Charming Vietnam

(Draft common program for Halong Cruise. Detailed program and activities updated by the Cruise team, tidal and sea weather conditions).
From Hanoi, around 08.00-08.30 am, a shuttle bus of the Halong cruise team will pickup us heading East for 3.5hrs to Halong Bay, the pride of the Gulf of Tonkin, a Natural World Heritage as designated by UNESCO in 1994 and 2006. The road will pass by the Red River delta with green fields and rural villages, where hard-work farmers are busy with their seedling, ploughing buffaloes or harvests. Upon arrival in Halong, we’ll take a big boat to cruise the Bay to discover its magnificent beauty, created by thousands odd-shaped limestone rocks and sandy beaches. After a lunch of fresh seafood onboard, we can visit the Surprising Grotto, go swimming or kayaking, or visiting floating villages. Cooking class and dinner onboard in the evening. Evening attend activities on the boat or relax at your own leisure. Overnight on the boat. 
 

An early wake-up in the morning can give you chance to enjoy some yoga or taichiquan moves on the sundeck, while enjoying the sea dawn. The Vietnamese call their sea the "East Sea", so you may guess how miraculous seeing the sunrise over the islets in dry days. After breakfast and some warm coffee, our boat will cruise onto visit a cave and pass by marvelous areas, where almost each islet has its own name, adopting its shape or reminiscent like Sail Island, Fisherman’s head rock, Butterfly rock or Turtle islet etc. Having brunch onboard before checkout and take our shuttle bus back to Hanoi.
At leisure for shopping in the Old Quarter area. Later, a representative of Threeland will transfer you to Hanoi Railway Station to take the night train at 21.30 to Lao Cai (no guide ecortting on the train). Overnight on the train.

Arrive at Lao Cai Station at 06.00. Picked-up and transferred to Sapa by car (40km mountain road from Lao Cai). The mountain landscape of Sapa is magnificent and beautiful in both winter mist or green springtime. Stop at misty pinewoods, graceful terraced paddy fields and get lovely pictures of charming Hmong or Dzao girls we see on the mountainside.

After arriving in Sapa, we will have breakfast before and leave our luggage at the hotel before hanging around with our guide to Sapa market, where we can meet the montagnards and admire their handicrafts made of wood, silver, or dyed and embroidered fabrics and clothes. Take a 2-km short trekking to Cat Cat Village, the home of Hmong Ethic. Meeting and talking with locals to learn more about their daily life. Go on to Lao Chai (10km from Sapa) and walk thru 3km to Tavan with stops at the villages of the tribal people Hmong, Tay and Dzay en route. Back to Sapa town. Overnight in Sapa. 

Option 1: If today is Saturday, Sunday or Tuesday, nothing will be better than driving overland to a market of the hill tribal people, mainly from Flower Hmong ethnical group. Depending on the day, you can choose either Can Cau (Sat), Bac Ha (Sun) or Coc Ly (Tues).

At 7 o’clock we will drive toward Bac Ha, about 110km from Sapa. With a dozen of tribes living in the surroundings, including Flower Hmong, Chinese, Nhang, Dzao, Nung, Phu La, Thai and King (or Viet), the market is extremely exciting esp. in the early morning. The winding road to Bac Ha helps maintain the colours (in both literal and figurative sense) of the area. The distance to Can Cau and Coc Ly from Bac Ha is 30 – 50km. In all these markets, we can meet hundreds of beautiful women from Flower Hmong tribe, who are famous for their wonderful craft and hand-made flowering clothes and textile fabrics, or intermingle with people from Black Hmong, Dzay, Dzao and other ethnic groups coming to the market not for purchasing stuffs, but for meeting and chatting – just once a week - like in a real cultural center. After lunchtime, we can hike around or take our car heading to further hamlets in Ban Pho, Trieu Cai, or Na Hoi. Back to Lao Cai Station later afternoon to take the night train from Lao Cai to Hanoi (no guide escort on train). Overnight on the train.

Option 2: If today is not Tuesday, Saturday or Sunday, we will take a pleasant drive to Taphin village (12km from Sapa) of Red Dzao ethnic people, then hike thru paddy fields and pass an old seminary in Taphin Valley, reach the villages of the Hmong and the Red Dzao, who are skillful in making clothes and embroidery by traditional, old silk thread ... Here you have a good choices to buy woven and textile brocades made by the locals. Visit Taphin Cave and small hamlet of Black Hmong people. Return to Sapa and be transferred to Lao Cai Station for the night train to Hanoi (no guide escort on train). Overnight on the train.

Picked-up by car at Hanoi Station around 05.00. Before having breakfast, we can join the Hanoians in their early exercises, esp. nearby the lakes, diversified from jogging, yoga, sword dance, fan dance, and Taichi-quan. After breakfast and a short relax, we will go on to Noi Bai Airport for a short flight to Hue.

Being recognized by UNESCO as the 1st Cultural World Heritage for Vietnam, Hue is highlighted by the old royal architectural works and the most traditional Vietnamese lifestyle. We will discover the charm of the city from the Royal Citadel, Forbidden City, Hue Royal Museum. Go on to Thien Mu pagoda and visit the Tombs of King Tu Duc – the best-reserved monuments of the Nguyen Emperors since early 19th and early 20th centuries. Overnight in Hue.

After breakfast and check-out hotel, we will depart from Hue, passing Danang with stops to sightsee the Cham Museum, the marvelous museum which tells us in advance about the Cham Culture, once brightened in Central Vietnam. Go on to the Marble Mountain, before heading to Hoian after midday. This afternoon is for Hoian ancient town – when walking over the tile-roofed Japanese Bridge, visit taciturn Chinese Assembly Halls and Trading Houses, Pagodas, and stroll around the market located by Thu Bon river, you may find out the same feelings of the artists, who see the charm of Hoi An a magical old world of Oriental feel and source of inspiration. Overnight in Hoian.

Optional: Book and enjoy "Palao", an excellent variety show in the island in Hoian, with great items reflecting values and traditions of Cham nation. The Show launched after 09 November 2018 only at a surcharge for ticket and transfer. 

After breakfast at the hotel, back to Da Nang Airport for your departure flight. End of services.

Welcome to Hanoi – Vietnam!

The professional Tour Guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel in the center of the city. Have an overview of Hanoi by Cyclo, a kind of three-wheel rickshaw imported to Vietnam in early 20th century. Visit the Old quarter of Hanoi from Cyclo before stopping at Ngoc Son temple, Hoan Kiem Lake (aka the Sword lake), and St. Joseph cathedral. Late afternoon we will enjoy a unique show of Water Puppetry, a kind of traditional stageart of Northern Vietnam at Lotus Theatre closeby the Cathedral. 
Dinner and overnight in Hanoi.