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Sapa -
Bac Ha by jeep
4 days
INTRODUCTION
Almost
everybody visiting Vietnam will go to Sapa and Bacha (Bac Ha),
places amidst a wonderful landscape of mountains and a
colorful population of minorities.
Elevated 1600 meters above the sea level, Sapa was built
by the French in 1922 as a hill station for relaxation. It
is home to many ethnic minority groups.
Famous for its Saturday night lovemarket, ethnic
minorities from many of the surrounding villages don their
most colourful costumes and head for the town. Sapa has
now become a famous tourism site, it offers the traveller
a rare glimpse into the way of life that has all but
vanished from the rest of Asia. Here you will find no
welcome mats or rehearsed "Cultural" parades, just
real people living real lives who greet visitors with
genuine
warmth and real smiles.
100 km from Sapa, Bac Ha - a small town built on a
desolated highland is well-known for the century-old
colorful markets of the real mountainous people including
the Dzao and the Flower- H'Mong. They and the mountains
seem to fall in a sleep and time stands still until Sunday
mornings when the markets occur. All the young boys and
girls wear their most beautiful clothes and go to the
market.
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ITINERARY
trip map -
click to zoom |
Day
1 Hanoi - Sapa
Early this morning our guide will pick
up up from hotel and leave for a 10 hour drive to Sapa.
Stop along the way for taking photos of panorama of
Vietnamese countryside and meet hilltribes people, have
lunch in Yen Bai, arrival in Sapa late in the
afternoon.
At an elevation of 1600 meters, Sapa was founded in the
early years of the last century as a hill resort for
French administrators when the heat on the plain became
unbearable. After checking into hotel we can soak up the
fresh climate as much as we want by spending our time
wandering around this charming town and some legacies of
the French period.
Day 2 Sapa trekking
After breakfast, you set off for a two hour trek to
Lao Chai village which
takes you along buffalo paths and trails and through
several hilltribe villages. This is an absolutely
spectacular walk through stunning scenery inhabited by
some of the friendliest people you can hope to meet, your
guide will assist you communicating with the locals while
visiting around the village. Take a ride back to Sapa for
around 30 minutes and you might stop some times on the way
to take photos of the fabulous valley.
Many photo stops and "Kodak moments" are
awaiting for you a long the way back to Sapa. In the
afternoon we take a short walk to Catcat village, the
village of H'mong tribe in the valley, which remains very
generally uncorrupted outside forces. Excellent views of
the valley, the magnificent limestone and paddy fields of
H'mong village. Enjoy some visits to local families and
reach their customs. After the village down into the
valley, the Cat Cat waterfall will be visible. A
"White curtain" cascade appears, surrounded by
flowery valley and deep-green pines. The rocks near the
river and waterfall provide a marvellous place for
picturesque photos and sunbathing during good weather...
Day 3 Sapa - Can Cau market - Bac Ha
This morning we bid farewell to Sapa and catch our
jeep for a 120 km drive to Can
Cau (Cancau) market, basic but full of the hill tribes
with colorful customs. The morning Can Cau Market is close
to China border and home to many ethnic minorities such as
Flower H'Mong, Nung, Dzao they all come down from
mountainous, isolated villages taking along with horses,
buffaloes, cats, dogs, chickens for sales, at the market
place you will be surprised and impressed by what they
trade and their colorful clothes. You will have a real
discovery on the cultures and lifestyles of the hill
tribes here because they live in a remote and isolated
region and far away from the modern life. Back to Bac Ha
around noon, after checking into hotel we can enjoy a walk
to visit the Hmong King's former residence and Ban Pho
where villagers make the potent local maize alcohol.
Day 4 Bac Ha - Hanoi
Following breakfast we embark on the return drive to
the capital. Along the way we will make numerous photo
stops as we pass through different hill tribe villages.
Back to Hanoi in the early evening
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DESCRIPTION
accommodation & meal inclusions
Sapa: Royal
Hotel
Meals included: breakfasts
Bac Ha: Sao
Mai Hotel
Meals included: breakfast
*Note: This trip operates on a twin share basis (two
single beds in one room).. Single supplements are only
applicable to single travellers who wish to have their own
room
transport
Private air-conditioned vehicle
physical rating: **moderate
You are required to carry your pack on and off
trains and buses, up hotel steps,etc. Your itinerary may
include easy paced walks or trekking of 2-3 hours in hilly
terrain, in conditions that are likely to be hot and
muggy. You may raise your heart rate a little bit on these
trips
Tour includes:
* Local English speaking guide the whole
trip
*Accommodation with daily breakfast, entrance fees, meals,
transportation, and sightseeing excursions as
itinerary.
*Permits
Tour excludes:
* Visa costs
* Pre/post trip arrangements
* Drinks, tips, laundry and other items of a personal
nature.
* International flights
* Arrival and departure transfers
* Meals other than those listed
* Travel insurance
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Tour cost: US
$320 per person in the party of 2
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