Immersive remote north Vietnam 9 days 8 nights

Tour code: NA04E
Duration: 9 days 8 nights

Day 1: Hanoi - Nghia Lo (L/D)
- We leave Hanoi Old Quarter and travel for about 2 hours to Duong Lam, which is an ancient village with UNESCO protection as of 2006. The houses date back 100-400 years, and the temples and gardens are edged with laterite walls. This is an important historical site with temples in honour of two kings, national heroes, who defended the land against the Chinese about 1200 years ago.
  We will have lunch in a local house here, before continuing our drive through the rural countryside, first surrounded by flat paddy fields, then, as we gain altitude we will begin to see tea plantations, and then finally corn or maize amongst the karst limestone outcrops. We will overnight with a delightful White Thai family in a traditional stilt house in Nghia Lo.
Day 2: Nghia Lo - Mu Cang Chai (B/L/D)
- We will rise early and take an early morning bike ride around the paddy and corn fields, enjoying the peaceful sight of ducks, chickens, pigs and buffalos, and observing the quiet manual labour of the villagers. Breakfast will be enjoyed in the open air, looking over the fields, before we check out and set out over the dramatic Khau Pha mountain pass.
  The rice fields of Tu Le are spectacular and we stop at a local restaurant for lunch. We continue the drive to Nam Co village where we'll see the flower H'mong ethnic minorities in their lovely traditional costume, as well as the local market if it’s the right day. We drive to La Pan Tan and the Mam Soi terraced rice fields and take a short walk up the hill to a viewpoint. Then finally dinner and overnight at Mrs Chon's Homestay in Kim Noi village, another White Thai family home.
Day 3: Mu Cang Chai - Sapa (B/L/D)
- After breakfast we will drive from Mu Cang Chai through Tan Uyen and then to Sapa. The road is very dramatic with many hairpins, each opening up a new vista of the mountains, and also crosses the Sin Ho pass. You will have lunch in Sapa and a chance to look around, before we trek to Giang Ta Chai village, where you will have dinner and overnight in a Dao's ethnic house.
Day 4: Sapa - Bac Ha - Hoang Su Phi (B/L/D)
- We set off bright and early with a drive to Bac Ha. If it is a Sunday we will make for the market, one of the most colourful markets in the north, where you can become expert in spotting the different ethnic costumes, and enjoy the antics of the livestock market. There are marvellous photo opportunities at these markets, and after lunch in a local restaurant, we will visit the palace of Hoang A Tuong, a curious mixture of baroque and oriental, built in 1920 with the aid of the French.
  Then we will drive up a small mountain road with views of the most amazing rice terraces, with villages dotted here and there. We reach Ban Phung village and have a chance to see the La Chi ethnic people, their ladies in black knee length skirts and jackets, with a little delicate coloured embroidery, and their heads wrapped in a strip of cloth knotted about their hair. They have a truly hard life up in these mountains often carrying a heavy load in a bag from a band on their heads. We will descend to Hoang Sun Phi for dinner and overnight at a hotel..
Day 5 Hoang Su Phi (B/L/D)
- As the best off the beaten tracks places to see in Vietnam Hoang Su Phi is also a very famous area for rice terraces which curl around the hills like contour lines. There are also beautiful tea plantations, some of which have been there for a hundred years. We continue via Tan Su Phin pass and Cong Troi pass, which are incredibly dramatic and the whole area is full of magnificent views with plenty of photo opportunities. We will have lunch on the way at a local restaurant, then continue north again to Ha Giang. We will overnight at a stilt house of a Tay family.
Day 6: Ha Giang - Dong Van - Meo Vac (B/L/D)
- We set out in the morning for Dong Van, passing through Cong Troi Pass and then continuing on to Yen Minh. On the way we will also visit the King’s Palace in the H’mong village of Sa Phin, built in the early 20th century. The area is also notable for its many corn plantations, where the harvest is collected by hand.
  As we pass reach Dong Van we disembark for a lunch break in the colourful old market. Here you can admire the Ancient houses and the local people in their traditional garments. After lunch we set off again and pass through the spectacular Ma Pi Leng Pass, on the way to Meo Vac. This road is justly considered one of the most beautiful in the country, and the views are appropriately stunning. Once we reach Meo Vac we settle in for an overnight stay.
  
  ► Experience the fabulous Ha Giang Loop !
Day 7: Meo Vac - Bao Lac - Cao Bang (B/L/D)
- Meo Vac is a small town, home to the ethnic groups Tay, Dao, H'mong and Lo Lo. If we are here on a Sunday we will visit the market, another fantastic riot of colour. There is a lot of clothing and fabric sold here, and sometimes men making the men's indigo dyed jackets on old sewing machines can be seen among the stalls. There is a livestock section which is a frenzy of squealing pigs, screeching birds as well as cows and horses.
  We drive to Bao Lac for lunch with some stops in ethnic villages along the way. The road is again pretty mountainous with several passes. Then we visit the Nung ethnic village of Pac Rang, a traditional farming village which is known for its blacksmiths and their work in making farm tools. We’ll have dinner and overnight at a Nung house.
Day 8: Ban Gioc Waterfall - Ba Be Lake (B/L/D)
- After breakfast we continue from Cao Bang and journey to the Ban Gioc waterfalls, a photo of which must be in every hostel and tour agent's office in Hanoi! The falls mark the border with China, so this is truly the frontier.
  There will be time to appreciate the breath-taking sight of these falls before making our way to Nguom Ngao "Tiger Cave", with its amazing limestone formations, and stalactites of various shapes and sizes. This is the most famous limestone grotto in the province of Cao Bang, and you will be awestruck by its sheer size! We then drive to Ba Be National Park and feel the peace and serenity of the lake, before dinner and an overnight stay at Mr Linh's Homestay.
Day 9: Ba Be Lake - Hanoi (B/L)
- After a breakfast on the terrace, we will walk a short distance between rice fields, through the village of Bo Lu to the boat station to embark on a 3 hour boat trip across the lakes of Ba Be. If you need to cool down, it's a great time to jump into the peaceful water. The boat takes you along a river with time to gaze up at the dramatic karst limestone outcrops which will have become quite familiar to you by this point.
  The park is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna so you are likely to catch sight of birds and butterflies, and you'll definitely be aware of the thousands of bats in Puong Cave which tunnels its way through the mountain and through which the river flows. We return by boat to Bolu and then you will have a chance to relax on the drive back to Hanoi, stopping on the way for lunch. We should arrive back in Hanoi about 5.30PM and you will be ped off at your hotel.
  
  ► Where to stay and what to eat in Ba Be National Park

Tour Includes:

Professional vehicle transportations and commercial vehicle insurance. Professional driver
(Optional) 4×4 car with material insurance
Private door to door pick-up drop-off services
Accommodation at ecolodges, hotels, homestays as mentioned
Experienced English-speaking guide
Meals as stated in the itinerary (B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner)
(Optional) Vegetarian and vegan food is available
Bottled water
All sightseeing tickets and travel permits on frontier
All sightseeing tickets and environment protection fee
Bamboo raft tour on Ban Gioc waterfall
Motor-boat with floating jackets in Ba Be
Nguom Ngao Cave walking tour
All Taxes and Fees
No extra charge after confirmation
24/7 hotline support guaranteed
(Optional) Child seats are required

Tour Excludes:

Personal expenses, tips and gratuities
Travel insurance
International & domestic flights and taxes
Beverage
Other personal expenses: drinks, souvenir, etc.

What To Take:

Pack essentials, including light comfortable clothes suitable for outdoor activities, comfortable walking shoes. Take a small day pack for hiking and trekking
It is essential to bring your passport on this trip. We also recommend packing: insect repellent, sun cream, raincoat and sun hat...

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Immersive remote north Vietnam 9 days 8 nights

Accommodation List

Please note that the hotels mentioned in this list are for reference only. Depending on availability and your preference, they can be changed. If we are unable to book any hotel, it will be replaced by another hotel at least of equivalent standard and value.

Hieu Homestay

Address: Phung village, Hoang Su Phi district, Ha Giang

Being likened to the heart of Hoang Su Phi with the famous wonder of terraced fields, it would be a waste if you visit Hoang Su Phi without visiting Phung village. Looking down from above, the terraced fields stretch out embracing the small warm roofs, bringing both majesty and softness and tenderness.

Loan Khang Homestay

Address: Xa Ren village, Nghia Loi commune, Nghia Lo town, Yen Bai, Vietnam.

Travelers to Homestay Loan Khang will enjoy interesting experiences with the life of a Thai village that still retains its identity, a peaceful space with a gentle Thia stream, endless rice fields in the Muong sunshine. The furnace and bamboo groves rustle in the wind. Here, guests can also enjoy typical Thai dishes and rustic foods in an impressive breakfast buffet.

Mrs Chon's Homestay

Address: Group 5, Mu Cang Chai town, Yen Bai

Sapa Village Hotel

Address: Alley 520 Dien Bien Phu, Sa Pa, Vietnam

The hotel stretches view to Ham Rong mountain and Sapa lake. Sapa Village Hotel has 7 levels - each is named after a village of Sapa such at Ta Van Village, Ta Phin Village, Cat Cat Village, Supan Village, Sin Chay Village...Most rooms overlook to the beautiful landscape of magnificent Ham Rong mountain and the legendary Fansipan, bring about the most stunning view to the center of Sapa town.

Hoa Cuong Hotel Dong Van

Address: Dong Van Town, Ha Giang Province

Hoa Cuong Hotel is located in the center of the ancient town of Dong Van district - Ha Giang, where the center of the Highland area of stone was recognized by UNESCO. The hotel opened in early 2015 is the most modern hotel in Ha Giang province

Mr Doan's Homestay

Address: Ha Thanh village, Phuong Do, Ha Giang City, Ha Giang Province

Visit Mr Doan, his wife and his two sons in a traditional stilts house of Tay ethnic minority group in North of Vietnam. He is a good chef and kind owner

Mr Kim's Homestay

Address: Phia Thap Village, Quoc Dan, Quang Uyen, Cao Bang province

Mr Kim’s Homestay stands out in green rice paddy fields of Phia Thắp Village, home to 50 families from the Nùng ethnic minority in Cao Bằng Province.
The traditional structure of Kim’s stilt house is still preserved. The house’s first floor, which used to be a cattle holding area, has been extended to make a cozy living room with wooden tables and chairs. The well-organised second floor is where tourists can sleep, providing more than 20 mattresses and eco-friendly decoration. Each mattress is well prepared with a pillow, a mosquito net, a lamp and an electricity socket.

Ba Be Jungle Houses

Address: Coc Toc village, Nam Mau commune, Ba Be district, Bac Kan province

A step up in amenities to Ba Be's homestays, this lakeside place in Coc Toc village takes the form of six small, spic-and-span, wood-panelled private rooms, and a dorm. Visitors are well looked after by friendly English-speaking staff.

Review

5 average based on 2 reviews.

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Arara

Wrote a review 8 - 2023

Great adventure trip to Northern Vietnam

Review of: Remote far North Vietnam 9 days 8 nights

Our family had our entire Vietnam vacation (12 nights/ 13 days) organized by Mr. Linh’s Adventures, after indicating them our preferences. We chose them because we wanted to see less visited areas of Northern Vietnam, and they seemed to be specialists in this area. The organization proved to be professional, and it was very reassuring to receive prompt answers to our e-mails or whatsapps. Our contact person in the office was Cathy, who always tried to accommodate our preferences. Both our driver and guide were called Mr. Long. Our driver drove very carefully and skillfully, which made us feel safe. Our guide was very knowledgeable especially of local customs and people.
Communication was in English at a conversational level (do not expect native speaker level; only the youngest generation in Vietnam is studying the language more thoroughly).
Punctuality was also the norm when picking us up from the airport or the hotels or doing any of the activities.
Our trip started and ended in Hanoi. According to our schedule, the places we visited besides Hanoi were: south of Hanoi: Hoa Lu;Tam Coc, Mua Cave; in northern Vietnam: Hoang Su Phi, Phin Ho, Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang, Yen Minh, Lung Cu flag, Dong Van, Meo Vac, Cao Bang, Ban Gioc Waterfall, Babe Lake, Nguom Ngao Cave, Tham Phay Cave, Bac Son Valley; Halong Bay.
The northern part of the country is very rural, and the average speed of a car is an estimated 40-50 km/h. Therefore if doing this trip covering many different locations you have keep in mind that you will inevitably spend many hours in a car. However, ours was quite comfortable: we had a Ford Transit minibus with three seat rows for the five of us and functioning air conditioning. We were also given bottles of mineral water every day. There was enough space for our luggage in the back part of the car (we had one suitcase each).
The accommodations we had chosen were a colourful mixture of both basic and luxury, depending on the place we were: basic in the countryside (there usually is no luxury accommodation there) and more luxurious for example in Hanoi, Halong Bay and on our one-day-cruise there.
Homestays are generally very basic; some even had shared bathrooms. But in the countryside there simply is no other choice. It was interesting for us to see different kinds of accommodations though, as we do not travel primarily for comfort but for the experience. Vietnam is still a (quickly) developing country after all and you cannot expect European standards.
The same is true for the food: while in the bigger cities (Hanoi) you can also find international choices, in the countryside you have to stick to local specialties.
We liked the Vietnamese food, with contains generally speaking lots of fresh vegetables, with some meat (pork, beef, chicken, and others) and rice. Soups are also very common, even for breakfast. We also could taste some tropical fruits.
It was very interesting to get to know the local customs too; we visited different ethnic minorities in the northern part of the country. As Mr. Long, our guide, knew a few families because he had been in the area before, they let us visit some of their houses. The time we visited coincided with a festivity in honor of the ancestors, which is why we were invited to have a liqueur in many houses. We saw people burning incense in front of their home altars, preparing duck meat and offering food to the ancestors as part of their ancient religion.
As for physical activity, we also went cycling, kayaking, hiking and visited caves. As it was very hot and humid during August, our bodies did not demand for more sports.
A highlight was exploring a cave near Mr. Linh’s homestay at Babe Lake that had not yet been officially opened to the public. We were guided there by a local man; helmets and flashlights were given to us. As the cave’s floor is covered by a stream we had to walk through water all the time (actually, this tour can only be done if water levels are not too high). Bats could also be found on the ceilings.
During our trip we also were lucky to meet Mr. Linh himself when we were at Mr. Linh’s homestay at Babe Lake. He is a young Vietnamese entrepreneur who is very eager to run his business in the best, most customer friendly way and is willing to learn to keep improving. He did not shy away from asking us what we liked and what could be done better, and you can talk openly to him!
All in all we think this is a serious company you can trust and can highly recommend them if you are looking for an adventurous, off the beaten path trip to Vietnam.

Date of experience: 8 2022

Cha_Kowal

Wrote a review 10 - 2023

Simple Excellent

Review of: Remote far North Vietnam 9 days 8 nights

I recently spent 6 weeks traveling solo in Vietnam and out of those 6 weeks, spent 15 days exploring Northern Vietnam with Mr Linh's agency. I cannot recommend enough his services.   To start with, Mr. Linh personally met me to organise the whole trip (it was very last minute trip but everything was perfectly organised and handled). He knows Northern Vietnam like the back of his hand and could accommodate all the places I wanted to see / activities I wanted to do in 15 days (compared to several other agencies I had contacted, that presented me with standard itineraries). With Mr Linh’s agency, I was able to get a tailor-made itinerary and it was exactly what I wanted.  The guide (Hieu) and driver (Nam) were just excellent; they went out of their way all the time. The car was kept perfectly clean at all times. I requested once to start a very early trek (around 5 am and Hieu did not hesitate at all).   Mr Linh’s itineraries take you to the “off the beaten path”; I stayed in homestays in awesome locations: in the middle of rice fields surrounded by karsts looking like Halong bay on land or at the edge of Ba be lake. I did awesome hikes in Ha Giang and Bac Ha, where I did not see any tourist (just nature, nature and a few locals): even for the Sapa hike Hieu suggested we go further to avoid the tourist traps and we ended up doing a longer hike but with the most amazing scenery and especially away from the very touristic parts. I ate great local food for every single meal during those 15 days and did not get sick once!  Simply amazing! Highly recommend.

Date of experience: 10 2017

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Immersive remote north Vietnam 9 days 8 nights

Destination:

Tour Includes:

Tour Excludes:

What To Take:

Accommodation List

Hieu Homestay

Loan Khang Homestay

Mrs Chon's Homestay

Sapa Village Hotel

Hoa Cuong Hotel Dong Van

Mr Doan's Homestay

Mr Kim's Homestay

Ba Be Jungle Houses

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