Maichau Trekking (3 days/ 2 nights ex – Hanoi)
This itinerary involves staying in H’Mong village at 1200m altitude. Here the condition is extremely primitive. The trekking distances are 10 – 15 km per day on mountain tracks, with some steep descents.
Day 1: Hanoi – Xalinh (Road)
After breakfast, depart from Hanoi at 8.00 AM to Xalinh, stop at HoaBinh bungalow hotel to pick up local guide. Continue to Xa Linh and arrive about noon. Lunch in Xalinh. After lunch go around and visit H’Mong people and school in the village. Afternoon, start biking (9km) from Xalinh to Hang Kia. Dinner and Overnight in the local H’Mong house. (B,L,D)
Day 2: Hang Kia- Cun Pheo
After breakfast, Start to trek at 8.00 AM for 18 km from Hang Kia down into the valley to Muong village – Cun Pheo (no way for biking). Pack lunch on the way. Arrive at Cun Pheo about 4.00 PM of the afternoon. Check in your home-stay before walking around to visit the Muong Group. Dinner and Overnight in local Muong house on stilts in Cun Pheo. (B, L, D)
Day 3: Cun Pheo- Sam Khoe
After breakfast, 8.00AM start biking about 7 km through the lust rice scenery from Cun Pheo to the Thai village at Sam Khoe. Lunch at Sam Khoe. Lunch followed by return to Ha Noi. Dinner at restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi. (B, L, D)
Hanoi – Hoabinh – Maichau – Hanoi (7 days/ 6 nights)
Day 01: Hanoi – Hoa Binh
Morning drive 70km from Hanoi to Hoa Binh town. Check in hotel. Visit Hoa Binh Dam, Hoa Binh Hydro-electric factory. Lunch at restaurant. Afternoon, visit Hoa Binh Museum and Co Tien Cave. Dinner at restaurant. Overnight in Hoa Binh. (L, D)
Day 02: Hoa Binh – Kim Boi
Breakfast, check out. 8:00 AM drive to Kim Boi , en route stop to visit Cun Pass. Lunch at restaurant in Kim Boi. Afternoon, time for rest and bathing in mineral hot spring. Dinner at restaurant. Overnight in hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 03: Kim Boi – Mai Chau
Breakfast, 8:00 AM, morning drive pass verdant landscape to Mai Chau, home to the White Thai hill tribe people. Situated in a scenic mountain valley, Mai Chau is pleasant for light hiking and visiting villages where people still live long-houses and weave textiles on ancient looms. Lunch at restaurant. There are chances conversing with the locals for visiting H’Mong villages. Continue to Thai village. Dinner and overnight in Thai stilt-houses. Experience, the traditional weaving and dancing in the home-stay. (B, L, D)
Day 04: Mai Chau
Gentle trekking around the beautiful valley of Maichau visit waterfall and small hamlets with subsistence lifestyles. Picnic lunch. Afternoon, continue to exploring tribes villages. Dinner with Lam rice and Can sticky- rice wine. Learn traditional dance with minorities girls Overnight in Mai Chau. (D)
Day 05: Mai Chau – Xalinh
After breakfast, departs from Mai Chau at 8:00 AM to Xalinh. Lunch in Xalinh. After lunch go around and visit H’Mong people and school in the village. Afternoon, start biking (9km) from Xalinh to Hang Kia. Dinner and Overnight in the local H’Mong house. (B, L, D)
Day 06: Hang Kia
After breakfast, start to trek at 8:00 AM for 18 km from Hang Kia down into the valley to Muong village – Cun Pheo (no way for biking). Pack lunch on the way. Arrive at Cun Pheo about 4:00PM of the afternoon. Check in your home-stay before walking around to visit the Muong Group. Dinner and Overnight in local Muong house on stilts in Cun Pheo. (B.L.D)
Day 07: Cun Pheo – Sam Khoe – Hanoi
After breakfast, 8:00AM start biking about 7 km through the lust rice scenery from Cun Pheo to the Thai village at Sam Khoe. Lunch at Sam Khoe. Lunch followed by return to Ha Noi. (B, L)
Sapa and the North West highlands
For many years now Sapa has been at the cutting edge of adventure travel in Vietnam and heralded as the great-unspoiled Chang Mai. Almost all other programs are based upon the weekend market where different minority groups flock from far and wide to the town of Sapa to trade.
The small size of the Sapa and the traditional Shyness of the various minority groups (especially the Dao) means that tourism has already resulted in a strange and some what detrimental atmosphere in the town at the weekend Indovillage encourage a more dispersed and minimal impact form of tourism to this very fragile and innocent region of Viet Nam. We see SaPa as town from which to explore the most spectacular landscapes in the country rather than a 200 with cameras poised. We have developed two trekking tours, which involve overnight camping. In addition to these we provide tailor made tours with day walks to enjoy the unique scenery at a more leisurely pace. Walks will take you through valleys with steep rice terraces, to see small minority communities and to vantage points to appreciate the beauty of the area.
Fansipoo Mountain Trekking (6days/ 5 nights)
Day 1: Hanoi – LaoCai (Rail)
Transfer from hotel 8:00 PM to train station for overnight train to Lao Cai at 8:00 PM.
Day 2: Lao Cai – Sapa
Arrive in Lao Cai at 6:00 AM pick up and transfer to Sa Pa. Check in hotel. Breakfast, Gentle trek to Black H’Mong village in Lao Chai. Continue to hike from the main road in Lao Chai to Ta Van. Visit the Zay group, Red Dzao and lunch with the local people. Return to Sapa in the late afternoon. Dinner at restaurant and instructions to get ready for climbing the Pansipoo. Overnight in Sapa. (B, L, D)
Day 3: Upwards to Pansipoo summit (elevation 2,200m)
Getting up early, the H’momg porter picks up our baggage and starts ahead walking first down the Sapa valley, heading for the bottom of the valley. Lunch on the way. We pass the Linh Ho river and later of the day reach then through primary forest. Before nightfall, we pick up the spot in the jungle and put up our camp for the next 02 nights. Dinner for your own. Overnight in your camp.
Day 4: Upwards to Pansipoo summit (elevation 2900m)
We start out very slowly with a minor descend, before we again move upwards. If we are lucky, we might see some of the giant butterflies living around here reaching a size of 25 cm. At around 2400 m the rain forest gradually gives way to huge, succulent bamboo. Climb up to the summit of Pansipoo 2,900m and enjoy the panoramic views or Pansipoo and “Ridge of five Fingers”. Return to mid camp at 2,200 m. Dinner for your own. Overnight in your camp.
Day 5: Downwards Pansipoo foot
We enjoy the morning coffee and the sound of the nature, while the porter takes down the camp and moves a head down the mountain. Lunch on the way. About 2 PM trek down Sapa. We will reach the Sapa in the time for good evening meal treated as a farewell dinner. Through the rice terraces to Sapa (1.500 m). Return to Hanoi on overnight train from Lao Cai (D)
Day 6: Hanoi
Arrive in Ha Noi. Free time until transfer to hotel or to airport for departure.
North – Eastern of Hanoi and more (6 days/ 5 nights)
Day 1: Arrive Hanoi
Upon arrival in Hanoi, meet and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Hanoi
Day 2: Hanoi- Langson (Road)
Morning leave Hanoi for Lang Son border town, 170km to the Northeast of Hanoi to enjoy the spectacular landscape on the way. A stop en route to visit But Thap Pagoda. Lunch upon arrival in town. After checking into hotel, visit Tam Thanh Cave and Mac Citadel Wall, a historical site of Mac Dynasty dated back to the 17th century, followed by a visit to Tien Pagoda. A leisure walk around Dong Kinh market in the afternoon to interact with local people. Overnight at Kim Son hotel in Lang Son. (L, D)
Day 3: Lang Son – Cao Bang (road)
Drive Lang Son – Cao Bang (150km). Stop by Dong Dang for a short visit to Vietnam- Sino Friendship border gate and continue to Dong Khe. Visit Na Sam and That Khe, the war sites related to Viet Minh Border Operation in 1950. Keep going on Route RC4, a well- known mountainous road of the French Indochina War. Check in hotel and lunch on arrival in Cao Bang. Afternoon drive more than 50km to Pac Po, visiting Pac Po Cave where Ho Chi Minh stayed for a couple of months during the year of 1941, Tay and Nung tribal villages on the way. Return to Cao Bang late in the afternoon. Overnight in Cao Bang (B, L, D)
Day 4: Cao Bang exploration (Road)
Early morning drive up to Ban Gioc Waterfall (90km), the most beautiful waterfall in northern Vietnam. Stop on the way for pictures and visit Tay and Nung villages with picnic lunch at the Ban Gioc Waterfall. Afternoon enjoy the beautiful scenery with hills and mountains around. Drive back to Cao Bang for the night. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight in Cao Bang. (B, L, D)
Day 5: Cao Bang – Ba Be (Road & Boat)
Depart Cao Bang for Ba Be. Upon arrival, take a 5-hour boat cruise to explore the tranquil Ba Be Lake and the national park with a picnic lunch on board. Overnight in a Ba Be bungalow guesthouse.
Day 6: Ba Be – Hanoi (Road)
Morning hiking around the Ba Be National Park to explore the Park and visit the waterfall. Early afternoon, depart for Hanoi (220km). Upon arrival in Hanoi transfer to the hotel.