may meet local people  doing their daily works, such as logging, herding buffalo, and tilling the field. They are the Hmong, Giay or Red Zao people, who are very poor but have interesting culture.  We continue our walk on undulating terrains to Suoi Thau  Village and make a stop to admire the splendid scenery of Ta Phin Valley and explore the simple lifestyle and the colorful   traditions of the Red Dao People. They are one of the most colorful ethnic groups in Vietnam and very famous for their handmade embroidery. Upon leaving Ta Phin, we head towards Phin Pho Village  and catch a view of  terraced fields and rugged mountain  backdrop.  The optional walk back to Sapa Town is available, but we also arrange a transport for anyone who prefers to stretch the legs on a scenic drive.

Upon leaving Sapa, we start our drive through Lao Cai Border Town to Bac Ha. The road conditions vary in some places, involving some downhill and uphill drive. On arrival in Bac Ha Town, we enjoy a walk  around to explore the vibrant Bac Ha Weekend Market,  which takes place on every Sunday. This local trade fair attracts many different ethnic minorities, including Dao, Phu La, Pa Di, Tu Di, Nung and Tay, but the Flower Hmong people are dominant in place. These ethnic people converge from  nearby mountains and valleys into the Bac Ba Market one time a week to sell every things from farming products to medicinal herbs, traditional incense, potent maize alcohol, piglets and buffaloes, and buy electronic appliances, and clothes. They  make for the entirely local affair full of noise, colour, and  hustle and the bustle of commerce, giving us a unique experience. We travel  back to Hanoi this afternoon and drive along the new highway linking Lao Cai and Hanoi. This long journey takes everything between 5 to 6 hours; however, we can enjoy the scenery changing from the Tonkinese Alps to the delta region along the way down.

The incredible limestone outcroppings form a spectacular seascape of Halong Bay, an incomparable natural wonder in Vietnam.  Heading out of the town, we make our way through the rice fields and idyllic villages to Halong City. The cruise team will welcome us on board with refreshing drinks and provides some information about the watercraft and the activity program. We check in our private cabin and unpack for a two-day cruise. The amazing time begins as our traditional style junk zigzags itself in Halong Bay. Along the way, we feast on a huge lunch (veg. meals also available on request), catching some beautiful views of the bay with a blend of the sky and limestone islets jutting out from the clear and emerald water. These rocky islands are usually named by their distinctive shapes and littered with tiny beaches and beautiful caves. We have time this afternoon, to do many sea activities, some of which are rowing boat excursion, swimming, or kayaking ( optional) within rock formations. Today we can improve our culinary skill while participating to the cooking class in the flavor of the sea. The master chef will show the guests how to make some traditional Vietnamese delicacies. We follow it with a sumptuous dinner and some evening entertainments at the dining room. There are also possibilities to try your hand at squid fishing from our boat.

The early light begins washing the night away, unveiling the marvelous beauty of Halong Bay. You can participate in a Taichi exercise on the sundeck and may get a chance to catch some wonderful photos of the sunrise over Halong Bay. The boat trip continues past many imposing  islands, giving us a new exploration of this beautiful bay.  We can spend our time at leisure or step onto a tender to visit Sung Sot, one of the many beautiful caves hidden beneath towering cliffs. The uphill walkway with nearly 100 steps is somewhat arduous; however, the panoramic view from nearby boat pier to rocky islands in the far distance, makes the hardship all worthwhile. We enjoy this splendid landscape before we start the exploration of Sung Sot Cave. This remarkable cave is naturally adorned with countless stalactite and stalagmite formations. They stretch amazingly from floor to ceiling, forming various pillars to support the cave dome. The illuminating spotlights of various colors within the stone formations add more enchantment to this beautiful cave. We come back to our cruise and weave our way through a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars towards Tuan Chau Marina. The wonderful time in Haling Bay is followed by a drive back to Hanoi. Along the way, we make stop at our pleasure, to stretch our legs and see many local villagers making excellent craft objects in traditional ways. 

There are no activities planned on  this final day. You may have free time to continue your exploration of Hanoi City, do your last shopping or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday comes to an end with a transfer to Hanoi Airport for your departure.