Situated on the gateway to North-West Vietnam, Yen Bai Province borders Lao Cai, Ha Giang in the north, Son La Province in the west, Tuyen Quang in the east, and Phu Tho in the south.
Yen Bai offers many beautiful places for trekking such as Tu Le, Nghia Lo and Vu Linh where trekkers will have the opportunity to enjoy trekking through paddy fields, to stay in a local stilt house and to eat local food.
These are some picture we take on our three-day trekking tour to Vu Linh, Yen Bai province.
Pu Luong Nature Reserve is located in the Quan Hoa and Ba Thouc districts of the Thanh Hoa Province on the north central coast region of Vietnam. Trek Pu Luong Nature Reserve along the two parallel mountain ridges that are split by a large central valley, where villages and farm lands thrive.
The two mountain ridges are very different and can offer completely different trekking experiences, according toactivetravelvietnam.com. The smaller ridge is mainly made up of igneous and metamorphic rock, filled with forests and wide valleys. The larger ridge, however, is compromised mainly of limestone karst, which has little or no permanent surface water.
The preserves elevation ranges from 60to 1,667 meters depending on whether you are in the valley or on the large ridge.
Hike through the main evergreen forest that is in the preserve and learn about the diverse flora and fauna that live in the area. The news source reports that at least 1,109 plant species grow inside the reserve, along with 84 mammal, 162 bird and 158 butterfly species.
At 3,143 metres Mt Fansipan is Vietnam’s highest mountain. Although only 9 km from Sapa town, it takes at least two days to get to the peak and back. The top is accessible year-round to anybody, so long as they are in good shape. As there are no mountain huts on the way, tents and sleeping bags are provided. Local guides and porters are required as they carry the equipment and food.
The terrain is rugged, wet and often cold so wet weather gear and appropriate shoes are a must. During the summer months of June to August it can also be very hot so you need to plan in advance for a variety of possible conditions.
The following pictures are just some we took in our recent trek to Mt. Fansipan. This was an overnight trek. Please feel free to contact us should you have any question about the trek.
We summitted Fanispan a few years ago on a two-day quickie program that had just one night on the mountain. Conditions are muddy, trails are poorly marked and much time is wasted just avoiding having boots sucked down into the earth. Guides and porters are very useful but, even with their help, its all an effort.
The following pictures are just some we took in this two day trek. We also have other photos at different size. If you have any question about either the picture or the the trekking tour, please feel free to contact us.
Sapa treks includes some pictures of our best trek in Sapa. This was an overnight trekking tour taking us through Mong Sen village and Ta Phin village.
Taking this two-day tour, you trek in the beautiful valleys of Sapa in Vietnam’s remote northwest, an area of stunning natural beauty home to diverse ethnic minority hilltribes. We have ample time to observe the local lifestyles of these unique cultures before returning to Hanoi.
Sapa trekking photo gallery includes some beautiful pictures, photos of an overnight trekking in Sapa Vietnam.
The best times of the year to visit Sapa are in the spring and fall. Summers tend to be rainy and muddy, while winter temperatures can drop to the freezing mark (Sapa ushered in 2000 with snow!). Weather really does make a difference here, because the spectacular scenery is all but blotted out when there is cloud cover and rain.
If you have any question about the trek or picture, please feel free to contact us.
Sapa is quite high in the mountains – thus the climate is much cooler than in the lowlands. In winter, Sapa is one of the only places in Vietnam where it actually snows from time to time. Also, the weather can be quite unpredictable – a clear and warm day may well be followed by a foggy and damp day.
There are lots of trek tours are provided by Lotussia Travel Vietnam ranging from half day easy short trek to multi-day trekking tours. The Sapa trek tours can be arranged from the Sapa town and ended in Sapa or with support of vehicle. Sapa trek Vietnam tours are highly recommended with a booking of local English-speaking tour guide. Local H’mong porters and other trekking equipments, hiking gears are necessary for long treks as well.
Trek Sapa photo gallery offers some pictures we have taken in our recent trip to Sapa ethnic villages Mong Sen and Ta Phin. These are two villages are inhabitated by the Red Dzao people and the Black H’mong people. If you have any question about the Sapa trek, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Lai Chau province offers a wide selection trekking, hiking tours ranging from a day trekking tours to multi-day treks. Lai Chau province seduces adventure hikers not only by the beautiful landscape, the wild beauty of the nature but also by the diversity of ethnic traditions.
The natural landscape is the accommodation of more than 20 ethnic minorities. Lots of ethnic people still keep their unique original tradition and custom, making the local culture diversified and worth a study.
Most of the trekking tours are arranged in Phong Tho, Tam Duong area while some other treks are provided in Sin Ho, Muong Lay areas. The following pictures are just some we took in our recent trekking tour to Lai Chau. Please feel free to contact us should you need further information about the trek.
Trekking Ngoc Son Ngo Luong Nature Reserve is a great way to experience the local culture of the Muong ethnic group. You trek through rice and corn fields, meeting up with local friendly people.
Created in 2006 and opened to tourists in 2010, the Ngoc Son Ngo Luong Nature Reserve is a beautiful new ecotourism destination southwest of Hanoi city. It is situated between Cuc Phuong National Park and Pu Luong Nature Reserve. The Ngoc Son Ngo Luong Nature Reserve (NSNL NR) contains a variety of wonderful landscapes and ecosystems, and is also home to traditional villages of the Muong ethnic minority.
The following pictures are just some we have taken in our recent trip to Ngoc Son Ngo Luong Nature Reserve.
Got question? Contact us for more details.
Ha Giang Province is located in the northern mountainous border area. It borders China in the north, Tuyen Quang Province in the south, Cao Bang Province in the east, and Yen Bai and Lao Cai Provinces in the west. The mountainous and hilly terrain causes difficulties for travel and transport of goods, but in return it bestows beautiful tourist sites with dozens of rivers and streams, fascinating caves and grottos, historic and cultural relics and a treasure of traditional cultures of the ethnic groups, which all enchant the visitors.
Ha Giang province Vietnam offers a wide selection of trekking tours ranging from easy half day trek to multi-day trekking tours. Most of the Ha Giang trekking tours begin and end in Hanoi. The following pictures are just some we have made in our recent trip to Ha Giang province.
Ba Be National Park is located in the district of the same name, in the northwest of Bac Kan Province, about 240 km northwest of Hanoi. The park covers a total area of 23,000 hectares and consists of limestone mountains with unique flora and fauna. Historical sources indicate that the park was completely covered by thick forests until late in the 19th century. Botanical studies have established the presence of more than 660 botanical species, 526 faunal species, 17 species of fish, as well as many species of reptiles and birds, many of which are endemic.
The 9-day trek to Mai Chau and Pu Luong Nature Reserve is customized for small groups and active, adventure travelers, those looking for a challenging, multi-day trek in the northern Vietnam. The adventure holiday begins with a car transfer from Hanoi to Mai Chau where you spend your first 4 days trekking through rice paddy fields and local Thai and H’mong hamlets. You are then transferred by car to Pu Luong nature reserve where you spend the other 5 day trekking through Thai and Muong villages. Spending all the nights at local home (homestay); eating local food and sharing the house with family at night offer a real life experience. This is a challenging trekking tour is only available during the dry season starting from October until April. Contact Lotussia Travel for more details.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau. Start trekking Mai Chau village (trek to Hang Kia village).
7:00 a.m you will be met up with Lotussia Travel team at your hotel in Hanoi and transferred to Mai Chau. This scenic drive takes about three hours. En routes, you pass fields of tapioca and sugar cane as well as rice paddies. After lunch in a traditional stilt house of the Thai people in Poom Coom village, you will enjoy one hour drive to Xa Linh village where you will begin 3 hrs trek through beautiful villages, the gravel tracks and small paths used by the locals. Dinner and overnight at a local home in Hang Kia village.
Day 2: Continue trekking Mai Chau villages (Trek to Van village).
After breakfast, you will get well and truly off the beaten track as you trek through tropical rain forest, using the local tracks and passing through corn fields as we descend in to Mai Chau Valley. The trek takes around 5 hours and is quite steep in places. Lunch will be provided at the local stall at the foot of the valley. From here, you will continue trekking and going through several ethnic minority villages, long spread out fields decorated with water wheels to make your way to Van village by late afternoon. Dinner and overnight in a local stilt house (homestay).
Day 3: Continue trekking Mai Chau valley (Trek to Xam Khoe village)
Today you will trek through several Thai hamlets. You walk on the valley floor and are surrounded by rice paddies and beautiful scenery. Picnic lunch will be provided en route. You will arrive in Xam Khoe village in the afternoon. Cook, then enjoy the dinner with the host. Spend another night homestay.
Day 4: Hiking Mai Chau village (Hike back to Poom Coom village)
Trek back to Mai Chau valley and Poom Coom village. You hike through beautiful rice terraces, inhale peaceful atmosphere in the morning. You will arrive back Poom Coong village around noon. Lunch will be served in a local stilt house.
After lunch, free time for you to stroll around the village in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight in Poom Coom village.
Day 5: Trek Mai Chau onto Pu Luong Nature Reserve.
Leaving the Poom Coom village, you travel on the paved road to the Ma river. Get off the bus to unbeaten trek to Duom and Hang village for approximately 2.5 hrs through spectacular mountain scenery, rice paddies, water wheels, talk with lovely local people on the way. You will arrive in the homestay in the afternoon. Check into a local house for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Continue hiking Pu Luong nature reserve (Hike to Eo Ken & Kho Muong villages)
It will be interesting for you to get up early and take part in their morning activities. Today you will be walking for a approximately 5 to 6 hour on a dirt road.The first hiking is hard with some steep climbs and yet more stream crossings, the next is really glorious with beautiful views of valley, rice terraces, rich rain forest. Picnic lunch on the way at Eo Ken village. Arrival in Hang village, the setting of the village is perhaps the most beautiful in Vietnam nestled between steep karst mountains and nice terraces in the afternoon. Spend our second night in a typical Thai stilt house in Kho Muong village.
Day 7: Continue trekking Pu Luong national park (Trek to Nua and Hin villages)
After breakfast, you will leave the homestay and continue trekking through the valley. There are some steep climbs and yet more stream crossings. Trek to an incredible cave, only recently discovered and now protected by the Forest rangers. The trekking becomes more remote yet one is never far from a villager tending fields, passing steep limestone mountain, rain forest inside the Pu Luong Nature Reserve to Nua village. Lunch will be provided en route. Relax from the heat of the day before continuing on to Hin – the village of Thai people in the afternoon. Have dinner and spend one more night at a local home.
Day 8: Continue trekking Pu Luong (Hike to Son village).
Leave Hin village, you will trek uphill. You will get in deeper inside the Pu luong Nature Reserve with wild and rich tropical forest. Lunch will be provided en route. After lunch, continue trekking through Ba beautiful village to Son village. Take a break and stretch your legs on the house on stilt of Thai people or strolling round this village and to be in contact with hospitable friendly local people here. Dinner and overnight in Son village.
Day 9: Trek to Ton village then drive back to Hanoi
Today you will have a nice and easier trek, just a bit up and down through rice paddies, jungle fever. After 2.5 hours we get to Ton village. You will be picked up by Lotussia Travel driver and transferred back to Hanoi.
Lotussia Travel is a Hanoi based tour operator offering a wide selection of trekking tours in all over Vietnam. The above trekking tour is only a sample we list on this site for your reference. That can be flexible, customizable and subject to weather conditions and other circumstances. We have lots of other itineraries which are only available upon request. If you need further information or have any suggestions or comments, please feel free to contact us at any time. We look forward to seeing you soon in Vietnam!
Bac Ha, much less developed for tourism than Sapa offers a wide selection of trekking tours ranging from easy half day trek to multi-day challenging trekking tours.
Bac Ha is located at about two hour drive from Lao Cai town, Lao Cai province. Bac Ha is one of ideal locations for off-the-beaten-track treks to visit colourful weekly markets. The Can Cau and Bac Ha markets, in particular, feature local scenes that have been going on every week for generations, where cattle, horses, goats and dogs are bought and sold, as well as many traditional goods like saddles and plowshares, along with elaborate textiles, handbags and other trinkets made by the local tribes people, the Flower Hmong.
To reach Bac Ha, you can either take the night train like most of other people or hire a private car with driver. The train journey takes about 10 hours to arrive Lao Cai from Hanoi. The drive also takes a full day to get in Bac Ha from Hanoi, about 8 hour drive.
If you look for an easy trek which is combined with the market tour, we highly recommend the half day hike to Ban Pho village, inhabited by the H’mong people. Taking this option, you will have about three or four days trekking from Bac Ha town to this village and hike back to your hotel. Support vehicle is not necessary for this half day option.
If you would like to keep your vacations as much challenging as possible, we recommend the 5 day trekking tour which begins in Bac Ha town, taking you through different hamlets, local hilltribe villages to Thong Nguyen where you are picked up and transferred by car to Hanoi. Taking this option, you have the opportunity to trek through the most remote hill tribe villages of Xin Man district, Ha Giang province. You will meet up with different ethnic groups such as the H’mong, the Phu La, the Red Dzao, the Tay and the Nung.
At Lotussia Travel we arrange another Bac Ha trekking tour which is more challenging than the first option but less hard than the second option. Begin your adventure trip with the overnight train trip from Hanoi to Laocai, then car transfer to Bac Ha where you start your 6-day trekking holiday. You hike through the less traveled Bac Ha villages including Lung Khau Nhin, Na Cap, Na Vang, Coc Re, Khuan Pung, Ban Me, Quan Than San, Ta Van Chu, Lau Thi Ngai, Nam Mon, Trung Do, Bao Nhai.
At Lotussia Travel, all the trekking tours are provided with English-speaking tour guide, support vehicle, accommodation, meals, food and trekking equipments. Most of the nights are spent at local homes in villages (homestay) offering a real, authentic life experience.
For more information, either mail to travel at lotussia.com or visit www.lotussiatravel.com
Lotussia Travel is a Hanoi based tour operator offering a wide range of tours to Ba Be National park including both easy tours for family travel, leisure travel and multi-day tours for active adventure travelers.
Ba Be National Park is located in the district of the same name, in the northwest of Bac Kan Province, about 240 km northwest of Hanoi. The park covers a total area of 23,000 hectares and consists of limestone mountains with unique flora and fauna. Historical sources indicate that the park was completely covered by thick forests until late in the 19th century. Botanical studies have established the presence of more than 660 botanical species, 526 faunal species, 17 species of fish, as well as many species of reptiles and birds, many of which are endemic.
Most of our Ba Be National Park tours are the combination of classic tours and trekking tours. These tours can be three days, four days or even longer and usually include a boat trip on Ba Be lakes with half day, or one day or two-day trek to the surrounding villages.
The most popular hiking trail is the day trek which starts from Pac Ngoi village, taking you to the Hua Ma cave, and then to the Thac Bac Silver Waterfall.
Another trek, more challenging is the 4-day tour to Ba Be National Park. You have two day trekking along mountain hillsides and through local Tay and Nung villages. The trekking tours also begins from Pac Ngoi village, takes you to Cam Thuong, Ba Be Lakes, Dau Dang Waterfalls, Ban Tau village, Tua Ban village, Bo Lu village. You will spend two nights at local home (homestay) before trekking back to the main road where you will be picked up again and transferred back to Hanoi.
There is another two-day trek which is even more challenging as it has lots of up and downhill hike. You can start the tour from either Pac Ngoi village or Ba Be guest house hiking uphill to Coc Toc village, and then to Na Nghe village where you will meet up with the Dao Tien. The next day, you follow a small hiking trail, go through the forest to Nam Dai village and then Dau Dang waterfall. Have lunch and take the boat trip to get back to the main road.
Lotussia Travel also arranges some other Ba Be National Park trekking tours which are combined with river kayaking and homestay. These multisport trips are highly recommended in the dry season starting from October until April. Most of the trips are provided with support vehicle, English-speaking tour guide, accommodation and travel permits.
For more information either mail to travel at lotussia.com or visit www.lotussiatravel.com
