The Saracen Festival

DAY 1 1 : ARRIVAL/ HANOÏ

– In Hanoi (or Noi Bai airport), we will welcome you with our guide and our driver.

Capital of Vietnam, Hanoi has retained the old-fashioned charm of the French colonial era. The modernization of the city undertaken by the French from 1882 continued until 1955 and the face of Hanoi has not changed much since. Some remarkably preserved or restored buildings stand out from a harmonious architectural ensemble. Hanoi is undoubtedly the most charming city in Vietnam with all its authenticity, large shaded avenues, numerous lakes, and well-kept gardens.

– Installation at your hotel.

– Beginning of the discovery of the city :

  Passage in front of the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh to the One Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot): erected in the middle of a pond, this square wooden pagoda rests on a single pillar representing the stem of a lotus, the flower attribute of the goddess of fertility and mercy.

Temple of Literature (Van Mieu): one of the most beautiful places of worship in the country, emblem of Confucianism. The architectural ensemble evokes the long road to knowledge, which requires calm, patience and perseverance.

  Tour of the small lake where the Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son) is located, erected in the 18th century on an islet in the center of Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword). First called Ngoc Son Pagoda, it was later referred to as the temple, where people came to pay homage to Saint Van Uong, considered one of the greatest minds of his century. The temple also became a place of worship dedicated to the national hero Tran Hung Dao, after his fight against the Nguyen.

• Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

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DAY 2 : HANOI / BA BE LAKE (250 km – 5h00 drive) 

• Breakfast at the hotel.

– You will take the direction of Ba Ba Lake at the very beginning of the morning.

– You will cross the northeast of the Red River Delta to reach mountain areas with increasingly forested and impressive landscapes.

• Free lunch en route.

– You will arrive in Ba Be in the course of the afternoon and a kayak trip on the immense turquoise surface of the lake from which green islets emerge, will be offered to you in order to be able to get closer to the
nature which will give you a more intimate experience.

Ba Be Lake, which is 250 km from Hanoi, is located in Bac Kan province and is a jewel of fascinating biodiversity and rich culture. Nestled in the heart of Ba Be National Park since 1992, the lake is renowned as the largest natural lake in Vietnam. Formed millions of years ago, it is located at an altitude of 1500 m, is 8 km long and covers a magnificent expanse of water of 500 ha. Since 2004, it has been listed as ASEAN heritage.

• Dinner and night at the inhabitant or at the hotel.

You will sleep in the village of Pac Ngoi.

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DAY 3 : BA BE LAKE

Nestled among karst mountains and lush primary rainforest, Ba Be Lake is also called Si Am Pé (3 lakes) because it consists of Pe Lam, Pe Lu and Pe Len lakes, which are connected to each other by small channels.

The shores of the lake and its surroundings are populated by several ethnic groups (Tay, Dao and H’mong) who live in harmony in this magnificent natural setting. The Tay generally live in wooden houses on stilts overlooking the lake in order to practice fishing there, with canoes which they skillfully make out of a tree trunk, and although they are extremely narrow, they glide effortlessly over the water.

– After breakfast, you will set off to discover the surroundings of Ba Be Lake by boat. .

– You will have the privilege of going to visit the An Ma temple, which rests peacefully next to the lake, creating a serene atmosphere.

– Here you can bathe in this relaxing atmosphere and learn about the religion and rituals of the local people.

– Then you will go to the 30m high Puong cave, which is also called the bat cave because of the huge colonies that have nested there for millennia.

– Around noon, you will have lunch at your accommodation.

– You will have the opportunity to discover by bike the shores of the lake populated by several ethnic groups, by going to the Hua Ma cave, which is without context one of the most beautiful caves in the region.

For many years the storytelling surrounding this cave kept the locals away, but now those brave enough to enter the cave are rewarded with breathtaking views of the rock formations of raw beauty and the rise of 300m to the entrance is well worth the effort.

– Dinner and overnight at the hotel or homestay.

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DAY 4 : BA BE LAKE / BAO LAC (100 km – 4h00 drive) 

• Breakfast,

– You will leave Ba Be National Park to take the direction of Bao Lac where you will arrive in the middle of the afternoon.

• Lunch en route.

– Depending on the weather, in the afternoon, you will go for a walk visiting a San Chi village or a Lolo village, in the heights of Bao Lac.

• Free dinner in the village and night at the hotel.

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DAY 5 : BAO LAC / DONG VAN (106 km – 3h30) 

• Breakfast.

– You will attend the market, if your visit falls on market day.

The Bao Lac ethnic market only takes place every 5 days, according to the lunar calendar. like all the markets in Vietnam, it is a place of exchanges and meetings where you will witness scenes of life of the ethnic groups who come at dawn with their traditionally very colorful clothes, some of them doing the many kilometers to go to the market.

Participating in a walkabout at the Bao Lac market is not only the best way to discover many local products but it is also the best way to meet many ethnic groups such as the black Lolos, the San Chi, the Hmong, the Dao and the Tay who go in their best costumes to the biggest event of the week.

– Then you will head to the high karst plateau of Dong Van. It is at the height of Meo Vac that you will take the start of the 185km long Happiness road which winds along the mountain sides of several districts and whose most impressive point is the Ma Pi Leng pass, a of the 4 most beautiful passes of Vietnam..

• Free lunch en route.

– After a stop at the pass, you will descend to the edge of the Nho Qhe river 800m below to take a cruise to get as close as possible to the Ma Pi Leng gorge.

– Then take the road again towards Dong Van where you will arrive at the end of the afternoon.

• Free dinner in the old town and night at the hotel.

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DAY 6 : IN THE KINGDOM OF THE WHITE H’MONGS – THE SARACENS ROUTE

The high karst plateau of Dong Van extends over more than 2300 km2. 80% of its territory consists of limestone rocks, stone forests that result from a long geological formation dating from 400 to 600 million years ago. It is a good research ground for geologists and offers travelers awe-inspiring landscapes, but for locals it is a burden due to the arid land, lack of water and little space for cultivation. .

• Breakfast.

– You will take the direction of Lung Cu, where you will visit the flag tower which is 2 steps from the Sino-Vietnamese border. Then it’s time to go to the Lolo Chai village to meet the flowery Lolo ethnic group and visit their buckwheat fields with them.

• Lunch at the inhabitant. You will have a memorable experience!

– Following this privileged sharing, we will invite you to have a coffee at Café Bac Cuc created by a Japanese geologist to help the community.

– In the afternoon, you will stroll through the Hmong villages in the heights of Dong Van. If the weather permits, you will go up to the belvedere to contemplate the sunset.

• Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

– At the beginning of the evening, you will share dinner with a Tay family while attending a show of flutes and traditional H’mong dances.

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DAY 7 : DONG VAN / QUANG BA (106 km – 4h00 drive)

For a long time, the H’mong grew poppy, selling its sap to meet their daily needs, which made Dong Van one of the crossroads of opium trafficking. It was only from the early 2000s, thanks to promises of food aid and the Vietnamese government’s agricultural development plan, that the H’mong abandoned poppy cultivation. From then on, buckwheat, the cereal that grows best in the mountains, took its place in the culinary life of Dong Van, for the survival of the H’mong people.

Every year, the Saracen Carnival takes place in November and it is one of the best months to discover this part of the far north of Vietnam.

• Breakfast.

– You will start the day by visiting the Palace of the last Hmong king of the region, classified as National Heritage.

In the province of Ha Giang, a few kilometers from the city of Dong Van, in a beautiful valley in the commune of Sa Phin, there is a small architectural marvel marked by the imprint of history: the fortified palace of the former king of the H’mong.

– Then your visit of the high karstic plateau will continue with the Lung Tam village of the Green Hmong
who make flax.

At 12 p.m., you will have lunch with a Dao family in long tunics.

In the early afternoon, you will discover the Lung Khuy cave, which is the most beautiful cave in the Quan Ba ​​region.

Dinner and night at the inhabitant.

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DAY 8 : QUANG BA / THAC BA LAKE (230 km – 5h30 drive)

Ha Giang Province is the northernmost province of Vietnam. It is bordered with the province of Yunnan, in the south of China with a long border of 235 km. Of relatively medium size compared to the other provinces of the country, it is however one of the most remarkable for the diversity of its landscapes and its ethnic composition.

• Breakfast.

– you will leave in the direction of the lake of Thac Ba.

Lunch at your host Dao in white pants. .

– In the afternoon, you will go for a boat trip on Thac Ba Lake to discover the wonders of this immense expanse of water sprinkled with hundreds of islets in the shape of overturned bowls and covered with vegetation dense.

During your ride on a motor boat, you will be able to observe the river life of its banks, the fishermen lifting their woven bamboo mats while paddling with their feet and the locals working the slopes of the lake.

• Dinner and night at the inhabitant.

– After dinner shared with the family, you will attend a show of traditional dances performed by young people from the village in absolute conviviality.

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DAY 9 : THAC BA LAKE / HANOI (155 km – 3h00 drive) 

Largest artificial lake in Vietnam, Thac Ba Lake was formed during the construction of a dam on the Chay River (second major river after the Red River) for the establishment of the first hydroelectric power station in the north , which ended in 1970 in the midst of the Vietnam War. Recognized as a national historic vestige in 1996, this lake, 80 km long and 12 km wide, spreads out at the foot of verdant hills over an area of ​​23,400 ha. Tach Ba Lake is home to a rich ecosystem, made up of many mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Its name was given to it by the inhabitants in memory of the Thac Ba waterfall which once flowed at the location of the lake.

• Breakfast

– You will have the opportunity to take a short walk around the lake before taking the road back.

• Free lunch en route.

– You will arrive during the afternoon in Hanoi.

– We will drop you off either in town at your hotel or at Noi Bai airport.

THE PRICE INCLUDES :   Transportation by private air-conditioned vehicle.   The service of the same French-speaking guide throughout the circuit. LThe show of flutes and traditional H’mong dances.   The traditional dance performance performed by young Dao.   All entrance fees. Excursions, visits, special services and shows mentioned.   Meals according to the confirmation sheet.   3 nights homestay (breakfast and dinner).   5 nights at the hotel (breakfast).   2 bottles 1/2 litre/person/day. Unlimited water in summer.   2 airport transfers on arrival and departure.

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE :   International and national flights.   Lunches on the day of arrival and departure.   Services not mentioned in the program.   Drinks, excursions, visits and optional activities at an additional cost.   Tips.   Expenses of a personal nature.   Travel insurance: assistance/repatriation/cancellation.   The Covid PCR test.

Destination Information: Vietnam

Health

➡  No compulsory vaccination to date.

Language

➡  The official language is Vietnamese, however Chinese, Thai and Khmer are also spoken. For historical reasons French is sometimes spoken, although English dominates in tourist areas.

Currency

➡  The national currency is the dong (VND)

Jet lag

➡  6 a.m. in winter and 5 a.m. in summer (example: 12 p.m. in France = 5 p.m. in Vietnam in summer and 6 p.m. in winter.

Means of payment

➡  Prefer the credit card which will allow you to withdraw money wherever you are and to pay in certain shops and restaurants.
➡  Prices include the government tax applicable to all services paid for in foreign currency (hotels, transport, tickets, guides, etc.).

Voltage

➡  Voltage : 220 volts/50 Hz

Clothing to bring

➡  Light clothing whatever the season in the south but for the visit of temples and pagodas, provide short sleeves (the shoulders must be covered) and skirts or shorts covering the knees, this for women and men. From November to March it is cooler in the North, bring warm clothes in the evening and in the morning.

Climate

  The dry season extends from November to April and the wet season from May to October. In August and September, the rains are almost daily and in the other months, there is an alternation of rain and sun.
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