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Hanoi to Bai Tu Long Bay

Highlights

  • Visit to Ban Gioc Waterfall – one of the largest in the world and one of the most incredible natural sights in Vietnam
  • Visit to the local village of Coc Toc – meet with the Tay people and get an insight into their way of life
  • Cao Bang Town – this local village is where the H’mong, Zao, Tho and Nung ethnic minorities call home
From £684 (Depending on numbers in your group)
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What you'll do

Overview

This immersive tour takes you to the remote villages North of Hanoi and then to the iconic Ha Long Bay and beyond to the lesser known Bai Tu Long Bay - Just as stunning but a little less visited.

You will be picked up from the airport and transferred to your Deluxe hotel in Hanoi.  Then early the nest morning we head off to Ba Be National Park. Ba Be is a haven of extraordinary scenery, fascinating biodiversity and rich culture. The ethnic minority communities live in small hamlets and still maintain a simple way of life, living off the land and fishing from the lakes and rivers. As you adventure through the national park you will have the chance to meet the local people and discover their history and culture.  You will experience a homestay here and then The next destination on our trip is Cao Bang Town. where, the Hmong, Zao, Tho and Nung ethnic minority peoples live.

On day 4 we head to Ban Gioc Waterfall, the fourth largest waterfall along a national border, You’ll also get to board a bamboo boat and get right up close to the raging waterfall.

Next we’ll visit a local market where you get to experience the diverse cultures of the area, before hiking to Phat Tich Temple and stay overnight in Lang Son.  Day 5 we head to Ha Long Bay and on to the more remote Bai Tu Long Bay. Where you will board a traditional Vietnamese Junk.  Overnight on-board with the ship anchored in the Cong Do Area of the bay.

After your breakfast you cruise towards Thien Canh Son Cave and you will have time to explore the cave before cruising back and disembarking where your driver will meet you to take you back to Hanoi.

Arrival in Hanoi

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, you will be welcomed by your guide and be driven to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is yours to discover the magic of Hanoi, capital of Vietnam. You will stay overnight in a hotel in Hanoi.

Accommodation

May De Ville Trendy Hotel & Spa (Superior City View)/ May De Ville Legend Hotel & Spa (Deluxe City view)

Ba Be Lake and Homestay

Your guide will pick you up by car at your hotel around 7:30-8:00am, as an early start is necessary for all in store for you today.

On the way to Ba Be National Park, you’ll stop in a local village to enjoy lunch in an authentic restaurant, before the route takes you up through the mountains and tea plantations on the road to Ba Be Lake. You will
then travel to the Tay village of Coc Toc, where the houses are built in traditional Tay fashion on stilts. The local Tay population is extremely friendly to visitors and will welcome you with open arms, introducing you to their way of life.

The central pillars of which are fishing on the lake and rice-farming. This is where you will spend the night in a homestay, to really get an insight into Tay culture and daily life. After checking in at the homestay, your afternoon will be free to spend as you wish, though we recommend going for a walk to explore the beautiful surroundings.

Following this, we will take you to Hua Ma Cave, featuring thousands of stalactites and stalagmites. The rest of the day is again yours to do with as you please, though we offer the optional activities of guided walks/bike rides around Coc Toc Village and kayaking trips on the lake. If you’d rather spend the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the serene views, then that’s also an option.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Mr Linh’s Homestay

Cao Bang

The next destination on the trip is Cao Bang Town. Here, the H’mong, Zao, Tho and Nung ethnic minority people live together in harmony. After breakfast, you’ll set off on a half-day journey past spectacular mountainous landscapes, with a mixture of steep terraced rice fields and hill-tribe villages. Along the way, you can make stops at your leisure, to rest the legs and take some wonderful photographs. The remainder of the day will be free to explore the town or simply relax. Dinner on your own, then overnight in Cao Bang.

Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Accommodation: 3* THANH LOAN Hotel in Cao Bang

Ban Gioc Waterfall

Today you set out for one of Northern Vietnam’s most incredible natural wonders, Ban Gioc Waterfall, the fourth largest waterfall along a national border, after Iguazu Falls (Brazil – Argentina), Victoria Falls (Zambia – Zimbabwe), and Niagara Falls (Canada – America).

This breath-taking 300-meter wide cascade forms part of the Chinese- Vietnamese border. Here you can relax in this natural wonder with plenty of time to snap some photos. You’ll also get to board a bamboo boat and get up close to the raging waterfall. Next, you’ll visit a local market where you get to experience the diverse cultures of the area, before hiking to Phat Tich Temple which aside from being a great cultural experience, offers some of the best views of Ban Gioc with China in the background.

Next up you’ll pass through several hill-tribe villages before reaching the tranquil towns of Dong Khe and That Khe. By late afternoon we’ll arrive in Lang Son, a border town all but destroyed in the recent Sino-Vietnamese war, but rebuilt into a thriving trade hub in the years since. Dinner on your own then overnight stay in Lang Son

Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Accommodation:

4* MUONG THANH Hotel in Lang Son

Bai Tu Long Bay

You’ll depart for Ha Long Bay at around 7:30a.m for a 5-hour drive to Hong Gai Tourist Wharf, where you’ll check in at Oriental Sails JSC’s private waiting hall, the OS Lounge. Here you can relax until embarkation around 12:30-13:00 followed by a quick briefing. You’ll spend your first few hours on-board enjoying the views of the limestone islands of Bai Tu Long Bay and savouring a delectable lunch. And then between  15:30-16:30 you are free to choose between two activities:

Option 1: Fishing village visit

For those that are interested in learning about local life in the bay. Take a bamboo rowing boat trip lasting roughly 45 minutes, around Vung Vieng fishing village, one of the largest of its kind in Ha Long Bay. The village is set inside a closed lagoon, surrounded by mountains, which makes it a great place for photos in addition to the cultural experience.

Option 2: Beach and kayaking

For the more active travellers you can be taken in a small boat to Ban Chan beach, where you can sunbathe, swim, play volleyball or try your hands at some kayaking in the magnificent setting of the bay.

You’ll arrive back at the cruise around 16:30, with enough time to get cleaned up and relax before the sun starts to set. At 17:30 you can enjoy happy hour at the bar on the sun deck, enjoying the sunset with a drink in hand, and also take part in a cooking class with the resident Chef.

At 19:00 dinner will be served, and the rest of the evening can be spent socialising with other guests, night squid fishing or just lazing around. There will also be singing and dancing activities until 22:00.Overnight on-board with the ship anchored in the Cong Do Area of the bay.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Garden Bay Legend 10 cabins Cruise – Deluxe

Bai Tu Long Bay to Hanoi

Early risers can enjoy a 30 minute Tai Chi exercise on the sundeck at 06:30 before enjoying the view of the surrounding seascape with your breakfast as you cruise towards Thien Canh Son Cave. You’ll arrive at the cave at 9am and spend about half an hour exploring this medium sized and less visited cave situated in Bai Tu Long Bay.

After your cave visit its time to check out of your room at the boat and return to port, docking at noon. After having early lunch on-board. Our driver will be waiting for you at the pier and will transfer you back to Hanoi for an arrival at your hotel for around 16:30.

Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

What's included

Included

  • Meals included in the itinerary
  • Accommodation included in the itinerary
Your local host

Nguyen Tuan Linh

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I was born in Vietnam up in the rural areas of the tea country and growing up I developed a passion for the outdoors and just exploring the unexplored. I worked for my grandfather, in the rice fields in the Phu Tho province. And as I grew, so did my curiosity for the world, bringing the ambition of working to discover the world.

At 19, I took my first footsteps in following my dream, and travelled to Hanoi to study tourism at university and to learn English.

With a dream of becoming a professional tour guide, I continued studying tourism and spent three years working in the tourism industry as a tour guide for a number of travel companies in Hanoi. Responding to the travel aspira... Read All

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I was born in Vietnam up in the rural areas of the tea country and growing up I developed a passion for the outdoors and just exploring the unexplored. I worked for my grandfather, in the rice fields in the Phu Tho province. And as I grew, so did my curiosity for the world, bringing the ambition of working to discover the world.

At 19, I took my first footsteps in following my dream, and travelled to Hanoi to study tourism at university and to learn English.

With a dream of becoming a professional tour guide, I continued studying tourism and spent three years working in the tourism industry as a tour guide for a number of travel companies in Hanoi. Responding to the travel aspirations many international travellers seek, I sought out off-the-beaten-track places to show visitors, and approached many ethnic minority villages to arrange visits there too. I gained expertise in everything from giving travellers tips on how to get around the country, to itineraries ideal for business travellers.
The combination of volunteering, environmental protection and sustainable tourism development gave me the idea of forming my own tour company and have been doing this ever since.

What inspired you to work in travel? 

The one thing that sticks out as being the main inspiration has to be the country I grew up in, Vietnam.When I was working as a tour guide, I would ask people where they were going and it would always be the main tourists places. So I realised there was so much that people were not seeing and I wanted to change that.

I also love travelling myself, the people you meet, the stories you hear, and the things you learn are just fascinating. So I wanted to share this passion with others.

What makes your experiences special? 

Finding off the beaten path experiences has always been a passion of mine. I always make sure the experiences I offer are truly authentic, that you can’t find anywhere else.

All of our partners are local people living in and around the places that we visit. We make annual trips to all of our destinations to research and re-verify the quality of service provided, as well as spend time training and teaching the people how to best run accommodation and other services for visitors. When staying in luxury hotels, we always pick ones situated near nature, and the homestays we work with work exclusively through us, ensuring that we offer unique experiences through our partners that you can’t find with anyone else.

Nguyen Tuan Linh image

What our travellers are saying...

From start to finish, this company went above and beyond to make sure this was a truly unforgettable trip. All of the staff were friendly and helpful when booking the tour and as soon as we met Mr Linh, we knew we had chosen the right company! Our trip to Ba Be was a definite highlight of my time in Vietnam. As well as seeing all of the main attractions, which really are breathtaking we also enjoyed getting off the beaten track and experiencing s

Lauren

We spent 6 days on the Highlights and Hidden Gems of Halong Bay and Ba Be tour with our guide Mr David Long and our driver Mr Nam. We were a bit apprehensive to begin with as we are usually independent travellers however we absolutely loved the experience for its authenticity, flexibility and accessibility to areas and people we would not normally have had access to. This is a tour company offering exceptional service right from the beginning of

Sophia

I can not say enough good things about how amazing this experience was. Even down to the initial inquiry to the drop off at the hotel at the end every second of this trip was perfect!

Steph

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