Exploring Northeast Of Viet Nam

Ba Be Lake is Vietnam’s largest natural lake and is now the centrepiece of an extensive National Park. The park and the surrounding area is limestone country, so lakes, waterfalls, caves and unusual rock formations abound. The whole area is richly forested and home to many ethnic minority communities. Cao Bang province is one of the most beautiful places in all of Vietnam. The same cannot be said for the town of Cao Bang, but nobody cares as it is a useful base to explore the surrounding countryside. Cao Bang town is high above sea level and has a gentle climate. Ban Gioc Waterfall on the Quy Xuan River is located in Cao Bang Province, nears the Sino-Vietnamese border. The waterfall falls thirty meters. It is separated into three falls by rocks and trees. Ban Gioc Waterfall bears a poetic, fresh, quiet beauty of water, forest and cloud area mixed with village atmosphere of mountainous ethnic minorities. Young people and ethnic people usually sing the impressive verses about this imposing fall. Lang Son - the border town had been all destroyed during the recent Sino – Vietnamese war, but was rebuilt to become an important trade center in north-eastern region.

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Duration: 7 days/6 nights

Tour Code: MVAT03

Tour Valid: Until December 30th, 2013

Highlights: Ha Noi – Ba Be – Cao Bang – Lang Son - Ha Noi

• Day 1 - Ha Noi Arrival

  Place Transport: Airplane->Car 
  Meals: Dinner

  Upon arrival, our private Vietnam Tour guide and driver will welcome your Vietnam Holiday, pick up and transfer to the hotel for check in. Hanoi, a city where the exotic chic of old Asia blends with the dynamic face of new Asia. Where the medieval and modern co-exist. A city with a blend of Parisian grace and Asian pace, an architectural museum piece evolving in harmony with its history, rather than bulldozing through like many of the region’s capitals. Hanoi is where imagination becomes reality. Free at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.

  Day 2 - Ha Noi - Ba Be

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

  Begin this exotic journey North-East from your hotel in Hanoi, we drive up and pass through the undulating terrain of tea plantation. On the way, we will make a break and visit at the museum of Ethnology in Thai Nguyen town; then we keep moving through many other timeless villages near the road. This is the first glimpse of rural Vietnam and sets the tone for the days ahead.
  Today we will have lunch in a local restaurant in Bac Can before reaching Ba Be area. Arrival in Ba Be National Park in the early afternoon, we check into the homestay in Pac Ngoi Village of the Tay minority then it is our free time for strolling around the village relaxing in the National Park Area. Tonight, we will have dinner and homestay with the Tay minority.

  Day 3 - Ba Be - Cao Bang

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Today, we will spend the morning exploring the beauty of Ba Be lakes on the local canoes; we get transfer to a boat dock and then glide along the lake into Nang River and through the pretty cave. We will enjoy lunch and interact with the Tay minority in Cam village near the beautiful waterfall. After lunch, we canoe into the tranquil Ba Be lakes for its majesty. The followings are swimming and trekking sometimes to visit the ethnic minorities. We will come back to the village around 02:00 PM for the transfer to Cao Bang, here the ethnic people of H’Mong, Dzao, Tho and Nung live together in harmony.

  Day 4 - Cao Bang - Ban Gioc - Cao Bang

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Heading out of Cao Bang town, we start venturing into the most remote northern region of Cao Bang Province. The scenic roads traverse Trung Khanh before arriving at the famous Ban Gioc Waterfall, the biggest waterfall in Vietnam (may not have full of water in the dry season). This enormous cave has two main entrances and one branch reaching almost all the way to the waterfalls where is a ‘secret’ entrance. We will be back to Cao Bang in the afternoon then it is free time relaxing and exploring Cao Bang Town.

  Day 5 - Cao Bang - Lang Son

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  We get the drive to That Khe throught Dong Khe then heading for Lang Son (the border town had been all destroyed during the recent Sino – Vietnamese war, but was rebuilt to become an important trade center in north-eastern region). We can make some breaks en routes as you wish to visit hill tribe villages and take pictures.

  Day 6 - Lang Son - Ha Noi

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  The central market of Dong Kinh – Lang Son and the legendary Tam Thanh Cave are visited this morning before we travel by roads back to Hanoi through many mountain areas. Their breathtaking scenery is some of the best in Asia. We encounter en route many ethnic minorities doing their daily works such as logging, herding buffalo and tilling the field. We arrive in Hanoi around 5 p.m. Our adventure ends at your hotel in Hanoi.
  

  Day 7 - Ha Noi Depature

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast

  Free time at leisure for you to wrap up your memorial Vietnam Holiday until our private guide will see you off at the airport with the sincere thanks for traveling with us. We hope that you have enjoyed your Vietnam Tours with us and look forward to organizing your coming Vietnam Tours.

  The Tour Inclusion:

  - 06 Nights Accommodation with daily BKF.

  - Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary above (Please note: pick-ups will be by a guide and driver or, where a guide is not necessary, a driver only. All unaccompanied drivers will be briefed in advance, and will carry a mobile phone to ensure smooth transfer arrangements)
  
  - Boat cruises as specified in the program.

  - The services of experienced English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary (please note: guides will be on hand from pick-up until guests' return to their hotel or reaching their destination). Free days or part days will not include the services of a guide unless requested and included in the final itinerary.

  - Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the program.

  - Lunches and dinners (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available.

  The Tour Exclusion:

  - Visas on arrival

  - International flight tickets and airport tax.

  - Dinners, except as specified above.

  - Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.

  - Surcharge for peak season (if any) & other not mentioned in the above detail program

  Additional Information

  Importance note
  - The itinerary is just a sample of our tours; we'll be pleased to design similar programs with dates and itinerary customized to your personal preferences in Tailor Made Tours section. Rates may vary frequently. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs.

  What to bring? 
  - Sun Block, Wide brim hat, Camera + Film, Comfortable shoes, Rain gear, Warm clothes, original Passport...

  How to start?
  - MinMax Travel is a fully escorted tour and best-available all year round; the only thing you need to prepare in advance is the international air-ticket from/to your country.

  - If you don’t have enough time to complete visa before your departure, we will help you to obtain Vietnam Visa on arrival easily (getting visa at the airport, on your arrival).