Unique Vietnam Tour (Hanoi, Dien Bien Phu, Lai Chau, Sapa, Halong)

Arrival in Hanoi. Transfer to the hotel. A first encounter with the city.

In the morning we go on a bus tour to the capital’s most important and most interesting locations: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Uncle Ho’s house (from here Ho Chi Minh lead his government affairs), the One-Column-Pagoda (Chua mot cot), the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu, Vietnam’s first university) and the Maison Centrale (a prison dating from the French colony). We eat lunch at KOTO, a restaurant managed by former street kids. We have an unhurried afternoon, exploring the old French quarter in cyclos (Vietnamese bicycle-rickshaws). The literary expression for Hanoi is “city of the 36 alleys”. In the tree-lined alleys we watch the local craftsmen at work. We will have a coffee break at the banks of the “lake of the returned sword” (Hoan Kiem Lake) with its jade mound temple (Den Ngoc Son).

A morning Vietnam Airlines plane flies us into the Northern highlands, close to the Laotian border. This was the setting for the battle of 1954 that ultimately lead to the downfall of the French colony. After check-in, we visit the war museum, the former head quarters of colonel Christian de Cateries.

North-West Vietnam is a fantastic area with countless mountains, ethnicities and forests. The ideal setting for a discovery tour. We ride through the mountains in our private bus. On our way we will cross paths with numerous ethnic minorities (Tay, Hmong, Dzao, Giay,…). At the end of the 160 km-long, at times rough bus ride we stay at a simple accommodation in Phong To.

Our today’s trip of 170 km length takes us through various villages. In the afternoon we reach Indochina’s highest pass, the Tramton Pass. Passing by the Sliver Waterfall we reach Sapa, set at 1560 m above sea level and at the foot of Phan Si Pan Mountain (Vietnam’s highest at 3143 m). We spend the next three nights in Sapa.

In the morning, we explore the town that was turned into a mountain health resort by the French in the 1920s. Today, Hmong and Red Dzao people grow vegetables, tea and cinnamon here. We walk the four kilometers to Cat Cat village, home to the Black Hmongs, famous for their indigo-dyed dresses. After a short peek into their everyday life (dying and weaving of hemp cloth), we walk down to the water fall. We find an old, defunct power plant from the French. On our return trail we pass by rice terraces and water buffalos. Motobike taxis bring us back to the hotel.

Russian jeeps are our vehicles today. The first hiking tour in this breath-taking scenery takes us to the minority village of Ta Van. Here we get a feel for the hard lives of the Giay and Hmong. The three-hour trip leads us through hamlets and rice terraces and over the May Bridge where we can cool off our feet in the chilly mountain river. Return by jeep. In the afternoon our jeeps bring us to Ta Phin, the village of the Red Dzao. The women with their red head scarves are famour for their elaborate embroidery. We stroll through rice paddies, visit a cave and chat with the locals. Evening transfer to the train station of Lao Cai. Train ride back to Hanoi.

Early morning arrival. Transfer to the hotel. A day to relax.

Today we visit the Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong), a must-see for fans of nature and art. The trip to Huong Tich (Mountain of the Scenting Traces) takes two hours and can only be done by boat. This important place of pilgrimage consists of a a complex of pagodas, temples and shrines, carved into grottos, caves and cliffs. The two-hour hike leads us through limestone cliffs and lush vegetation up to the peak of Huong Tich with the main Grotto of the Scenting Traces, the final destination of the pilgrimage. Return to Hanoi. To round off the day we watch a performance of the water puppet players.

This morning the bus brings us to one-of-a-kind Halong Bay (Ha Long means “descending dragon”, contrary to Thang Long, “ascending dragon”, the old name of Hanoi). Under way we visit the potters’ village Bat Trang. We go on to Hai Phong. At 1 pm, we take the public ferry to Cat Ba Island (a natural reserve). The interesting boat trip takes about two hours. After check-in we enjoy a tour through the harbor in small rowing boats. Diner on a house boat.

On today’s tour (partly on motorbike, partly on foot) into the national park, we discover the natural beauties of this unique island: bizarre rock formations, frog ponds, traditional villages and a longer hike to the panorama mountain at the end of the trip. In the afternoon, we have time to swim and relax.

After breakfast, our spectacular boat journey (private boat) through the breath-taking scenery of 2000 limestone islands begins. Now and then we stop for a swim. Our private boat passes by small floating settlements. Before dinner we visit an impressive cave and later we ascend the Ti Tov panorama mountain. We stay on a junk (shared boat, double room with toilet and bathroom, A/C).

On goes our trip through magic Halong Bay. After lunch our boat has time to return to Bai Chay Harbor. Upon arrival, return trip to Hanoi. The trip ends with the transfer to Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi).