Daily life in northwest vietnam 3 days 4 nights
  Hanoi - Lao Cai - Ethnic Market - Sapa town - Sapa Village Trek - Homestay - Village Trek - Sapa - Lao Cai - Hanoi
Distance:    24 km
Grade:    Medium - with some gradual ascents and descents
The best of both worlds, colourful markets, homestay and trekking.

 

 

 

Homestay included: Choose from
• Mrs Ly Man May
• Mrs Tan May Sinh
• Mrs Phan Man May
• Mrs Chao Man May

Night 1

Make your way to Hanoi Station one hour before your overnight sleeper train is due to depart for Lao Cai Station. Your ticket vouchers will be sent to you by e-mail in advance.

 

Day 1

Arriving in the morning at Lao Cai Station you will be met by our driver at the station’s exit. The driver will be holding a sign with the Sapa O’Chau logo and your name clearly marked.

After breakfast in a local restaurant you will be driven to the ethnic minority ‘Market of the Day’.

On the way back from the market you will stop briefly in Lao Cai to visit the Chinese Border Gate and the bridge spanning the Green River which links these two countries.

After this you will be driven 34kms up scenic mountain roads to the Sapa O’Chau Café or your hotel in Sapa as you wish.

 

Night 2
Sleep in a hotel in Sapa.

Day 2 (Trek - 14km)
After breakfast at your hotel you will check-out and your guide will meet you in the reception. The trek will start with a 3km trek to the picturesque village of Suoi Ho, home to the Black Hmong minority people. From here you can enjoy stunning views of rice terraces, and you will have the opportunity to see some of the farming techniques used by the locals. Continuing on to Matra village you will come across the impressive ruins of a French monastery dating back to the colonial days. Take a minute to learn about its history and take some photos.

The next stop is the village of Ta Phin where you will be able to meet both Hmong and Red Dao minorities. The Red Dao are known for their expertise in herbal medicine, especially medicinal baths, and they use plants from the forest to treat many illnesses. Your guide will be able to introduce you to some Red Dao women who can tell you more about their many remedies. You will be welcomed into the home of Mrs. May and her Red Dao family, where dinner will be cooked on an open fire. You can join in with the traditional cooking or relax on the terrace with a refreshing drink. After dinner take the unique chance to soak your body in a herbal medicine bath and then sleep soundly in a clean and comfortable bed with mosquito net and plenty of blankets. Enjoying the serenity of sleeping out in the mountains.

 

Night 3

Authentic timber frame Red Dao family Homestay in Ta Phin village.

 

Day 3 (Trek - 10km)

In the village there is no need for alarm clocks as the resident rooster will kindly let you know it’s time to get up… and if that doesn’t rouse you, maybe the pigs asking for their food will. After breakfast you will begin your trek to Trung Chai village, with a choice of routes depending on the weather and your preferences. Trung Chai is home to Red Dao and Black Hmong minorities, and they have chosen a location with an exceptional landscape!

You will be provided with a picnic lunch on route to the village and upon arrival to Trung Chai there will be transport back to Sapa where you can explore the town or visit the ethnology museum before your transfer to Lao Cai Station where you will have dinner in a local restaurant before boarding your return train.

 

Night 4
Overnight sleeper train arriving early in the morning at Hanoi Station. Tour ends.

 

PRICE (USD/PER PERSON ) Valid to 31 Dec 2016

Pax	1	2-3	4-5	6
Price	$434	$310	$236	$253

 

Included:
- Breakfast (day 1, 2 & 3) Lunch (day 1, 2 & 3), dinner (day 1 & 2), sleeper train tickets, transfers, hotels and homestays, local English speaking ethnic minority guides, village entrance fees

Excluded:
- Drinks, personal travel insurance, tips

You should bring:
- Comfortable shoes, waterproof jacket, suitable clothing, mosquito repellent

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Farm visit & homestay package 2 days 2 nights
  Lao Cai - Sa Pa Farm visit & Homestay Ban Ho - Nam Toong - Sa Pa - Lao Cai
Distance:  5 km trekking
Grade:    Easy
This is a perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the Hmong culture.

 

 

 

 

Homestay included:
• Mr Dao Van Truong - Ban Ho village

 

Night 1

Make your way to Hanoi Station one hour before your overnight sleeper train is due to depart for Lao Cai Station. Your ticket vouchers will be sent to you by e-mail in advance. The comfortable, air-condtioned sleeper-train cabins fit 4 people. If there are less than 4 people in your party you can pay extra for a 2 person/private cabin.

 

Day 1

Arrive at Lao Cai station in the morning, our driver will be waiting for you at the station’s exit holding a sign with the Sapa O’Chau logo and your name clearly marked.

As sapa is based up in the mountains it is about a 40 minute drive from Lao Cai station; our driver will escort you there in our comfortable mini-bus. Be sure to look out the window at the captivating views of emerald green valleys, majestic mountains shrouded in cloud and intricate rice paddy fields.

Upon arriving into Sapa, you will have a chance to enjoy breakfast in a local restaurant before being driven to Ban Ho Village, the home to the Tay minority people. Within this

village, you will be happily welcomed by Mr Truong and his family. Throughout the tour of the village Mr Truong will show you traditional farming techniques with the use of his buffalo. These farming techniques are estimated to be around for 500 years and are still being used today. After working up an appetite, it's time for a spot of picnic lunch.

Next you have an opportunity to either try hunting with a bow if you dare, or learn to cook Vietnamese food instead with Mr Truong. We then have a chance to relax and unwind after the days adventure by dining on local food also combined with the local home-brewed rice wine at the Tay family homestay in the Ban Ho Village.

 

Day 2
After breakfast take a gentle 2km walk to a beautiful waterfall named 'the Lavie' by the French who discovered it during their colonial rule in Vietnam. Have a refreshing splash about in the water before ascending the nearby mountain to visit a small hamlet of the Red Dao people known as 'Nam Toong'. Our guide will take you back to Ban Ho to eat a picnic lunch. A private car will then take you back to Sapa.

Upon arriving back into Sapa, you will have a few hours to spend in town. Depending on what time your train departs, our driver will send you to Lao Cai train station at either
4.30pm or 5.30pm. After your driver has said their farewells, you will have time to enjoy

dinner at a restaurant in Lao Cai before departing back to Hanoi on the overnight train.

 

PRICE (USD/PER PERSON ) Valid to 31 Dec 2016

Pax	1	2	3	4	5	6
Price	$287	$218	$198	$183	$177	$173

 

Included:
- Breakfast (day 1 & 2), Picnic lunch (day 1 & 2), Dinner (day 1), Local tour guide, Village entrance fees, Homestay fees, Train ticket round-trip, all transportation listed in above description/itinerary

Excluded:
- Drinks, personal travel insurance, tips, drinks at homestay.

You should bring:
- Comfortable trekking shoes, sunscreen, a hat, mosquito repellent.

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Sapa village package 2 days 3 nights
  Lao Cai - Sapa - Y Linh Ho - Lao Chai - Ta Van - Giang Ta Chai - Sapa - Lao Cai
Distance:  27 km
Grade:  Medium

 

 

Homestay included:
• Mrs Tan Thi Su - Ta Van village

 

Night 1

Make your way to Hanoi Station one hour before your overnight sleeper train is due to depart for Lao Cai Station. Your ticket vouchers will be sent to you by e-mail in advance. The comfortable, air-condtioned sleeper-train cabins fit 4 people. If there are less than 4 people in your party you can pay extra for a 2 person/private cabin.

Day 1

Arrive at Lao Cai station in the morning, our driver will be waiting for you at the station’s exit holding a sign with the Sapa O’Chau logo and your name clearly marked.

From Lao Cai, our driver will then escort you in our comfortable mini-bus to Sapa. Throughout this 40 minute scenic drive up through the mountains, be sure to look out the window at the captivating views of emerald green valleys, majestic mountains shrouded in cloud and intricate rice paddy fields.

Upon arriving into Sapa, you will enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant. We will then depart from the Sapa O’Chau Cafe at 9.30am and walk down to Y Linh Ho, a village

inhabited by the Hmong minority. This is a great opportunity to take photographs of hereditary terraces that are estimated around 100 years old. From Y Linh Ho we will make our way to Lao Chai village where you will visit the Hmong home town. You will then continue onto Ta Van, an established Hmong and Giay village. Here you will be warmly welcomed by Sue and her family and stay here for the night in their Hmong homestay (one of the original homestays to be built within the Ta Van village). Sue is a former tour guide with a wealth of experience in providing homestays with extensive knowledge of the local area.

Day 2

On the morning of the second day open the window and have a look outside — you will be treated to sensational views across the rice terraces. After breakfast you'll trek through an enchanting bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai. After a few hours of trekking, we will stop and enjoy a picnic lunch with our scenic views. We then walk back to the main road and catch the private car back to Sapa Town!

Upon arriving back into Sapa, you will have a few hours to spend in town. Depending on what time your train departs, our driver will come to collect you at either 4.30pm or
5.30pm and take you to Lao Cai train station. After your driver has said their farewells, you will have time to enjoy dinner at a restaurant in Lao Cai before departing back to
Hanoi on the overnight train.

 

PRICE (USD/PER PERSON ) Valid to 31 Dec 2016

Pax	1	2-3	4-5	6
Price	$266	$217	$192	$187

Included:

- Breakfast (day 1 & 2), Picnic lunch (day 1 & 2), Dinner (day 1 & 2), Local tour guide, Transport pick up, Village entrance fees, Train ticket round-trip, Homestay fee

Excluded:
- Drinks, personal travel insurance, tips, drinks at homestay.

You should bring:
- Comfortable trekking shoes, sunscreen, a hat, mosquito repellent.

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Trekking, waterfalls & markets 2 days 3 nights
  Hanoi - Lao Cai - Sapa Town - Village Trek - Sapa Town - Ethnic Market - Lao Cai - Hanoi
Distance:  14 km Trekking
Grade:  Medium with some gradual ascents and descents

 

 

 

An exciting introduction to Sapa combining colourful markets and stunning scenery.

Night 1

Make your way to Hanoi Station one hour before your overnight sleeper train is due to depart for Lao Cai Station. Your ticket vouchers will be sent to you by e-mail in advance.

Day 1

Arriving in the morning at Lao Cai Station you will be met by our driver at the station’s exit. The driver will be holding a sign with the Sapa O’Chau logo and your name clearly marked and escort you to your minibus.

Sapa town, the queen of the mountains, is a 40 minute drive from Lao Cai station. Be sure to look out of the windows at the captivating views of emerald green valleys, majestic mountains shrouded in cloud and intricate rice paddy fields.

Upon arrival at your hotel you will have breakfast and a chance to freshen up. After which, your tour guide will pick you up for the tour starting at 9am. First you will be driven in a private car to Lao Chai, an established Hmong minority village which has been inhabited for centuries. Trekking through this village you will have the opportunity to see the products of this rich culture at its best, with hereditary rice terraces, traditional homes and a vibrant community. We will then trek on to Ta Van village where you will visit the Giay minority people. This group traditionally fished for a living and as a result.

established themselves close to rivers. They have mastered the art of fishing with bamboo sticks, and cook the fish inside bamboo. Nowadays however you are more likely to see the Giay working in fields planting or harvesting rice.

Transport will be waiting at Ta Van bridge to take you back for lunch at a local restaurant in Sapa. Then at 2pm your guide will collect you and you will be driven in a private car to the Silver Waterfall, with a 300m drop. Scenic steps will lead you to the foot of the waterfall and the perfect place for photos. Continuing our journey, we will drive a further 3 km to the Tram Ton Pass, the highest mountain pass in Vietnam at approximately
2000m. At this height you will feel the temperature drop but the views are truly stunning, and you will have the opportunity to stretch your legs, explore and take photographs.

A further 3km drive will take you to the start point of your next walk, a path through the primary forest to the Love Waterfall, following the crystal clear waters of the Golden Stream. This area is known for cardamom crops, used for medicine or cooking and are a significant source of income for the minority people. Having returned to the car you will be driven back to your hotel where you will have dinner.

Night 2

Your overnight stay will be in a comfortable Sapa hotel.

Day 2

After breakfast you and your guide will be driven to visit one of the various weekly ethnic markets found in this area. (Please note that the market available will depend on the dates of your tour) Please refer to the 'Market Days' section of our website.

After the market tour you will be driven back to Lao Cai station with plenty of time to spare before you train is due to depart. Before your guide says goodbye they will recommend restaurants where you can have dinner.

Night 3

Overnight sleeper train arriving early in the morning at Hanoi Station. Tour ends.

PRICE (USD/PER PERSON )

Pax	1	2-3	4-5	6
Price

Included:
- Breakfast (day 1, 2), Lunch (day 1, 2 ), Dinner (day 1), Local tour guide, Transport, Village entrance fees, Round-trip train tickets,1 night hotel
stay
Excluded:
- Drinks, personal travel insurance, tips
You should bring:
- Comfortable trekking shoes, sunscreen, a hat, mosquito repellent.