ITINERARY IN DETAIL
DAY 1: ARRIVE in HANOI (-/-/D)
Welcome to Vietnam!
The tourguide of THREELAND TRAVEL will be welcoming you at
Noi Bai airport; it takes us 35 minutes driving to the
centre of Hanoi to check-in hotel. Let’s have an overall
view of the capital by a “cyclo” visit, which will start
around the Old Quarter of Hanoi, stop at Ngoc Son Temple
located on the Hoan Kiem Lake (the “Sword” Lake), and visit
the Ethnology Museum to learn about the ethnic groups of
Vietnam, who we may meet in our exciting days ahead. Late
afternoon we will enjoy a unique fascinating show of Water
Puppetry, a traditional stage art of Northern Vietnam.
Dinner and overnight in Hanoi.
DAY 2: HANOI - HALONG BAY – TRAIN TO LAO CAI (B/L/D)
Early depart for Halong Bay, a World Heritage as designated
by UNESCO in 1994, with thousands limestone islets with
stopovers en route to visit the rural life of the Red River
Delta’s farmers (esp. in transplanting and harvest times),
or the ceramic town at Dong Trieu. Upon arrival, take a boat
trip for about 5 hours to cruise Halong bay (width 1,500 sq.
km) to enjoy its splendid seascape of thousands odd-shaped
rocky islands, visit the inside-island grottoes and / or
swimming. Lunch of fresh seafood served on board by the
crew. Late afternoon back to Hanoi for dinner before
transfer to the Railway Station to take a night train to Lao
Cai. Overnight on the Train.
DAY 3: COCLY - BAC HA – BAN LIEN (B/L/D)
Arrive in Lao Cai Railway station in the early morning.
After breakfast, we will take 1-hour driving by car along
the winding mountainous road to Phong Hai, where we start
cycling on paved road along Chay river to Coc Ly, a H’mong
village. Take a stop for lunch here before we cross the
river. Continue with 3-hour cycling thru plum and peach
gardens. Especially in Springtime, we can enjoy a
breathtaking view with white blossom covering mountain and
hillsides. Dinner and overnight in Ban Lien, a nice village
of Tay people.
DAY 4: BAN LIEN – NA TRI – XIN MAN (B/L/D)
Today we could see interesting change from earth mountain
with peach and plum gardens to sharp rocky ones. Raid
Gauloise, the leading competition of worldwide raiders, used
to chose this great track for their contest in 2002. After
3-hour with up-and-down hills and passing streams that cross
over the paths we will reach Na Tri with a stopover for
lunch. Head Northwest on rugged road to Xin Man district.
Overnight in Xin Man.
DAY 5: XIN MAN – HOANG SU PHI (B/L/D)
Today we will discover the boundary area with China with
some of the best rice terrace fields of Vietnam. Upon
meeting Chay River again, we will get over a bridge, then
follow local tracks uphill the mountain and go thru many
bordering communes. The biking today will be a great
combination of forest tracks, paved and unpaved road or
off-the-beaten tracks. When riding to the mountain tops, we
can take a panorama of one of the most picturesque sights of
Vietnamese mountains and terrace rice fields. The last 30km
is to ascend to Hoang Su Phi town for overnight.
DAY 6: HOANG SU PHI – TUNG SAN – THUONG SON – VI XUYEN
(B/L/D)
This day is for discovery of greentea hills and daily
activities of tea farmers. Our vehicle will take us to km
No. 7 from Hoang Su Phi town, where we can start cycling to
Tung San, a village renown by its green tea fields and
traditions of processing tea. After lunch in Tung San, let’s
go thru the Natural Reserve Tay Con Linh of Ha Giang
Province along wild and narrow tracks will lots of
obstacles, extreme descending and ascending rocky paths. The
area is least touristy than any place in Northern Vietnam
and we can easily find the purity of life and scenery
hereby. Get over to the elevation of 1,971m, we could reach
Vi Xuyen hot spring, where we just relax in pools and
massage tub by mineral hot water. Overnight at hotel in Vi
Xuyen.
DAY 7: VI XUYEN - HA GIANG – QUAN BA – YEN MINH (B/L/D)
Until late 20th century, Northeast of Ha Giang province is
still a undiscovered area so a lot of roads are nearly
untouched and the scenery remains as it was long time ago.
Let’s go biking along the reservoir thru rocky and earth
mountain with slopes, sometimes at 20%, and we will reach
the wonderful valley of Lung Tam Commune. Isolated from
others, this area is alike an oasis with very few footprints
of tourists. Continue with easy cycling on paved road for
the last 10 km before catching our van to Yen Minh.
Overnight in Yen Minh.
DAY 8: YEN MINH – DONG VAN – MEO VAC (B/L/D)
Have a day of easy activities with most of the time on
well-paved Highway 4. The ascending and descending is not
over 10% and the mountainview is breathtaking. We can stop
at the House of Vuong Chi Sinh, who had been considered “the
H’mong King” by the H’mong people, where his family is still
living in. The house is typical to the housing design of the
White H’mong people, who prefer to live in very clean houses
with graceful handymade rock fences surrounding their
gardens. We’ll also get over the “Heaven Gate” pass to reach
Dong Van town, whose central market is in a nearly
one-century old building with Vietnamese architecture since
early 20th century. Have Lunch and walk around to visit the
Old Quarter of Dong Van with one-century old streets before
heading to to Meo Vac. The last 20km cycling is along Ma Pi
Leng pass, the most difficult road the Vietnamese ever
completed in top dangers. From here we can enjoy extremely
beautiful mountain cliffs and see Nho Que River as a tiny
line at the bottom of the chasm. Overnight in Meo Vac.
DAY 9: MEO VAC – MAU DUE – DU GIA – BAC ME (B/L/D)
Wake up early if you wish to contemplate a specific
character of ethnic groups of Vietnam – their weekly
markets. After breakfast at hotel and visiting the market,
the van will take us down 40km to Mau Due, where we can
start the longest cycling, the 90km mountainous zigzag
unpaved road built by Vietnam Army during the War with China
and stay untouched for more than 30 years. Life and culture
here, as well as the scenery remain with their original
beauty and we will meet many typical hill-tribal groups of
Northeast Vietnam hereby. Arrive late in Bac Me, a tranquil
town on Gam River, for dinner and overnight.
DAY 10: BAC ME – HANOI (B/L/-)
A relax morning with hot coffee before heading back to
Hanoi. Free at leisure. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.
DAY 11: HANOI DEPARTURE
Free until your time for flight back home. End of services.
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