Hidden North Of Vietnam, 11 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 explore some major attractions of Hanoi with a drive past diverse streets encompassing a millennium of the city culture and evolution. The colonial influence  is apparent within trees lined boulevards until  the Ba Dinh Square. This lovely park setting contains the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (close on Mon. and Fri. and Oct. to Nov) and the Ho Chi Minh Residence. We walk past silent sentries of the mausoleum to pay a homage to Ho Chi Minh and  follow the walkway 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, which rises from the center of a square lotus pond, ascending on a single pillar and resembling a blossoming lotus flower. 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 record of successful candidates are still found in various stone steles set over giant stone turtles. We head towards the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (close on Mon.) where display various documents, images and objects focusing on  54 ethnic groups in Vietnam in  both outdoor and indoor sections. Upon leaving this museum, we drive back to the town center  and  enjoy a fantastic performance of the water puppet. 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 expedition begins as we depart Hanoi for Ha Giang. This rough and isolated land in north-eastern Vietnam is famous for  the beautiful scenery of limestone forest  and uniquely preserved tribal culture. We travel from flat delta to  rolling hill region where the rice gives way to tea plantations, offering glimpses of the real beauty awaiting us  further up. The scenic drive will deliver us at a tranquil Tay village  on the outskirts of Ha Giang Town. We leave our luggage at a local house and enjoy a walk around. This peaceful hamlet set among the stunning mountain backdrop and rice fields, was once a bloody battle field during the struggle against the Chinese invaders in bygone time. Along the village lanes we see many people doing their daily works, such as logging, herding buffalo, and tilling the fields.  These local villagers are mostly the Tay ethnic minorities, who are very friendly and welcoming. Tonight, we are toasted as honored guests of a Tay family and sample some of their homemade foods!. The homestay amenities are fairly basic, but you will be provided with clean and comfortable bedding, mosquito nets and a shared washroom facility. We get a chance to share the  life with villagers and understand more about Ha Giang Land. This mountainous region offers visitors an interesting look of Vietnam from a bygone era to present days. The lively local markets form the lifeblood of the province and villagers in traditional dress gather from miles around to trade, eat and gossip.

The high altitude gives a lush color to the surrounding mountains  which are often covered in a morning mist. Today we wake up early to see the local life  before we head towards the Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark. The zigzag roads carved from mountainside climb up the Heaven Gate before dropping down to Quan Ba Town, giving us some incredible panoramic views of undulating mountains, rice fields and local houses in the distance. We continue our overland adventure  though Yen Minh  to  Dong Van Town . En route  we explore the magnificent rocky plateau and local people going on their daily business. Perhaps they are the Dao, Hmong, Pu Peo,  Lo Lo or Co Lao, who are origin from China but have migrated into this region a long time ago; no exact date on their settlement in Vietnam was figured out. They  consider  this rugged mountain region as their homeland  although  the living conditions are extremely hard in all senses. These ethnic minorities are still keeping their old age culture and colorful history, and speak their own dialect. We break our journey in Sa Phin  to visit the Hmong King Palace,  which was built like a courtyard mansion with four double storied wings. The residence had all from water storage to ornate teakwood furniture, meeting room, opium storage, chambers, opium smoking space, firing ports and pillars chiseled with the shapes of globular poppy buds. We arrive in Dong Van Town, this day final destination, before dark.

Today, we have time walking around Dong Van Town to see the old quarter and the market place. This small urban area is crowded every Sunday when hundreds of  people representing every tribe in the region congregate for the week-end market. They  are mostly  the Hmong, Tay, Nung and Hoa ethnic minorities, who make the entirely local affair full of noise, colour and  hustle, and the bustle of commerce. Upon leaving  Dong Van Town, we continue our depth exploration of  the Dong Van Geo Park with the next stop being Lung Cu, the northernmost point of Vietnam.  We climb almost  300 steps to visit the Lung Cu Flag Tower, which dominates  this frontier area  and gives an interesting  view from the nearby villages to the Chinese land. The exploration of Lung Cu would not be complete without a visit to a typical village of the Red Lolo ethnic minorities,  one of the three Lo Lo sub-groups living in northern Vietnam. They follow similar cultural traditions and beliefs but have very different visual identities through the costumes. We keep travelling  through  Dong Van Geopark and enjoy  the stunning views of the Nho Que River, Tu San Canyon, and  Ma Phi Leng Pass. The panoramic breathtaking scenery, with a blend of twisting river in deep canyon, simple houses perched on high mountainsides, and winding pass in the far distance, makes you feel like jumping into photos of the National Geographic. This day journey ends upon arrival in Meo Vac Town where we get a chance to see a nearby village of the  flower Lo Lo hill tribe people.

The journey north continues as we leave Meo Vac and  bid a farewell to the  Dong Van  Karst Plateau Geopark on a downhill drive to Bao Lac. This small hill town of Bao Lac is  surrounded by rugged mountains and green valleys, which are homeland to various hill tribe groups, including Hmong, Tay, Dao , San Chi, and Black Lo Lo.  They usually come into Bao Lac market  every five days in accordance with the lunar calendar. This local fair is a highlight of Bao Lac Town; however, you need to consult  the market day before  planning your journey.  The lucky travellers can see in place many ethnic minorities, who are recognisably distinct from each other by their traditional dress. They sell every things from farming products, medicinal herbs, traditional incense, potent maize alcohol  to piglets as well as buffaloes, and buy electronic appliances and clothes. Upon leaving Bao Lac, we set forth to Tinh Tuc and  follow the twisting mountain path  to the remote Ba Be National Park. These back roads are  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.  We complete this long travel day  on arrival at Ba Be Lakes. There are few lodging options, but we opt for the overnight stay at  Coc Toc Village nestled by Ba Be Lakeshore.  We are toasted as honored guests of a Tay family and sample some of their homemade foods!. The accommodation is very simple and dormitory style, no western facilities but the experience is definitely unique.

The towering limestone mountains down into turquoise lakes encompassed by dense evergreen forests makes the Ba Be National Park a highlight  in  northeastern region of Vietnam. Today, we can feel the cold air emanating from  mountain and jungle as we take a boat trip across Ba Be Lakes. The national park exploration begins with an easy walk to Pac Ngoi Village, a large community of the Tay ethnic minorities. They are mostly farmers living from  rice, corn plantation and fishing traditions. We stroll around Pac Ngoi Village before we get our biking experience on a scenic ride through the lush vegetation. Along the way, we make stop to explore  the Hua Ma Cave, one of the most popular sights in Ba Be Lakes. The local track leads us up and down into a soaring cavern which is naturally decorated with stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and sizes. These limestone formations were formed over millions of years. Upon leaving this hidden cave,  we continue cycling  to the Silk Waterfall, an ideal place for anyone seeking an enjoyable escape from the unbearable summer heat. We return our bike in Pac Ngoy Village and enjoy a walk along  Ba Be Lakeside back to Coc Toc Village. This pleasant walk offers us a chance to admire the legendary Ba Be Lakes and catch some photos of fishmen on afternoon catch.  We spend one more night at the Tay village and have time this evening to explore the lifestyle of local people.

Upon leaving the village of our previous night,  we embark on a private boat to explore the Ba Be National Park. This relaxed boat excursion gives us some fantastic views from the clear water surface to the evergreen rising mountains, timeless hill tribe villages, and rich birdlife. We continue navigating towards the Dau Dang Waterfall,  series of spectacular cascades  created by the lake water  which  tumbles over multiple large rock levels  into the underlying river. These stunning waterfalls still make exploring these parts extremely rewarding, although it involves some downhill and uphill walking. We head upstream the Nang River and have a stop at the  Puong Cave. The erosion over millions of years has carved this 300 m long tunnel, which is now  home to thousands of bat residents. We walk over some rock formations, have a look from the magnificent  tunnel to the opposite jungle  or simply count the bat number hanging under the cave ceiling. The boat races against some rapid flows before arriving at  the terminal.  We meet up with our waiting driver and travel by roads through Cho Ra back to Hanoi City. The lush jungle is replaced by undulating tea plantations, towns and villages. We can make stops as we please, to stretch our legs and catch some photographs. The memorable northeastern loop comes to an end as we see again the chaos traffic  of Hanoi.

The incredible limestone outcroppings make Halong Bay an incomparable natural wonder in Vietnam.  Heating out of the town, we travel by road past rice fields and idyllic villages to Halong City, a base for our sea excursion. On arrival, we are welcomed on board with refreshing drinks. The cruise team provides some information about the watercraft and the activity program. We check in our private cabin and unpack for a two-day cruise in Halong Bay. 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.