The North-East- moutain tour
Those who appreciate the mountain world and healthy air, far away from tourist metropolises, should allow themselves the luxury of living very simply for once: for example, in a simple homestay in Ha Giang province. Here, at the northernmost point of Vietnam, there are no organized streams of people, this is where deceleration begins. The province is a very mountainous region, so large parts of the territory are unsuitable for agricultural use. Nevertheless, corn and dry rice cultivation is still wrested from the karstic soils at high altitudes. In the plateau, plums, peaches and persimmons are grown. Ha Giang is one of the poorest provinces in Vietnam. The infrastructure is very thin; roads, hospitals and schools are underdeveloped. Because villages are hours apart on foot and often consist of only a few houses, teachers trek to children to provide them with schooling. Many national minorities live in the province. In addition to the Viet, there are Tay, Dao and Hmong. The small local markets north of Ha Giang are supplied by China, except for rice, meat, vegetables and some low-grade alcohol.
Day 1: HANOI - HA GIANG.
Meals: Lunch and dinner Accommodation: Homestay
Very early in the morning, you will drive with the tour guide and our private car from Hanoi to Ha Giang. There you will have lunch together with him and then have a small city tour.
After lunch, you will go to the small village of Nam Dam. On the way, you will make a stop at the Gate of Heaven which is 1460 meters above sea level. From here you will have a divine view over the wide valley with rice fields and small villages.
In the late afternoon you will reach Nam Dam. You will have some free time for yourself to settle in your homestay until there is dinner prepared for you by the Dao minority family.
Day 2: NAM DAM - LUNG TAM - H'MONG KING PALACE - DONG VAN
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, Accommodation: Hotel.
After breakfast at your homestay, today you will set out on a 7 km hike along the rice fields through the Lung Tam Valley. Once in the village, you can visit Mrs. Mai's cooperative. Here you can learn how linen is woven. Afterwards you will go to the local
restaurant Trang Kim for lunch.
Afterwards, the journey continues north, almost to the Chinese border, to Dong Van. You will drive on arguably one of the most beautiful roads in the country, giving you otherworldly views of the enchanting mountain scenery, right into the center of the Dong Van Geopark (recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site), a rocky plateau with high peaks, pine forests and wide valleys. You will stop at the H'mong Royal Palace, built in 1919. You will have enough time to look around Dong Van until dinner.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Dong Van.
Day 3: DONG VAN - MAPILENG PASS- MEOVAC
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch | Accommodation: Hotel
Breakfast at hotel, then walk up to the "French Block" which is built on a big rock and also offers a fantastic view.
Today is market day, so you will walk a bit more to perceive in detail the peculiarities of a simple rural market. Lunch will be at a nearby restaurant.
Afterwards you will continue to Meo Vac. The drive will take you to Mapileng to the pass located on the "Duong Hanh Phuc", the Road of Happiness. You have already enjoyed impressive views before. But here you will have a bird's eye view that is truly breathtaking. Arrive in Meo Vac town at around 3pm.
In the afternoon you will explore the region. There are a total of 16 ethnic minorities in this region who have settled in the barren landscape, wringing a meager harvest from the arid soil. Meeting the inhabitants as they work in cornfields or gather wood and
plants from the forests vividly demonstrates that this region is one of the poorest in the country. Your tour guide will adjust to your individual rhythm and preferences.
Check in at the Hoa Cuong 2 Hotel in Meo Vac.
Day 4: MEO VAC - BA BE LAKE.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch | Accommodation: Homestay
After breakfast, you will have some time to yourself until you head to Ba Be Lake, a nature reserve (drive about 6 hours).
Around noon, you will get your first glimpse of the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam. The sheer beauty is surrounded by forested limestone mountains.
Check-in at homestay in the late afternoon.
Day 5: BABE NATIONAL PARK &landing places of the lake. You will have a drink there.
After a modest breakfast, you will drive by car to one of the main landing stages of the lake. You will have a drink there, relax and enjoy the tranquility of the lake, through which a few boats glide from time to time.
Then you will board a small boat that will take you across the lake from south to north. Once on the shore, walk along the Gam River to the jungle village of Dau Dang. You should arrive there for lunch break.
After lunch and a corn snack, you will return to the boat to head for Puong Cave. You will follow the gentle stream to the point where you meet a road. There the car is already waiting for you. In the late afternoon, you will drive through the main gate of the national park, a simple road downhill but with an impressive view of the lake. You will finally reach Pac Ngoi.
Time for a shower before dinner. Overnight at the guesthouse.
Day 6: RETURN TO HANOI.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
If you wake up early enough, you will have time to stroll around one last time. You will leave the park in the late morning on an idyllic little road and say goodbye to the lake. Lunch on the way and arrive in Hanoi in the late afternoon.
(own tour guide, transportation by private car, entrance tickets and drinks included).
