6D5N VIETNAM ~ Sapa Valley and Hanoi
Departure: open date
D01 ARRIVE HANOI AIRPORT – HANOI COACH/TRAIN STATION – OVERNIGHT TO SAPA
On arrival at Hanoi Airport, your driver will meet you at the arrival hall and drive you to Hanoi Coach or Train Station for your overnight journey to Sapa
D02 CAT CAT VILLAGE
Upon arrival in Sapa, transfer to your hotel is provided. Situated at the northern part of Vietnam and about 376km from Hanoi, Sapa is a mountainous district of Lao Chai province. It is most well-known for its picturesque views of beautiful mountains – some rising above 3,000m – and green rice terraces stretching some 1,000m into the valley below. Small local tribal villages and hamlets are scattered throughout the region. Enjoy the day exploring Sapa town or start exploring the region by visiting a nearby village on your own (trekking activities for the next 2 days will be with a private guide).
You may wish to visit Cat Cat Village (about 2km from Sapa town), a village of the H’mong ethnic minority, located at the bottom of the Muong Hoa Valley and near the stunning Cat Cat Waterfall. The village retains many traditional crafts such as flower planting, weaving and jewellery crafting. The trail to Cat Cat Village is a simple and easy one although there will be numerous up and down steps. A glimpse of the traditional lifestyle of this village can be seen by looking into their houses and discover how they live. In addition to the homes, there are the crafts shops where it is common to see mothers at work whilst tending to their toddlers.
D03 LAO CHAI – TA VAN – SILVER & LOVE WATERFALLS – MOUNT FANSIPAN [B/L]
There will be a private guide to bring you around today. In Lao Chai Village, you will find the Black H’mong ethnic people living here and this is also the start of the Muong Hoa Valley. Enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful sights of this place. There are over 100 families of the Black H’mong ethnic people living here and the Black H’mong community here is one of many scattered along the fertile valleys. They are so named after the deep indigo dye used in nearly all of their traditional clothing. The Black H’mong’s unique textiles are popular products in souvenir shops and markets throughout Vietnam.
Continue on to the village of Ta Van, a tranquil and peaceful village in the Lao Cai province. Lying in the valley of Muong Hoa with striking landscapes such as terraced rice fields on the mountain sides and streams of crystal clear water snaking through the village, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the lifestyle of the Giay ethnic people living here (only 2% of Sapa’s population come from the Giay ethnic group that migrated from China to Vietnam two centuries ago). In addition to their main occupation of growing rice, they are also known to make silver products and musical instruments. They live in both stilt and ground houses with a central part of the house set aside to place an ancestral altar and also to receive guests.
Silver Waterfall, the highest in Vietnam with a 300m drop is in the Hoang Lien National Park. Considered one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Vietnam, Silver Waterfall is the confluence of sources of water from the Lo Sui Tong mountain peak.
Continue on to see Love Waterfall. It is about 100m tall and starts from the peak of Mount Fansipan, cascading into the stream below. Under the waterfall, the stream runs in the midst of green grass plots and bamboo clusters, forming a beautiful and somewhat surreal image.
Mount Fansipan (3,143m) is the tallest mountain in Vietnam. With cable cars installed in 2016, visitors can now ascend to the summit of Mount Fansipan within 20 minutes by the world’s longest and highest (3-rope) cable car. It is an incredible 6km trip across the valleys, climbing nearly 1,400m to the peak of Mount Fansipan. Tickets included.
D04 MA TRA – TA PHIN – HERBAL BATH – OVERNIGHT TO HANOI [B/L]
There will be a private guide to bring you around today. Ma Tra Village was recently added into Sapa’s growing list of stunning destinations in the area. The village is home to the H’mong and Red Dao and boasts only about 50 families. The locals survive by weaving, forging farming tools, carving silver and engaging in other traditional crafts. They generally make such goods or products to meet their own needs, but since the growth of tourism in Sapa, many H’mong women have started making decorative cloth to sell on the town’s main streets.
Though Sapa Valley has long been familiar with tourists, Ta Phin Village is still a relatively new name to most people. Situated about 1,500m above sea level in a valley covered with paddy and corn fields, the road to Ta Phin Village runs along a rugged mountainside and terraced paddy fields. Renowned for its brocades, Ta Phin has officially become the “brocade village” since 1998, where visitors can find distinctively handmade brocades. A must-try activity when visiting Ta Phin Village is the Dao herbal bath (included). Bathing with medicinal herbs is a traditional practice of the Red Dao since forever. It is known for treating the common cold and aches and pains. Bid a fond farewell to Sapa Valley as you head to the Coach or Train Station (transfer included) for your overnight journey to Hanoi.
D05 ARRIVE HANOI
Upon your arrival at Hanoi Coach or Train Station in the morning, your driver will meet you and drive you to your hotel in Hanoi city. Located on the banks of the Red River, Hanoi is one of the most ancient capitals in the world with many well-preserved centuries-old French colonial buildings, ancient pagodas, unique museums, traditional villages and tranquil parks set just outside the city. Enjoy Hanoi at your own leisure. Not to be missed is the Hanoi Old Quarter and for the shopaholics, visit Dong Xuan Market.
D06 HANOI – HANOI AIRPORT [B]
Free time until your transfer to Hanoi Airport for your departure flight.
Price:
S$750 per person, for twin/triple sharing, tourist class accommodation
Minimum 2pax to go
S$960 per person, for twin/triple sharing, 4-star accommodation
Minimum 2pax to go
