Hanoi – Mai Chau – Pu Luong – Ninh Binh
(5 days 4 nights)
Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau (L, D)
At 8.00 our driver and guide will meet you at hotel lobby in Hanoi then drive straight to Mai Chau through country side and town of mountainous regions.
12.00 Arrive in Mai Chau. Where we are really happy with fresh air and panorama view.After checkin the accommodation we’ll have lunch with authentic cuisine of local people. We have a hiking in villages surrounding in afternoon at one of the most beautiful area in the north west of Vietnam.
19.00 we have dinner at the accommodation.
Day 2: Mai Chau – Pu Luong (B,L,D)
At 8.00 AM after breakfast. In the morning we have bicycle through terraced rice paddies and small villages, discovering the natural beauty of the valley and encountering the culture of the ethnic minority Thai people on our visits to the Lac and Na Phon villages. Return for lunch in the village then we continue our journey to Pu Luong.
At 3.00 PM setting off on a trek through rice paddies and winding lanes to visit the Hieu village, Home to Muong and Thai ethnic groups. Immerse yourself in the vibrant local culture. We have chance to take shower in the waterfall, relaxing in the bamboo stilt house ( Mr Ly’s home stay) dinner at 7 PM with family
Day 3: Pu Luong (B,L,D)
After breakfast at 8 a.m we hike around corn fields and rice terraces, along the palm forest and we see the villages and people going about their day.
Have a picnic lunch on the way of the White Thai village, enjoy some free time to acquaint yourself with the villagers. In the afternoon, we trek through terraced rice paddies and small villages, discovering the natural beauty of the valley and encountering the culture of the ethnic minority Thai people in Don village. Arriving at your accommodation. In the evening enjoy a lively atmosphere of the village. Stay overnight at the accommodation in Don Village. Dinner at 7 PM
Day 4: Pu Luong – Ninh Binh (B,L)
We start the hiking in the morning through the rice terraces and palm forest then we start at 11.00 AM for a drive on Hochiminh highway to Ninh Binh through the surrounding countryside enjoy an authentic lunch at one of the restaurant on the road. Arriving Ninh Binh at 4.30 PM at hotel in Ninh Binh city ( Ngoc Anh 2).
Day 5: Ninh Binh (B,L)
At 8.30 our driver and guide will meet you at hotel lobby. We drive to Mua Cave mountain
9.00 Arrive there, visit the secret hospital that Vietnamese used in the days of thunder (Vietnam War) based inside the cave, then we challenging ourselves with 500 steps to the top of the mountain where we are really happy with fresh air and “rooftop of Ninh Binh ” panorama view, we back to the car for driving to the east of Ninh Binh area.
12.00 we stop for lunch with some local special dishes such as Crispy rice, Soups, Goat meat with elderberry in a local restaurant.
13.00 PM After lunch, The last visit of today we will go to visit Tam Coc grottoes , take a boat trip to visit a complex of water-through caves in mystery and wildness, see scenery of mountain and rivers Ha Long on land of Ninh Binh. Also rice field along the river side makes you a memorial day.
We will have a short time to take a look at the Thai vi temple. In a limestone mountain the middle of the valley with its unique architecture is made entirely of stone and enjoy the fresh air with nature. We drive back to your hotel in where the trip ends at 17.50.
The fact:
- 5 km hiking of day 1
- 15 km cycling of day 2 and 5 km trekking of day 2
- 14 km trekking of day 3
- 7 km trekking of day 4
- optional: 10 km cycling of day 5 (free of charge)
Accommodation:
In Mai Chau: Homestay at Lac village or Mai Chau Ecolodge (5 star standard )
In Pu Luong: Homestay at Mr Ly’s family (private bungalow) on day 2
Homestay at Mr Hong’s family or Pu Luong retreat (4 stars standard ecolodge) on day 3
In Ninh Binh: Ngoc Anh hotel 2 in the center of city (3 star standard)
Trip cost: USD 425 $/ 1 person / 5 days with accommodation 3 nights at homestay (bungalow) and 1 night at hotel
Trip cost: USD 590 $/ 1 person / 5 days with accommodation 2 nights at ecolodge, 1 night at homestay (bungalow) and 1 night at hotel
Inclusion : private car and guide, accommodation, all meals mentioned in program, drinking water, tickets, boat trip, bikes, travel insurance
Exclusion: Personal expenses, other drinks.
Links for reference:
http://www.ngocanhhotel.com/gallery
http://puluongretreat.com/the-retreat/rooms/ http://m.maichau.ecolodge.asia/theroom.html

Halong Bay ( 3 days 2 nights )

Day 1: NINH BINH – HALONG BAY (lunch, dinner )

07h00 AM: Depart for Halong in 4 hours from your Hotel in Ninh binh

12h00 AM: Arrive Halong bay, get on the Junk, your lunch will be in the restaurant on Fantasea Cruise. Cruise on the bay, visit Thien Cung & Dau Go cave, one of the most spacious and beautiful cave of Halong bay. Do kayaking in Halong bay about 45 minutes then you can go swimming in Halong bay at a beautiful place.

6:30 PM: Have dinner and stay overnight on Junk

DAY 2: CAT BA – MONKEY ISLAND (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

07h30: have breakfast on boat and enjoy beautiful sunrise on Halong bay

09h00: boat takes you to Gia Luan harbour. Get on bus and then our driver will take you along a small road going through Catba national park with the two sides are mountains, forest trees and many kinds of tropical flowers.

10h00: come to Beo harbor, get on boat for going to to Monkey Island.

10h30: arrive Monkey Island, put your luggage at the lobby and start trekking up to the top of Cat Dua mountain, discover beautiful nature on the way, have overview and take panorama pictures of Lan Ha bay with hundreds of islets around.

11h30: back to Monkey Island Resort and have lunch in the restaurant closed to the beach.

Afternoon: free kayaking, play football, volley ball on the beach or you can play billiard, pingpong, talble football in the entertainment area of the resort.

15h00: you will trek up Monkey Island mountain, take panorama pictures of Monkey Island then go go to other face of Monkey Island to see lovely monkeys playing on the beach then go back to Monkey Island resort.

18h30: have dinner in the restaurant at the beach ( often BBQ dinner).

Evening: you will have “ warm up friendship” activities as singing karaoke, drink or take some dance in bar, play games or have free time seeing and listen to the sound of sea wave at Monkey Island romantic beach.

Especially in winter, we organize a “ warm up friendship” activity with a fire burning place for tourists seating around, make friends, singing songs and enjoy free Vietnamese rice wine ( 01 free for every tourists)

Optional trip on day 2: DISCOVER LAN HA BAY ( + 20 USD/PERSON)

14h30: our boat and guide picks up you from Monkey Island Resort to go discovering Lan Ha bay. You will come to visit floating village, learn about real lives of local fishermen, learn how they go fishing to earn their hard livings or how children go to school…

After that, boat will continue to cruise more in Lan Ha bay to see islets and small beaches around. You will arrive Monkey Island Beach 01 ( Cat Dua beach) to visit monkeys playing on beach, take pictures and give foods to them. Swimming here is available if weather is good.

16h30: get on boat to go back to Monkey Island. You also can choose trekking up the mountain to go back to the resort.

DAY 3: MONKEY ISLAND – HALONG – HA NOI (Breakfast, Lunch)

7:30 AM: Have a breakfast, check out the room, the boat will transfer you to Cat ba town, and you have 30 minutes to discover the small town of Catba island.
Then bus takesyou to Gia Luan pier and get on boat back to HalongBay. The boat will go another way – through amazing islets amid dramatic natural scenery, take photos of Fighting Cock Islet, Cho Da Islet, Dinh Lu Huong Islet, FishingVillage…

11:15 AM: Have lunch on boat

12:00 PM: Arrive Halong Habour & get on bus back to Hanoi.

17:00 PM: Arrive your hotel in Hanoi. End services.

PRICE PER PERSON, IN USD : 175$

Room on Resort: Superior garden view, or you can take deluxe sea view with 20$ extra per person.

if you take a single room for 1 person please pay extra 45 usd

INCLUDING FEATURES:

+ A/C mini bus
+ Kayaking, trekking
+ English speaking guide
+ Entrance fee
+ Meals on the tour
+ Sleep on Monkey Island Cruise, & Monkey island resort

NOT INCLUDED:
+ Drinks
+ Personal services or others..
+ Extra services

We also provide 2 days 1 night trip on Lan Ha Legend Cruise for 115$/ per person, please email us for details.

Have a great trip!

VISIT  HALONG, BAI TU LONG WITH LEGACY CRUISE

DAY 01: NINH BINH – BAITULONG BAY – SURPRISE CAVE (L/D)

07h– 07h30: Pick up from your hotel. Depart for Halong city through the countryside, farmlands and Red River delta.  
10h15: Stopover on the way for a refreshment break 
12h30: Arrive at Hongai habour – next to Baitho (poem) mountain, check – in on the Legacy Cruise. Welcome drinks will be served. 
13h00: Lunch is served while cruising through the Baitulong bay to Halong bay. 
15h15: Visit splendid Surprise Cave (sung sot cave) one of the most beautiful grotto in Halong bay. You will feel surprise about imposing of stalagmites, stalactites and many legend stories about that. 
16h30: Time for kayaking around surprise cave area. You will have got around 45 minutes to explore halong bay and some tunnel by yourself 
17h15: Back to the Legacy Cruise, cruising to Drum cave for docking and sleeping. Passing many beautiful islets on the bay: Head man’s face islet, Saddle horse islet, Fairy lake, drum cave, Virgin cave.
Time for relaxing afternoon, make the most of sunbathing on deck. Taking picture on the way…  Enjoy the small party with fresh fruit and Vietnamese tea. 
19h00: Dinner is served in the restaurant. 
21h00: Leisure time to enjoy a chat around the bar, dancing, karaoke; watch movie or enjoy night fishing…  Relax and spend a romantic night on board

DAY 02: BAITULONG BAY – VUNGVIENG FLOATING VILLAGE – HALONG – HANOI (B/L) 

Start your day with Taichi exercises or a photo hunt.  07h00: Breakfast, coffee and tea and served while cruising ahead to Baitulong Bay. The route is really tranquil and islets really imposing. 
08h15: Rowing small local bamboo boat (around 1 hour) to visit Vung Vieng  floating village Our guide will give you some information and interesting facts about this fascinating village and its local community.  
09h30: Back to Legacy boat. Take time to refresh and relax before checking out.Keep sailing back to the Habour through the waters and passing many beautiful islets and island on the Baitulong Bay. 
10h30: Vietnamese Cooking Class. 
11h00: An early lunch is served. 
12h00: Arrive at the pier. Time to say goodbye to the crew 
12h45: Return from Halong to Hanoi 
14h30: Stopover on the way for soft break 
Around 17h00: Arrive in Hanoi. Tour finish.

Tour price:

Child Policy:

• Children under 5 years old are FOC, sharing room with parent.
• Children from 6 to 11 years old are charged 75%, sharing room with parents.

Inclusions:

• Full equipped cabin with A/C, hot water 
• All meals as itinerary
• Complimentary morning tea and coffee 
• Welcome drink 
• Kayaking or small bamboo boat on the fist day
• Kayaking on the second day.
• Small Mineral water in room
  
• Fishing equipment 
• English speaking guide on boat
• Insurance on boat

Hanoi is embraced by two rivers in the Northern Vietnam: Red River and Day River. It is said that its name was derived from the meaning “the hinterland between the rivers”. It was the trace of ancient rivers inside that made many beautiful and romantic lakes for Hanoi capital. Lakes are the lung of Hanoi which plays an important role in making the climate equable for all parts of a city. Also, they are the favorable place of interest for every visitors and Hanoians, especially in summer.

“Hanoi 36 pho phuong” is another familiar phrase for the name of Hanoi. In the past, each street specialized in a particular trade. That explains why Hanoi has the name of 36 districts. At present, although many of the streets no longer have the products for which they were named, some still keep its trade for earning people’s livings. All streets are gathered in Hanoi Old Quarter – which is situated near Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi.

“A City of Peace” – Hanoi is worthy a center of politics, economy, culture and tourism of Vietnam – one of the most interesting and safe destinations of foreign tourists to Vietnam.

Those who are more interested in local cuisine than just sightseeing can settle in with a local family and learn how to make some authentic Vietnamese food. Dishes include succulent spring rolls, zesty sauce dips and sticky rice. We then enjoy the family’s gracious hospitality as they share lunch with us.

After lunch, we drive around several villages and witness the tight-knit community at work. We learn about agriculture, such as rice cultivation, and the growing of peanuts and assorted vegetables, a time-consuming and labour-intensive process. This is followed by our journey to Hoa Lu ancient capital dated to 10 century the first KING of Vietnam was choosing hoalu as the best location to build palace we will know alot about Vietnam history by our exellent tour guide then it is time to be back to your Hotel arriving there at around 5pm. (Lunch is included).

From July to September, the climate is usually humid and hot. From October to June brings cooler and more pleasant weather.

Transport: moto bicycle or car and boat.

Tour Guides: experienced and friendly Tour Guides, all of whom speak excellent English and French. Every Guide is extremely knowledgeable about local cultures, history and the environment.

Meals: 1 lunch.

We choose local ingredients, typical of the way people eat in the area, at local restaurants, markets or homes.

We also cater for Vegetarians but please request this at time of booking. ]]> http://victravel.net/?feed=rss2&p=47 0 http://victravel.net/?p=36 http://victravel.net/?p=36#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:16:25 +0000 admin http://demo.fireofsun.com/bird-malaysia/?p=36

 Ha giang is the most faraway area in the North, in 2009 it was tittled as Unesco Heritage but the difficuilty of government policy put on the province prevent it from discovering by the people who is fond of adventure, exploring and trekking. So why not join us to Hagiang to see the H’mong people hanging on cliffs, Mang hilltribe people living in clay village and much more…

Day 1 Hanoi / Ha Giang

In the morning we depart Hanoi by car and our first stop is at the tiny village in Ban Me, home to Tay and Kinh people. This offers us many opportunities to meet the locals going about their way of life, we also explore the palm forest. As the day progresses, we drive to various walking trails surrounded by magical hills and beautiful villages. Around sunset, we arrive at the township of Ha Giang. Here we have some free time to capture the tranquil pace of life before our dinner is prepared in a local restaurant. After dessert, we retire to our comfortable homestay of Tay ethnic in Tuy village for a good night’s rest. (Lunch and dinner are included).

Day 2 Ha Giang / Quan Ba / Meo Vac 

Beautiful hiking trails and villagers greet us at Quan Ba. The terrain features verdant and small hillocks, seasonal farmlands and is home to Dao and Tay people. During our hike, we take time to meet the locals going about their day. We head down the mountain and find Meo Vac, a beautiful town surrounded by impressive rock formations. Here we stay overnight in a charming hotel. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

Day 3 Meo vac -Dong Van

Ma pi Leng is one of the greatest ten passes in southeast Asia, on the way from Meo vac to Dong Van we will stop here and free time to capture the tranquil photos before driving down to valley of Dong Van. The walk for today is through remote and beautiful countryside of Dong Van where we pass through several villages along tracks used by the local people. We are rewarded with a brilliant backdrop of picturesque valleys covered in rice paddies. The H’mong and Hoa people, who are the local ethnic minorities, exhibit their friendliness through their colorful clothing and warm hospitality. Later we return to the hotel in Dong Van. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

Day 4 Dong Van / Quan Ba

We drive the scenic journey up through rugged outcrops to the beautiful town of Quan Ba on the way we stop to see the H’mong king castle which set amongst towering mountains, arriving at Nam Dam village the home to some H’mong and Man farming families. The scenery up here is breathtakingly beautiful. As the sun sets, we descend due south to a friendly family where we stay overnight in their clay house for homestay (Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included).

Day 5 Quan Ba / Hanoi 

After a local breakfast we take a relaxing walk into a nearby village with a very lively market. Here the Dao, Tay and H’mong people exchange their locally made arts and crafts. Those who relish an energetic walk have one more chance to take a short trek into the mountains while others can stroll peacefully around the village. This is followed by our return journey to Hanoi, arriving around 6pm. (Breakfast and lunch are included).

The facts….

Physical activities: your itinerary includes walks and hikes with:

+ A 7-9 km walk on Day 1.
+ A 10 km hike on Day 2.
+ A 8-12 km walks on Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5.

You need to be reasonably fit as the walks and the hikes can be challenging sometimes, depending on the weather conditions. From July to September, the climate is usually humid and hot. From October to June brings cooler and more pleasant weather.

Transport: car.

Tour Guides: our experienced and friendly Tour Guides speak excellent English or French. They are extremely knowledgeable about local cultures, history and the environment.Accommodation: hotels (2 nights) home stay (2 nights)Meals: 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners.We choose local ingredients, typical of the way people eat in the area, from local restaurants, markets or homes. We also cater for Vegetarians but please request this at time of booking.

Trip cost: US$ 425 per person for a group of 2 to 3 people

                .US$ 397 per person for a group of 4 to 7 people.

The cost of the trip includes: all accommodation, transportation, meals listed on the itinerary, Tour Guides and all entrance fees and permits during guided excursions.

The cost of the trip does not include: travel insurance, expenditure of a personal nature, such as drinks, gratuity etc.

What to take: pack essentials for 5 days, including light comfortable clothes suitable for outdoor activities, comfortable hiking shoes. Take a small daypack for walking, hiking and trekking.

It is essential to bring your passport on this trip. We also recommend packing: towel, personal articles, insect repellent, sun cream, raincoat and sun hat…

Have a great journey!

T