Detail Itinerary
Day 1: HA NOI - ARRIVAL
Arriving at Noi Bai airport. Transfer to hotel. Visit Hanoi "The city
situated on the side of Red river ." Walk in the residential district
where was the Presidential Palace, the house and the mausoleum of Ho Chi
Minh, the One-Pillar pagoda. Next, we will visit the museum of
ethnology, Quan Thanh temple and Tran Quoc pagoda established by the
West lake, the temple of literature (the first university of Vietnam in
the 11th century) and Ngoc Son temple. In the late afternoon, we go by
cyclo in the old quarter. Have lunch and dinner in city. In the evening:
water puppet show. Night at hotel.
Day 2: HA NOI - CHO RA - BA BE
Departure for Ba Be, passing through the mountainous region of Tonkin .
There are superb landscapes with the rice fields in terrace, the paddle
wheels in bamboo on the two sides of the river. Have lunch on road.
Upon arrival at Cho Ra, take a boat on Nang river that slips in a
cultivated country before penetrating in a landscape of chalky cliffs
whose flank are characterised by small wild gardens, where hang the
lianas and its long roots in quest of earth. Sometimes, the jungle, the
purple canes, the silver spindly marbled trunks and the old trees
bending their twist above the river swallow some earthy mounds. In the
other view, it is the spectacle of fishing. The lobster pots stake out
the course of river, some men throw the sparrow hawk, and others hit the
rocky banks to dislodge some of lower-case shrimps. Then we enter into
the Puong Cave . The river flows, making up a wonderful site where you
can enjoy the stalactites on foot of this pothole. We continue going by
boat to Pac Ngoi- a village of Tay ethnic situated no far from the lake
on the flank of hills. The Tay lives on fishing, rice and corn
cultivation. Their stilt houses with the thatched roofs disperse in the
austere surrounding landscapes. Have dinner and overnight at the
inhabitant.
Day 3: BA BE - CAO BANG
We take a boat in the fairy decor of Ba Be lake; "the lake of three
seas" that stretches on 9 km long and from 100 to 1800 m large, at
altitude of 145 m. It is located at the outlet of 3 valleys that join
together in bow of circle. Ba Be is not only a site for the imaginative,
but also for the nature lovers. About over forty pieces of mammal live
there, as well as hundred pieces of bird and butterflies. You can visit
Dau Dang cascade, a village of the Dao ethnic. Then, we leave for Cao Bang province, a small city at the extremity northwest of the country. Arrive and
dinner in city. Night at hotel
Day 4: CAO BANG - MO SAT
Departure from city to the northwest. Following the itinerary, we turn
left to go along the track of Thong Nong. A six hours trek to get to Mo
Sat village of Tay , through the narrow small valleys, go round some
skywards slim peaks. Here we have an opportunity to pass through the
suspended bridge that was made of bamboo to make contact with the Tay
villagers and see them working on their rice fields in terrace. At noon:
Picnic. Dinner and night at the inhabitant
Day 5: MO SAT - NA CHAO
A
six hours trek from the Mo Sat village to the Na Chao village of the
Tay . We go back up toward the frontier with ChinaTay while running
along the track edged by stream to the superb wild mountainous
landscapes with the rice fields in terrace and the paddle wheels in
bamboo on the two sides of river. Then the path abandon very quickly to
the well organised world of and to the dispersed isolated houses of the
Dao. Their low houses are constructed in the land that they reclaim and
cultivate on the burnt land. A short stops to visit a village of the
Dao. At noon: Picnic. Dinner and overnight at the inhabitant
Day 6: NA CHAO - SOC GIANG - CAO BANG
A trek for one hour from Na Chao to Soc Giang. Visit a typical market,
where the Tay and Nung women come with conical hats, black trousers and
blue or red short tunics, the black Hmong in indigoes. This market takes
place on every fifth day of the lunar calendar. Then walking in one
hour to the Chinese frontier. Then, we take our minibus to the Pac Bo
grotto, one of the most historical sites where the uncle Ho stayed over
years. Return to Cao Bang. Dinner and night at hotel
Day 7: CAO BANG - DONG KHE - PAC HOAN
The run is characterised by its beauty. It is a continuation and
combination of the mountains, the hills and the thick forests. This road
is famous for its name RC4 - Colonial Road number 4 which implies the
several fighting between French and Vietminh in the 1950s at the time of
the frontier battle. After arriving in Dong Khe, we have lunch and
continue to Pac Hoan village of Nung . Dinner and night at the
inhabitant
Day 8: PAC HOAN - COC XA - NA BAN
A six hours trek from Pac Hoan to Na Ban a village of the Tay .
Following our itinerary, we will explore the tracers of the colonial
attendance that now became rare. Outsides, in the small flap of the Dao -
Coc Xa where 5 000 French legionnaires had been killed by the Viet
Minh, during the time of the frontier war. We Continue going to Na Ban.
Dinner and night at the inhabitant
Day 9: NA BAN - THAT KHE - LANG SON
A five hours trek from Na Ban to That Khe with the superb karstic
landscapes and the culture of corn, cassava, rice. After lunch, we leave
for Lang Son by bus, then continuing on the same road that lead up to
the valley and runs along Ky Cung clinching, which is the continuation
of the Canton river . You will see the beautiful perspective on the
river and the surrounding rocky peaks. Dinner and overnight in Lang Son
Day 10: LANG SON - HA LONG
Lang Son, a small dynamic city that was went trough a disaster in 1979;
it woke up in the beginning of the year 90 with the reopening policies
of trade between China and Viet Nam . In the early morning, we visit
Dong Kinh central market, Tam Thanh grotto. Then, depart for Halong. The
road is very nice with the beautiful mountainous landscapes and the
coasts of Tonkin gulf. On arrival in Halong, check in Tuan Chau
bungalow. Tuan Chau island has a surface of 3 square km and populated by
1200 fishers. At an ideal location, the hotel is composed of three
villas that were constructed during the year of 1960s to receive Ho Chi
Minh. Today, the High Dignitary Families of the Communist Party often
come again to spend their weekends and vacation there. The hotel has a
very beautiful view on the bay. It is really a privileged place that
doesn't normally available for tourists, my personal relations with the
Director Board of hotel, will enable you to enjoy it. In the afternoon,
take a walk to a fishing village. Have lunch and dinner with seafood.
Night in the bungalow.
Day 11: HA LONG
If Hanoi was Thang Long, "Ascending Dragon", the Halong bay,
"Descending Dragon". This name is originated from a legend explaining
the present of its rocky peaks that are the remains from a fierce battle
of a great dragon. The fantastic peaks cutting the horizon in bluish
teeth or sunken mountains which emerge only their summits, caves and
grottoes where the streams disappear, game of mists and clouds. The most
typical is that these peaks with the strange shapes seem floating on
the surface of water and here the silence of this spreads sea dominates
everywhere, sometimes broken by the scream of a sea bird. Take a private
boat, and cruise all day on the bay. Have lunch and dinner with fresh
seafood. Night on board.
Day 12: HA LONG - CAT BA
We continue cruising to Cat Ba island. You will discover Cat Ba
national park that includes humid forests, inshore mangrove swamps,
numerous small fresh water lakes, sandy beaches and reefs of beautiful
coral. It is the home for 28 pieces of mammal, 37 pieces of bird, 20
pieces of reptile and 200 pieces of fish. There you will find a rare
tree "stick tree". It is named following its wood, which is reactive
with the poisonous foods and often used to manufacture the sticks
utilized in the court. Lunch and dinner with fresh seafood. Night at
hotel
Day 13: CAT BA - HAI PHONG - HA NOI
You can visit a fishing village, the market of fish. But especially,
you will have an impressive memory of Cat Ba with the lifestyle of its
local fishers and the magnificent sites. Embarking on a hydroplane for
one hour journey to Hai Phong. Discover Hai Phong, the city with French
colonial style is very famous for its streets and avenues edged by
flaming. Then we visit Du Hang pagoda, Hang Kenh Communal House. Return
to Ha Noi. Night at hotel
Day 14: HA NOI - PERFUME PAGODA - NINH BINH
Departure for the Perfume pagoda, one of the most beautiful sites of
Vietnam . The pagodas and temples are perched on the flank of chalky
mountain whose architecture integrates perfectly with avery lush nature.
Take a sampan which drive you on the Yen river to the root of the
Perfume mountain, but according to the rules of pilgrimage, a stopover
should be made at the Trinh temple to ask the Genius -guardian
permission to pursue our journey. Then you will need a 3 hours
round-trip to climb up to the Huong Tich pagoda, an immense cave where
stalactites and stalagmites form candelabra and altars. Have lunch
there. We leave for Ninh Binh, crossing the superb landscapes of
mountain filled with tea trees. Dinner and night at hotel
Day 15: NINH BINH - TAM COC - BICH DONG - HOA LU
Departure for Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam in the 10th
century. Visit the commemorative temple dedicated to Dinh and Le kings.
Have lunch at Tam Coc. An excursion by boat on the Ngo Dong river that
snakes between the hills and the rice fields in a marvellous landscape,
often called "Ha Long on land". Visiting Bich Dong pagoda situated on
the flank of hills. Dinner and night at hotel.
DAY 16: HOA LU - PHAT DIEM - HANOI
Take a light trek in surrounding villages of Tam Coc for 4 hours. After
lunch, we depart for Phat Diem, one of the most beautiful cathedrals of
Vietnam which was constructed in 1891. It is very remarkable by its
material (marble, granite and wood). Return to Hanoi . Night at hotel
DAY 17: HA NOI - DEPARTURE
Free at leisure until tranferring to Noibai airport for onward flight. Meal and night on board.
Contact Lotussia Travel for more information and BOOk this tour.
