Northern Vietnam tour
| country: | Vietnam |
| location: | North Vietnam, Hill Tribes |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2009: 22 Nov, 13 Dec 2010: 3 Jan, 10 Jan, 17 Jan, 24 Jan, 31 Jan, 7 Feb, 14 Feb, 21 Feb, 28 Feb, 7 Mar, 14 Mar, 21 Mar, 28 Mar, 4 Apr, 11 Apr, 18 Apr, 25 Apr, 2 May, 9 May, 23 May, 6 Jun, 20 Jun, 4 Jul, 18 Jul, 1 Aug, 15 Aug, 29 Aug, 12 Sep |
| price: | From £425 (9 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This concise tour of northern Vietnam allows you to discover and explore some of the most remarkably scenic regions in South East Asia. Beginning in the national capital, Hanoi, we uncover the charms and curiosities of this graceful old city and its fascinating Old Quarter on foot before setting out to cruise amongst the towering limestone karsts of awe-inspiring Halong Bay. Last, but definitely not least, we take the China-bound train to the northern border town of Lao Cai. From here we'll trek through the breathtakingly beautiful mountain scenery around the northern hill tribe minority town of Sapa, and spend the night in a village longhouse, before returning to Hanoi where our trip ends.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | Hanoi |
| Day 3: | Halong Bay |
| Day 4: | Hanoi |
| Day 5-7: | Sapa |
| Day 8-9: | Hanoi |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. Award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society how this holiday makes a difference
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Sapa, in Vietnam’s remote North, is a fabulous mix of colourful tribes and cultures. We spend three days trekking through remote villages and spend a night with a local family in their longhouse. Here we share their experiences and experience village life first hand. Heading to the coast we cruise around Halong Bay, with its magnificent scenery and limestone karsts jutting out of the water. We enjoy a sumptuous midday feast, enjoying a variety of locally caught seafood. Our trip ends in Hanoi, were we stay in a family run guesthouse, right in the heart of the ‘Old Quarter’. We are accompanied throughout by one of our Vietnamese English-speaking leaders.
This trip is focused on respecting and benefiting the local people and the environment of this country. On this trip you will be lead by an experienced local leader passionate about their country's history, heritage and natural beauty that will help you to get 'under the skin' of their country and see it through the eyes of a local. This trip stays at locally run accommodation; we eat at local restaurants and travel on local transport. This ensures the financial return to the local economy opens up training and employment opportunities - and allows for informal and meaningful interaction between our travellers and local people. In 2009, we aim to neutralise all major emissions created by our trips, so that they can be offered as the best green alternative available. This means all greenhouse gases emitted by transport and accommodation during all of our trips will be balanced by an Australian-based ‘profit for purpose’ company that invests all funds into renewable energy and will invest in projects aimed at ‘neutralising’ your contribution to greenhouse gases. The maximum group size on all of our adventures is 16 passengers – with exception of some African trips (24 max) and in the Polar Regions, where our ship carries a maximum of 110 passengers. Travelling in small groups ensures we make significantly less impact on the natural environment, as well as breaking down many of the communication barriers presented by a larger group. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and time to make your own discoveries. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as gaining an understanding of the respective cultures you visit. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |