The golden season

DAY 1 : ARRIVAL/ HANOÏ

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.

DAY 2 : HANOI / HOANG SU PHI (300 km – 6h00 drive) 

• Breakfast at the hotel.

– You will take the direction of Hoang Su Phi.

Hoang Su Phi has always been a starting point of the tea route. This district, located in the west of Ha Giang province, is inhabited by many ethnic groups such as Red Dao, Long-Tunic Dao, Black Dao, Lai Chi, Tay and Nung.

– After 2 hours of driving, you will leave the plain of the Red River to enter the middle region dotted with
small valleys, plots of rice, lataniers and rocky peaks…

• Free lunch en route.

– After several hours, you will arrive at Thong Nguyen in Hoang Su Phi district, where you will be greeted by your hosts with a welcome glass of tea.

– Then, weather permitting, a walk to Nam Hong village will be offered.

• Dinner and night at the inhabitant.

You will sleep in this village, of the Red Dao tribe, located on the side of the Chan Pu Po mountain.

DAY3 : HIKING IN THE HEIGHTS OF THONG NGUYEN

The commune of Thong Nguyen is still preserved and is a stronghold of the Red Dao ethnic group, a people anchored by ancestral traditions which are always accompanied by a warm smile. The Red Dao ethnic group is one of the few ethnic groups in Vietnam that has its own calligraphic writing and currently only a few elders still know how to read and write it.

– After breakfast, the local guide will join you to show you around the area.

• Thong Nguyen is the starting point of one of the most beautiful treks in Vietnam. For nature lovers (thanks to hikes of all levels), you will discover the rice terraces, which dot the forests, sculpted on the side of the mountains, for several generations. There is no shortage of bamboo and fir forests, fields of cassava, sweet potatoes and corn along the trails.
• Customs, traditions, mores and lifestyle are preserved very fiercely.
  Even today, women embroider their own clothes and men distill rice wine themselves for their personal consumption with rudimentary equipment.
• For tea enthusiasts, this is an opportunity to contemplate many hundred-year-old tea trees and discover the secrets of the artisanal production of green tea. In particular, you will taste the different varieties of tea, including the little-known fresh green tea.

– Around 12 p.m., you will have lunch with a villager (if you are hiking all day) or with your host (if you opt for a 1/2 day hike).

• Depending on the weather, you will have the opportunity to participate in the daily activities of the community.
• At the end of the day, you will return to Nam Hong village.

– Dinner

• You will attend the “PUT TONG” ritual and the shamanic dances performed by the shaman himself.

DAY 4 : THONG NGUYEN / BAC HA (140 km – 5h00 drive) 

– After breakfast, you will leave Nam Hong village for Bac Ha and pass through Hoang Su Phi district and Xin Man district.

– Free lunch en route.

– Upon your arrival in Bac Ha, you will visit the Hoang A Tuong Palace classified as National Heritage.

Huang A Tuong, was a staunch ally of France and is considered the last Hmong king of the region.

– You will continue with a walk in the heights of Bac Ha, before going to your host Tay with whom you will share dinner.

While walking in the surrounding villages, and through the rice terraces, in the heights of the village, you will discover the way of life of the ethnic groups present.

• Dinner and night at the inhabitant.

DAY 5 : COC LY MARKET VISIT / SAPA (100 km – 3h00) 

• Breakfast

The Co Ly Market is a weekly market, which takes place every Tuesday morning. Like all the markets of Vietnam, it is a place of exchanges and meetings.

At the market, you will witness colorful scenes of life of the ethnic groups who come to the market with their very colorful traditional clothes. Since dawn, the women bring vegetables, fruits, handicrafts, hemp fabric, traps… They also make cakes from cassava flour and rice flour. The men walk their animals to sell them. As for young people, it is an opportunity for them to meet people, while hoping to find their soul mate.

– You will visit the bustling market early before continuing towards Sapa.

• Free lunch en route.

– The afternoon will be reserved for canyoning.

This is an opportunity for you to discover Sapa differently. Indeed, you will descend the famous waterfall of Love supervised by qualified professional guides. You’ll find your way through stunning waterfalls, you’ll hike, slide, swim and rappel over the waterfalls of the Golden River. You will have a memorable experience!

• Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 6 : SAPA / MU CANG CHAI (140 km – 4h00 drive)

The region of Mu Cang Chai is famous for its fabulous terraced rice fields sculpted on the sides of the mountains at more than 1500 m altitude. Several communes in this district of Yen Bai province, such as La Pan Tan, Ze Xu Phin and Che Cu Nha, are recognized as national heritage sites and offer travelers sumptuous and grandiose landscapes.

• Breakfast.

– In the morning, you will take the direction of Mu Cang Chai by the national road 32 (N32), also called “The road of the photographers”.

– You will arrive at your host around 12 noon to taste the flavors of Thai cuisine.

• Lunch at the inhabitant.

– In the afternoon, you will go for a hike in the heights of Mu Cang Chai to see one of the most beautiful sites in Vietnam.

• Dinner and night at the inhabitant.

– Your night with the white Thais will be an opportunity for you to discover their cuisine and the architecture of their houses on stilts.

DAY 7 : HIKE IN MU CANG CHAI

• Breakfast.

-In order for the trip to be the best suited to your expectations, activities to do, of your choice, will be offered to you, such as:

An all-day hike with a picnic on the way for people who love walking. MEDIUM TO DIFFICULT LEVEL.

One hike in the morning and another in the afternoon. Lunch at the inhabitant. EASY TO MEDIUM LEVEL.

A 1/2 day of hiking and a 1/2 day of participation in daily tasks with a Hmong family. EASY LEVEL.

• Dinner and night at the inhabitant.

For the H’mong ethnic group, who live mainly from agriculture and artisanal flax weaving, the big event of the year is the harvest season, also called “the golden season”, because of the color of the ripe rice that covers the whole mountain.

DAY 8 : MU CANG CHAI / MIT VILLAGE (SON TAY) (230 km – 5h00 drive)

Thanks to the solidarity of the community, the families harvest, thresh by hand to separate the grains, winnow the rice using the wind and prepare the pre-drying in the rice fields. As tradition dictates, once the harvest is over, it is time to do the ritual “No Mo Ble Sa” (the harvest festival) to thank the ancestors for the smooth running of the harvest and to allow the patriarch to eat the new rice.

• Breakfast.

– Around 8:00 am, you will take the road towards Mit village in Son Tay, located in the southern suburbs of Hanoi. There are many stops along the way to stretch your legs and take pictures.

– You will take a break at the top of the Khau Pha pass to contemplate the magnificent works made by the Hmong, Dao and Thai ethnic groups.

• Free lunch en route.

– You will arrive at the Mit village in the course of the afternoon and you can go for a bike ride to discover the region.

• Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 9 : TOMODACHI RETREAT / HANOI (40 km – 1h00 drive) OR TR ANSFERT TO NOI BAI (80 km – 2h00 drive)

The Tomodachi Retreat estate is a haven of peace surrounded by a serene landscape on the edge of Lang Haù Lake where you can relax mindfully and enjoy the sumptuous infinity pool.

• Breakfast at the hotel.

– At the end of the morning, you will take the road back to Hanoi (or Noi Bai airport).

• Free lunch.

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.
For more info, see the menu Vietnam.