A Discovery Along Muong Hoa River

Description
After a full day visiting Sapa town and its highlights, you will be hiking for 3 days along Muong Hoa River. Tough terrain and magnificent scenery features your first day with visiting to some small and isolated H’mong hamlets. For the next two days you will explore the lively Muong Hoa Valley, dominated by terraced rice paddies and mountain back drops which is home to the H’mong, Zay, Red Zao tribal people. Two night home staying offers interesting experience of local life.

Tour Information

Tour Duration: 4 Days / 5 Nights
Tour Route: Hanoi – Sapa – Silver Waterfall – Sin Chai – Cat Cat – Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – Su Pan – Sapa – Hanoi
Dates: No fixed departure dates. You may go whenever you wish.
Starts/Ends: Hanoi / Hanoi
Group size: Private tour
Special package: USD 210 / person apply for 06 persons upward
Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)

ITINERARY     

Night 1. Take overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai

Please, be ready at your hotel in the Old Quarter at 20.30 for a short transfer to Hanoi railways station for taking the overnight train – deluxe shared 4 berth cabin (Dream/ Dami Train/ King Express) which arrive in Lao Cai city, near the Chinese border next morning.     

Overnight on train – deluxe shared 4 berth cabin – Dream/ Dami Train/ King Express.

Day 1. Sapa Town – Silver Waterfall and Tram Ton Pass     

The train arrives at Lao Cai station early at about 06.00, where your guide and driver waiting for you and an hour transfer uphill the Hoang Lien Son mountains to Sapa. Great views of valleys and terraced rice fields along the way! After Breakfast, you will walk for a brief introduction of this charming town. At the market, you will meet many ethnic minority peoples from different groups, wearing their traditional costumes made by themselves, selling local products includes vegetable, bamboo shoot, mushroom, medicinal herbs and souvenirs.

Afternoon, your Sapa guide and driver will pick you up at about 14.00 for a drive up hill to the famous Silver Waterfall and then onto Tram Ton, the highest mountain pass in Vietnam at 1,800 m above sea level for enjoying the magnificence of Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range as well as over viewing spectacular landscapes of the whole area. Drive back to Sapa in late afternoon and the rest of the day is set at your leisure.     

• Breakfast and Lunch included. Dinner on your own     
• Accommodation: hotel in Sapa     

Day 2. Sapa – Sin Chai – Cat Cat – Y Linh Ho     

Begin the trek from Sapa downhill toward Sin Chai village of Black Hmong, located right at the foot of Hoang Lien Son mountain range, crossing the stream on a suspension bridge heading uphill till finding yourselves at the top of a mountain. Great view of the spectacular scenery opens wide as you turn to a small and even trail, then gradually descend to Cat Cat village, where you will have lunch nearby a fantastic waterfall and an old French power station.

Our trip continue after lunch break along a trail winding up and down through forest, passing some isolated hamlets of the H’mong where we drop in some homes in which locals treat you with all their hospitality and tea. It is not only the beauty of the surrounding landscapes but you will be satisfied, happy and surprise with what you discover about people and life you meet. Arriving in Y Linh Ho village of Black H’mong late in the afternoon we settle at a nice spot close to pretty Moung Hoa River for resting or you may join your guide preparing dinner. Stay overnight in Y Linh Ho and you may choose local house or camping in open depending on weather.     

• Breakfast and Lunch and Dinner included     
• Accommodation: Home stay in local house or camp     

Day 3. Y Linh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van     

Wake up in the morning, you may feel little bit tired, let go out to the river, breathing fresh air and do some exercises, freshen up and enjoy breakfast, the food get tastier for sure!

Today’s trek continues along Hoang Lien Son mountain range, passing a couple small hamlets of the Black H’mong set amongst rice and corn field. Self subsidiary is typical here. The people grow food plant, vegetable, bean,.. raising chicken, pig, fishes,.. making fiber out of hemp, weaving with wooden looms to make clothes for them selves.

After few hours, the valley becomes wider as you get close to Lao Chai, a large H’mong village at the bottom of the valley, near Muong Hoa river. Having lunch break at a nice spot and then walk through Lao Chai with visiting to school, clinic before continues along the river passing terraced rice paddies to Ta Van village of Giay people where you will stay for the night. The rest of the afternoon is for walking around the village to see local life and enjoy swimming in the river nearby.     

• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included     
• Accommodation: Home stay in Ta Van     

Day 4. Giang Ta Chai – Su Pan – Overnight train to Hanoi     

Morning in the village always starts early! You may be waken up by the sound of life such as cock-crow, buffalos’ bell… however it might be nice to fancy an early short walk to see life and enjoy feeling of locals before Breakfast.
Today’s trek is not too long, but still the landscape is marvelous. From Lao Chai you will follow the foot path uphill some kilometers and then turn left along an even trail through a bamboo forest to a magnificent waterfall. Taking a short rest before paying visit to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Zao village.

Enjoy Lunch at a nice sport by the river and cross along a suspension bridge to the other side, you will pass the rocks field on which message with ancient scripts were carved from unknown time and the meaning of them are still a secret! Later you will visit a tribal handicraft centre in Su Pan village before transfer back to Sapa. The rest few hours is for freshen up, packing and rest before leaving Sa Pa for Lao Cai station to take the overnight train back, which arrive in Hanoi early next morning and ends the trip.     

• Breakfast and Lunch included. Dinner on your own     
• Overnight on train – deluxe shared 4 berth cabin – Dream/ Dami Train/ King Express.        

Tour price includes     

• Accommodation: 1 night in hotel, 2 nights home stay
• Return train tickets with deluxe shared 4 berth cabin – Dream/ Dami Train/ King Express.
• Transfer with private car or jeep as indicated in day by day itinerary
• Meals as listed in day by day itinerary
• Visiting fee and English speaking guide

Tour price excludes     

• Meals not indicated in day by day itinerary
• Drinks and personal expenses

Things to bring     

• Comfortable trekking shoes
• Sun Block and wide brim hat
• Rain gear and warm clothes
• Insect repellent
• Original Passport