Vietnam Explorer

Today’s adventure.

8:30 am – Board the bus for a 20 minute drive to Mai Hich village

9:00 am – Trek through the White Thai villages of Mai Hich, Na Sun, Xam Khoe and Buoc

11:45 am – Enjoy lunch with a local family in Buoc Village

1:30 pm – Re-board the bus for your trip back to your lodge.

This very scenic walk will take you through peaceful traditional Thai villages surrounded by picturesque hills, cascading rice terraces and soaring limestone mountains. You’ll also get to experience a taste of local life as you sit down for lunch hosted by a local family in Buoc village. After lunch, a bus will bring you back to your lodge.

Additional information: Please ensure you have sturdy and comfortable walking shoes as mountain trails can become slippery in wet weather.

This half-day cooking tour is perfect for those who want to learn how to recreate authentic Vietnamese specialties in their own kitchen. Start around 7am and travel to the Mai Chau market to handpick ingredients for your cooking class. In the early morning, observe the fascinating sight of people arriving from the surrounding villages to sell their produce, including garlic, H’mong bok choy, potatoes, sweet potatoes and chicken. 

Spend around 1 to 1.5 hours shopping in this colourful and lively marketplace before returning to the Mai Chau Ecolodge. Then, try your hand at making authentic specialties under the guidance of an experienced local chef. Using the fresh ingredients purchased at the market, begin crafting a delicious three-course meal, including a salad and two main dishes. 

The afternoon is free to explore or just relax at the Lodge.

After breakfast, you transfer to Sapa.

Please note that: Mai Chau – Sapa: appx. 400km, takes at least 9-10 hour driving (excluding break time, sightseeing time and lunch time on the way). 

Due to health and safety, the driver must stop for a 45 mins – 60 mins break after 200km driving. 

Enjoy a great breakfast and prepare for todays walk. At 8:30 AM, you will commence the excursion with a transfer deeper into Hoang Lien National Park to the treks starting point near Sin Chai village. You are now “off the beaten track” enjoying beautiful views of high mountains, waterfalls and the deep valleys. The trails will soon lead you to the Red Dao village of Nam Nhiu, here you will meet the villagers, visiting their house, and learn about their daily way of life.

Leaving the village behind, you will turn into a small dirt trail and soon be inspired by the marvellous view of the rice valley dotted with bamboo huts, which are used by local farmers as overnight lodges in harvesting days. Passing the rice terraces and a river you will walk on a quiet road for a while before arriving at Nam Cang village. Your lunch is served at Topas Riverside Lodge, with jungle behind the lodge and river in front. Nam Cang village is located in the most remote area of Sapa. The Red Dao women wear some of the most colourful and diverse costumes of all Vietnam’s ethnic groups. Herbal bath, local medicine and embroidery are some of the things that the Red Dao are very skilled at.

Accompanied by your guide, you will explore around the village and learn how the local villagers make writing rice paper, jewellery and embroidery. You may also want to take a swim in the river. At 14:15, you will have a transfer back to Topas Ecolodge. Here you may want to book a traditional Red Dao herbal bath at the lodge’s newly opened spa.

Grade: Moderate/ 3-3.5 hours walking

The walk in the morning starts from Topas Ecolodge on a quiet road with a great view of the rice terrace below. You then take a slight ascent to Lech village. After which, visit a traditional wooden house, meet the friendly Red Dao hosts and experience their daily way of life. The Red Dao women, as their ancestors, having hair and eyes brows shaved and wearing very colourful customs. They are famous for beautiful handmade embroidery. On the way back to Topas Ecolodge, you will walk on small trails passing rice terraces and cross a suspension bridge, where you can take some great pictures of the natural landscape. Your guide will explain about the interesting cultivating culture of the local farmers. 

The remainder of the day is your free. 

Get up early to depart at around 4 AM or earlier (the driver will advise exact time based upon weather conditions) to be transferred to the airport for a flight to Hue. Upon arrival, you are picked up and transferred to the hotel for check in.

VN1543 @ 12.25 – 13.40 (fixed schedule)

VN 7543 @ 18.20 – 19.35 (seldom and random schedule)

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before embarking on a day of exploring Hue’s famous Citadel and its garden houses. Begin your day by taking a cyclo to the Citadel for a visit. It was closely modelled along the lines of the Forbidden City. 

For lunch, feast on a vegetarian meal prepared by nuns at a pagoda. Visit the kitchen to see how your meal is prepared in a wood burning stove, then dig into your food in the company of the nuns who made it. Take the opportunity to learn about the religion Buddhism or just get to know your friendly hosts.

Next, make your way to Thanh Tien Village, well-known for over 300 years of crafting paper flowers. Meet one of the local villagers and learn how to make your own ornate paper flower. You can be sure that your visit is backing a good cause as it is supported to struggling artists, craftsmen and home-based workers with additional income and recognition.

Finally, visit Tha Om Garden House and its owner, Mr Vinh. Explore the traditional 19th century Hue residence and listen to Mr Vinh’s stories of his royal heritage before returning to your hotel.

An early rise as today you will be transferred to Danang airport for a flight to Can Tho.

VNA 11.15 – 12.50 on every Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

Depart from your hotel and drive about 2 hours from Can Tho to the township of Cai Be to board the Cai Be Princess. The crew welcomes you aboard with cold towels and a refreshing drink as the Cai Be Princess Sampan sets off for its leisurely cruise on the busy waterways of the Mekong Delta.

On the river, all sorts of boats ply the water, from small fishing boats to cargo barges loaded with fruit and vegetables. Observe a little of river life as it plays out on the banks – noting the people and the stunning landscapes – while your attentive crew serves you tea and seasonal fruit. At Tan Phong Islet board a little rowing boat to explore the canal’s hidden mangroves. Return to your sampan to visit an ancient house built in the 19th century. Make stops along the way to provide glimpses of local cottage industries, including factories for the production of coconut candy and puffed rice (the local equivalent of popcorn), products that provide a living for the river people.

Your cruise ends at Le Longanier Restaurant. Lunch is served in this exquisite colonial-style villa set in a lush tropical garden by the river, surrounded by fruit trees, giving you a sense of life during the Indochina of yesteryear. After lunch, take a short walk along a small canal, towards the Ba Bon Bridge where your personal vehicle awaits to drive you to your hotel in Can Tho.

An early start to the day as you go by boat to the daily floating market of Can Tho. Experience the flurry of vendors trading their wares as boats teeming with fruit, vegetables and household goods ply the waters. Transfer back to your hotel for breakfast. Then head to the airport for a flight to Con Dao where you spend your 4 nights on a remote, luxurious Island resort.

Enjoy a relaxing and luxurious stay at Six Senses Con Dao, a 5 star accommodation with spa treatments, white sandy beaches and beautiful ocean views.

Be transferred to the airport for your flight home.