DAY 1: HANOI – HUA TAT
8:00 a.m.: Welcome and transport to the H'mong village of Hua Tat, a true gem of H'mong heritage, where ancestral traditions are still alive and where community-based tourism has developed while respecting the authenticity of this village.
Immersion with the H'mong people. Depending on the availability of the villagers, here are the activities that can be enjoyed on site:
• Introduction to the preparation of typical dishes: Bánh dày (round-shaped pounded sticky rice cake symbolizing the sky)
• Discovering the secrets of traditional papermaking
• The art of drawing with beeswax
• Indigo dyeing
Help prepare dinner with the host family.
DAY 2: HUA TAT – PU LUONG
Departure to Pu Luong. Visit to a bamboo chopstick factory in Co Luong.
Hiking tour through the villages of Eo Ken and Hang (2-hour hike), with the chance to discover beautiful landscapes of terraced rice paddies, traditional houses and scenes of local life.
Walk to the village of Ban Don through beautiful scenery.
DAY 3: PU LUONG – NINH BINH
An easy walk to explore the area east of the national park between Ban Cao and Ban Du. Pass through the village of Kho Muong and visit Kho Muong Cave. During this hike, you will encounter locals going about their daily tasks in the rice fields. You will be the object of curiosity for the locals, who see few tourists in their area.
Discover water wheels, a local technique for bringing water into the rice paddies.
Departure to Ninh Binh.
DAY 4: NINH BINH – PHU HAU
Boarding a small rowboat to explore the Tam Coc caves. A magical atmosphere among limestone pinnacles and sugarloaf formations, a natural landscape of karst mountains overlooking an exceptional aquatic landscape, known as the inland Halong Bay.
Departure to Khanh Thien. Arrival in the village of Phu Hau and meeting with local hosts. Bike ride to explore the typical countryside. Visit to a farm that breeds snails, fish, etc. A stop is planned at the market.
You will return to the hosts' home for an introduction to the preparation of "banh chung," the traditional cake of Vietnamese New Year. The chef will guide you carefully through the steps: cutting the leaves, tying the slats, making the cake, etc.
The hosts will guide you in making mats, weaving baskets, and more.
DAY 5: NINH BINH – LAN HA BAY
Departure for Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay. Boarding a traditional junk boat.
For an authentic, off-the-beaten-track boat cruise, we have chosen the southern part of the vast Halong Bay, Lan Ha Bay or Bai Tu Long Bay, where the large boats of mass tourism have not yet ventured.
DAY 6: LAN HA BAY – HANOI
The boat cruise continues in the bay, allowing you to discover other places. Disembarkation around 11:30 a.m. and transfer to Hanoi.
