Another off-the-beaten path tour package has just been released by Lotussia Travel. This 6-day itinerary is an easy touring trip taking travelers to the less travelled places in Northern area of Vietnam such as Ba Be National Park, Bao Lac market, Dong Van ancient town and colorful local hill tribe ethnic minorities.

The first highlight of the trip will be the boat trip on Ba Be lake, Vietnam’s largest natural lake and is now the centrepiece of an extensive National Park. The park and the surrounding area is limestone country, so lakes, waterfalls, caves and unusual rock formations abound. The whole area is richly forested and home to many ethnic minority communities.

The second highlight will be the local market in Bao Lac. This market offers travelers the chance to meet peoples from some local small ethnic groups only inhabiting in the area such as Black Lolo, San Chay. They always wear beautiful traditional costumes and jewelleries when they go to the market.

The next highlight will be the area of Dong Van with its ancient town and spectacular sceneries travelers will experience along the road. Dong Van is very beautiful with mountains, forests, hidden grottoes and caves, multicoloured orchid forests, plum and peach trees, persimmon orchards, and more. Visiting Dong Van, one can see Pho Bang, also called Pho Bang Street, which was built a long time ago and features multi-storey houses made of clay bricks and tile roofs.

The 6-day trip will conclude with a relaxing and leixure journey in Nam An lake, used to be a narrow and deep valley, built into a lake for water storage to run a hydraulic power plant. Nam An lake now has become spectacular eco spot with a peninsular for eco-tourist sport. Travelers may swim in the emerald clear water or moving around the lake on bamboo rafts or boats.

The trip can also be extended with a beach vacation, a boat cruise or a easy-touring bicycle tour.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi – Ba Be National Park (L;D)

You will be met up at your hotel in Hanoi by Lotussia Travel guide, driver and transferred northwards along national road 3. Stop in Thai Nguyen City after about 2 hours driving for paying visit to the Museum of Ethnology. Leaving Thai Nguyen and continue the road ride to Cho Moi townlet for lunch break and then continue the road ride to Na Phac junction. Visit a local Dzao village before arriving hotel around late afternoon. Dinner & overnight in Ba Be guest-house.

Day 2: Ba Be National Park – Bao Lac (B,L,D)

After breakfast,  we will take a short walk to the boat pier and then enjoy the whole morning mainly on boat for exploring the pure nature of Ba Be lake and national park with some highlights including visiting to Dau Dang Waterfall and Puong Cave. Lunch will be provided in a local restaurant in town. After lunch, transfer uphill for 160 km to Bao Lac with several stops along the way for admiring spectacular scenery of the western part of Cao Bang Province and paying visit to villages of the Nung peoples.

Arriving in Bao Lac in late afternoon, check-in hotel. Dinner and overnight in a local hotel in Bao Lac.

Day 3: Bao Lac –  Meo Vac (B,L,D)

Get up early and attend to Bao Lac market which offers chances for meeting peoples from some local small ethnic groups such as Black Lolo, San Chay,…who always wear beautiful traditional costumes. Leaving Bao Lac at about 09.00 for a drive along the Gam River for an hour before turning right and traveling uphill to the higher land, heading north to Meo Vac Townlet of Ha Giang Province. Stop along the way for visiting several small hamlets of the Nung, Tay and H’mong ethnic peoples scaterring along the Nho Que River. Arriving in Meo Vac at about 13.00, having lunch and check in hotel for a short rest.

Spend the the afternoon by walking along the stunning Nho Que River, admiring scenery of the spectacular Ma Pi Leng Pass, paying visit to villages of the H’mong, Zao and Red Lolo ethnic peoples.

Dinner and overnight in Meo Vac.

Day 4: Meo Vac - Dong Van – Yen Minh (B,L,D)

Leaving Meo Vac at, the clients will enjoy one of the most stunning landscapes of the northern mountain - The Ma Pi Leng Pass. Visit a small H’mong hamlet, set amongst the rocks featuring the very tough life on this famous limestone highland before continuing along the road 4c to Dong Van, the northernmost townlet of Vietnam. Walk along the ancient street of Dong Van before settle down for lunch.

After lunch, enjoy an hour drive to Lung Cu, the northernmost commune of Vietnam, walking to visit a Red Lolo village for half an hour and then driving downhill 24 km to Xa Phin to pay visiting to the famous historical site of the Vuong Family’s Palace famous for its mixture of H’mong architectural style.

Continue our road to Yen Minh where will spend the night.

Day 5: Yen Minh – Nam An Lake (B,L,D)

Leaving Yen Minh for a drive up and downhill over the spectacular Yen Minh mountain pass with some stops for overviewing scenery and visiting a Red Zao village.

Leaving the main road, crossing the Nho Que river by suspension bridge and walk along the bank of the river for an hour through a H’mong village before taking the road ride again to Quan Ba Townlet.

Lunch will be provided in a local restaurant en route.

In the afternoon, we will take another short walk in a H’mong village before driving downhill all the way to Ha Giang Township and onto Nam An eco spot.

Day 6: Nam An Lake – Hanoi (B,L)

Full day road trip from Nam An to Ha Noi along national road 2 with several stops and break along the way. Arrive Hanoi in the afternoon at about 05.00 PM, trip ends.

Contact Lotussia Travel for more details.

This 5-day North Vietnam Tours includes such travel highlights as Ha Giang homestay experience, visit Quan Ba, Dong Van karst plateau, Dong Van old streets, Pho Bang town, Meo Vac, Khau Vai love market, open once a year. This overland tour is only available in March (or April) depending the Vietnamese Lunar Calendar. This overland tour takes you to the less traveled region of the far north Vietnam where you enjoy beauty of the wild nature, karst plateau, untouched hilltribe villages and meet up with different ethnic groups such as the Lolo, thay Tay, the H’mong…The Khau Vai love market is unique and exceptional.

 Itinerary:

Day 1: Drive Hanoi – Ha Giang

8:00: You will be met up with Lotussia Travel team at your hotel in Hanoi and transferred to Ha Giang via Tuyen Quang province.

We arrive in Ha Giang around early afternoon. We will check into a local village house and have lunch. After lunch, we will have a short walk around this village.

Meeting and talking with local villagers will help you understand more the culture of the Tay ethnic group.

Dinner will be provided at the village. Overnight in a stilt house.


Day 2: Ha Giang – Quan Ba – Dong Van
After breakfast, we will have a short visit of the Ha Giang museum before we continue our drive towards rocky highland in ha Giang. We make some stops en route for admiring the scenery and taking pictures.

Lunch will be provided in a local restaurant en route. After lunch, we take a short break before we continue our trip to Dong Van highland.

We stop en route for visiting a local Hmong village in Cao Pho, Vuong Family Palace in Xa Phin commune.

We arrive in Dong Van around late afternoon. Check into a local hotel and overnight.

Day 3: Dong Van – Meo vac – Khau Vai.

After breakfast, we will have a short walk in Dong Van ancient streets before we continue our expeditions towards Meo Vac.

A stop will be made when we reach the Ma Pi Leng pass for visiting a local H’mong village and taking picture of the Nho Que river.

We arrive in Meo Vac town around noon. Visit to a small village of the Lolo and lunch break, then we continue traveling to Khau Vai.

Arrive in Khau Vai Love Market around afternoon. We take a look at the market.

Dinner will be provided at Market. Overnight in Lung Pu.

Notes: Kindly note the Khau Vai love market is open once a year in March lunar month.

 Day 4: Khau vai – Quan Ba

After breakfast, we continue the road trip to Quan Ba. We make some stops en route for visiting Lung Phin market, one of the biggest tribal market in northern Vietnam.

After lunch at Yen Minh, we will visit a textile cooperative in Lung Tam village. Lung Tam Village has a long-standing traditional craft of brocade weaving, that not only brings income to hundreds of local families, but also contributes to preserving the traditional culture of the Mong ethnic people living in this mountainous area.

We come back to Quan Ba around afternoon. Check  into a local hotel for dinner and overnight

Notes: The Lung Phin market is open following Vietnamese lunar calendar. Ask your Lotussia Travel consultant for details.

Day 5: Quan Ba – Ha Noi

After breakfast we drive back to Ha Noi. Arrive in Ha Noi around afternoon. End of Lotussia Travel service.

Contact Lotussia Travel for more details.

This 5-day North Vietnam Tours is arranged in the far north Vietnam where you will visit beautiful scenery of the wild nature, to meet up with different ethnic groups. Begin your off the beaten path tour from Hanoi, you travel through Tuyen Quang to Ha Giang town, Ha Giang province. After spend a night at local home (homestay), you continue your road trip up to the north pole, Yen Minh, Quan Ba, Meo Vac, Dong Van. Visit the karst plateau, the ancient palace of the H’mong King in Saphin village, the old streets in Dong Van town. This guided tour is one of our hot tours are customized for those seeking a different travel experience to the less traveled Vietnam.

Itinerary:

 Day 1: Drive Hanoi – Ha Giang

8:00: You will be met up with Lotussia Travel team at your hotel in Hanoi and transferred to Ha Giang via Tuyen Quang province.

We arrive in Ha Giang around early afternoon. We will check into a local village house and have lunch. After lunch, we will have a short walk around this village.

Meeting and talking with local villagers will help you understand more the culture of the Tay ethnic group.

Dinner will be provided at the village. Overnight in a stilt house.


Day 2: Ha Giang – Yen Minh

After breakfast in the stilt house, we will have a short visit of the Ha Giang museum before we continue our drive towards  Dong Van stone plateau.

We stop en route for a short walk through the hill of pine and visit a Red Dao of village. Lunch en route.

We arrive Yen Minh town around late afternoon. Check into a local guesthouse for overnight.

Day 3: Yen Minh – Dong Van – Meo Vac

8:00 we continue our road trip to Dong Van karst plateau. A stop will be made en route for visiting a Hmong village in Lung Cam, and the residence of the Vuong family, still called “Palace of Hmong King”.

After lunch and short rest, we continue our drive towards Meo Vac town. We make some stops en route for admiring the scenery and taking some photos of Ma Pi Leng pass.

Arriving in Meo Vac, we check into a local hotel and take a rest. Then if time permit, we will have the opportunity to visit a village of Hmong near the town.

Dinner and overnight in Meo Vac.

Day 4: Meo Vac – Ha Giang.

After breakfast, we start our road trip back to Ha Giang town. Upon our arrival in Quan Ba, Yen Minh, we will make a stop in Lung Tam village, a Hmong village where you will learn how local villagers weave brocades.

After lunch at Quan Ba, we continue our trip back to Ha Giang. Check into a stilt house for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Ha Giang – Hanoi.

After breakfast, enjoy a full day drive back to Hanoi. Lunch will be provided en route. Arrive back in Hanoi around mid-afternoon. End of Lotussia Travel service.
Contact Lotussia Travel for more details.

This 5-day North Vietnam Tours is customized by the Hanoi based tour operator Lotussia Travel in the far north Vietnam where you discover the beauty of the wild nature, meet up with different ethnic groups and experience the rich ethnic culture. Begin your adventure holiday with a car transfer from Hanoi to Tuyen Quang and then up to Quang Binh where you spend the night at a local home (homestay). The next days, you travel through Ha Giang to Bac Me, then to Meo Vac and Dong Van. If you arrive in either Meo Vac or Dong Van on Saturday evening, you have the opportunity to assist to the Sunday market is one of the most interesting ethnic highland marketing in Vietnam. During this 5-day north Vietnam tour, lots of stops are made en route for you to do some easy hike to hilltribe villages.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Hanoi – Thai Nguyen - Tuyen Quang – Quang Binh ( –,L,D)
You will be met up at your hotel in Hanoi by Lotussia Travel guide, driver and driven to Thai Nguyen. Visit the ethnology museum in Thai Nguyen then move on Tan Trao, called the capital of the resistant forces (Vietminh) in the war against the French from 1946 – 1954. Visit a Tay village in Tan Trao before having lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, continue the road trip to Tuyen Quang. The region is home to several ethnic groups such as Tay, Dao, Cao Lan. Take a short break at Vinh Tuy before taking a back road to travel through the lowland of Ha Giang province. Arrive in Quang Binh around late afternoon. Check in hotel. Overnight in Quang Binh.

Day 2: Quang Binh – Nam An –  Ha Giang – Bac Me (B,L,D)
Breakfast and leaving Quang Binh at 08.00. After a quarter hour, we will arrive My Bac commune where we will stop for a short walk to a local hill tribe village. Continue our drive to Nam An, used to be a narrow and deep valley, built into a lake for water storage to run a hydraulic power plant and now has become spectacular lake with a peninsular for eco-tourist sport. Spend an hour walking around the lake visiting a local Red Zao village. Lunch in a house and relax. It is possible for you to swim in the emerald water or moving around the lake on bamboo rafts . Then continue our road trip to Ha Giang. Have a short walk to a Tay village in Ha Giang. Then drive to Bac Me. Overnight in Bac Me.

 Day 3: Bac Me – Meo Vac – Dong Van( B,L,D)

Check out hotel at 08.00 and depart for Meo Vac. The first portion of the road weaves its way along the the Gam river amongst high mountains and thick forests. Crossing the Gam river and following the newly built road uphill, we will arrive Niem Son commune where we will spend almost an hour for visiting the local market and a small village of the H’mong ethnic peoples. Drive uphill through the remote and deserted region to Meo Vac. Getting close to Meo Vac, there appeared some small hamlets of the H’mong built on the immense limestone hill sides. Stop for visiting one of these hamlets for the first impression of the very hard life on this mysterious limestone highland. Arriving in Meo Vac at noon, take a quick look at the market (Sunday)and lunch break. After Lunch, visit to a small village of the Lolo, an ethnic group with only about 4,700 peoples near the town before leaving Meo Vac . Then continue along the road for 16 km to Dong Van. Check in hotel upon arrival and having a short rest. At about 17.00, the group gathers again for a leisure walk around the market place and the old street of Dong Van.

Day 4: Dong Van – Lung Cu - Vuong Palace – Pho Bang – Yen Minh – Quan Ba (B,L,D)

Check out hotel at 08.00 and drive to Lung Cu. Visit a village of the H’mong ethnic and a village of the Red Lolo in Lung Cu then move on to the Vuong Family Palace once ruled over the H’mong in the region and popularly known as King of the H’mong. Continue our drive to Pho Bang ancient town. Walking for about an hour to explore this town which is featured with two storey wooden houses, clay walled, Yin and Yang tiled roofs and leisure atmosphere. Leaving Pho Bang for a driving down hill to Yen Minh. Lunch will be provided in a local restaurant in Yen Minh. After lunch, drive uphill of a long and high mountain pass. Take a break at the foot of the pass far walking to visit a village of the La Chi, another small ethnic group with only over 3,000 individuals in Vietnam whose culture is really unique and strong. Arrive in Quan Ba around late afternoon. Check in hotel for freshen up and relax. Overnight in Quan Ba.

Day 5: Quan Ba – Ha Giang – Ha Noi (B,L,D)

Breakfast and check out hotel. Driving uphill to the top of Quan Ba mountain pass, stop for admiring the great view of Quan Ba valley. Then driving few kilometers further for visiting two more hill tribe villages - one village of the H’mong with traditional living style of the highlander ethnics and the other, a village of the Kinh peoples immigrated to the region in 1980s. Driving for another hour and take a coffee stop at Ha Giang before continue along national road 2 to Bac Quang. Lunch break. The whole afternoon is for traveling along national road 2 for Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi in late afternoon. End trip.
Contact Lotussia Travel for more details.

This 4-day North Vietnam Tours is the second option we arrange in Ha Giang province. Begin your North Vietnam venture with a car transfer from Hanoi to Ha Giang. The journey takes about 6 hours. You spend the first night at local home in a Tay village. The second day you continue your road trip to Meo Vac and then Dong Van through Yen Minh, Quan Ba. If you comes to Dong Van on Saturday afternoon, you have the opportunity to visit the Dong Van market the following morning, Sunday. This is one of the most interesting open air market of different ethnic groups in Vietnam mountainous areas. Visit the old town of Pho Bang before you travel back to Hanoi by car.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Drive Hanoi – Ha Giang

8:00: You will be met up with Lotussia Travel team at your hotel in Hanoi and transferred to Ha Giang via Tuyen Quang province.

We arrive in Ha Giang around early afternoon. We will check into a local village house and have lunch. After lunch, we will have a short walk around this village.

Meeting and talking with local villagers will help you understand more the culture of the Tay ethnic group.

Dinner will be provided at the village. Overnight in a stilt house.

 Day 2: Ha Giang – Meo Vac – Dong Van.

After breakfast, we depart for Meo Vac. We make stops en route for admiring the scenery of the wild nature and the numerous of untouched tribal village.

After lunch, provided in a local restaurant in Yen Minh, we have a short rest before taking road trip to Meo Vac.

Arriving in Meo Vac, we visit a Lolo village. Then continue our journey to Dong Van Karst Plateau. Another stop will be made at the Ma Pi Leng pass. Enjoy great view over the Nho Que river.

We arrive in Dong Van late afternoon. Check into a local hotel. Overnight in Dong Van.

Day 3: Dong Van – Yen Minh – Quan Ba.

After breakfast, we continue our tour traveling to Quan Ba. Stop en route for visiting the Lung Cu flag tower – the North pole of Vietnam.

A visit will also made at Saphin village, the historical vestige of the H’mong King palace.

Then we continue our road trip to Pho Bang.

After Lunch at Pho Bang, we continue driving towards Quan Ba. Stop en route for visiting a local H’mong village in Pho Cao. We will have the opportunity to visit the weaving brocatelle village in Lung Tam.

We arrive in Quan Ba town late afternoon. Check into a local hotel or homestay in a local village.

Day 4: Quan Ba  - Ha Noi

After breakfast, you may have the opportunity to visit the Quan Ba market before taking your journey back to Hanoi. End of Lotussia Travel service.

Notes: The Quan Ba maket is open on Sunday.

Contact Lotussia Travel for more details.