Itinerary
Night 1 (Saturday): Hanoi – Bac Ha
6.00 pm: A taxi will pick you up from Hanoi to get on the sleeper bus to Bac Ha town. The bus will depart at 7.30 pm.
Day 1 (Saturday): Motorbike to Can Cau market (B, L, D)
4.00 am: Our tour guide will meet you at the bus station and lead you to the homestay in Ban Pho village of the Flower Hmong. You will take a rest here.
6.30 am: Have to breakfast at the homestay.
7.30 am: You will start the motorbike trip to visit Can Cau market by driving toward the Si Ma Cai district. Enjoy 30 km of meandering roads with beautiful views of rice terraces and a small stone garden. You will reach the market in about an hour.
Can Cau is a busy market which is held every Saturday. Located next to the Chinese border, it is a colorful, vibrant market where you will encounter ethnic minority people such as the Flower Hmong (Red Hmong), Nung, Phu La and even Chinese people from across the border. All kinds of goods are traded here, from fabric to various types of livestock to the strong local corn wine.
11.00 am: Continue biking to the center of the Si Ma Cai district and have lunch at a local restaurant.
12.00 pm: Drive to Hoang Thu Pho waterfall (recommended for rainy season). Have a rest here and enjoy the view of rice terraces. A long road wrap around the mountain slope will take you to Ta Van Chu village to visit the Flower Hmong. You will be mesmerized by the spectacular view of mountains, valleys, and cabbage flowers. The colorful dresses of Flower Hmong women hanging on the clothesline look like colorful butterflies on this “White plateau”.
Return to the homestay in Ban Pho village at around 15.30 pm to take a rest.
Night 2: Chat with the homestay host while having dinner at around 19.00 pm. Have a good rest at the homestay.
Day 2 (Sunday): Bac Ha market and horse carting (15 km) (B, L, D)
6.30 am: Leave homestay for Bac Ha market. Before walking around to visit the market, you will have breakfast at a local restaurant where many ethnic minority people have their breakfast too. Bac Ha market is the biggest ethnic minority market in the Northwest of Vietnam opening once a week every Sunday. In the market, you will meet different ethnic minority groups such as Nung, Tay, Phu La, Flower Hmong, etc. You will have a chance to discover the differences in culture, customs and ethnic dressing with your Flower Hmong tour guide.
Have lunch at the market, try authentic local food with corn wine. This wine is very strong and is one of the trademarks of Bac Ha.
13.00 pm: You will explore Bac Ha town by horse carting. It will take 15 km from Bac Ha town to Na Lo village of the Tay people followed by Thai Giang Pho village of the Flower Hmong people.
At Thai Giang Pho Village, you will see a big garden of orchid, flowers, and fruits. You will take a moment here to enjoy the beautiful views and take photos. The horse cart will proceed to Hoang A Tuong Palace where the King of Hmong people once lived. He was from the Tay ethnic group. Under the support from French colonial masters, Hoang A Tuong rules the region which consists of 70% Hmong. Tour around the palace to see the fusion of Chinese and French architecture and pictures which describe how the people lived in this area. Next stop is a visit of Nung people in Na Kheo village before returning to Ban Pho. You will prepare your luggage and get ready to go to the bus station.
Night 3: Return Hanoi
19.00 pm: Our guide will lead you to the bus station where you will take a sleeper bus to Hanoi. It will depart at 8.00 pm and you will reach My Dinh bus station in Hanoi at around 4.00 am the next morning. Your tour ends here.
Inclusion
– English speaking guide
– Sleeper bus between Hanoi and Bac Ha
– Transportation in Bac Ha
– Breakfast (day 1 & 2); Lunch (Day 1 & 2); Dinner (Day 1 & 2)
– Homestay
– 1 big bottle of mineral water/day
Exclusion
– Personal expenses
– Personal travel insurance
– Soft drinks
– Tips
You should to brings:
– Mosquito repellent
– Hat, sunglasses
– Comfortable trekking shoes
– Sunscreen and suitable clothes