Group of Haryati Mahmood

The trip was very well organized. Our guides and drivers were excellent, food was good and it was nice to spend a few nights with the local family in Bac Ha, especially the Black Hmong tribe in Sapa. I would like to praise our Black Hmong guide from Sapa O’Chau, Giang Ti Co – she was lovely and caring – always looking out for us and sharing stories about her tribe.

We really had an amazing time trekking with her and wish that we had a few more days in Sapa.There’s only one thing that I thought was a bit inconvenient and that was having to pick up the tickets ourselves at the train station in Hanoi. It was a bit confusing going from one counter to the next and waiting for someone to come with our tickets. Apart from that, everything else was great.

Thank you for helping us organize our trip!

Best regards,

Haryati Mahmood

Group of: Ms. Haryati and nephew

Travel date: 12/10/2014 – 20/10/2014                

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival.

No service.

Day 2: Hanoi City Tour free – Night train to Laocai

No service. Please be present at the station at least 1 hour before the departure.

Day 3: Lao cai – Si Ma Cai – Lau Thi Ngai – Ta van Chu – San Bay – La Ho (L)

The train arrives at the Laocai railways station in the early morning. Your guide and driver will meet you there. Enjoy breakfast (pay yourself) and then transfer to Bac Ha – a small town distance 110km from Sapa. From Si Ma Cai, you begin your adventure and enjoy beautiful mountain landscape and home to many minority hill tribe peoples. After the visit at house of Phu La tribes, begin the trekking which is long and and little bit hard for you. Some stop during the trek to enjoy the landscape and take photos.

Dinner will served at homestay. Overnight in homestay – house of Tay tribes.

Day 4: Bac Ha – Sapa trekking Lao Chai (B, D)

Breakfast at homestay.

Transfer to Sapa and begin the trek in Sapa. There are 2 options for you:

Trekking Lao Chai – Ta Van. Homestay a Ta Van.

Day 5: Sapa trekking GIang Ta Chai – Lao Cai – Night Train to Hanoi (B)

Trekking on village Giang Ta Chai, visit bamboo forest and the waterfalls, beautiful panorama on the Muong Hoa Valley before the transfer to Lao Cai for the night. Train to Hanoi.

Day 6: Hanoi free

No service.

Day 7: Hanoi – Halong Bay – Overnight on cruise (L, D)

Hanoi arrival. Free time until the transfer to Halong.

08:00 departure for Ha Long Bay; enjoy a 3-4 hour drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Halong Bay. Spend 24 hours on a traditional Junk Cruise in the amazing bay: a natural wonderland composed of jutting limestone islands and sparkling turquoise waters. Arrive at the dock around noon and board your junk. Savor a gourmet lunch of fresh seafood onboard as we sail out into the mystical bay. In the afternoon, cruise around some of Ha Long’s many islands, including Dinh Huong and Ga Choi. Along the way visit one of the bay’s 3 largest caves (Thien Cung, Dau Go or Sung Sot). Stop at an island cove with a sheltered white-sand beach and take a dip in the warm waters of the Tonkin Gulf (weather permitting). Pass the night on your junk, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of calm waters.

Day 8: Ha Long Bay – Hanoi (B, L)

Awake early and participate in Tai Chi on the top deck or simply relax and enjoy the sunrise over the bay’s towering islands. Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or tea, before setting out to explore nearby islands by rowboat. Return to the junk for breakfast then take advantage of the sundeck and admire the amazing rock formations of Bai Tu Long Bay as we navigate back to Ha Long City. Have brunch on board the boat before returning to Ha Long pier. Back to Hanoi.

Day 9: Hanoi departure.

No service.