Sapa Home Stay (4 days 5 nights)

Along a small path down the valley to the Muong Hoa River and from here to the Black H’mong village Lao Chai San, Lao Chai. Black H’mong is one of the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They are proud of their culture and keep their traditions and way of living. They have their own language and wear traditional indigo blue clothing.

Dzay is a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam. The development has meant that some of their old customs have been lost but many women still wear traditional shirts with a purple, blue or green colour. The Zay houses are building of wood and bamboo with a clay floor.

Tay is the most populous of the hill tribes. Because of the development and adaptation to the Vietnamese society some of them have started wearing Vietnamese clothing. But most women still wear the traditional checkered headscarf. We stay overnight in a wooden Tay stilt house. If we reach Ban Ho in the early afternoon, you will have time to swim in a nearby river.

NIGHT 01: HANOI – LAO CAI                                                                                                          

Hanoi Tour guide will meet you at your hotel then transfer to Hanoi Railway Station for Lao Cai Province. Lao Cai is one of the several provinces situated on the Sino-Vietnamese borderline. It is in the northwestern part of the country, with some remarkable features such as biologic diversification and typical mountainous climate. Apart from the Kinh people, the province has several ethnic minority groups including the H’mong, the Tay, the Dzao and the Thai people.

Overnight stay on train.

DAY 01: SAPA – Y LINH HO – LAO CHAI – TA VAN  (B, L, D)

Arriving in Lao Cai Station in the early morning, we will transfer to Sapa via minibus. After that, we will leave the hotel and start trekking. The first part is on the road but we soon turn to the right and walk on a small path down the valley to the Muong Hoa River and from here to the Black H’mong village Lao Chai. View from air, Lao Chai lies in between mountains and grass hills, with houses that look like colossal mushrooms on all sides, at 2,660m above the sea-level. Visitors to the village are able to enjoy the traditional musics of boys and girls playing the game ‘hire and seek in a blanket’ and exchange songs overnight even after the festival, the boy can bring the girl they played with to their home and marry her. In this village which you will have a welcome feeling  at any house of the hospitable people there. You can interact with them, learn about their culture and customs.

In the afternoon, we will continue our way to Ta Van Village of the Red Dzao.  Ta Van is a small village set within a picturesque valley of Muong Hoa. Ta Van village is set within a picturesque valley with amazing natural landscape and friendly local people. The area is well-known for its colorful ethnic minorities. Visiting Ta Van Village will be an unforgettable experience, since you will have a chance to witness the special cultural characteristics of local people.

We will have dinner and stay overnight with local families there.

DAY 02: TA VAN – GIANG TA CHAI – BAN HO  (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we will leave Ta Van to visit the Red Dzao people at Giang Ta Chai Village. On the way to Giang Ta Chai, you will have a good chance to trek through bamboo forest and rice fields, to cross the suspension bridge to the other side of the river. Coming here, you will visit a beautiful waterfall, a rattan bridge and you will see the amazing scenery of a remote village.

In the afternoon, we will get off the road to go down hill to Ban Ho Village. Ban Ho is worth the somewhat difficult journey to get there, as the village rewards visitors with stunning views of unspoiled sites and an opportunity to discover the daily activities of the ethnic people Tay. If we reach Ban Ho in the early afternoon, you will have time to swim in a nearby river.

In the evening, we will have dinner with the Tay families in Ban Ho and spend the night there.

DAY 03: BAN HO – NAM TOONG – NAM KEN – MUONG BO (B, L, D)

Breakfast and then we will leave Ban Ho Village for a hard day. We will walk uphill to the smallest and most untouched village of the Red Dzao, named Nam Toong. Then go further to another village on the same side of of the mountain range to see the XaPho ethnic group in Nam Ken. Xa Pho tribe is the smallest group in Sapa who have very little contact with modern Vietnam.

We will have dinner and overnight stay in Muong Bo Village of Tay people.

DAY 04: MUONG BO – BAN DEN – SAPA (B, L, D)

You will trek up to Ban Den after breakfast. From here you will be picked up and transferred back to Sapa. In the afternoon, you will have time to experience the colouful Sapa market where women from different ethnic minority groups come into town to sell their products. After that, we will take a car back to Lao Cai Station for the night train to Hanoi.

Dinner will be served at a local restaurant before you get on the train. We will arrive in Hanoi in the early morning, ending your interesting journey with Vietnam Typical Tours.

Inclusions :

• English Speaking Guide.
• Return Train ticket Hanoi – Lao Cai – Hanoi.
• Car as program (Pick up Hanoi Railway station and Lao Cai Railway station).
• Jeep transfer at the end of the trek back to Sapa Town.
• Meals as mentioned in the program above.
• Entrance fees.
• Travel insurance.
• Home stay fee with clean accommodation, permit.

Exclusions :

• Visa to Vietnam and Visa arrangement.
• Early check in or late check out.
• Other meals with drinks.
• Tips & other services not mentioned above.
• All taxes & services charge.

Children policy:

- Tour fare:

• Children: 0 – 4 years old: free tour fare
• Children 5 – 9 years old: 50% tour fare
• Children over 9 years old: 100% tour fare

- Train ticket: as Railway station policy

What to bring :

• Good trekking boots.
• Rainwear.
• 2 sets of clothes.
• Socks, towel.
• Swimming suit.
• Camera and film.
• Flash light.
• Medicine for personal use.