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THE GREAT LOOP

As the name of this trip already suggests: during this journey, the North West Loop and the North East Loop are combined into a beautiful 18-day adventure where you traverse the spectacular northern mountainous region in your own car with driver. And to make this adventure complete, you'll end your journey in Halong Bay with its magnificents rocks and karst mountains rising from the sea.

 
 



DAY 1  HANOI - MAI CHAU
The first travel day is short: on a new and excellent road, you'll drive to Mai Chau in just over three hours. Here, you'll be a guest of the local Tay people, staying in a traditional stilt house. In the afternoon, you'll have opportunity for an extensive walk through the valley where Mai Chau is situated.

MEALS: D






DAY 2  MAI CHAU
When you wake up in the morning, you will look out over the dewy rice fields where women have already started working in the early hours. You discuss today's program with your tour guide: an extensive trek, a light walk or cycling are possible

MEALS: B, D





DAY 3  MAI CHAU - SON LA
Not only will the mountain landscape, waterfalls, and rivers with their precarious monkey bridges fascinate you, but also everyday life: a scooter loaded with live pigs, children riding water buffaloes along the roadside, and chickens darting just in front of the car's wheels. You will arrive in Son La in the late afternoon.

HOTEL: Mường Thanh Luxury Hotel
MEALS: B





DAY 4  SON LA - SAPA
After a long day you will arrive in Sapa. If you imagine this town as a place where time has stood still, you'll be surprised. Internet cafes have also made their way here, and everything is geared towards tourism. Even old, toothless women will try to sell you jewelry and clothing. Fortunately, the surroundings of Sapa are truly magnificent, and by walking through rice fields and mountain paths, you may enjoy the magnificent nature and villages where the way of life is still entirely traditional.

HOTEL: Sapa Cloud Hotel
MEALS: B






DAY 5  SAPA
You discuss the program for this day with your tour guide. To get away from the tourist crowd a long trekking is probably the best option.

HOTEL: Sapa Cloud Hotel
MEALS: B





DAY 6  SAPA - BAC HA
In the morning, you'll have the opportunity to visit the market in Sapa. Then, a short journey to Bac Ha follows.

HOTEL: Bac Ha Lodge Retreat
MEALS: B





DAY 7  BAC HA - CAN CAU - BAC HA
In the early morning, you'll visit the Saturday market in Can Cau, an exceptionally colorful market frequented by people from the Flower H'mong minority. Oxen, pigs, dogs, and corn wine - with an alcohol percentage of over fifty percent - are the main commodities. In addition to the local population, the market is also popular among Chinese traders. In the afternoon, you'll have plenty of opportunities to explore the surroundings. A few kilometers from your hotel is the village of Ban Pho, where you can see how corn wine is made - and you'll almost certainly have to toast with the distillers - and how cast iron agricultural tools are crafted.

HOTEL: Bac Ha Lodge Retreat
MEALS: B





DAY 8  BAC HA - HA GIANG
This long travel day takes you to Ha Giang, the capital of the province of the same name. Because Ha Giang is located in a politically sensitive area - it borders China - your guide needs to arrange a permit here for the next few days.

HOTEL: Truong Xuan Resort
MEALS: B





DAY 9  HA GIANG - DONG VAN - MEO VAC
Via an endlessly winding road, you'll travel to the northernmost town of Vietnam: Dong Van. The further njorth you go, the more "normal" Vietnam seems to fade away, and you'll mostly see people wearing their traditional, extremely colorful clothing. And it's not only you who will be amazed; this also applies to the residents of Ha Giang, who rarely see foreigners. The journey from Dong Van to Meo Vac is one you'll never forget: along a steep abyss several hundred meters deep, the road leads through a spectacular mountain landscape, offering a stunning view over China on your left.

HOTEL: Hoa Cuong Hotel Meo Vac
MEALS: B





DAY 10  MEO VAC - LUNG PHIN - MEO VAC
The main objective of this day is the Lung Phin market, a place where time seems to have stood still. Many kilometers before reaching Lung Phin, you'll see an endless stream of people walking on foot with their livestock - goats, cattle, and dogs intended for human consumption - towards the market. Especially upon arrival at the market, you'll experience many curious stares as a "foreign guest." We expect our travelers to respect the locals. This definitely applies to taking photos: only do so if the locals agree. If you take time to explore the town and the market, you'll find plenty of opportunities to capture your shots.

HOTEL: Hoa Cuong Hotel Meo Vac
MEALS: B





DAY 11  MEO VAC - BAO LAC - BA BE
Via a mostly rough and difficult road, you'll travel Southeast towards Ba Be, known for its national park and the lake of the same name. You'll spend the night in a traditional stilt house in one of the remote villages by the water.

HOTEL: Ba Be Homestay
MEALS: B, D






DAY 12  BA BE
Today, you'll cruise on your own boat across Ba Be Lake. On calm days, the water is completely smooth, and you'll see the shores and the sky beautifully reflected in the lake.

HOTEL: Ba Be Homestay
MEALS: B, L, D





DAY 13  BA BE - CAO BANG
In the morning, you'll have the opportunity to visit the relatively unknown but stunning Hua Ma Cave. Then, you'll travel to Cao Bang.

HOTEL: Luxury Cao Bang Hotel
MEALS: B





DAY 14  CAO BANG - BAN GIOC - CAO BANG
You'll start the eighty-kilometer journey to the Ban Gioc waterfalls on a well-traveled road; along the way, you'll get to know life in a village of the Nung minority. Near the border with China, you'll take a short walk to get close to the three hundred meters wide and fifty meters high waterfalls. In the winter (the dry season), you can take a boat to get right under the waterfalls. Two kilometers from the waterfalls, you will visit the Nguom Ngao Cave with its underground rivers, lakes, and stalactite caves. In the late afternoon, you'll return to Cao Bang.

HOTEL: Luxury Cao Bang Hotel
MEALS: B





DAY 15  CAO BANG - LANG SON - HALONG
You will have to get up early today for a long travel day to Halong, the base for a three-day cruise through the bay of the same name

HOTEL: Halong Plaza Hotel
MEALS: B





DAY 16  HALONG - HALONG BAY
Around noon you will board a junk boat and visit Titop Beach and the Sung Sot Cave. You will have a cooking class and learn how to make nem (Vietnamese spring rolls). After dinner, there is an opportunity to go squid fishing. You will spend the night on board.

MEALS: B, L, D






DAY 17  HALONG BAY
You will depart on a smaller boat to Lan Ha, where you can kayak and swim. Lunch will be served on board, and in the afternoon, there is more opportunity to explore Lan Ha Bay. At the end of the afternoon, you will return to the 'mother ship' where you will spend the night again.

MEALS: B, L, D





DAY 18  HALONG BAY - HALONG - HANOI
If you are able to wake up early during your vacation, then Taichi in the morning on the sun deck might be your thing. After lunch, you return to the city of Halong where you will get on the bus back to Hanoi..

MEALS: B, L



Included:
- Good hotels, including breakfast ()
- Overnight in a local home stay ()
- An English-speaking tour guide ()
- Private car with driver ()
- Participation in a join-in tour (approx. 15 participants) to Halong Bay ()
- Transport and transfers as stated
- Meals as stated (B, L, D)


Not included:
- Flights to and from Vietnam
- Visa
- Insurance
- On-site expenses for meals and sightseeing, and personal expenses


Price per person (group of 2 people): USD 2.080,00
Price per person (group of 4 people): USD 1.472,00