INTRODUCTION
Destination: Hanoi – Hoabinh – Mai chau – Puluong – Mucangchai – Nghialo – Sapa – Bacha.
What to see: villages, towns, mountains, hill tribe people, markets, forests and rice fields.
ITINERARY
Day 1. HANOI – HOA BINH – PU LUONG (160KM) (LUNCH)
With north west loop tour, we pick you up at 08:00 at your hotel and transfer to visit one of the most beautiful place in the North – Mau Chau Valley.
On the way, we make a first stop at Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant which was built from 1979 to 1994. It is not only an important industrial construction but also an attractive sightseeing for visitors. Many valuable items such as: Ho Chi Minh statue on Tuong hill with 18 meters height, the traditional area keeping letters, memorial Vietnamese and Soviet experts sacrifice to built hydropower projects.
From there, we take a short driver to reach to one of the most beautiful roads in Vietnam which is steep mountains in one side and amazing Hoa Binh Lake in the other side and called Halong bay on land with thousands of islands dotted on the lake. If you are lucky, you can see the fishermen working on the lake to catch fish, shrimp… Especially, we will stop at a stilt-house located on the bank of the lake for having a picnic lunch which will be prepared by our tour guide. Then take a short boat trip (1 hours) on the beautiful lake and immerge yourself in the pure nature of fresh.
Arrive at Pu Luong in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Pu Luong Retreat or other.
Note: You can stay a night in Maichau valley, if you like.
Day 2. PU LUONG TREKKING DAY (BREAKFAST, LUNCH)
AM: Start early to descend into the beautiful valley facing the Retreat where you walk around tumbling rice terraces. Trek through small paths shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Your camera will not be able to sit still!
Continuing to the base of the valley, you weave between roads and farmland, villages and wild fields, ponds and rivers, mountains and open land. Savour the ever-changing scenery as you trek to a beautiful spot to enjoy a simple picnic lunch.
PM: You will be transferred to a suspension bridge over the Cham River, where you begin your walk in search of stunning water wheels. Get up close to each wheel and discover how water is moved from river to handmade bamboo aqueducts via simple constructions of all sizes.
Arriving at a local fisherman’s house, you have a short rest to gear up for the bamboo river rafting with Dinh and his team. Float along the calm river and enjoy the views, in between learning how to paddle and steer your handcrafted rafts.
Overnight at Pu Luong Retreat or other.
Day 3. PU LUONG – NGHIA LO (240KM) (B, L, D)
For north west loop tour, Leave Pu Luong for Nghia Lo and this journey passes through stunning mountainous landscape, featuring with fertile hilly area covered with green tea plantations, the mountains get higher and higher. Along the way, you can see thick forests cover high mountains. Here, the Thai occupy the low land almost at bottom of valleys, near river or streams from which they build up water wheels for transfer water to rice paddies on which they farm wet rice intensively. The H’mong settle at the highest elevation, grow corn and dry rice on the burn-over land and the Zao live in the middle practice both methods of farming and it is easy to realize that they learn a lot of farming technique from the Thai.
Arriving in Nghia Lo, a pretty mountainous town, we spend the remaining hours of the day wandering the town including the market area, we will check in the homestay.
Have dinner and overnight in Nghia Lo.
Day 4 . NGHIA LO – MU CANG CHAI (100KM) (B, L, D)
After breakfast, we transfer from Nghia Lo to Tu Le. The road ride today takes only 2 hours so we have a lot of time exploring the area for real mountainous life of the local ethnic minority people. Fancy a four hour trekking along a trail which connect villages to villages, meeting different tribal people such as White Thai, Black Zao, Red H’mong…who seem very surprise, staring at you for the first moment and turn out very friendly and inviting you to their homes in which you will be hosted with tea or homemade wine. On the way, you will also make a nice stop at Khau Pha pass. Next to Mu Cang Chai, we enjoy another home staying in a large Thai village, which offers fantastic hours for your culture discovery. On arrival Mu Cang Chai town, check-in your bungalow.
In the afternoon, we start a wonderful drive & very short trek to view the majestic landscapes of rice terraces, local villages of Black H’mong and mountains in Han Xung village of the Hmong people. You will immerse in the majestic natural landscape, the unique terraced fields in this area…
From there, the journey move to La Pan Tan commune. Along the community’s paths, you have chance to see the view daily life of local tribes and to interact with friendly people; then along buffalo trails to captivate the most impressive terraced rice fields in La Pan Tan commune.
Back to the lodge for relax
Overnight in Mu Cang Chai.
Day 5. MU CANG CHAI – THAN UYEN – SAPA (140KM) (B, L, D)
Breakfast will be served at the lodge.
09:00. We leave Mu Cang Chai for road transfer to Tam Duong via Than Uyen. It is a long day along the road. This portion of the road runs along the northwest side of Hoang Lien Mountain Range and offers magnificent landscape which is a combination of highest mountains, marvelous valleys, waterfalls and beautiful streams.
Take many stops and short walks along the way for taking photos of landscapes and local ethnic peoples.
From Tam Duong we will drive uphill the Tam Ton Pass to get over the Hoang Lien Son mountain range to the east side. This portion offers probably the most stunning and magnificent scenery of the mountainous region in Vietnam. On the way, we will also stop to see the Heaven Gate; where you can see the overview of the whole valleys & mountains in the areas.
On your arrival in Sapa, if time permits, take a walk around Ta Giang Phing village for 2 hours. Ta Giang Phinh village is located on the foot of majestic Ngu Chi Son Mountain (also known as Buddha’s fingers mountain); 28km far from Sapa town. On the way, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of thick rained forest on high mountains, dotted with rolling valleys & local villages. The village is down on the valley of terraced rice fields, surrounded by high mountains and including scattered local hamlets setting along peaceful stream. Most of local tribes living here are white Hmong with their unique dresses and house styles.
Overnight in Sapa.
Day 6 . SAPA TREKKING TOUR (BREAKFAST, LUNCH)
Sapa, in the terraced hills and mountains of this area; the monotony of the expansive green landscape is enlivened by the colours of its hill tribe population. Here you will find hands stained with colour from fabric dyes and shades of blue, red and green intricately embroidered and stitched into jackets, waistcoats, pants, skirts, caps, purses and leggings.
At 9.00: We will come to meet you at your hotel and intruduce about the trip via the map and then we start doing one day trek to Hang Da, Hau Thao, Sa Seng and Giang Ta Chai villages; will give a special atmosphere of peaceful villages in the mountain, those are visited by fewer tourists than the other villages.
The walk from Sapa center will lead you to the new road and start walking up hill. And now it is along the mountain side that appears the amazing scenery of the Chapa valley with its river, rice terraces and villages located close together.
Keep trekking up you will get to Hang Da village; visit some houses along your unsoiled trek, Keep descending to Xa Xeng village you will see amazing rice paddy terraced. Picnic lunch will be served at a beautiful port or Local house. After lunch and short rest; You will continue your trek to Hau Thao and Giang Ta Chai village where you swimming in river in hot day. Later on we take the van back to a luxury homestay.
Overnight in Sapa.
Day 7. SAPA – BAC HA (120KM) (BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER)
09:00. Leave Sapa for Bac Ha Town that takes around 120Km – 3 hours.
On the way, you will also stop at the border gate between Vietnam & China with a sacred temple.
Upon your arrival in Bac Ha,;For north west loop tour, we check-in your hotel. Then have lunch, after that have a short break. And we take a short walk to visit Ban Pho Village – owned by Flower H’mong people. It’s where the beauty of the highlands is most captivating; And paired with the serene village backdrop makes a lasting impression. Especially, you will learn how to make corn wine – a specialty of Flower H’mong people.
Just a short distance from Ban Pho Village, visit to H’mong King Palace. The castle of the “king” was restored and painted in yellow. It was built in 1914 and completed in 1921.
Overnight in Bac Ha.
Day 8 . BAC HA – HANOI (300KM) (BREAKFAST, LUNCH)
The markets in the Northern Vietnam are always the colorful meeting places for the hill tribes; spotlight for any Sapa Tours and of course, your unique Vietnam Tours experience. Minority people come down from the mountains to sell their products; or just for catching up on the latest news, gossip, drinking away troubles or seeking for lover. In the morning, drive to visit one of the areas weekly markets;
Market days:
- Can Cau Market – Saturdays.
- Bac Ha Market or Muong Hum Market or Muong Khuong Market – Sundays.
- Cao Son Market – Wednesdays.
- Lung Khau Nhin Market – Thursdays.
- Coc Ly Market – Tuesdays.
In the afternoon, drive back to Hanoi for overnight.
North west loop tour will finish at your place. Thank you for your travel with us.
TOUR SERVICE INCLUDE IN NORTH WEST LOOP TOUR
- Transfer and boat trip as mentioned.
- Meals as programme.
- Accommodations as mentioned.
- English speaking guide.
- Entrance fee as mentioned for places.
