North West Adventure by Jeep 6 Days/5 Nights

Tour Duration:   6 days / 5 nights

Sapa is the most popular place to go in the Far Northwest amongst budget travelers and packages tourists alike. By using Sapa as a base you can hike off to more remote ‘traditional’ hill tribe villages and sometimes you will be offered a bed in a village for the night. Sapa was originally built as a hill station in the early part of this century and, in winter, gets bitterly cold.Sprawling near the banks of a river, Can Cau Market is a clearly defined shantytown, packed with crude stalls covered with thatched roofs. The start of a few simple settlements can be seen high above, many of whose residents now make their weekly pilgrimage to the market. We are only 9kms from the Chinese border and some traders make the journey across from China on horsebackThe Sunday market in Bac Ha is where you'll want to stock up on water buffalo, pigs and horses. Once you're all set, you can browse for bottles of local firewater (made from rice, cassava or corn) or handicrafts made by some of the 10 Montagnard groups living near here - Flower Hmong, Dzao, Giay (Nhang), Han (Hoa), Xa Fang, Lachi, Nung, Phula, Thai and Thulao.Bac Ha is a less crowded alternative to Sapa, and arriving midweek makes for a relaxing visit. Around 700m above sea level, the highlands around Bac Ma are somewhat warmer than Sapa.

 

Tour Prices ($US)
Cost/pax	2	3 - 4	5 - 8	Booking
Standard (2*)	330	290	260
Superior (3*)	370	320	280
Deluxe (4*)	475	425	375

8h00 Pick up at the hotel. Travel through the verdant Red River Delta and witness the day to daylylife of the peasant farmers. Stop in Mai Chau for a short walk then drive onto Son La - the capital of Son La province. Overnight in hotel.

Son La has an old French prison and museum, perfect for a small walk to visit in the morning before your departure. From here you'll carry on to Tuan Giao, then onto Muong Lay (formerly Lai Chau) for the night. You'll enjoy the picturesque scenery as you pass the villages of Black Thai, White Thai, Meo and Muong peoples.

 

Day 3 (B, L ): Muong Lay - Sin Ho - Lai Chau (200kms/7 hours) 
From Muong Lay, the drive to Sin Ho is stunning with tiered tea plantations and verdant rice terraces carved into the landscape. Continue to Lai Chau (formerly Tam Duong) for the night. If you happen to be in Lai Chau on a Sunday morning, the town is bustling with activity as the local hill tribes gather for their weekly market day here. Overnight in a hotel or guesthouse.

 

Day 4 (B, L): Lai Chau - Sa Pa (80kms/3 hours) 
A good day trekking along rice terraces, through lush bamboo forest and local villages including that of the colourful Dzao hill tribe, and down to a rolling stream for a picnic lunch. After lunch, continue trekking along the rice terraces, trails and dirt roads into Ban Ho for an insightful night with your Tay hosts, where you'll sleep in the cozy loft complete with comfy mattress and a mosquito net.

 

Short trek to the dirt road for the jeep ride back to Sapa. Enjoy a afternoon to explore Sa Pa town, great shopping in the market for local produce and you can buy handicrafts from many of the local hill tribes selling their wares there. Bus departs Sapa at 16: 30 P.M, arrive Lao Cai 18: 00 P.M. Night train back to Ha Noi (soft sleeper aircon). Trip ends 5: 00 A.M at Ha Noi station.

Accommodation	Mid-range (2*)	Superior (3*)	Deluxe (4+*)
Sapa Hotels	Royal  Sapa Hotel	Royal View Hotel Sapa Bamboo Sapa Hotel	Victoria Sapa Resort

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