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Day 1 -
Depart UK for flight to Hanoi, Vietnam.
Day 2 Arrive Hanoi Victoria Express overnight train to Lao Cai
Upon arrival at Hanoi Airport, we will meet our guide and take the 35 minute
transfer to Hanoi centre on our air-conditioned vehicle, on which we will be
served fruit and a welcome drink. Our guide will outline the plan for the day
and we will fix a time for a full trip briefing before dinner. Time depending,
we can visit one of the floating boat cafes for refreshments on Hanois West
Lake or take a walking tour of the of the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh. (In order to
see the interior of the Mausoleum, we will need to be there between 8am 11am).
After lunch at a local cafι, we can acclimatize to our new environment by
discovering the unknown parts of Hanois Old Quarter by cyclo and on foot. The
bewildering maze of narrow streets tells a fascinating story of Hanoi where past
meets present.
In the evening we will sample some typical North Vietnamese cuisine before
taking the overnight 4* Victoria Express train to Sapa. We will spend the entire
night onboard this amazing train in very comfortable 4 berth cabins.
Day 3 Lao Cai Sapa Loop trek to Ma Tra and Ta Phin
We will arrive in Lao Cai early morning and meet with our trekking guide and
support vehicle. From here, we drive up a mountain and check into our hotel.
After breakfast, we will start our trekking Challenge after receiving a full
trek briefing. The trek today will be a warm up preparing ourselves for the
tough days ahead, passing through beautiful gardens and lush pine forests. We
continue our trek to Black Hmong Village where we will have the opportunity to
observe and experience the daily life of the friendly villagers and also stop to
have lunch.
After lunch, it be possible for us to visit a local school, before pushing on to
Ta Phin, inhabited by Red Dao and Black Hmong ethnic minorities. From here,
local jeeps we pick us up and transfer us back to our hotel. Dinner tonight will
be at a local restaurant in Sapa town.
Approx. 4 hours trekking.
Day 4 Sapa Silver Waterfalls Sin Chai Y ling Ho Camp
Leaving our main luggage at the hotel, we will transfer by bus to Tram Ton Pass
the highest road pass in Vietnam. After taking a short stop to hike to the
Silver Waterfalls, we will then meet our Black Hmong team of porters and trek
along a forest trail to Sin Chai village, situated at the bottom of the valley.
After stopping to catch our breaths, we will push on to Cat Cat (Hmong village)
where will have lunch near a waterfall the trek to our lunch stop will take
approx. three hours. Following lunch, we will trek for another three hours
through this stunning landscape crossing suspension bridges and pushing on to
another Hmong village called Y Ling Ho, where we will camp. Hot drinks and
snacks will ready for us on arrival and our tents will be erected.
Approx. 6 hours trekking.
Day 5 Y Ling Ho Camp Seomity Camp
A tough day awaits us today as we trek all day to our second camp near the Black
Hmong village of Seomity. We start by ascending a mountain and crossing a pass,
where we will be rewarded with some magnificent views. We push on along a dirt
track used for jeeps (no traffic) and eventually reach the village. We will have
the chance to bath in a nearby stream to relax our legs after a tough days hike.
Shower tents and toilet tents will be provided tonight.
Approx. 7 hours trekking.
Day 6 Seomity Seo Trung Ho Supan Eco Lodge
This is the hardest day of our trekking Challenge with some steep hills to
negotiate. Also a wonderful day, we will trek through forests and across the odd
suspension bridge before stopping on the banks of the Seo River for some lunch.
We continue our trek uphill to Seo Chung Ho village and then onto Supan.
Upon arrival in Supan, we take to the jeeps for the short drive to the Ecolodge
for a comfortable night. For those who have enough energy, we can trek all the
way to the newly opened Ecolodge along the quiet road approx. 4km. Our lodge
is situated high on a grassy knoll with fantastic views of the scenic Sapa
Valley, homes to the Tay and Red Dao minorities.
Approx. 7 hours trekking.
Day 7 Ecolodge Ban Ho Nam Tong Thanh Phu Ecolodge
From the ecolodge, we begin trekking out through breathtaking scenery. We will
pass through Ban Ho Village, home to the Tay minorities and perhaps the most
picturesque of the whole Challenge. Situated alongside a turquoise fast flowing
stream, it will be possible to take a little rest from our trek on one of the
large boulders at the streams edge. We can also take a little time to explore
this village before pushing on over the suspension bridge and trekking through
ride fields to the Red Dao village of Nam Toong. After crossing the river again,
we trek uphill to Nam Keng village from where we will see some more
awe-inspiring views.
After hiking to Xafo village, we will stop to have some lunch in a local house
and then begin the journey back to the Ecolodge for dinner and overnight.
Trekking time to be confirmed
Day 8 Ecolodge Sapa Lao Cai Hanoi
We depart early in order to catch the train to Hanoi, where we will have lunch
on board. We will arrive in Hanoi early evening and transfer directly to the
hotel in order to freshen up for our celebratory dinner this evening. A night to
celebrate our achievements, our dinner will be held at one of the best
restaurants in Hanoi the Emperor Restaurant.
Day 9 Free day in Hanoi
For the more active, the early morning exercises around the Haon Kien Lake are a
must. Each participant can do as they wish today. One option is to visit the
Museum of Ethnology a great place to learn more about Vietnams 52 ethnic
minorities. In the afternoon, why not take a walk to some of Hanois old streets
and markets. Tonight, we will eat our final meal together and prepare ourselves
for the long flight home.
Day 10 Depart Hanoi
At leisure then transfer to airport for flight back to UK.
Day 11 -
Arrive UK.
This itinerary may alter due to local conditions, the strength of the group and
other unexpected circumstances. We will do our very best to adhere to the set
itinerary, however we cannot be held responsible for any last minute changes
that might occur. In all such circumstances, our trekking guide will have the
final say.
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