Sapa
In the heart of the Tonkinese Alps, Sapa looks like the place where the mountains embrace the clouds. This is where a large number of ethnic minorities in Vietnam are concentrated, such as the H'mong, the Red Dzao, the Thais, the Tay, the Giay, the Hoa or the Xa Pho. Lovers of trekking and homestays will be spoiled! The Sapa region is ideal for sharing moments with the locals and discovering different cultures and traditions. Saturday is market day: everyone goes to Sapa to stock up on goods and meet up with friends or family who live in remote areas.
The landscapes of the far north
● The grandiose massifs of the Hoang Lien Sơn range
● Picturesque rice terraces
● Green valleys and lush forests
Meetings with ethnic minorities
● The black Hmong in Lao Chai
● Red Dzao in Ta Van
● The colorful Tay, Nung and Hmong at Bac Ha market
● Accompanied by a good guide: fluent in English, helpful and attentive (there is a supplement for the guide in Italian)
● Hiking on paths unknown to travelers
● Night at the inhabitant in comfortable traditional houses.
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Meeting with the guide, transfer in the evening to the train station for the train to Lao Cai, departure around 21:00. Night on train in a wagon with comfortable beds. (04 persons / cabin)
Night train
Arrive in Lao Cai early by train. Transfer to Sapa. Clinging to the sides of a verdant valley, the city of Sapa is a treasure trove of culture and diversity. The H'mong, Dzao, Dzay, Tay and Hani live there in perfect harmony and will welcome you with open arms in their colorful villages. Breakfast then transfer to Y Linh Ho, where you will start your excursion discovering fabulous mountain landscapes. Visit of unknown villages to travelers such as Y Linh Ho, San 1 and San 2 and then cross a still wild place with small villages inhabited by the Hmong ethnic group. Picnic lunch in nature or in a local restaurant. Around 2pm, a pleasant descent will take you to the center of the Muong Hoa Valley where the Black Hmong, Giay, Tay, Hani, Thai and Red Dzao ethnic groups live. Discovery of the daily life of local populations. The walk will end in Ta Van, a charming village inhabited by Hmong and Giay.
After breakfast and a path climbs gently, you will suddenly enter the jungle frequented only by hunters and climbers in search of dry wood. Go down a staircase with its high and slippery steps. Later, you will cross the rice paddies before finding the white Thais. Count about 6 hours of walking. Dinner and overnight with the family in a house on stilts in Ban Buoc.
Car: 40km Trekking: 4-5 hours B, L, D Homestay
Today, continue your journey through lush rice terraces and a lush bamboo forest. Follow the small paths that connect the authentic villages of the region in the middle of a magnificent and relaxing nature. Stop to enjoy a beautiful waterfall before crossing a graceful suspension bridge. Your visit begins at Giang Ta Chai village where the Red Dao and Black Hmong coexist. Then take the road to Bac Ha, a quiet and charming town located at an altitude of 950m. Here the colorful Hmong and Tay, Nung, Dzao, Phula etc. they have lived together in perfect harmony for more than 200 years and grow various foods such as corn, rice, cassava and various types of vegetables on very steep mountain slopes. Installation in the hotel. In the afternoon, enjoy a short hike around Bac Ha to discover the Thai villages Giang Pho and Na Lo.
Car: 90km/2 hours Trekking: 4 hours B, L Hotel
Today we visit Bac Ha Sunday market. It is the largest market in the region. Each week it attracts many ethnic groups, including the Hmong Fleuris, the Tay, the Nung, the Phula or even the Dzao reds. Everyone comes down the mountain, dressed in their beautiful traditional costumes, to sell pets, rice, sugar cane, fresh fruit or corn alcohol. Have lunch at a local restaurant before leaving Bac Ha for Trung Do village. From this Tay village, river cruise on the Chay River which offers a magnificent view of beautiful caves! Road to Lao Cai to take the night train back to Hanoi.
Car: 70km/2 hours Trekking: ½ hour Boat: ½ hour B Night train
The train arrives in Hanoi early in the morning. Transfer to your hotel. End of our services.
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IMPORTANT NOTE
This trip is privately organized by iLOTUS TOURS for your group
PRICE INCLUDES
• Accommodation and breakfast at the listed hotel or host families
• Meals clearly indicated in the program: B = breakfast; L = lunch; D = dinner
• The entrance ticket to the sites
• Competent Vietnamese English-speaking guide throughout the circuit except for free times when it says: without guide. There is a supplement for the guide in Italian in case you need it.
• Privatized and air-conditioned car for all land transport and travel except free times when it is said: without driver
• One liter of drinking water per person / day
• All logistic services necessary for the organization of the program.
PRICE EXCLUDES
• International flights and airport taxes to / from your country
• Visa fees
• Means of transport not mentioned in the program
• Meals not mentioned in the program
• Tipping for services: local guides, crew members, drivers, porters, etc.
• Drinks, telephone or all personal expenses not mentioned in the "the price includes" section.
