Night 1 - Thurday: Hanoi - Lao Cai
Viet Bamboo Travel's car will pick you up from your hotel and transfer to Hanoi train station to catch the night train soft sleeper with AC to Lao Cai station.Overnight on the train.
Day 1 - Friday: Sapa - Lao Chai - Ta Van (B, L, D)
Arrive at Lao Cai station early morning,bus and tour guide pick you up and transfer to Sapa town. After breakfast at restaurant, we start trekking. The first part is on the road but we soon turn to the right and walk on a small path down the valley to the Muong Hoa River and from here to the Black H’mong village Lao Chai. Black H’mong is one of the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They are proud of their culture and keep their traditions and way of living. They have their own language and wear traditional indigio blue clothing. After this you continue to Ta Van village (1.200 m) to visit Zay people. Zay is a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam. The development has meant that some of their old customs have been lost but many women still wear traditional shirts with a purple, blue or green color. The Zay houses are build of wood and bamboo with a clay floor. We stay overnight with a local family in Ta Van and have our dinner here.
Day 2 - Saturday: Ta Van - Giang Ta Chai - Su Pan - Sapa (B, L)
After the breakfast we continue to visit Red Dzao people at Giang Ta Chai where we also see a waterfall. The Red Dao women have very colourful red embroideryand coins on their clothing. On their head they wear a red scarf. Some of the women have shaved off their eyebrows because of a nice Red Zao Legend.
We continue along small paths in the rice fields, cross the Muong Hoa River and trek up to Su Pan where you will meet the our jeep and transfer back to Sapa. Overnight in Hotel.
Day 3 - Sunday: Bac Ha Market (B, L)
After having early breakfast in the morning we drive to Bac Ha Market. It takes us 3 hour driving to get there. This is the largest market in the region, a place where many ethnic groups gather to buy and sell, eat and drink together. There are 10 minority groups in the Bac Ha region. You can buy homemade handicrafts and clothes. In the afternoon we will have a 2 hour trek to Ban Pho village (Flower H’Mong people). In the village we can have a look in their house and understand little more about their lifestyle and traditional customs. Especially, we can try homemade wine from corn. And then we drive back to Lao Cai railway station for the night train to Hanoi. Overnight on train.
Day 4 - Monday: Hanoi - Arrival
Arrive in Hanoi station early morning, taxi to hotel on your own.
End of services. Our staff will give you the warmest goodbye and hope to see you again.
The Sunday market in Bac Ha is where you'll want to stock up on water buffalo, pigs and horses. Once you're all set, you can browse for bottles of local firewater (made from rice, cassava or corn) or handicrafts made by some of the 10 Montagnard groups living near here - Flower Hmong, Dzao, Giay (Nhang), Han (Hoa), Xa Fang, Lachi, Nung, Phu La, Thai and Thu Lao.
