North West and East Loop 9 Days

Departing from Hanoi we set out on a journey around 150 km away to the remote region of Mai Chau district in Hoa Binh province, a picturesque valley, home to White Thai, Dao and H’mong people.

Here, we hike around scenic villages and observe and observe the daily life of White Thai people.

In the evening, we are shown the hospitality of villagers and spend the night in a traditional wooden house of a White Thai family to experience their way of life. (Lunch and dinner are included).

We have breakfast with a local family and continue our adventure. We take a hike along dirt paths surrounded by hill tribe villages, sculpted rice paddies and picturesque hills.

En route we meet the local people going about their daily life, break for tea and eat lunch in their homes.

Afternoon finds us cycling around picturesque villages, along beautiful mountains and hills, then onto the Black River.

Following a short boat trip along this river we reach the village of Xom Moi, home to a Muong community, tonight our host offer us a traditional dinner and a toast, before an overnight stay with them. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

This morning we wander along a track, enjoying the stunning visual surroundings as we descend towards our waiting vehicle and journey to Moc Chau around 60 km away, where we have lunch in a local restaurant.

This is followed by our drive to Phu Yen town for the night in a hotel. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

Our destination for today is Than Uyen. It is a journey along the Hoang Lien Son Range, the scenery more than makes up for this. Along the way we stop to head out for some exploration of H’mong and Thai villages.

Arriving in the town of Than Uyen, which is located in a scenic valley we check into our hotel. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

A morning drive finds us on the road to the hill top town of Sapa. Home to some of Vietnam’s most colourful hill tribe minorities and overlooking a valley shared by Vietnam’s highest peak, Fansipan.

We relax in the township and set off to explore its neighbourhood - the villages of Sin Chai and O Qui Ho await us.

Here, the local tribesmen are Black H’mong and Red Dao who speak their own languages, terraced fields fill the hilly cultivated land.

The trails are narrow winding through small villages, lush hills and open rice paddy fields. We return to Sapa town for an overnight stay in a hotel. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

This morning we set off to discover Sapa and its nearby villages of Y Linh Ho and Giang Ta Chai, set in a spectacularly beautiful valley and home to Black H'mong people. We have ample opportunities to see how they live and give wonderful insights into their way of life.

Along the way we stop at one of the friendly villages and enjoy a picnic lunch. Finally, we arrive in the village of Giang Ta Chai, nestled in a spectacular region. Tonight we spend a memorable night in the traditional stilt-house of a Zay family.

Zay people are adept at rice cultivation and are responsible for tending to the manicured terraces that stretch as far as the eye can see. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

The beautiful Giang Ta Chai is surrounded by verdant hills and rice terraces. We enjoy a hike through lush rice terraces and along hills to the villages of Ban Den, situated in a region of sculpted rice terraces and home to Black Hmong people.

From here we trek around peaceful villages and farmlands before we board our vehicle for our journey through beautiful mountain scenery that takes us to Tuyen Quang province, the base for our relaxing schedule as we spend the morning around Tan Trao.

This area is historically important for having been the former guerrilla base in the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France and Japan.

We visit the remains of Ho Chi Minh‘s temporary home where he completed the declaration of Vietnamese independence in 1945. The night is spent in a hotel. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

The day begins with a journey to Ba Be Lake. Upon our arrival we take a hike in the park, we descend into the scenic valley, home of the Tay minority people.

In the afternoon, we cross the rolling hills and pass a handful of Hmong and Red Dao villages. The scenery is extraordinary, with rural farmland and rugged mountains jutting out of the tangled jungle growth.

We end our day in a hospitable Tay family who lives by the lake. The night is spent in a traditional stilt-house to experience their way of life. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

Today we have a spectacular boat trip along the beautiful lake. En route we disembark our boat to hike along the riverfront, explore some lovely villages and trek to the upper reaches of the lake, in an area marked by massive limestone cliffs and mountains.

Following lunch in a local family, it is our journey back to Hanoi, arriving there at around 5pm. (Breakfast and lunch are included).