Description
Muong Hum Trekking Tour 3 Days Itinerary is a shared package organized in an economical ways for travelers with limited budget and depart every Thursday evening from Hanoi by train. The off the beaten path trekking Vietnam tour is operated in the non-touristy region where local hill-tribal peoples and life is not effected yet by modern commercial life and mass tourism. The Sunday Market is the most colorful and interesting in Lao Cai Province where peoples from four ethnic groups can be met.
Map of Muong Hum trekking tour
Muong Hum trekking tour itinerary
Night 1: Hanoi – Lao Cai.
Picked up at your hotel in Hanoi for a short transfer to the Hanoi train station. Board the train at 8.30pm for the overnight train to Lao Cai. Overnight on board train (shared cabin).
Day 1: Lao Cai – Bat Xat – Muong Hum.
Meet local tour guide in Lao Cai train station at about 6.00am. Have a cup of tea before boarding shuttle van for 1 hour and 20 minutes road transfer to Muong Hum Valley. Have breakfast in Muong Hum. Depart at 9.30am for full day trekking to explore Den Sang Valley. Follow the paved path from home-stay, cross the stream(567m) and then hike uphill for half an hour to the area of Den Thang Commune, then trek along an earthen path which winds up and down on high elevation(769m) for more than two hours. Enjoy great view of Den Sang and Sang Ma Sao Valleys before paying visit to local homes of the Blue H’mong and Zao peoples. Then follow the narrow trail going downhill to the bottom of Den Sang Valley (668m), cross the stream to the northern bank and follow a narrow dirt trail going uphill for half an hour to a small hamlet of the H’mong in Khu Chu Phin Village(795m). Meet local H’mong people doing their everyday works before following the dirt trail 2 hours going gradually downhill to Lang Moi Village. Explore this peaceful village before checking in home-stay at about 5.00pm. Dinner at 7.00pm. Overnight at local home – homestay.
Day 2: Muong Hum Trekking.
Breakfast. Depart at 8.30am for 7 hours medium trekking. From home-stay(679m), the dirt trail sneaks among terraced paddies, and goes along the stream for nearly 2 hours. Enjoy beautiful scenery as well as pay visiting to some H’mong homes along the way. Reaching the large hamlet of the H’mong Ki Quan San Village(936m) which is situated at the northern edge of the valley right at the foot of a imposing mountain range. Walk around the village, pay visiting to the village kindergarten (if open) before trekking up steep path for an hour to an isolated hamlet at the top of Ma Mu Su mountain(1,014m). Lunch break. Continue trekking for 2 hours along the large path getting through Ki Quan San Village, pay visiting to houses of the Red Zao people for understanding culture and living way of the Zao which is quite different from that of the H’mong. Leaving the Zao Hamlet in mid afternoon, the trek becomes easy as you hike along large path going downhill to Pieng Lao Village of the Zay(589m), cross the stream by suspension bridge and arrive to our base. Check in home-stay. Dinner served at about 7.00pm.
Day 3: Muong Hum – Lao Cai – Hanoi.
It is Sunday, the important day to locals. Living on high mountain side, in remote valleys… hill-tribal peoples go to the market for shopping, of course, but more important than that, they go to the market for meeting each others, for socializing, and for family re-union! Dressing in best colorful traditional costumes of their tribe, people add colors to market place and turn it into a kind of local festival. Group gather at 07.30 to have breakfast at home-stay and spend the whole morning attending to the market place. Local tour guide will take the group to the market and then leave them there for personal discovery. Back to home-stay at 12.00 for lunch. Boarding the shuttle van for transfer to Lao Cai. You either take local bus or train to get back to Hanoi. End of tour.
Tailor-made trip
Hiking Vietnam specializes in tailor-making trekking and hiking vacations in Vietnam. We offer the widest selection of day walks, jungle trekking, mountain hiking, trekking home-stay, camping and wild life discovery in the northern Vietnam. With a dedicated team of senior travel consultants, hiking tour specialists, experienced English-speaking tour leaders, local H’mong, Thai, Tay guides, cooks, porters we can design any trekking, hiking, walking option for any age and budget. This Muong Hum Trekking Tour 3 Days Itinerary is only a sample that can be further customized to better fit your personal requirements. Just follow this itinerary or contact us for designing your own adventure.
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Itinerary disclaimer
Occasionally our tour itineraries are updated during the year to incorporate improvements stemming from past travelers’ comments and our own research. The information given in this itinerary may be slightly different to that in the service proposal. It’s very important that you print and review a final copy of your itinerary a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans. If you have any queries, please contact us. We are here to help you!
Please note that while we operate successful trips in Vietnam throughout the year, some changes may occur in our itineraries due to inclement weather and common seasonal changes to timetables and transport routes. This can happen with little notice so please be prepared for modifications to the route. The order and timing of included activities in each location may also vary from time to time.
Difficulty levels
Our trekking tours can be classified into three levels
Easy
There are about 8 – 10K to walk on flat roads. No previous experience is necessary. Anyone in good health and fit enough to perform an occasional hike can take an easy level trek. Vietnam easy walks are provided in Hanoi, Bac Giang, Mai Chau, Ngoc Son Ngo Luong…
Moderate
There are about 10 – 15K to hike on flat and hilly roads. At this point too, no special background is required. Hikers accustomed to trekking in hilly areas of Mai Chau, Pu Luong or Lai Chau, Yen Bai successfully accomplish our treks “moderate”, provided they are in good health and to have a correct fit. These treks are moderate or easy hikes with an average duration or shorter but more difficult steps.
Difficult
There are about 16 – 23K to trek on uphill/downhill dirty, rocky trails. Physical fitness is very important for these treks and you may have to lead you home before the trek. Most treks in this level are comparable with long rides in the Fansipan mountain or the the mountainous region of Ha Giang, Cao Bang, sometimes higher altitudes. The climate and isolation can also participate in difficulty. Prior trek experience is preferable but not vital if you have confidence in your fitness.
Inclusions
Our trip cost usually includes the following services. Please bear in mind Lotussia Travel is specialized in tailor-made trips. Trip cost vary depending on group size and other details.
- Car transfers
- Local tour guide. The English-Speaking guide is provided by default. Other language may be available upon request (with extra charge).
- Local porter(s)
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Sightseeing entrance fees.
- Bottled water.
Exclusions
Unless required most of the following services are usually not included in our tour price.
- Visa (required)
- Flight/Train tickets.
- Accommodation pre/post trip.
- Travel insurance
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Tour Guide
Our tour guides speak English or French. They hold a university degree in tourism and national license as a guide. If you wish to send a tour leader along with any group, he or she can fully rely on the knowledge and experience of our local guides.
Remote treks are always accompanied by a local representative to deal with permits and authorities and manage the porter team. They speak the local dialects, know the cultural traditions and give tips on suggested behavior in fragile ecological areas and tribal communities. For some itineraries, the role of tour leader and representative is combined.
When to hike
The north Vietnam experiences two distinct seasons; winter and summer. Winter is cool, dry and lasts from November to April. Temperatures range between 15 to 25°C during the day and 0 to 10°C during the night. With little rain, the winter season offers the most pleasant weather conditions for trekking in Vietnam. Read more about Vietnam weather.
Porter
During all trekking tours we may use local porters to carry your luggage as well as our trekking equipment, where required. To generate local income we employ local villagers for this task. Participants will have their own porter, carrying trekking equipment and luggage to a maximum of 15 kg per client. Travelers only have to carry their day packs. Read more how to pack
Vehicle
Depending on the nature of the tour, journeys will be accompanied by an air-conditioned car/minibus cover the larger overland sections.
Accommodation
Campsites and lodges are not common in Vietnam, instead we make use of homestays; staying the night in tribal villages along the way. Facilities are clean, but very basic. Travelers share a bamboo-slat floor, separated by curtains. Animals usually sleep under the house and restrooms and showers are often absent. Water sources are available outside. Mattresses, blankets and mosquito nets are taken care of.
Over the years Lotussia Travel has established a number of projects to upgrade home stay accommodation into a bit more comfort. Basic facilities aside, spending the night in a tribal village and enjoying a meal with the locals brings travellers unforgettable cross-cultural experiences. In the past 15 years of organizing trekking by this way, we never received a complaint.
Food
During all treks meals will be arranged on the spot, in local restaurants and at home in local villages along the way. The meals are prepared by our cooks, the local guide or by the local host. Our cooks are well trained to prepare and serve food hygienically and they cook a variety of local delicacies. Sometimes this may include the slaughter of a chicken, duck or pig. We sometimes have the chance to bring western food, and snacks from Hanoi for breakfast and picnics along the way, and coffee and tea are available in abundance. Our cooks make a special effort to provide as much variety as possible. The porters give necessary assistance on the spot.
Drinking water
There are many shops and villages that have bottled water for sale. On remote trekking tours, we buy a sufficient supply of water for the next couple of days. We recommend bringing some water purifying tablets.
Packing
Comfortable lightweight clothing in natural fabrics such as cotton is most suitable for travelling in Vietnam. The dress code is fairly casual as in most parts of the tropics but it is advisable to cover arms and legs in the evenings against biting insects. A lightweight raincoat is a good idea in the rainy season. During the winter months warm clothing is needed for visiting the north of Vietnam. Visitors should not wear shorts, short skirts or other skimpy clothing when visiting religious buildings such as pagoda, temple, communal house and shoes should be removed before entering a private home.
What you take will naturally depend upon where you are travelling and the style of journey you are undertaking, and it can often be difficult to decide what to pack. Nevertheless, the following should act as a useful checklist of essential items worth thinking about taking.
- 1 medium-sized backpack.
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- 1 long (easy to dry) pants and 1 long sleeved shirt to wear during the trek (easy to dry).
- 1 pair of flip flop (sandals).
- 1 pair of shorts and T-shirt to wear at camp site (2 if you do 4-day trek).
- 1 medium-sized towel.
- 1 medium-sized dry bag.
- Hiking poles/walking sticks
- GPS
Responsible Tourism
We strongly believe that Responsible Tourism can support to local communities: proving incomes,positive cultural exchanges and an incentive to protect natural environment. We recognize that there is always space for improvement. We continually strive to narrow the gap between principle and practice.
Environment
We have been turning environmentally responsible tourism into practices to minimize tourist impact upon the local habitat. From biodegradable soaps to re – usable water containers, we provide clients with the best information and mean to help them identify and implement effective ways to positive protect local nature and communities. It is a vital criteria that can be passed on and abided by all, long after the trip ended.
Community
Prior to our tours, we contact and work with local community leaders to make sure we are welcome and in a manner that minimizes negative social and cultural impacts. We visit local development and community projects specific to the region, encouraging customers to donate and assist such a projects in appropriate and sustainable manner.
Where make sure that where and whenever possible our tours positively benefit the local community. We stayed at locally owned accommodation and visit cottage industries for local handicraft souvenir, generating income for local business. We often employ, hire support team such as local guide, motor-taxi drivers, cook assistants on all trips to ensure that the local community benefit not only short term but with increased employment opportunities for the future.
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