Mù Cang Chải is a district of Yen Bai province. To get to Mù Cang Chải district, travellers must pass through Khau Phạ Pass, which is one of four imposing passes in the northwest of Vietnam. The Mù Cang Chải Rice Terrace Fields stretch across 2,200 hectares of the mountainside as narrow layers of terraces ranging from between 1m and 1.5m wide and has been recognized as one of the unique landscapes of Vietnam. The Hmong people developed a way to retain water by making the levelling the land on the mountain to create the rice terrace fields.
This tour is for adventurers who want to get a more in depth experience. You will experience unforgettable highlights during your excursion that include mountain landscapes, rice terraces, limestone hills, rocky slopes, and personal human contact with local hill tribes…
ITINERARY
Mai Chau – Nghia Lo – Tu Le – Mu Cang Chai – Sapa – Fanxipan Mount – Bac Ha Market
Day 1/ Hanoi – Mai Chau (L,D)
Morning meet your tour guide at hotel and we drive to Mai Chau, a beautiful valley inhabited by Thai people in Hoa Binh province. As soon as we get out of Hanoi, the limestone mountain ranges rush up and give the scenery an imposing view. Arrive in Mai Chau late noon, have lunch in Mai Chau and hike around the villages full of house-on-stilts, pretty handmade textile products and vast paddy fields to enjoy the routine life of the Thai people. Dinner and overnight in a house-on-stilt in Mai Chau.
Homestay in the village
Homestay with simple comfort. For the homestay, everyone is sleeping in the same room of the house with the crew like: mattresses, mosquito nets, clean sheets and fans. There are toilets, hot showers and a shower room outside the house.
Day 2/ Mai Chau – Nghia Lo – Tu Le – Mu Cang Chai (B,D)
After breakfast, travel to the Moc Chau highlands by passing the National Road 6. The road is long but in good condition. Some stops are planned on the way to visit the ethnic villages of H’mông and Thaïs. From here we travel to Tu Le via the road snakes through the range of Hoang Lien Son mountains which are the highest mountains of Indochina. Here you will see terraced rice fields and suspended bridges. Arrive at Mu Cang Chai, considered as the unusual paradise and one of the most favorite destinations for adventurers and nature lovers. Compared to the touristy Sapa, Mu Cang Chai still keeps its nature, culture intact and away from mass tourism due to the rough roads.
Homestay in Mu Cang Chai
Day 3/ Mu Cang Chai – Sapa – Ma Tra – Ta Phin (B)
Homestay breakfast. We drive to Sapa via Than Uyen. The landscape is magnificent with tea plantations and mountainous sceneries. Arrival in Sapa and enjoy lunch. After lunch, go trekking in the valleys to Ma Tra and Ta Phin villages and visit a family of Dao people to learn about their traditional culture. Back to town check-in hotel. Overnight in Sapa.
Travel distance: 140 kms
Walking level: Easy / 2-3 hours trekking
Heart of Sapa Hotel
Day 4/ Sapa – Fanxipan mountain – Bac Ha (B,L)
Perfect for hardcore trekkers short on time but not on energy.
With an early start time of 5.30am – 6am, transfer to the stop about 15 km from Sapa and get ready for a climb to Fanxipan Mountain, known as the Peak of Indochina. The mountain’s ecosystem is rich, with 2,024 floral varieties and 327 faunal species. The challenging ascent and descent will take around 7-8 hours. Throughout, we hike through stunning primary deciduous and evergreen forests, follow crystal clear mountain streams, and brave windswept ridges. Short breaks along the way will allow you to take in the various scenic views that this climb has to offer. Forest types change with increasing altitude. Around the summit, dwarf bamboo is all that can survive. Take cable car descent from the top of mountain. Transfer to Bac Ha where you stay overnight.
Ngan Nga Hotel
Day 5/ Bac Ha Sunday market – Lao Cai – Ha Noi (B)
Breakfast at hotel. Visit Bac Ha market, the largest weekly market, located in the heart of Bac Ha small town. Every Sunday, the different and colorful ethnic minorities come all here to sell their homemade products or buy something for the family. They are Hmong, Phu La, Back Dzao, Tay or Nung minorities. Then we drive downhill about half an hour towards Lao Cai. We stop on the way to take a short walk to Trung Do village inhabited by Tay people. Tay villages are always set up at the foot of a mountain or along a stream and named after a mountain, a field, or a river. Each village contains about 15-20 households. A large village is divided into many small hamlets. The houses are built on stilts or level with the ground. Stop by a traditional Tay house for a cup of tea. Take the road back to Hanoi. Arrival in Hanoi very late afternoon. Drop off at your hotel. End of the trip.
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DETAILS
TOUR PRICES INCLUDE:
- Private transportation with good air-conditioner as in program
- Accommodation on Double/Twin sharing room with breakfast
- Meals as indicated in program (excluded drinks)
- All sight seeing as in program
- Local English speaking guide as described
- Complimentary bottle of mineral water per person per day tour
TOUR PRICES EXCLUDE:
- Drinks – private expenses
- Travel insurance of all types
- Tips
- All visas and airfares
- All types of bank fees for payment
- Other services not mentioned
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