Northern Nature Trail - 14 days

Our North Vietnam adventures begin in Hanoi. Today, you'll arrive in Hanoi and and a driver will meet you at arrivals for your hotel transfer. On the way you’ll get your first impressions of Vietnam, buzzing with street traders and mopeds. The hotel is a wonderful example of the classic Vietnamese architecture. All rooms have a bathroom with warm water, air-conditioning, TV and mini-bar.
 
The hotel in situated in the centre of the Old Quarter- the beating heart of Hanoi-surrounded by food stalls and quirky restaurants. Narrow streets criss-cross each other, their pavements displaying all manner of local goods. In the 13th century, the 36 original streets were divided up among the craft guilds, each guild claiming its own street. This system remains to this day. Shoe Street has only shoe shops (every girl's dream). All street names begin with 'Hang', meaning trade. You'll find silver on Hang Bac, copper on Hang Dong , and silk on Hang Gai. The Old Quarter is also home to a fascinating market with a booming trade in live chickens and fish, and a heady aroma of spices. After some retail therapy, visit peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake and munch on a typical Vietnamese spring roll.
 

Today, your time is your own. Spend your time ambling through the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter, stopping for coffee and cake, and watching the world go by.

Alternatively, discover the dappled history of the city and drop in on the oddly preserved body of Ho Chi Minh. A mausoleum was built for Ho Chi Minh, or Uncle Ho, after his death. You can now see his body entombed in a glass sarcophagus- a huge building fronted by a grand square. Surrounded by guards, you can file in, one by one, to take a look at ‘Uncle Ho’. Bizarrely, he looks more than a little orange. Vietnamese people consider it a great honour to visit his embalmed body, and you can see their emotional reactions as you file past.

You can finish off your day with a visit to the Municipal Water Puppet Theatre. This stands on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake and performances take place every evening. Puppetry is a national tradition in Vietnam, and the people are very proud of the artform. Get a good night sleep tonight because tomorrow your Vietnam adventure will really begin.

You'll leave early this morning for Halong Bay by air-conditioned minibus (4-5hrs). The first part of this Vietnam adventure will take you through the hectic city, which has already been awake for hours. Hundreds of mopeds will speed past your window laden with rice, pans, tyres, vegetables, live chickens and even pigs. Once out of the city, you will begin to see emerald green rice paddies, and eventually the picturesque landscape of Halong will unfold in the distance. Here, more than 3000 bizarre craggy islands rise dramatically from the clear waters. Some are thickly forested, others are bare rock and many have secluded sandy coves for a sneaky dip. Erosion over millions of years has given the rocky islands their rugged, majestic character.

You'll drift lazily through this incredible landscape by boat, relaxing and marvelling at your surroundings. The captain will also give you plenty of opportunities to dive into the turquoise waters and swim with the colourful marine life. 

After breakfast, you'll head out with a guide to explore Cat Ba National Park. The park is situated on the largest island of the Cat Ba archipelago, with a limestone ridge towering at a height of 150 metres. The highest point on the island is Cao Vong, reaching an impressive 322 metres. There is a huge diversity of flora and fauna in the park- 745 different plants belonging to 123 families, including 300 kinds of medicinal plants. There are also 32 different species of mammals, 69 species bird and 20 types of reptile. The hike is the perfect opportunity to see some of this exotic plant and animal life.

During our Vietnam adventures to Cat Ba Island, you'll trek over the island, climbing a (pretty steep) hill, which is totally worth the effort. At the top, you'll be rewarded with a magnificent panoramic view across the countryside below. Two guides will lead the way, allowing you to choose either a short or a long hike. The short hike (3km) is suitable for all levels of fitness and heads for the tiny village of Viet Hai. After the walk, you'll take a dive into the salty water of the lagoon to cool off and refresh your energy. On the longer hike, you'll cover more ground and there are a number of steep climbs along the way. An excellent way to work off all those spring rolls.

Following your morning treks, you'll be taken back to the hotel for a well-earned lunch. In the afternoon, you'll be free to explore the island on your own or head for the quiet beach for a sunny snooze. You'll spend another night at the comfortable hotel on Cat Ba Island.

You'll be collected from your hotel in Hanoi in late afternoon and taken to the train station. Here, you can stock up on snacks for the overnight Vietnam adventure into the north. The train is air-conditioned and the rhythm of the rails should lull you to sleep in your 4-bedded couchette. These are generally pretty comfortable, although tall people might find that their feet dangle over the edge of the sleeper couches. An Asian train journey is always an experience to be remembered.

The next morning, you'll arrive in Lao Cai, a 2½-hour road trip from Sapa. On the way, you'll see paddy terraces climbing up the mountainsides like giant staircases. When you arrive you'll check into your comfortable hotel. It is full of local charm and lies in the centre of Sapa, with wonderful views across the rich, green valley.

After lunch you'll take a guided walk of about 6km to the village of Y Linh Ho, home to the striking Black H’mong people. The Black H'mong wear mainly black clothing, as their name suggests. The dye that they use tends to run and, as a result, their hands are also stained a little black. The adults chew betel nut- the seeds of the betel palm rolled up in a leaf. This often stains their teeth dark red. After visiting the village, you'll returning to Sapa for the night.

Today, you'll walk a little less (4km or so) to the small village of the Red Dzao people. On the way, you'll cross a couple of bamboo bridges over clear mountain streams. Our North Vietnam adventures to the Red Dzao village offers plenty of magnificent views and you'll come across many women working in the fields. Though they may speak only a few words of English, they are incredibly warm and welcoming people, and will often invite you for tea in their homes. The houses are built mostly of wood and cane and there’s usually a fire in the middle of the room. The headgear worn by these people is mostly red. Initially, the villagers might seem rather shy, but if you give them a smile, you will quickly be rewarded with beaming faces. Once you're back in Sapa, you can just relax or wander round the local market.

On Saturday evenings the Love Market takes place in Sapa. Young eligible men and women from the Dzao region meet here, dressed in finery, in the hope of snagging a partner. We can definitely recommend taking a look.

This morning, it's time to grab your backpack again and say farewell to Sapa. You'll take a drive to Bac Ha, a small mountain village famous for its busy market. The market is an amazing trading hub, as the people of many different tribes meet here to sell their goods. It is a feast for the senses, with traders dressed in a rainbow of colours displaying fresh vegetables, meats, and other products. It's also a perfect opportunity to pick up a few unique Vietnamese souvenirs made by the local people.

After lightening your pockets at the market, this Vietnam adventure will have you driving towards the Chinese border to catch a glimpse of the chaotic jumble of Chinese signs. From here, you can see the bridge and stretch of water that forms the actual boundary between the two countries. At the end of the afternoon, you'll be taken to Lao Cai where you'll have plenty of time to grab an evening meal before boarding the night train back to Hanoi.

At around 6am, you will arrive back in Hanoi. It's very easy to fix the transfer from the train to the hotel yourself. However, you may find that your room is not quite ready for you. If this is the case, you can simply leave your luggage in reception and enjoy a leisurely breakfast overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. You can usually get into your room from around mid-morning. However, if you wish your room to be ready as soon as you arrive, we can book a day room for you at an additional cost. Just let us know, and we'll make the arrangements.
There's nothing else planned for the rest of the day, so you can relax and take things at your own pace. Hanoi has plenty of temples, pagodas and museums, if you're looking for a culture fix. The Temple of Literature is an oasis of peace and tranquility in the midst of the urban sprawl. You could also take a cycle rickshaw tour of the major temples, which usually costs no more than a couple of dollars. From your rickshaw seat, you can see the city pass by at very close quarters, taking in the atmosphere as you go.    

This Vietnam day trip begins with a visit to the village of Hoa Lu, the capital of Vietnam during the 10th century. King Dinh chose this spot as capital for its strategic location and today there are two temples dedicated to the King and his successor Le (the King Dinh and King Le Temples). These were built in the 11th century but destroyed in the wars that have ravaged Vietnam over the years. The temples were reconstructed in the 17th century, and still retain their original features. On the top of a mountain nearby stands the grave of King Dinh. It’s worth the climb for the spectacular view over the surrounding countryside from the summit. At the end of the morning you'll take a short drive to Tam Coc, where your lunch will be waiting for you.

Once you reach Tam Coc, also known as Ninh Binh, you'll be rowing through rice! During this Vietnam adventure, a row boat will take you through the area also known as inland Halong Bay. Since this area was once a landlocked sea, you'll also find towering limestone rocks shooting straight up into the skies from the rice paddies below. A very narrow boating lane will take you through submerged rice paddies and along the way you'll see fishermen in action and you'll see the locals peddling their boats with their feet. You'll visit three hidden caves during this boat ride and eventually you'll reach a pagoda at the top of a mountain. At around 5:00 pm your Vietnam day trip will end and you'll be back in Hanoi.