The Road of History – RC4

DAY 1 : ARRIVAL / HANOI

Hanoi is famous for its centuries-old architecture, and for the richness of its culture, a mixture of influence from Southeast Asia, China and France. High in colour, the old quarter nevertheless retains a quiet pace of life and timeless beauty, alternated in the atmosphere of a modern city. Strolling through the alleys, you will discover the typical Hanoian way of life in this thousand-year-old city.

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

– Then we will take the direction of Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital. You will relax while strolling in the district of the 36 corporations. This walk allows you to soak up the daily atmosphere of this Asian megalopolis that never sleeps.

– You will stroll to the rue du train where you will have a coffee before going to the Army Museum which is a stone’s throw from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

– Installation at your hotel.

• Free lunch.

Your afternoon will be dedicated to the visit of the Museum of History, to learn more about Vietnamese civilization and the very beautiful Museum of Women to better know the role of Vietnamese women in the history of Vietnam and in the life daily.

• Free dinner.

– Night at the hotel.

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DAY 2 : HANOI / LANG SON (150 km – about 3 hours by train) 

• Breakfast at the hotel.

– After breakfast, your guide will meet you at your hotel to leave for Long Bien station, to take the Vietnamese TGV (Train à Grande Vibration) which crosses the Red River by the legendary Paul Doumer bridge. This journey through time will allow you to experience the nostalgia of Indochina, follow in the footsteps of the sacrificed soldiers of Cao Bang, an episode in the history that links our two countries.

– This train trip is also another way to discover the daily life of Vietnamese and see splendid landscapes all along this part of the old Transindochinese railway line, which is very little known to travelers.

A colonial symbol, the Long Bien bridge, better known as the Paul Doumer bridge, was built from 1898 to 1902 by the company Daydé & Pillé (and not Eiffel) and is considered the link between the past and Hanoi present. With a total length of 1682 m and a structure encompassing 19 metal spans of which only 6 arches remain today, due to numerous bombardments and the passing of time, this steel lacework has been classified as a “relic history” of Hanoi. The Steel Dragon, which straddles the Red River, is an ideal place to contemplate the beautiful scenery and is a popular spot for lovers and photographers. But above all, the Long Bien Bridge is an essential witness to the contemporary history of the city.

– It is at Dong Mo station that your driver will be waiting for you to take you to the cemetery of the French soldiers of Than Muoi, who defended Indochina against the army of the Empire of the Rising Sun.

• Free lunch on the way.

– In the afternoon, the discovery of Lang Son (which was Colonel Constant’s HQ) will begin with the very beautiful Tam Thanh pagoda and its magnificent Buddha carved on the wall of the cliff, then the remains of the old citadel of the Mac dynasty, built in the 17th century and finally the To Thi belvedere.

– At the end of the day, you will climb to the flag tower of Phai Ve which overlooks the whole city of Lang Son to admire the magnificent sunset.

• Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

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DAY 3 : LANG SON / DONG KHE (88 km – 2h30 drive)

Lang Son is a port city on the Chinese border. Its soul lies in Vietnamese cultural heritage and French memories.

• Breakfast.

– You will leave Lang Son in the direction of Đông Khê, the missed meeting, according to the book by Dr Serge Desbois.

– On the road, you will visit many vestiges of French memories. You will walk in the footsteps of former French soldiers and step back in time by 70 years.

– You will have the privilege of seeing Dong Dang station, the last station of the old Transindochinese line before the Sino-Vietnamese border as well as the Huu Nghi Quan border post.

• Lunch.
  

– Then you will see the Thai Lai tunnel of the RC4 and the remains of the fort of Commander Antoine Matteï, located on the hills of Na Cham.

– You will then head towards That Khé to meditate at the village chapel.

– To reach Đông Khê, you will pass by the Lung Phay pass where remains remain.

– Then finally, you will arrive in Đông Khê at the end of the day to visit the Museum of the city which traces a part of the history of our 2 countries.

• Free dinner.

– Night at the hotel.

During the Indochina War, the battle of RC4 opposed the forces of the French expeditionary corps to those of the Viet Minh, created in 1941. These battles, which took place in September and October 1950 in North Tonkin, near the border Chinese, ended in the defeat of the French troops.

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DAY 4 : IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE LEPAGE COLUMN

• Breakfast.

– You will then follow in the footsteps of Colonel Lepage’s column, starting with Hill 765, then you will visit a village of the Dao ethnic group in which Colonel Lepage spent the night of October 2, 1950.

– Then, you will continue your walk towards the Goulet, the saber cut…

– Arriving at La Source, which is a place of pilgrimage for the RC4, you will deposit incense sticks before collecting your thoughts to pay homage to the soldiers who fell on the battlefield.

• Picnic on the way.

– Then, it is by a path that the Lepage column took that you will reach the village of Coc Xa, which is at the foot of the cliff. You will rub shoulders with the villagers before heading back to Đông Khê.

• Free dinner
  

– Night at the hotel.

Quartered around That Khe, it was on the morning of September 30 that Colonel Lepage’s Bayard group received the order from Colonel Constant to imperatively retake Dong Khe to reopen the road to Cao Bang. This is the beginning of Operation Tiznit… On October 2, Operation Thérèse was launched to collect Colonel Charton’s garrison in Nam Nang, which withdrew from Cao Bang on October 3, 1950.

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DAY 5 : IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE CHARTON COLUMN

• Breakfast.

– It is in Nam Nang that you will continue your journey in the footsteps of Cao Bang’s sacrificed soldiers.

• Free lunch on the way.

– You will cross the valley of Quang Liet, the village Quy Chan to arrive in the basin of Coc Xa where you will realize that the French troops did not have much chance to get out of it.

After having destroyed 150 tons of ammunition and the citadel of Cao Bang, Colonel Charton and his troops, following the evacuation plan of Colonel Constant, left the city in the direction of Lang Son followed by many civilians.

• Free dinner.

– Night at the hotel.

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DAY 6 : IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HO CHI MINH AND COMMANDER HELIE DENOIX DE SAINT-MARC

• Breakfast.

– To better understand the preparation and progress of the battle on the Viet-Minh side, we invite you to visit the Duc Long Museum, the observation and command post of Ho Chi Minh, located 2 steps from the border Chinese.

– Then, you will walk from Duc Long to Ta Lung in the footsteps of Commander Hélie Denoix de Saint-Marc. Upon arrival, you will be surprised to find that the former Ta Lung barracks has become a primary school.

• Lunch at the inhabitant.

– At Phia Thap village, you will be welcomed by the family of your host, from the Nung ethnic group.

– At the end of the afternoon return to Dong Khe.

• Dinner.

— Night at the hotel.

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DAY 7 : DONG KHE / BAN GIOC WATERFALLS / CAO BANG (42 km – 1h30 drive / 85 km – 2h00 drive)

• Breakfast.

– After breakfast, you will visit the places where the RC4 soldiers were imprisoned after the defeat of the French troops.

– Camp n°2 is located in Ban Viet village while Ban Cai village is home to camp n°1 where the French colonels Lepage and Charton were sequestered.

• Lunch.
  

– The day will continue with a visit to Ban Gioc Falls, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Vietnam.

– Then you will see the Nguom Ngao cave, also called the “Tiger cave” (you will understand why once inside), an example of water work on limestone. The main gallery, several hundred meters long, is filled with many monumental stalactites and stalagmites with very diverse shapes.

It is at the administrative border with China that we discover the Ban Gioc waterfall, 35 m high. It is often presented as one of the most beautiful in Vietnam. If it is between September and November that the fall is in its most beautiful splendor, it is in October that the locals celebrate the rice harvest around the falls. It’s a show not to be missed!

• Dinner.

– Night at the hotel

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DAY 8 : CAD BANG AND SURROUNDINGS

The province of Cao Bang (“high plateau”), mountainous and covered with jungles, is made up of a fascinating tangle of limestone massifs, cirques, valleys, rivers and wooded mountains… Cao Bang, was, until the 10th century, the stronghold of the Tay lords. Once difficult to access, the province of Cao Bang, as sumptuous as it is authentic, now allows you to discover a deep and mysterious Vietnam.

• Breakfast.

– You will head towards Tran Hung Dao forest, located west of Cao Bang town. It is in this forest, which was the stronghold of the Viet Minh, that the Vietnamese revolutionaries and the future president of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh founded the Viet Minh army, the APV.

• Lunch en route.

– In the course of the afternoon, you will return to Cao Bang and if the weather allows it, you will visit the Museum of the city as well as the vestiges of the fort where the garrison of the French troops was based.

• Free dinner

– Night at the hotel.

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DAY 9 : CAO BANG / HANOI (277 km – 5h30 drive) 

• Breakfast at the hotel.

– In the middle of the morning, you will take the road towards the Vietnamese capital where you will arrive at the end of the afternoon.

• Free lunch.

OPTION: We offer you an extension of a few days in Dien Bien Phu or in Lan Ha Bay and Ninh Binh (Halong Bay on land) in order to continue your immersion in history or relax after a circuit rich in emotions in any kind.

LE PRIX COMPREND :   Transportation by private air-conditioned vehicle.   The service of the same French-speaking guide throughout the circuit.  Local guides.   All entrance fees. Excursions, visits, special services mentioned.   Meals according to the confirmation sheet.   Homestay nights (breakfast and dinner). Homestay nights (breakfast and dinner).   2 nights at the hotel in Hanoi (breakfast).   2 bottles 1/2 litre/person/day. Unlimited water in summer.   2 airport transfers on arrival and departure.

LE PRIX NE COMPREND PAS :   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.   Le tThe 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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