Northern loop Ha Giang - Ba Be 5 days 4 nights

You will be picked up at your hotel in Hanoi at 8am and start our drive northwards along Road No. 2. As the scenery changes around you, we make a stop in Duong Lam Ancient Village, not far from Hanoi. This place is incredibly rich in history and contains sites like Monh Phu Temple and Mia Pagoda, which itself houses 287 statues and many houses centuries old. Here we will enjoy a local lunch before setting out again along the Duong Lam River deep into the mountains. Once in Ha Giang Town, we’ll take a walk to the ricefield villages and bring you to a local homestay for a home-cooked dinner and overnight stay.

As Ha Giang still requires a permit, your guide will assist you in purchasing one from the small office in the town. You will then take a succession of stunning passes, over the rolling mountains and valleys. You will stop for lunch in the small mountain town of Tam Son. After, you will travel through the imposing pine forest to visit a Hmong palace which once belonged to the powerful Vuong family. The palace is infamous for its use as a store for opium and weapons and offers a glimpse into the life of Hmong royalty in a different era. After independence, the palace was evacuated in 1950, and the descendants of this influential family now live in France and Canada. You will continue off the beaten track down the sweeping roads where many black H'mong villages hide behind the stone walls until you arrive in Dong Van at around 18:00. You will have dinner at local restaurant and spend the night in a hotel.

Today is Sunday. After breakfast, you can visit the weekly Dong Van Market to meet the local people and peruse the fascinating ion of handmade goods and speciality produce. You will then climb up above the town to Pu Lo, a French fortress built in 1890 and kept in great condition. After exploring the fortress and the incredible views it offers, you will hit the road to experience one of the most spectacular roads in the whole of Vietnam. At an elevation of 2000 meters, the Ma Pi Leng Pass clings to the side of the undulating mountains, giving unrivalled views of the valleys and terraced hemp fields, which decorate the mountainsides. You will zigzag down into Meo Vac Valley for lunch, before heading to Bao Lac town on a snake road, we then visit Lo Lo ethnic village, tonight we have a dinner and overnight at Lo Lo house.

Today we will take you along our secret route, a small road snaking through gorgeous valleys until it reaches Cho Ra, a Tay Village, and continues on, finally reaching Ba Be National Park.
Here we’ll start with lunch in a local restaurant then you will prepare to change clothes and paddle kayaking along Nang River through Puong Cave to Tay ethnic village area then Ba Be lake, and if it’s hot we recommend copying the local kids and going for a swim in the lake!
The day ends with a home-cooked meal and overnight stay with your host family. the traditional Tay village of Coc Toc, where Mr Linh and his family will welcome you into their Ba Be Jungle Houses.

Your last day begin a beautiful journey in Ba Be National Park from Bo Lu village. A guided conversation on local wildlife and flowers will expand your awareness of the unique Ba Be ecosystem as you walk through the beautiful jungle. Reach Tham Khit pathways to an ancient cave - wandering around the lake to the panoramic views of the ranger station's animal observation huts. Continue your hike for another 2 kilometers to An Ma temple, a sacred Tay temple dedicated to mountain gods, lake gods, and feudal generals. You then comeback to Jungle Houses for lunch before pack your bags to return Hanoi.