Northeast Vietnam Adventure

Overview:

Spend 8 days on our Vietnam adventure tours navigating the isolated regions of the far north that have remained in all their primitive wilderness and aesthetic characteristics. Bestowed with splendid vistas of heavily timbered mountains, calm lakes, sublime waterfalls, and enigmatic caves, the Northeast promises you absolute peaceful bliss and total rejuvenation of the body and mind, along with an immersive experience in the exotic ethnic cultures. 

Highlights:

• Rid yourself of mundane concerns and vexations with a peaceful boat trip on Ba Be Lake surrounded by scenic landscapes
• Discover the most spectacular waterfall of Vietnam – Ban Goc Waterfall
• Explore the rocky plateau of Ha Giang with incredible landscapes and culturally rich ethnic minorities
• Stay overnight at homestays and be warmly welcomed by local people
• Spend a romantic night on a classic cruise in Ha Long Bay, one of the 7 Wonders of Nature

Day 1 Ha Noi – Ba Be Lake
Meal: Lunch, Dinner – Accommodation: Homestay
Our Vietnam adventure tours start from Hanoi to Ba Be Lake, passing through the undulating terrain of tea plantations and villages hugging the roads. This is your first glimpse of rural Vietnam and sets the tone for the days ahead. Depending on the road and traffic conditions during the drive, you will arrive in Ba Be from mid to late afternoon. After check in to your homestay, you will have some free time to walk around for a deeper appreciation of all the cultural and natural subtleties that generally go unnoticed by non-residents.

Day 2 Ba Be Lake – Na Hang – Bac Me – Ha Giang
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Accommodation: Homestay
After breakfast, embark on a boat ride to navigate Ba Be Lake – a masterpiece of Mother Nature praised as ‘the jade of the northern corner of Vietnam’. Tune in the rich symphony of the steamy forest, and take in the musty tropical smell along with the luxuriant foliage as well as the tantalizing clouds captured and reflected vividly in the depths below.
As you appreciate the multicultural Ba Be, stop by some hill tribe villages before heading to the Dau Dang Waterfall, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the country. After a short walk down to the waterfall, you will trek to Na Hang Lake, stopping for lunch on the way. After lunch, you will once again board the boat to cruise along the river to Bac Me, where you will be collected by your driver for the journey to Ha Giang. You will have dinner and stay overnight at a homestay there.

Day 3 Ha Giang Trekking
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Accommodation: Homestay
Any Vietnam adventure tours won’t be complete without a visit to the final frontier of Vietnam in the Northeast – the barren plateau of Ha Giang, endowed with some of the most dazzling natural settings as well as distinctive highland ethnic cultures in the country. Start your day with an approximately 5-to-6-hour trek to Nam Hong Village and drink in the ravishing vistas of rice terraces, rippling mountains, and evergreen bamboo forests. You will also be likely to meet and interact with friendly local people of different ethnic backgrounds in the areas such as the Man and Ta Pan Dao. After picnic lunch, continue your journey to Ta Pan Man Village. Along the way, you might catch a glimpse of farmers working in the fields and you might also be given an opportunity to get your hands dirty. Return to your homestay for dinner and stay overnight in the village.

Day 4 Ha Giang – Dong Van
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Accommodation: Hotel in Dong Van
The entire route to Dong Van encompasses whirling mountain passes hanging onto cliff-faces above the roaring river, as well as serpentine twists and turns threading through forests of limestone pinnacles. Make a stop for lunch in the small mountain town of Tam Son. The path through a forest of tall pine trees leads to the Hmong King’s Palace – built by Vuong Chinh Duc, an ally of the French colonial government. You will arrive in Dong Van late in the afternoon and have dinner at local restaurant, then stay overnight at a hotel.

Day 5 Dong Van – Cao Bang
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Accommodation: Hotel in Cao Bang
In the morning, you will visit the French fortress, Pu Lo. Then traverse the spectacular Ma Pi Leng Pass standing at an elevation of 2000 meters, affording some of the best panoramic views over the valleys, rice paddies, and hemp fields. Follow the road down to the valley of Meo Vac before travelling to Bao Lac for lunch. After lunch, you will head over to Cao Bang, where you will spend the night in a hotel.

Day 6 Cao Bang – Ban Gioc Waterfall – Lang Son
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Accommodation: Hotel in Lang Son
After breakfast, head over to Ban Gioc Waterfall perched on the border with China, 85km from Cao Bang, while appreciating one of the most astonishing greenery in the country. Ban Gioc is one of the largest and possibly the most impressive waterfalls of Vietnam that astounds both novices and seasoned travelers. After a picnic lunch out in the great open, you will proceed to Nguom Ngao, one of the largest caves in the region, featuring innumerable fascinating rock formations adorning the walls and the ceilings. From there, you will head back to Cao Bang and then Lang Son with some free time to relax before dinner. You will stay overnight at a hotel in Lang Son.

Day 7 Lang Son – Ha Long Bay
Meal: Breakfast/lunch/dinner – Accommodation: On Cruise
After getting picked up from your hotel, you will be transferred by van/car to Ha Long Bay at 12:00. Upon arrival in Ha Long Bay, you will be welcomed aboard and enjoy lunch while weaving through a myriad of islands and islets towering over and reflected off the emerald waters of Halong Bay. After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a birds’ eye view of the bay peppered with golden sails, and then proceed to a quiet beach for some swimming or kayaking, or just simply go back to the ship and sunbathe on the sundeck, whatever tickles your fancy. Later in the afternoon, pay a visit to a tranquil fishing village to interact with fishermen who have inhabited the bay for almost three generations. Go back on board and enjoy a drink on the sun deck while can enjoy drinks and lose yourself in the immense visual delight as the reddish-orange hue of the sky deepens and dusk creeps over the horizon. Enjoy dinner and stay overnight on the junk.

Day 8: Ha Long – Hanoi
Meal: Breakfast/Brunch – Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi
Wake up early the morning for a Tai Chi Session on the sundeck and the opportunity to enjoy the sun rising over the watery horizon.
After breakfast, visit a limestone grotto before going back to the boat for a final glimpse of Ha Long Bay as you cruise back to the dock. Checkout as the boat arrives at the harbor by noon for the drive back to Hanoi. The rest of the day is on your own arrangement. Stay overnight at your Hanoi hotel. Our Northeast Vietnam adventure tours end here.