CUSTOMER CENTER

TRAVEL TOOL

Day 1: Hanoi - Mai Chau. ~170 km, ~5 h.
Once out of the Red River Delta, which brims with traditional farming activity, we pass through limestone monoliths and into foothills populated by Muong people. We head straight at the main range before breaching a high and beautiful forested pass, which descends into the hidden valley of Mai Chau where we spend the night with friends in a traditional Thai stilt house in a Thai village.

Day 2: Mai Chau - Son La. ~185 km, ~9 h.
On good road looking high over distant mountains we head up into a forested region populated by H'mong people before descending into a mountainous tea-growing region. Soon after we follow a long valley floor covered in a sea of rice surrounded by Black Thai villages all the way to Son La with its bargain-filled market. Sleep in a hotel.

Day 3: Son La - Lai Chau. ~200 km, ~8 h.
15 passes. Very nice road and stunning landscape. Probably the most beautiful journey of the whole trip even the road is in poor condition.

Day 4: Lai Chau - Boating on the Black river. ~6 h.
After breakfast, we take the boat from Lai Chau to Nam Ma village (40 km from Lai Chau ~2h) with stopover at Pa Po waterfall (20 km from Lai Chau ~1h). Beautiful waterfall! Arrive in Nam Ma, walk to Hoi Ca village (White Thai people), and have lunch in our captain's house. This region is totally ignored by mass tourism and the welcome is exceptional. After lunch, boating upstream back to Lai Chau in 3 hours.

Day 5: Lai Chau - Tam Duong. ~150 km, ~7 h.
The most demanding and remote section of the drive takes us upstream along the left side of a Black River tributary through forest on a bumpy dirt road past isolated pockets of Tay, Thai, H'mong and Man peoples before breaching a pass to enter the Tam Duong plain, which is covered in shark's teeth like limestone karst. We would visit a Mang village near Sin Ho, the guide will buy some food to give to the head of the village, and he later distributes our donations to the villagers. We stay O/N at Phuong Thanh Hotel.

Day 6: Tam Duong - Sapa - Trekking. ~100 km, ~5 h.
Beautiful ride at slow pace on bumpy road to Sapa. We will have a big breakfast because there is nothing to eat on the way, just us with the wildness. A cook and a porter are ready to join us for the 3-day trek to different villages. We go to Thanh Phu village by jeep (30 km, ~2 hours). From Thanh Phu, we walk for 4 hours, with a 2-hour stop for lunch in between, to Xin Chai village where we meet Dzao people.

Day 7: Sapa - Trekking. ~20 km.
Change valley from Xin Chai to Nam Khen village (Xa Pho people) in 7 hours walking with picnic lunch. We provide mattress (small), sheets, blankets and mosquito nets to sleep in a family house in Nam Khen.

Day 8: Sapa - Trekking. ~10 km.
From Nam Khen, we walk to Ban Ho in 4 hours. Lunch in Ban Ho. Swimming on the clear river if the weather is nice. Then return to Sapa by jeep and check in Cat Cat Hotel.

Day 9: Sapa - Coc Ly - Bac Ha. ~120 km, ~5 h.
Ride down to Pac Ngam to meet the boat that is waiting to take us to Coc Ly for the beautiful market (if it's Tuesday) where you will meet H'mong, Dzao and Phu La people. Coc Ly is wild, surrounded by forest, and could only be reached by boat or bike. We would leave the bike behind to enjoy the comfort of boating on Chay River for over 1 hour (20 km). Lunch in Coc Ly before boating downstream back to Pac Ngam and ride up to Bac Ha.

Day 10: Bac Ha - Luc Yen (or Vu Linh). ~120 km, ~5 h.
Ride on the mountain road from Bac Ha down to Luc Yen and then take the bumpy little road to Xuan Long. Lunch. After lunch, a boat is waiting for us to bring us and our bikes to Vu Linh, at our Dao friends' village. You will cross all the lake (~3 hours) and we estimate that you will reach the village at about 17:00. The welcome is exceptional and we hope you will not be too much tired. There is a possibility to stay in a hotel in Luc Yen, but in this case, the last day would be very long.

Day 11: Luc Yen (or Vu Linh) - Hanoi. ~200 km, ~7 h.
If we stay in Luc Yen, we cross the lake in 3 hours. Lunch in Vu Linh and then ride back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi around 7 pm.
Dao market in the morning. Pass through the lake with motorbike by boat. Riding back to Hanoi by Song Thao. Very nice road.