CHRISTINA'S PLAN: VIETNAM ITINERARY 4D3N IN NORTHERN PART

7:00: Driver picks up and heading to Mai Chau. The journey takes about 5 hours and driver will stop along the way for restroom. Reach to Mai Chau around noon.

11:00 – 11:30: Having lunch at local house.

13:00: Starts trekking around the village in Mai Chau. You can choose between walking or biking. You have time explore the surrounding villages of Mai Chau, providing a chance to soak up small village life for the region’s indigenous communities.

Transfer to Pu Luong in the late afternoon.

Overnight in Pu Luong

You can get up early to enjoy the sun rise and see the clouds fly over the valley if weather is good.

07:30: Having breakfast then start 2,5 – 3 hours for trekking tour around beautiful valley of Pu Luong.

This is a common and easy walk around the most beautiful valley of rice terraces around of Inh La Home.

We start to descend into the beautiful valley where you walk around tumbling rice terraces. Then we will walk through small paths shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque Uoi village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Your camera will not be able to sit still when you see the panorama view of the village from above.

Continue walk down hill to Uoi village then hiking  to Leo village. If time permits, we will visit a local family where we can learn about their traditional brocade weaving (not guaranteed).

On the way we can see local people work on the field and see daily life of them when we walking through their villages.

12:00: Come back to homestay and having lunch.

14:00: Heading to Cham river.

Arriving at a local fisherman’s house, you have a short rest to gear up for the bamboo rafting. Float along the calm river and enjoy the views, in between learning how to paddle and steer your handcrafted rafts

Arriving up stream of Cham River, you disembark to visit burning cave. The cave has no light in side so to the stalagmite and stalactite you have to burn the torch that why the cave has name Burning Cave.

16:00: Leaving the burning cave the trek 1 km thought Na Tang village to back to main road where the diver picks you up to take you to Chieng Lau rice field where you begin your walk in search of stunning water wheels. Get up close to each wheel and discover how water is moved from river to handmade bamboo aqueducts via simple constructions of all sizes.

17:00: Get on the car then back to Inh La home.

Overnight in Pu Luong.

Check out homestay. Heading to Ninh Binh with more than 3 hours journey.

Having Vietnamese lunch at local restaurant.

Afternoon, you get on a bamboo rowboat as soon as you arrive for a boat trip rowing along this beautiful wetland of Van Long, enjoying spectacular scenery surrounded by rice paddies, lotus pond and towering limestone mountain peaks. Heaving rock islands standing in immense waters has turn Van Long into a unique complex and charming landscapes, a great potential land in Ninh Binh tourism. You will have chance to admire the reserve will have the opportunity to view rich flora and fauna within the most bio-diversified wetland in Vietnam, according to research by national and international scientists.

Done the boat trip, keep going to Tam Coc. You will spend a night in Tam Coc.

Stay overnight in Tam Coc.

08:30: Get picked up by local guide to explore your day in Ninh Binh. Having bycicle ride to Bich Dong pagoda first.

Originally constructed in 1428 during the reign of Emperor Ly Thai To, Bich Dong Pagoda used to be a small pagoda nestled in Ngu Nhac Mountain.

Heading to the next destination in this trip is visit Mua Cave. Walk up almost 500 steps, you can reach to the top of Lying Dragon Moutain, have an amazing panoramic view of Tam Coc from here.

13:00: Having lunch at local restaurant.

14:00: Finish the trip. Going back to Ha Noi.

Overnight in Ha Noi.