Day
1:
Saigon
Arrival
Our
representative/tour
guide
will
meet and
greet
you at
the
airport.
Transfer
to the
city for
hotel
check-in.
Free at
leisure
to make
your own
exploration
to
discover
the
bustling
city of
Saigon.
Overnight
in
Saigon
Day
2:
Saigon -
Dalat
(Meals:
B)
A short
flight
takes
you to
Dalat
City -
The
former
French
colonial
hill
station
town of
Dalat
was
founded
over 100
years
ago by a
French
scientist,
Dr
Alexander
Yersin.
Check-in
hotel
and
touring
the
city.
Overnight
at hotel
in
Dalat.
Day 3:
Dalat -
Trek
(Meals:
Fullboard)
The trip starts with a vehicle transfer from your hotel to the trail head (about 18 km south of Dalat). From the trail head we walk across a flat section of rice paddies and small vegetable farms. The trail slowly starts to ascend up into the jungle that blankets the backside of Elephant Mountain.
The trail is narrow single track that meanders up the side of the mountain and crests the ridge, before dropping down to the lake. The campsite for the night is right by the lake. Kayaks are available to head out into the lake and watch the sun go down.
Day
4: Dalat
- Trek
(Meals:
Fullboard)
After a short morning boat ride to the trail head, the first section of trail heads through pine forest that fringes the lake. We walk gradually up for about 1 hour before dropping down into a short section of jungle valley. Here you can take a short rest to gain strength for the steep uphill climb (15 minutes) to the summit of Pinhatt Mountain at 1700 meters (awesome views of the lake). After lunch we descend the steep backside of Pinhatt and walk through more pine forest with a few small farms on the shores of the lake. The flora then turns again into jungle as we drop into Datanla Canyon. In the canyon we pass by several fantastic waterfalls before we meet our vehicle to transfer us to the base of Langbian Mountain where our campsite is on night 2.
Day
5:
Langbian
- Dalat
(Meals:
Fullboard)
The eco-system is completely different with both a higher elevation and more pine forest. We walk up, steeply in sections, to the top of Langbian Mountain (2169 meters). The mountain is crowned with jungle for a short section. Lunch is had on the slopes of the mountain. After the walk down, our vehicle meets us for a transfer back to Dalat. Time permitting there is a minority village that can be visited.
Day
6: Dalat
- Hanoi
(Meals:
B)
You will
be
transferred
to the
airport
to catch
flight
to
Hanoi.
Pick up
by our
representative
upon
arrival.
Drive to
hotel in
the
city.
Check-in
and at
leisure.
Overnight
at hotel
in Hanoi
City.
Day
7: Hanoi
- Halong
Bay
(Meals:
Fullboard)
Depart
8:00 am
to
Halong.
After a
3.5
hours
drive we
will
board
our
private
junk,
for a
relaxing
cruise
to the
bay.
Admire
Cong Do
tranquility
&
different
formation
limestone
islets.
Kayaking
&
swimming
at quiet
Cong Dam
area,
then
back to
the junk
for
relaxing.
Night
fishing
is
available
upon
request.
Have
dinner
and
overnight
on boat.
Day
8:
Halong
Bay
Kayaking
(Meals:
Fullboard)
Morning
view of
Bay’s
landscape
with a
cup of
tea or
coffee.
Have
breakfast
in the
fresh
air.
Enjoy
the
quiet
breath-
taking
beauty
of rocky
island
rising
from the
crystal-clear
water.
Start
cruising
to Tra
San for
kayaking
&
swimming
or
relaxing
on a
wild
beach.
Have BBQ
lunch on
beach or
on boat.
Continue
kayaking
to
explore
the bay.
Visit
mysterious
Thien
Canh
cave.
Back to
the junk
for
cruising
to Cong
Do.
Relax on
board &
enjoy
sunset.
Have
dinner &
overnight
on
board.
Day
9:
Halong
Bay -
Hanoi -
Sapa
(Meals:
Fullboard)
Enjoy
fresh
air &
gentle
breeze
of the
bay in
morning.
Have
breakfast
on
board.
Visit
Vong
Vieng
fishing
village
by a
rustic
row-boat.
Meet the
locals,
visit
floating
school
fish
farms.
More
time to
swim in
the
middle
of the
bay.
Boat
starts
cruising
towards
the
harbor
while A
la carte
lunch is
served. Continue cruising
through
the bay,
along
the way
seeing
more of
the
fascinating
formations.
Check-out.
Our
driver
will be
waiting
for you
and
drive
you back
to
Hanoi.
Free at
leisure
until
21:00
and then
you will
be
transferred
to
railway
station
to board
night
train to
Sapa.
Overnight
on the
train.
Day
10: Lao
Cai -
Bao Nhai
- Trung
Do
(Meals:
Fullboard)
The
train
pulls
into Lao
Cai
between
6-6:30
am.
We'll
stop at
a nearby
restaurant
to
refuel
with a
hearty
breakfast,
then
gear up
for our
bike
trip,
cycling
46 km
from Lao
Cai to
Bao Nhai.
The
roads
wind
through
luxuriant
mountains
with
views of
rice
paddies
stacked
like
mossy
pancakes.
We cycle
on paved
with
slight
to
moderate
elevation
changes.
This is
a very
colorful
ride,
bursting
with
cultural
encounters.
We'll
pedal
alongside
commuting
locals
doubling
and
tripling
up on
bicycles.
Afterwards
we'll
board a
longtail
boat for
a
relaxing
float up
the Chay
River.
This is
a good
opportunity
to
observe
rural
life
along
the
river.
We'll
motor to
the
'Fairy
Cave' a
limestone
cavern
punched
through
the
canyon
walls,
then
head
back
down
river to
the
sleepy
hamlet
of Trung
Do where
we'll
meet our
host
family
from the
Tay hill
tribe.
Here
we'll
dine on
a
homemade
dinner
and be
overnight
guests
in their
family
home
with
their
warm and
gracious
hospitality.
The
accommodation
here is
basic,
but the
cultural
experience
is worth
every
moment.
Day
11:
Trung Do
- Coc Ly
- Bac Ha
(Meals:
Fullboard)
We
begin
early
with
breakfast
with our
family,
then
have
time to
wander
around
the
village
meeting
the
locals.
The
photo
opportunities
are
abundant
with
water
buffalos
plowing
through
the rice
fields,
fleshy
pigs
grazing
beneath
t wooden
homes on
stilts
and
ponds of
ducks
swimming
in
huddles.
We'll
walk
about
one hour
along a
dirt
road
where
our
driver
and
vehicle
will
meet us
with our
bikes.
Here
we'll
switch
gears
and bike
10kms/16
miles to
Bac Ha.
Our
support
vehicle
follows
closely
for
weary
riders
who want
to catch
a lift
up the
steep
glute
burning
stretches.
The
hearty
can
attempt
the
ascent
all the
way to
the top
of the
high
pass of
Bac La.
Midday
we reach
our
hotel in
Bac La
and
break
for
lunch.
Afterwards
we'll
hop back
on our
bikes
and ride
8 kms/5
miles
around
town
with a
stop in
Ban Pho
Village
to have
tea with
an
ethnic
family.
Our
final
leg on
the
bikes is
a
stretch
of
singletrack
that
winds
through
plum
gardens,
rice
fields
and past
the mud
homes of
the
local
inhabitants.
We
return
to Bac
Ha for
dinner
and
overnight
at a
comfortable
hotel.
Day
12: Bac
Ha - Lao
Cai -
Sapa
(Meals:
Fullboard)
After
breakfast
we'll
walk to
the
Sunday
market
in Bac
Ha. This
experience
is rich
with
culture
as the
Flower
H'mong,
Black
Dzao,
Tay and
Nung
Hill
Tribes
all
gather
for this
important
social
and
economic
event.
Once
we've
had time
to fill
our bags
with
goodies
and for
the
adventurous,
sample
some of
the
exotic
food
dishes
we'll
walk
back to
our
hotel
and
drive up
to Lung
Phin.
Here we
ditch
the
vehicle
and hop
on our
bikes
for a
thrill-filled
ride to
Seng Sui,
Lung Sui.
This
scenic
loop is
dramatic
with
staggering
high
mountains
laced
with
rice
paddies,
corn
fields
and
colorful
Flower
H'mong
villages.
The
route is
rated
moderate,
with a
good mix
of
rolling
hills
and dirt
and
rocky
roads.
In Can
Cau our
support
vehicle
will
await to
transfer
us back
to Lung
Phin.
From
here
it's
back on
our
bikes
for the
last
stretch,
a 12
km/6
mile
glide on
a paved
road
back to
Bac Ha
town.
Late
afternoon
we drive
to Sapa
where we
have the
evening
free to
relax
and
explore
the
village
and its
market.
Overnight
at
hotel in
Sapa.
Day
13: Sapa
- Topas
Ecolodge
(Meals:
Fullboard)
At
9h00 you
will be
transferred
uphill
to
Heavens
Gate
(Tram
Ton
Pass),
the
highest
pass of
Vietnam.
Here is
the
breathtaking
view
over the
Muong
Hoa
valley,
where
you will
have the
opportunity
to pass
by
during
the days
cycling
trip.
You will
get on
your
bike and
start
descending
into the
Sapa
valley,
observing
the
fantastic
scenery
of
mountains
and rice
paddy
fields
along
the way.
After
leaving
Sapa
town
behind
for a
while,
you make
a turn
and
follow a
dirt
road to
the
Black
H'mong
village
of Lao
Chai.
From Lao
Chai the
road
will
take you
to a
village
inhabited
by the
Giay
tribe.
You stop
in a
local
house
where
you will
enjoy
lunch
and have
time to
explore
the
village.
After
lunch
you
continue
your
ride
along
the
valley.
You
arrive
at Topas
Ecolodge
in the
mid
afternoon.
You
check in
to your
bungalow
and
enjoy
the view
over the
valley
and
dotted
mountain
surroundings.
Day
14:
Village
Trek
(Meals:
Fullboard)
The
ride
today
starts
from
Topas
Ecolodge
and goes
to Ban
Ho, the
village
next to
the
river
which
you may
already
have
seen
from the
balcony
of your
bungalow.
Descending
almost
all the
way will
give you
more
time to
enjoy
the
amazing
scenery
of
mountains
and rice
paddy
terraces.
Upon
arrival
at the
beautiful
village,
which is
inhabited
by the
Tay
minority,
you will
walk
around
the
village,
experiencing
the
normal
life of
minorities
in the
highland.
After a
short
break in
Ban Ho,
you will
continue
the ride
deep
into the
valley
to Thanh
Phu
village.
Here you
stop for
lunch in
a
traditional
Tay
house.
After
lunch,
your
ride
will be
mostly
down
hill
back to
Ban Ho
where
you will
get in
your
supply
jeep for
a drive
back to
Topas
Ecolodge
Day
15: Sapa
- Hanoi
(Meals:
B)
The
morning
is at
your
leisure
at Topas
Ecolodge.
At 11h30
you will
take the
Topas
Ecolodge
shuttle
bus to
Sapa.
The
afternoon
is at
your
leisure
to visit
the
town. At
17h30,
you will
take the
shuttle
bus to
Lao Cai
for the
night
train
back to
Hanoi.
Day
16:
Arrive
in Hanoi
The
train
arrives
in Hanoi
station
at
around
06:00.
We will
pick you
up and
then
transfer
you to
your
hotel in
Hanoi or
transfer
to the
airport
for
departure
flight
onward.
End of
service.
