The Dong Tranh lake in the Luong Son region
(La Ferme du Colvert/The Colvert Farm) of the Muong, Hoa Binh
Photo: Tiphaine Breillot

VNA - 01: Lake Ba Be and the Chinese sea / 12 days and 18 days.

From the North to the South / Discovery, walks.

One of nature’s rare pearls : Lake Ba Be.

A stone’s throw away from China, the North-east of Vietnam offers you a beautiful scenery of mountain peaks and karstic rocks. By following the track of the D’zao, along the Ngan Son massifs you’ll arrive at the picturesque villages of the Nung, which are surrounded by rice terraces; here you will find Lake Ba Be with it’s tranquil, emerald green waters.

The ancient imperial capital Hue and the old commercial port of Hoi An awaits you next, here you’ll have the chance to relax on some of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam, situated between Cape Mui Ne and Cape Varella. A veritable haven nestled between coconut plantations and the transparent waters of the Chinese sea. Walk in the beautiful red sand dunes where many fishing families live. Terminus: Saigon, also known as Hoi Chi Minh City, the ancient pearl of the Extreme-Orient.

The North / 12 days

1. Flight. Paris – Hanoi

2. Hoa Binh – Arrival. Welcome at the airport by our Vietnam Aventure team. You will then be transfered to La Ferme du Colvert (The Colvert Farm) in the heart of a Muong Village in the Luong Son Valley (40km, West of Hanoi) where the water is ever-present. Dinner will be the house speciality of that particular season. Then you’ll spend a night in one of our traditional stilt houses that borders the Dap Dom lake.

3. Bac Kan – In a Northerly direction onwards to the region of Lake Ba Be. From mountain pass to mountain pass, you’ll arrive in a terrassed valley with stilt houses of the Tay, D’zao....tribes. you’ll then spend a night in a tribal home near Cho Moi.

4. Lake Ba Be - Arrival at Lake Ba Be, a somewhat mythical lake of this mountainous region, with it’s tranquil, emerald green waters. Sail on the lake in a traditional fishing boat, afterwards a little walk between the ricefields and the Nang river with it’s waterfalls and goldfish. The night will be spent in a traditional stilt house.

5. Cao Bang - Mountain track. An undulating but magnificant trip. Vast and beautiful panoramas of the Ngan Son massifs where the D’zao live. Remember to take some change if you want to buy a necklace etc..The Deo Gio mountain pass, which separates Cao Bang and Bac Kan, is more than 500m in length.

6. Around Cao Bang. Climbing to the Ma Phuc mountain pass. Awe-inspiring scenery and fantastic views over the Nung, San Chi, Tay...villages near the Chinese border. Little walks between rice terrasses and waterwheels. Village Guesthouse.

7. The Dong Khe Gorges. Walk to Dong Khe amid its mountain passes and tropical vegetation. Sunday markets, where the Nhang, Lolo, Ha Nhi..tribes come with their horses, loaded with baskets of cassava root and sweetcorn. Hostelry towards Lang Son.

8. Ha Long – In the direction of The Chinese sea. Beautiful and captivating landscape between cliffs and ricefields. Experience the lively markets of Tun Yen, along the river Ky Cung. Arrive late on Ha Long beach. Seafront hotel.

9. Cruise. Morning boarding onto your private boat. Cruising in-between rocks, tunnels and caves around Bai Tu Long (The dragon son) and Ha long (The Dragon mother) bays. Seafood meals onboard. Anchor for the night in mid-bay.

10. Ha long - Ha Noi. Wake up to a magnificant sunrise on the sea. Then cruise in the beautiful Ha Long bay. Little island walks. Disembarkation at the beginning of the afternoon. Return to Ha Noi by car. Goodbye dinner. Hotel in the Old quarter of Hanoi.

11. Ha Noi. Day of sightseeing around the city. Hanoi, a captivating city, which has inspired many great poems. Animated and colourful shopkeepers in the Old Quarter, French-style colonial houses of a time gone-by. Return flight back to Paris.

12. Arrive in Paris.