Prices: 112 - 354
Start Date: Upon Request
Depart From: Hanoi
Destination(s) to visit: Mai chau
Tour Code: EVT166
Tour description:
Smiles Tour take to give about the culture of the peoples of Vietnam. wants to preserve and promote ethnic minority culture by creating awareness of traditional handicrafts and help women buy food, educate their children and get fair income.
In the past, when the world’s peoples lived more self-sufficiently, it was essential for skills and knowledge to be passed on to the next generation. For example, fabric weaving, batik writing and jewelry making. However, today many ancient skills are being lost around the world because young people do not see them as necessary or valuable – It’s simply easier and more time-efficient to buy machine made products.
Vietnam Tour
guide sapa vietnam
Through creating a range of fashionable, ethical and useful handicraft accessories based on the cultures of Sapa’s ethnic minorities, Smiles Tour is re-creating demand for these skills. Not only this, but by using our brand and network we can develop higher incomes for the craftswomen. These craftswomen can then support their children to attend school and have better job prospects.
The fabrics in Sapa are made from locally grown hemp in northwest of Vietnam. They are decorated with meaningful traditional Hmong motifs derived from nature. The dyes for the fabrics come from the roots, barks and leaves of different plants, such as the distinctive dark indigo of Strobilanthes cusia.
View Sapa Tour.
Our craftswomen can customise the look and feel of your bags, pouches, scarves, table linens, cushion covers to your heart's desire. You will carry the uniquely designed accessories that sets you apart from the rest of the crowd. Vietnam Tours
Step by step we conquered one more hill, the view was stunning. The long walk and the beauty of Sapa mountains in Vietnam took my breath away. I was tired but in ecstasy. During our 2 days trekking in Sapa mountains we passed by the ancient rice terraces, discovered tiny villages, learning about minority tribes and their way of living. A dream trip that became true!
The birds and the sound of the water running into the terraces were the soundtrack of our morning walk. Peaceful! At 9 am, we met our guide at Sapa town and from there we began our trekking tour in the Sapa valley. The sun was shining, making the endless rice paddies giant mirrors reflecting the sky
After one hour walking I understand the difference between a good and professional Sapa trekking experience and the tour/trekking tour they offer on the streets of Sapa town. We left the city behind and there was no one in our way, we had the mountains only for us. In all the villages we passed by our guide give us a lesson about history, culture and the importance of responsible tourism in Sapa.
The birds and the sound of the water running into the terraces were the soundtrack of our morning walk. Peaceful! At 9 am, we met our guide at Sapa town and from there we began our trekking tour in the Sapa valley. The sun was shining, making the endless rice paddies giant mirrors reflecting the sky
After one hour walking I understand the difference between a good and professional Sapa trekking experience and the tour/trekking tour they offer on the streets of Sapa town. We left the city behind and there was no one in our way, we had the mountains only for us. In all the villages we passed by our guide give us a lesson about history, culture and the importance of responsible tourism in Sapa.
>> sapa trekking tours vietnam
We were surrounded by nature, ducks, buffalos and rice fields. Sapa was revealing its beauty to us. We passed by kids coming from the school, people working in the fields, tribe women doing their embroidery work on the edge of those man carved hills.
Rob and I are used to run, so long walks are fine for us. We started our sapa trekking tour at 9 am and we finish our first leg around midday. This was the longest walk of the tour, 9 kilometers in 3 hours. Time for our first break.
We stopped in a small and simple restaurant. The wooden house had two floors, on the ground floor the cook was preparing local food, upstairs the bamboo tables with an amazing view. The food was done fast, thank God, we were starving! Fried chicken with vegetables, pork, fried vegetarian spring rolls, tofu, omelet, and salads. Enough food for us and for the cat that was sleeping on the bench. The food was surprisingly good. Thumbs up!!
Tummy full, time to walk again. We pack our bags and hit the trail. I forgot to check the time, but I think we walked for more one hour until we arrive at a Hmong tribe village for some hands on Batik painting .
Rob was too asleep to try his skills on painting, but I decided to give a try. Zi, an artisan from the Hmong tribe taught me first. She showed me how to warm the wax, to prepare the fabric and how to create beautiful free hand drawings. Her 30 years of experience made everything look so easy, but when I got the wood pen in hands I realized how difficult the work is. It´s not only painting, is creating beautiful designs using your creativity and natural materials.
After drawing with wax, the fabric will be dyed in indigo for a few days, a deep blue color extract from a local plant. Later the fabric will be boiled so the wax can melt and leave the white gaps on the fabric, creating interesting and geometric designs. Everything is hand made.
https://www.redgeckotravel.com/tour_category/sapa-tours/
I got the chance to practice just 1 part of the Batik process. Zi explained to us that her work starts by weaving the hemp [a local type of plant, that gives long threads], creating long pieces of fabric that will be sewn into skirts, tops, blankets or tablecloth. Then comes the Batik painting, the indigo dying, the embroidery, and at the end she still has to polish the textile. So much work! A beautiful craft that has been passed by generations to generations.
We learned the ancient craft and got to know more about Zi and her family. After almost 2 hours we left for the last part of our 1st-day trekking in the Sapa mountains. Time to discover more about the Hmong tribes, they way of living and how things are changing fast in Vietnam.
The sun was going down when we arrived at this cute house. We were greeted by Moo, a smiley woman with three kids running around her. We reached our final destination of the day, the first part of our trekking in Sapa mountains was completed. Time to relax, think about all the beautiful places we visited, people we met and smiles we have exchanged.
Moo was waiting for us with a foot bath. OMG!! That was everything I needed after a long day of trekking in Sapa. She placed our chairs facing the rice terraces, made an infusion with herbs and left us there relaxing our feet for an hour. We were interrupted only by the evening fog and the cold wind that started blowing. I was tired, by this time there were only three things I need: shower, food and bed!
I don’t have words enough to describe how unique was our experience at the Victoria Homestay in Sapa mountains. I was prepared for hard beds, mosquitos, no shower and a very simple place. The house was simple indeed, but everything was so organized, we had a huge and soft bed waiting for us, mosquito net, covers, bathroom with hot shower and amenities.
Moo is an interesting woman, young, full of energy and determined. She speaks her tribal language, Vietnamese, and English, all learned by herself. Married, with 3 kids, she used to work in Sapa town selling her handicrafts and embroidery, also offering trekking tours in Sapa valley. She is an entrepreneur, a few year ago she started hosting people in her house and 2014 she signed a contract with Buffalo Tours to host travellers and share with them her culture, food and a bit of her life.
Her business grew, the house became bigger, with more infrastructure, but still keep the homey feeling. She did her best to welcome us, big smile, delicious food and love. When she discovered that I’m vegetarian, she changed the dinner menu so I could have more variety of local food to taste. Rob got a special treat, Moo´s husband arrived home with buffalo meat, that he stir fried for the dinner.
After the hot shower, the dinner was served. Outside the temperature dropped fast and rice wine helped us to keep warm. When dinner was over, Pa and Ze, the youngest girl and boy sat in front of the TV. Mi, the 10-year-old daughter sat under the light to practice her embroidery skills. She is getting older and she needs to learn how to weave, make clothes and cook. Hmong women need to master those skills so they can have a good marriage. She needs to learn fast, soon a boy from the tribe will kidnap her and take to his house, and her future mother in law will check how good she is, her abilities and if she will be a good wife. Moo passed by this when she was 16, and now she is preparing her daughter for the same future.
This moment I realized that doesn´t matter where you are in the world, or what culture you come from parents will be always worried about their kid and women still live under a social pressure. That’s the reality in Sapa mountains, same in Brazil and in many countries around the world.
At 9 pm we were sleeping. We had a long day trekking in Sapa mountains, my legs were tired and we need to recharge our batteries for the next day. The last thing I remember was the cat walking over the roof and then the mobile ringing. It was 6 am!
The morning weather was chilly, pancakes and hot coffee to wake us up. Mi left earlier than us, her school is far from the village, so we didn’t have the chance to say goodbye. Before we left one more photo with Moo´s family and we hit the trails again!
The birds and the sound of the water running into the terraces were the soundtrack of our morning walk. Peaceful! At 9 am, we met our guide at Sapa town and from there we began our trekking tour in the Sapa valley. The sun was shining, making the endless rice paddies giant mirrors reflecting the sky
After one hour walking I understand the difference between a good and professional Sapa trekking experience and the tour/trekking tour they offer on the streets of Sapa town. We left the city behind and there was no one in our way, we had the mountains only for us. In all the villages we passed by our guide give us a lesson about history, culture and the importance of responsible tourism in Sapa.
We were surrounded by nature, ducks, buffalos and rice fields. Sapa was revealing its beauty to us. We passed by kids coming from the school, people working in the fields, tribe women doing their embroidery work on the edge of those man carved hills.
Rob and I are used to run, so long walks are fine for us. We started our sapa trekking tour at 9 am and we finish our first leg around midday. This was the longest walk of the tour, 9 kilometers in 3 hours. Time for our first break.
We stopped in a small and simple restaurant. The wooden house had two floors, on the ground floor the cook was preparing local food, upstairs the bamboo tables with an amazing view. The food was done fast, thank God, we were starving! Fried chicken with vegetables, pork, fried vegetarian spring rolls, tofu, omelet, and salads. Enough food for us and for the cat that was sleeping on the bench. The food was surprisingly good. Thumbs up!!
Tummy full, time to walk again. We pack our bags and hit the trail. I forgot to check the time, but I think we walked for more one hour until we arrive at a Hmong tribe village for some hands on Batik painting .
Rob was too asleep to try his skills on painting, but I decided to give a try. Zi, an artisan from the Hmong tribe taught me first. She showed me how to warm the wax, to prepare the fabric and how to create beautiful free hand drawings. Her 30 years of experience made everything look so easy, but when I got the wood pen in hands I realized how difficult the work is. It´s not only painting, is creating beautiful designs using your creativity and natural materials.
After drawing with wax, the fabric will be dyed in indigo for a few days, a deep blue color extract from a local plant. Later the fabric will be boiled so the wax can melt and leave the white gaps on the fabric, creating interesting and geometric designs. Everything is hand made.
I got the chance to practice just 1 part of the Batik process. Zi explained to us that her work starts by weaving the hemp [a local type of plant, that gives long threads], creating long pieces of fabric that will be sewn into skirts, tops, blankets or tablecloth. Then comes the Batik painting, the indigo dying, the embroidery, and at the end she still has to polish the textile. So much work! A beautiful craft that has been passed by generations to generations.
We learned the ancient craft and got to know more about Zi and her family. After almost 2 hours we left for the last part of our 1st-day trekking in the Sapa mountains. Time to discover more about the Hmong tribes, they way of living and how things are changing fast in Vietnam.
The sun was going down when we arrived at this cute house. We were greeted by Moo, a smiley woman with three kids running around her. We reached our final destination of the day, the first part of our trekking in Sapa mountains was completed. Time to relax, think about all the beautiful places we visited, people we met and smiles we have exchanged.
Moo was waiting for us with a foot bath. OMG!! That was everything I needed after a long day of trekking in Sapa. She placed our chairs facing the rice terraces, made an infusion with herbs and left us there relaxing our feet for an hour. We were interrupted only by the evening fog and the cold wind that started blowing. I was tired, by this time there were only three things I need: shower, food and bed!
I don’t have words enough to describe how unique was our experience at the Victoria Homestay in Sapa mountains. I was prepared for hard beds, mosquitos, no shower and a very simple place. The house was simple indeed, but everything was so organized, we had a huge and soft bed waiting for us, mosquito net, covers, bathroom with hot shower and amenities.
Moo is an interesting woman, young, full of energy and determined. She speaks her tribal language, Vietnamese, and English, all learned by herself. Married, with 3 kids, she used to work in Sapa town selling her handicrafts and embroidery, also offering trekking tours in Sapa valley. She is an entrepreneur, a few year ago she started hosting people in her house and 2014 she signed a contract with Buffalo Tours to host travellers and share with them her culture, food and a bit of her life.
Her business grew, the house became bigger, with more infrastructure, but still keep the homey feeling. She did her best to welcome us, big smile, delicious food and love. When she discovered that I’m vegetarian, she changed the dinner menu so I could have more variety of local food to taste. Rob got a special treat, Moo´s husband arrived home with buffalo meat, that he stir fried for the dinner.
After the hot shower, the dinner was served. Outside the temperature dropped fast and rice wine helped us to keep warm. When dinner was over, Pa and Ze, the youngest girl and boy sat in front of the TV. Mi, the 10-year-old daughter sat under the light to practice her embroidery skills. She is getting older and she needs to learn how to weave, make clothes and cook. Hmong women need to master those skills so they can have a good marriage. She needs to learn fast, soon a boy from the tribe will kidnap her and take to his house, and her future mother in law will check how good she is, her abilities and if she will be a good wife. Moo passed by this when she was 16, and now she is preparing her daughter for the same future.
This moment I realized that doesn´t matter where you are in the world, or what culture you come from parents will be always worried about their kid and women still live under a social pressure. That’s the reality in Sapa mountains, same in Brazil and in many countries around the world.
At 9 pm we were sleeping. We had a long day trekking in Sapa mountains, my legs were tired and we need to recharge our batteries for the next day. The last thing I remember was the cat walking over the roof and then the mobile ringing. It was 6 am!
The morning weather was chilly, pancakes and hot coffee to wake us up. Mi left earlier than us, her school is far from the village, so we didn’t have the chance to say goodbye. Before we left one more photo with Moo´s family and we hit the trails again!
Sapa mountains and the rice terraces are stunning during the morning, the sun rising and the fog between the hills creates a unique scenery. The second-day trekking was supposed to be faster, but the trails were quite difficult. We got muddy paths, ups and downs, steep hills and a waterfall. The landscape changed a lot, from rice fields with water buffalos to a bamboo forest, and river crossing.
It was a tough morning, we walked almost 4 hours and by midday I was tired, sweaty and hungry. The 2nd-day trekking tour in Sapa mountains came to an end. Our last meal was at Indigo, a nice restaurant in Sapa town with local dishes and cold beer. Cheers! We did the 2 days trekking in Sapa Vietnam, and it was an unforgettable experience, as good as I dreamed about. Our guide lead us with knowledge and passion. Moo’s family were so welcoming and kind. Nature and the mountains are stunning…
There are many trekking tours in Sapa Mountains. Some officials, some illegals, one day, two days, with or without homestay, with local guides, with Hmong tribe guides, and so on…
1º Recommendation: be aware of what you choose and check if you are helping and supporting the local community. I know, this talk about responsible tourism can be boring, and many travellers don’t care about it. However, the tourism in Sapa valley is growing fast, and unfortunately not in a very organized way. So do your share and help to preserve the town, the tribes lifestyle, and nature.
We did the Sapa trekking experience with Buffalo Tour, a company that operates local tours in Vietnam and in many other countries in Southeast Asia [like the trekking in Chiang Mai, Thailand we did and was awesome]. Why we choose them? Because we knew the trekking in Sapa would be well organized, private, and that we would be helping the community by staying in a homestay and eating in family restaurants.
What make this 2 days trekking in Sapa mountains so special? Nature is gorgeous and the people welcoming. Most of the trekking route was empty, no tourists, only us and local people. We had the chance to see and experience Sapa on our pace. The guide is a local guy, he speaks the tribe’s language and knows their history. He took us to interesting places that wasn’t on the Sapa tour itinerary, like visiting the house of a shaman that leads one of the tribe community.
There is no best time to travel to Sapa mountains, it all depends on what do you want to see. We were there by the end of March, the rice terraces were being filled with water, warm weather and sunny days. If you want to see the terraces full of water and people working on them the best time to travel to Sapa is April and May, the flowers will be blooming and the weather is pleasant.
For green rice fields, June is the best time to trekking in Sapa mountains, but be prepared for rain and hot weather. July and August are not so wet but still hot. September is the best time to see the Sapa Mountains changing colours, on the terraces you can spot all shades of green, yellow and golden. The weather is nice, but town and mountains get packed, this is high season in Sapa.
December to January is winter with heavy snow. Nature and mountains are beautiful, but it’s hard to enjoy the outdoors.
It’s hard to say how many days you need to visit Sapa, it all the depends on what you want to do and how many days you want to spend trekking in Sapa Mountains. To be honest, apart from the trekking experience there aren’t much more things to do in Sapa. The hotels and food are overpriced [comparing to other touristic cities in Vietnam], in town people are very pushy trying to sell you all kind of stuff and tours. Unless you are a trekking lover and plan to explore the mountains during several days, I would say that two or three days in Sapa are enough.
If we go back to Vietnam, I would plan my trip to Sapa in a different way. I would spend more money in a nice and more comfortable train trip, book the 2 or 3 days trekking tour with Buffalo, ask them to pick me up early in the morning at the train station, and after the tour I would catch the train from Sapa to Hanoi. I rather spend more on the transportation and on an outstanding tour, than staying in Sapa town itself.
You can get to Spa Mountains by bus/car/motorbike or by train. There is a new highway that connects Hanoi to Sapa, so in 3 hours you reach Sapa by car [a bit longer by bus or motorbike]. I don’t recommend you to go to Sapa by bus, you might not be able to sleep or rest during the trip. The drivers are crazy and they honk the horn all the time, every minute, and a three hours ride can become a noisy nightmare. Believe me, I have traveled in Vietnam by bus and it’s not pleasant!
We choose to go by train from Hanoi to Sapa and no regrets. It was a night train with comfy beds [for Asian standards] and a fair price. We paid 335 thousand Dongs per person in a shared cabin for 4, with air con and clean bed sheet. The trip itself was ok, the train didn’t shake too much and we slept well. You can check the timetable of the trains from Hanoi to Sapa on the official website.
The only downside is that the train arrives in Lao Cai station early in the morning, you need to get a van or a mini bus to go from Lao Cai to Sapa town, so one more hour on the road. Negotiate the price of the ride before jumping on the bus, they normally charge between 40 to 50 thousand Dongs. We had a problem with a driver that tried to charge us more than what agreed on the train station, so we ended up with an argument in the middle of the street of Sapa. Not a nice way to be welcomed. Not a nice first impression of Sapa. 
There are many hostels and hotels in Sapa. The city itself is a big construction site, with hotels popping up in every corner. We choose a small guesthouse called Aseana and we don’t recommend it! The room was spacious but too dirty and with a bed harder than a rock. We slept there only one night, and it was horrible.
The best websites to book a hotel in Sapa are Agoda and Booking.com. They have many options of accommodation in Sapa and you can choose by your budget, type of room or best reviews. You can also sleep at some ethnic minorities villages like we did during our Sapa trekking tour.
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Now you know everything about trekking in Sapa mountains. The unique experience you can have in a homestay, how to choose the best trekking tour and how to get to Sapa. Hope we have inspired you to travel to this beautiful part of Vietnam.
If your Vietnam travel itinerary includes Ho Chi Minh City, have a look in the post we wrote about the top things to do in Saigon. We also visited the picturesque Hoi An, where we did a Vespa Tour, plus some incredible days exploring the attractions in Hanoi and some local experiences. Looking for tourist visa information? We have you covered with a guide on how to apply online for the Vietnam Visa on Arrival. Don´t forget to book your hotels in Sapa through the links below, it´s a nice way to help Love and Road.
Sapa mountains and the rice terraces are stunning during the morning, the sun rising and the fog between the hills creates a unique scenery. The second-day trekking was supposed to be faster, but the trails were quite difficult. We got muddy paths, ups and downs, steep hills and a waterfall. The landscape changed a lot, from rice fields with water buffalos to a bamboo forest, and river crossing.
It was a tough morning, we walked almost 4 hours and by midday I was tired, sweaty and hungry. The 2nd-day trekking tour in Sapa mountains came to an end. Our last meal was at Indigo, a nice restaurant in Sapa town with local dishes and cold beer. Cheers! We did the 2 days trekking in Sapa Vietnam, and it was an unforgettable experience, as good as I dreamed about. Our guide lead us with knowledge and passion. Moo’s family were so welcoming and kind. Nature and the mountains are stunning…
There are many trekking tours in Sapa Mountains. Some officials, some illegals, one day, two days, with or without homestay, with local guides, with Hmong tribe guides, and so on…
1º Recommendation: be aware of what you choose and check if you are helping and supporting the local community. I know, this talk about responsible tourism can be boring, and many travellers don’t care about it. However, the tourism in Sapa valley is growing fast, and unfortunately not in a very organized way. So do your share and help to preserve the town, the tribes lifestyle, and nature.
We did the Sapa trekking experience with Buffalo Tour, a company that operates local tours in Vietnam and in many other countries in Southeast Asia [like the trekking in Chiang Mai, Thailand we did and was awesome]. Why we choose them? Because we knew the trekking in Sapa would be well organized, private, and that we would be helping the community by staying in a homestay and eating in family restaurants.
What make this 2 days trekking in Sapa mountains so special? Nature is gorgeous and the people welcoming. Most of the trekking route was empty, no tourists, only us and local people. We had the chance to see and experience Sapa on our pace. The guide is a local guy, he speaks the tribe’s language and knows their history. He took us to interesting places that wasn’t on the Sapa tour itinerary, like visiting the house of a shaman that leads one of the tribe community.
There is no best time to travel to Sapa mountains, it all depends on what do you want to see. We were there by the end of March, the rice terraces were being filled with water, warm weather and sunny days. If you want to see the terraces full of water and people working on them the best time to travel to Sapa is April and May, the flowers will be blooming and the weather is pleasant.
For green rice fields, June is the best time to trekking in Sapa mountains, but be prepared for rain and hot weather. July and August are not so wet but still hot. September is the best time to see the Sapa Mountains changing colours, on the terraces you can spot all shades of green, yellow and golden. The weather is nice, but town and mountains get packed, this is high season in Sapa.
December to January is winter with heavy snow. Nature and mountains are beautiful, but it’s hard to enjoy the outdoors.
It’s hard to say how many days you need to visit Sapa, it all the depends on what you want to do and how many days you want to spend trekking in Sapa Mountains. To be honest, apart from the trekking experience there aren’t much more things to do in Sapa. The hotels and food are overpriced [comparing to other touristic cities in Vietnam], in town people are very pushy trying to sell you all kind of stuff and tours. Unless you are a trekking lover and plan to explore the mountains during several days, I would say that two or three days in Sapa are enough.
If we go back to Vietnam, I would plan my trip to Sapa in a different way. I would spend more money in a nice and more comfortable train trip, book the 2 or 3 days trekking tour with Buffalo, ask them to pick me up early in the morning at the train station, and after the tour I would catch the train from Sapa to Hanoi. I rather spend more on the transportation and on an outstanding tour, than staying in Sapa town itself.
You can get to Spa Mountains by bus/car/motorbike or by train. There is a new highway that connects Hanoi to Sapa, so in 3 hours you reach Sapa by car [a bit longer by bus or motorbike]. I don’t recommend you to go to Sapa by bus, you might not be able to sleep or rest during the trip. The drivers are crazy and they honk the horn all the time, every minute, and a three hours ride can become a noisy nightmare. Believe me, I have traveled in Vietnam by bus and it’s not pleasant!
We choose to go by train from Hanoi to Sapa and no regrets. It was a night train with comfy beds [for Asian standards] and a fair price. We paid 335 thousand Dongs per person in a shared cabin for 4, with air con and clean bed sheet. The trip itself was ok, the train didn’t shake too much and we slept well. You can check the timetable of the trains from Hanoi to Sapa on the official website.
The only downside is that the train arrives in Lao Cai station early in the morning, you need to get a van or a mini bus to go from Lao Cai to Sapa town, so one more hour on the road. Negotiate the price of the ride before jumping on the bus, they normally charge between 40 to 50 thousand Dongs. We had a problem with a driver that tried to charge us more than what agreed on the train station, so we ended up with an argument in the middle of the street of Sapa. Not a nice way to be welcomed. Not a nice first impression of Sapa.
There are many hostels and hotels in Sapa. The city itself is a big construction site, with hotels popping up in every corner. We choose a small guesthouse called Aseana and we don’t recommend it! The room was spacious but too dirty and with a bed harder than a rock. We slept there only one night, and it was horrible.
The best websites to book a hotel in Sapa are Agoda and Booking.com. They have many options of accommodation in Sapa and you can choose by your budget, type of room or best reviews. You can also sleep at some ethnic minorities villages like we did during our Sapa trekking tour.
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In Sapa, homestay is particularly attractive to visitors thanks to houses made of “po mu”, a rare wood species in forests. Those houses are particularly popular in Ta Van Giay village, also the most famous village for homestay service. Ta Van Giay village is located on the halfway of Muong Hoa valley. Along the way to Ta Van Giay are terraced fields which look like a picture of beautiful natural ladder to the sky. Especially in harvest, the terraced fields are covered with golden yellow which is like a golden silk flying over the wind.
Passing terraced fields, tourists cross a bridge named “Cloud Bridge” to get Ta Van village. There are 140 households in the village, of which two third provides homestay service. Houses are built with wood and designed in traditional architecture of local people. Furniture inside are so simple, with only a cushion, a pillow quilt , a curtain for tourists and some local items and brocade dresses for decorating.Nevertheless, homestay travel is definitely not a service just to provide accommodation. Tourists staying in Ta Van village have the opportunity to cook dinner themselves by a wooden stove and enjoy local specialties, particularly boar meat. If boar meat is not your appetite, the menu is still varied with duck, chicken and vegetables of which all are raised by the host. The local wine is also worth-trying. In the evening, there are musical performances or campfire event from time to time. It is the ideal occasion for visitors to explore the unique culture of ethnic people in Sapa. Talking with local people is extremely interesting as well. People in Sapa are fluent at English and friendly so tourists can ask them any question about culture, daily life or customs and habits. mai chau day trek
If Ta Van Giay village attracts tourist with a breath-taking wild beauty of nature then Ta Phin appeals them with a secret key. It is “bathing with herbs” service. The ancient Red Dao people here hand down a precious folk remedy to their descendants for curing disease. The bathing remedy includes several herbs species, 10 kinds at least and even 120 kinds at most. Herbs and hot water will help removing poison and tiredness out of the body. Therefore, after taking a bath in Dao people’s way will make you feel energetic and cheery. This is a traditional remedy of ancient Vietnamese. With a reasonable price, only 50 thousand dong for per turn, tourists are welcomed to experience an exotic custom which is found no where apart from Ta Phin village.
If you want to escaped the bustle of city life and visit a place where armed with undulating terraces fading out to the horizon, majestic mountainous backdrop, fantastic waterfalls and great taste of remote life and cuisine, Pu Luong Nature Reserve is a perfect choice. Pu Luong Nature Reserve is a recommented best package Northern tour which is definitely off-the-beaten-path.
When to visit
The best time to visit Pu Luong is period between May and June or September and October. In the end of May, Pu Luong is about to begin the crop, you are able to see greenery of terraces. If you want to witness ripen rice paddies on the slope across the valley, you should come here by September when famers prepare to harvest.
What to see
Come to enjoy breathtaking scenery, marvelous waterfalls, the water- wheel, special food such as Co Lung duck, sticky rice, etc.. There are also crooked trails and the road is much adventurous as the road in Northern. Take a break from hiking through terraces and immerse into nature when visiting waterfalls. The high roadside location is breezy and is a great spot for tourists to take photograph.
For the best backpacking experience in Pu Luong, drive through valley to Co Luong village which is well known as bamboo chopsticks home-factories. Continue and stop by Thai village of Ban Lac where you can taste original wines, explore indigenous culture and beautiful paddy rice. Make your stay at Mai Chau Ecolodge which is teeming with unique-style bungalow and sensory comfort. Spend more time to go to neighbor areas such as Ban Kit, Ban Cao Hong, Kho Muong, Cuc Phuong National park.
Where to stay
Despite of a number of homestays and inns, Pu Luong Retreat remains prominent. Pu Luong Retreat is located on 15C road – the main road of Thanh Lam commune, linking to the downtown and in close vicinity to many attractions. Room option includes dorm, valley-view bungalow, suite bungalow. Bungalow room costs about $20 per night and dorm is much cheaper – only $13 per night. Pu Luong Retreat isn’t being equipped with modern facilities but they want to give all guests the truly sense of nature. Instead of staying in conditioning room, feel cool breeze of the highland. Pool, comfortable beds, sun lounge chair are great amenities you can relish. At night, let’s chill out with your friends, play around campfire instead of watching TV in-room. In the morning, wake up by the roar of waterfall and enjoy Vietnamese-style breakfast.There are still a lot of dishes such as Sam Quang Yen, “Gat Gu” cake, Ca Say Tien Yen,ect that making diversity and abundance of Halong cuisine. Discovering Halong, tourists not only have chance to admire the beauty of natural wonders but also participate in exciting activities and taste delicious foods. Halong bay is absolutely worth to be the most attractive tourist destination in Vietnam.
Recently, Halong bay is one of the most attractive destinations in Vietnam. Each year, over thousands of tourists visiting Halong not only because of the spectacular wonders, friendly people but also by many exciting activities, luxury cruises and Halong cuisine. Best starlight luxury cruise Halong bayTravelling Halong, visitors can choose to stay in hotel or for those want to experience a premium holiday, they also stay in one of deluxe cruises. Among the most popular cruises in Halong, Starlight cruise is highly recommended which giving tourists “the best travel with Starlight cruise”.
Besides beautiful landscapes, many visitors are attracted by Halong cuisine. Quang Ninh, particularly Halong has a lot of unique culinary specialties that bring featured salty flavors of the sea. Starlight luxury cruise Halong bay .The following are some well-known dishes travellers must-try while visiting Halong bay.
While visiting Halong, vistors always look for places to taste squid cake. The dish seems to be simple, however, in order to make these delicious squid cake, the ingredients have to be fresh. Making squid cake requires many skills and techniques so that the cake are eye-catching, fragrant and tasty. Grilled squid is usually eaten with sticky rice or rolls and delicious fish sauce. There are two places to enjoy this dish without worrying about quality as well as hygiene and food safety; they are Banh Cuon Cha Muc shop next to Bach Dang theater and Xoi Cha Muc shop at Pho Thuong Mai.Luxury Cruise Halong Bay Booking
In addition, Ngán in Halong and Sa Sung also are dishes traveller should not miss. Ngán is a popular mollusk species living in the Northerb Vietnam coastal area. Ngán can be cooked in many ways such as grilled, steamed, fried with noodles or vegetables,… In Vietnamese, “Ngán” does not mean “bored”, it is very delicious and has an unique flavor of the sea.
One of expensive foods in Halong is Sa Sung. It is a molluscs species, only available in Quan Lan island, Minh Chau (Van Don, Quang Ninh). Fresh Sa Sung is fried with garlic is an oustanding dish of Halong coastal people. Fired Sa Sung eaten with chili sauce, herbs and drink beer will bring unforgettable impression.
source:halongcruisesbooking.com
Mùa đông Hàn Quốc thời tiết giá lạnh, nhiệt độ trung bình từ -10 đến 5 độ. Rất nhiều du khách đều tránh đi du lịch Hàn Quốc vào mùa đông, thế nhưng đến với xử sở kim chi vào mùa đông lạnh giá, du khách sẽ có nhiều trải nghiệm thú vị và hấp dẫn. Dưới đây là những việc bạn nhất phải làm khi du lịch Seoul, Hàn Quốc:
Trượt tuyết tại Seoul Plaza
Một trong những việc làm không thể bỏ qua trong mùa đông này là trượt tuyết ngoài trời. Du khách có thể đến sân trượt tuyết ngoài trời ở Seoul như Grand Hyatt ở Itaewon và Olympic Park ở Songpa – gu, nhưng Seoul Plaza vẫn được coi là điểm trượt tuyết lý tưởng nhất với giá rẻ nhất và đường đi dễ dàng nhất. Du khách đến đây chỉ phải trả 1000 won mỗi người cho một giờ bao gồm cả thuê giày trượt tuyết.
Tham dự buổi hòa nhạc Hologram tại K-Live
Đối với những du khách là fan K-pop thì buổi hòa nhạc mini hologram được tổ chức tại K-live ở tầng 9 và 10 tòa nhà Lotte Fitln sẽ mang đến cho du khách những trải nghiệm thú vị. Đặc biệt, đến đây du khách có thể được thưởng thức đồ uống tại quán cà phê tầng dưới để tham gia buổi hòa nhạc Hologram. Chắc hẳn đến đây bạn sẽ phải ngạc nhiên với những hình ảnh không gian 3 chiều ấn tượng tại buổi hòa nhạc.
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Ngắm tòa tháp N Seoul vào buổi tối
Nhìn ngắm tòa tháp N Seoul vào ban ngày thì đã thực sự tuyệt vời, tuy nhiên nó còn hấp dẫn khách du lịch bởi vẻ đẹp ngoạn mục vào buổi tối. Du khách nên đi bộ vào tòa tháp lúc hoàng hôn để chiêm ngưỡng khung cảnh hoàng hôn tuyệt đẹp, còn ngắm nhìn khung cảnh toàn thành phố dưới ánh đèn.
Tại Dongdaemun Design Plaza được trang trí với hơn 20.000 bông hoa hồng bằng đèn LED mang đến không gian rực rỡ ánh sáng, nơi đây như là chốn thiên đường. Du khách khi đến đây sẽ được chiêm ngưỡng không gian tuyệt đẹp ở đây, không gian rất lãng mạn thích hợp dành cho những đôi tình nhân đến đây tham quan.
Thưởng thức món gà rán và bia Hongdae
Gà rán và bia đều là những món ăn phổ biến nhất vào mùa đông tại Hàn Quốc. Sau khi đã xem một bộ phim thì du khách có thể trải nghiệm ẩm thực Hàn Quốc với món gà rán và bia Hongdae tại khu phố Hongdae. Với ánh đèn đêm và âm nhạc đường phố thì việc thưởng thức một suất chimaek là một trong những trải nghiệm hoàn hảo và tuyệt vời dành cho bạn.
Mua mũ len và găng tay xỏ ngón ở Insadong
Insadong nổi tiếng với những món đồ truyền thống ở Hàn Quốc. Đặc biệt, du khách tới đây có thể mua được những món đồ mùa đông với giá rẻ và chất lượng tốt. Chỉ với 5.000 won là bạn có thể mua cho mình một đôi găng tay xỏ ngón để giữ cho đôi tay được ấm áp trong mùa đông. Du khách có thể mua găng tay về làm quà cho người thân, bạn bè.
Ăn kem vào mùa đông
Ăn kem vào mùa đông là một trong những trải nghiệm hết sức thú vị đối với nhiều du khách. Bạn hãy thử cảm giác này bằng cách thưởng thức một ly kem nhé!
