TREKKING UP FANSIPAN AND KAYAKING IN HALONG BAY

(11days/10nights)

Day 01: Arrive Hanoi 

Arrive Hanoi, pick up and transfer to the hotel. Dinner at finest restaurant in Hanoi, briefing with local guide and group members. Over night at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 02: Hanoi city tour – Lao Cai 

Full-day tour of Vietnam’s capital, including Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and traditional stilt house, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the revered One-Pillar Pagoda. Pay visits to typical Vietnamese places of worship, Quan Thanh Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda, along the shore of West Lake. Just before lunch, tour Vietnam’s first university, the thousand-year-old Temple of Literature. The whole afternoon is spent at the Ethnology Museum, where you can learn about the minority groups we will be visiting up north. After dinner, transfer to Hanoi railway station for night train up to Lao Cai. Overnight on the train.

Day 03: Lao Cai – Sapa – Fansipan 

Arrive Lao Cai early in the morning, pick up  and transfer to Sapa. After shower at the hotel, briefing with Sapa local guide while having breakfast. We start head out and the Hmong porter picks up our baggage and start ahead, along with the cook. From our altitude of 1500m, we pass through the market place and leave Sapa, heading for the bottom of the valley. After a short while we pass the Hmong village of Cat Cat, where pigs are scuffling around freely among the wooden houses, and the children look curiously at these strange people. In the bottom of the valley (1200m) we pass the river of Linh Ho, carefully keep our balance on the fragile bamboo bridge. We start a long upward, and later of the day reach the rainforest, which soften your steps and block our view for a while. Before nightfall, we pick up the spot in the jungle and put up our camp in 2200m altitude. Enjoying the nocturnal sounds of the forest is a perfect back ground for the smell of good evening meal, being prepare by the cook.

Day 04: Fansipan  

We start out very slowly with a minor descend, before we again move upwards. If we are lucky, we might see some of the giant butterflies living around here, reaching a size of 25cm. At around 2400m the rainforest gradually gives way to huge, succulent bamboo, passing we reach a ridge at 2900m, and now have magnificent view down through the long Spa valley, over the area we just have passed, to the mountain range on the other side. At an altitude of 2400m, the porters put up our camp for the next 02 nights. There is a fine view from here, and this wills our base camp, from this we start the final ascend the next morning.

Day 05: Fansipan  

After an early breakfast, we set out on the final ascend. A few steep stretches must be passed, but nothing insurmountable, and at the lunchtime, we reach the summit at 3143m. We now stand at the highest point of Vet Am, and the view is stunning, to the North in to China as well as to South and Laos, and the mountainous area with Dien Bien Phu in between. Time for a good long break, before we return to our base camp at 2400m.

Day 06: Fansipan - Sapa – Lao Cai – Hanoi  

We enjoy our morning-coffee and the sounds of nature, while the porter take down the camp and move ahead down the mountain. Trekking back down across well-known country goes quickly, and we will reach the Sapa again in the time for a hot shower, a cold drink, and transfer to Lao Cai and board the night train back to Hanoi.

Day 07: Hanoi – Halong – Kayaking 

Arrive Hanoi early in the morning. Pick up and transfer to restaurant for breakfast. Leave Hanoi for Halong Bay and arrive around noon. Board a traditional wooden junk and begin your exploration of magical Halong Bay, one of Southeast Asia’s premier tourist destinations. An excellent, fresh seafood lunch will be served on the boat while cruise to the most beautiful areas in Halong for an afternoon paddling. You‘ll receive instructions and safety procedures by Easia ‘s guide. 2,5 hours paddling to Lady Men Temple through giant cave, beaches. Arrive in late afternoon just in time to relax and swim on the beach. Dinner and overnight on comfortable and charming junk.

Day 08: Kayaking in Halong  

Wake up early in the morning to enjoy the aquamarine water of the bay at its best. After breakfast and early swim, we continue for 2,5 hours paddling visit to the isolated beach, floating village. Meet the junk again for lunch before continue to paddle about 2 hours in the afternoon. Dinner and over night on board.

Day 09: Kayaking in Halong

After breakfast, we get on our kayak again for 3 hours paddling through the most beautiful limestone formation through Brandon groups. Meet the boat for lunch. 2 hours easy paddling in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 10: Kayaking – Halong – Hanoi

Today, we take the final paddle to the floating fishing village. Explore the village and lagoons by kayaks. Lunch with the crew while the boat cruise back to the harbor. Transfer back to Hanoi by vehicle. Farewell dinner at a restaurant in town and overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.

Day 11: Hanoi – out

Arrive Hanoi early morning, pick up and transfer to the airport for flight out.