NORTHERN EXPEDITION

NORTHERN EXPEDITION

Ha Noi - Mai Chau - Son La - Dien Bien Phu - Tam Duong - Sa Pa - Bac Ha in 9 days

Adventure seekers consider the mountains of Northwest Viet Nam a highlight. While Son La and Dien Bien Phu offer an encounter with recent history, the colorful hill tribe villages dotting the mountainsides, are living as they have for hundreds of years. Though the road can be at times rugged, the journey through this region's breathtaking natural scenery and daily life will be a truly unforgettable experience.

ITINERARY

Day 1 Arrive Ha Noi

On arrival at Ha Noi Noi Bai Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel where we will have a welcome drink and tour briefing.

Day 2 Ha Noi - Mai Chau

Traveling to the province of Hoa Binh, we pass through a region of spectacular limestone mountains and tea plantations to arrive in Mai Chau. We spend the night in a village long house of the White Thai minority, experiencing their wonderful hospitality, traditional dancing and rice wine.

Day 3 Mai Chau - Son La

The road to Son La is lined with fruit orchards, tea plantations, towering mountains and the traffic of Black Thai, Mea, Muong and White Thai hill tribe people heading to markets. We visit the Prison Museum, which remains as a poignant reminder of the inequities of the former French colonial rule.

Day 4 Son La - Dien Bien Phu

Impressive scenery, and hill tribe villages fill the journey to Dien Bien Phu, the last bastion of French power in Indochina. Monuments, museums and preserved bunkers tell the story of the final and victorious liberating battle of 1954.

Day 5 Dien Bien Phu - Tam Duong Sometimes steep and often rugged, the road through the Lai Chau valley is both breathtaking and dramatic. Hugging rice

terraced mountainsides and fording turbulent rivers, our travels today are visually spectacular.

Day 6 Tam Duong - Sa Pa

As we traverse Tram Ton Pass, the highest mountain pass in Viet Nam, we are afforded magnificent views and experience a dramatic change of climate as we approach the old French Hill Station of Sa Pa. A busy market town for the regions minority groups, the town is encircled with towering peaks, often shrouded in cloud, and the air is cool and crisp.

Day 7 SaPa

Trekking to the H'mong and Red Dao villages of Ta Phin hamlet, we are introduced to a different way of life as we enjoy the genuine hospitality of these hill tribe people. A truly satisfying day filled with insight and the unspoilt beauty of nature.

Day 8 Sa Pa - Bac Ha - Ha Noi

Departing in the early morning, we drive to Bac Ha. Here, hill tribe people from far and wide make the weekly journey to trade goods at the busy Sunday market, their heavily embroidered clothing and distinctive headdress adding color and vibrancy. Leaving the activity behind, we descend the scenic mountain roads and return to Ha Noi.

Day 9 Depart Ha Noi

A good opportunity to do some last minute shopping before your transfer to Ha Noi Airport for your ongoing flight.

5 Days/4 Nights based on BB

as low as USD 395

Feel the Cairo Touch

___________________________________________________________________________________