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The Colourful Hill Tribes Exploration Tour

Are you ready to adventure in Vietnam, China and Laos? Are you ready to meet the colourful Hill tribes?

During this exploration tour we will meet the original Hill Tribes and other ethnic groups of Southeast Asia. This will also be one of the most colourful trips you can imagine. We also won't forget the cultural and culinary aspects of this region. We will see a glimpse of the traditional ways of life of these ethnic groups. In some places it looks like time has been standing still... It won’t be an easy trip because most paths are not “paved” by tourists yet, and it will surely be an adventure and worthwhile experience.

We will start in one of the most interesting cities of Southeast Asia, Hanoi. We continue through the remote Northern part of Vietnam which recently has opened up for “outsiders”. We will encounter the different Hill Tribes here. After crossing the border into China we will visit one of the truly breathtaking places in this mountainous area. The interesting Hill Tribes and other ethnic groups make this one of the most fascinating regions in China.

Traveling in China is an experience on itself. Very few people speak any other language than Chinese, accommodation is mostly basic, and the local food is tasty but basic and simple. Busses normally lack the comfort we know in the West. This all makes being and traveling in China a real adventure and an experience never to forget!

After China we will enter “laid back” Laos with its colourful Hill tribes called the “Lao Soeng”. Our trip will end in one of the most tranquil cities of the Northern part of Thailand, Chiang Rai.

This Colourful Hill Tribes Exploration Tour will give you a very good impression of the cultural diversity and spectacular nature of this region. Your memories of this adventure will last a lifetime!

 

Red Dzao hill tribe women, North-Vietnam

 

Programme

Day 1 Hanoi (D)
Individual arrival in Hanoi. At 16.00 hours meeting in the hotel for info briefing by the tour leader and meet-and-greet of the other travelers, followed by the Vietnamese welcome dinner in a small restaurant.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2 Hanoi (B)
Today we explore Hanoi. In the morning we visit the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and the Temple of Literature. Free afternoon for further exploration of Hanoi, especially the Old Quarter.
Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 3 Ha Noi - Ba Be Lake (B-L-D)
Today we leave early for Ba Be Lake. On the way we visit the interesting Ethnology Museum in Thai Nguyen. We continue our way to the Bac Kan mountain province. After Lunch we will drive mostly on “snake” roads before entering Ba Be National Park. You will enjoy dinner and a tranquil night among primitive forest and high mountains in a traditional Tay stilt house now used as a Home stay.
Overnight in Bac Ngoi.

Day 4 Boating around Ba Be Lake (B-L-D)
A day to discover this unique lake and the mountains. We have a short walk to the lake where our boat is waiting for our trip on the different lakes we can find here. We’ll continue boating along the Nang River and enjoy the stunning landscapes of high mountains and forest. Visits of a village of the Tay minority at the riverbank, Puong cave and we have lunch at the Dau Dang Waterfall. In the afternoon we return to the lakes and visit the fairy pond. We have time for a swim and near sunset we can see the fishing boats returning home. Dinner in the Home stay.
Overnight in Bac Ngoi.

Day 5 Ba Be – Ha Giang (B-L-D)
We have to say goodbye to the Tay and we go up even further North. Lunch will be en route. This part of our trip we drive on secluded paths and we have stops for scenic views and visits to the ethnic villages nearby the roads. Dinner and overnight in a basic hotel in Ha Giang where we prepare for the next day.
Overnight in Ha Giang.

Day 6 Ha Giang – Meo Vac (B-L-D)
Dong Van and Meo Vac are the highest frontier points of Vietnam bordering with China. This was restricted area in the past but lately opened up to welcome adventurers. Terrain of rugged rock mountains high and sharp. The local people spent thirty-eight years to construct the road and the workers had to hang on the rugged rock cliffs to work during eleven months and they named this part of the road the Road of Happiness.
Early departure for Quan Ba, be amazed by the spectacular landscape at the Heaven Gate Sa Phin. Driving up we’ll see the huge Ma Pi Leng peak, the Nho Que river and the Parallel hill – the border of Ha Giang province. After a local Lunch we continue our way to Meo Vac, home of the Lo Lo and Flower Hmong minority. Dinner and overnight stay in a basic Home stay in Muong, the most remote village of the country near the China border.
Overnight in Muong.

Day 7 Meo Vac – Viet Quang (B-L-D)
We retrace our path back to Dong Van. This has to be because Meo Vac was literally the end of the road. We will visit the local market and the ancient palace of King Cat (Dinh Ho Vuong). Lunch in a local restaurant. Dinner and overnight stay in Viet Quang in a local, basic hotel.
Overnight in Viet Quang.

 

Chinese hill tribe woman   Chinese hill tribe woman

 

Day 8 Viet Quang – Bac Ha (B-L-D)
We will leave for the small village of Bac Ha, home of the Flower Hmong. This small town is situated in the center of several Hill tribe markets. Lunch en route and depending upon the day we’ll stay here we will see one of these lively markets.
Overnight in Bac Ha.

Day 9 Bac Ha – Lau Cai – Heikou (B-L-D)
Today we depart for the border town Lau Cai where we cross into China. Before we arrive at Lau Cai we enjoy the boat trip on the Chai River. Local lunch. In the evening we have our Chinese welcome dinner in Heikou.
Overnight in Heikou (China).

Day 10 Heikou – Yuan Yang (B-L-D)
After an early breakfast departure to one of the most beautiful area’s of Yunnan. Yunnan is known to have the greatest number of ethnic groups for any province in China, and its citizens have worked to preserve the culture, heritage, and languages of these diverse peoples. We enjoy a spectacular drive and scenery through this mountainous area. Lunch on the way or upon arrival at Yuan Yang. After checking in the hotel we will have time for a short city walk and in the afternoon departure to enjoy sunset at the rice fields cultivated by the Hani for many years. Hani culture is a terraced field agricultural civilization, which has a perfect agriculture system and an agro-worship system as well, the concept of worship is built on the basis that man and nature are in harmony, countless terraced fields are an evidence of this belief. Dinner in a local restaurant.
Overnight in Yuan Yang.

Day 11 Yuan Yang (B)
Early rise for watching sunrise at the rice fields. We have to drive about 20 km before we arrive at this spectacular view. In the early morning the hill tribes will be at the local market in the village to buy and sell their goods for the day. Most of them are still wearing their colourful clothes. Return to Yuan Yang and free afternoon to explore this old city with its old Gate and handicrafts.
In the afternoon we have the possibility to join and enjoy the views and sunset and another local market at a different setting.
Overnight in Yuang Yang.

Day 12 Yuan Yang – Jiangcheng (B-L-D)
Today we will be traveling most of the day through the mountainous area with some stops on the way to enjoy the views. Everywhere we will witness the local life and the local farmers and the different Hill Tribes. Lunch en route. In the evening we stay overnight in a basic hotel. Dinner.
Overnight in Jiangcheng.

Day 13 Jiangcheng – Jinghong (B-L)
In the southwest of China and at the southern most tip of Yunnan Province, there is a picturesque, fertile and mysterious land - Xishuangbanan. In the Dai language, "xishuang" is "twelve" and "banna" is "one thousand pieces of land", thus "Xishuangbanna" can be directly translated into "twelve thousand pieces of land". The capital of Xishuangbanna Prefecture is "Jinghong", which means "the City of Dawn" in the Dai language. It is 692 km from Kunming. There are more than ten nationalities including the Dais, the Hanis, the Jinuos and the Bulangs, etc in its land. There live over 5,000 species of plants and hundreds kinds of rare and valuable birds and animals in its 20,000 square kilometres tropical virgin forest, thus Xishuangbanna is known as "the Kingdom of Plants and Animals" and "An Emerald on the Tropic of Cancer".
Today will be our last part of the trip to the Xishuangbanna province. Lunch on the way. We will stay in a comfortable hotel in the capital city. In this city we can witness the rapid change and modernization of China. There are some good places to get a relaxing traditional Chinese massage.
Overnight in Jinghong.

Day 14 Jinghong – Menghai – Jinghong (B-L)
We drive 50km through the Valley of Liusha River through lush tropical forest to Menghai. Its daily market is always a pleasure for the eyes and the camera, where ethnic minority’s people sell their local products. The small town is in the center of the tea plantations where the famous Pu'er tea is produced. We’ll visit the Tea Factory. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit Jingzhen Octagonal pavilion, the most famous architectural site in the region. Its "busu" or "chapter hall", sumptuously decorated, was built in 1701. Destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, it was identically rebuilt at the beginning of the 1980's. If time permits, we will also visit villages of Balang and Wa Minorities in Menghun and an Aini village on the way back to Jinghong.
Overnight in Jinghong.

 

Chinese hill tribe woman   Chinese hill tribe woman

 

Day 15 Jinghong - Wild Elephant Valley (B-L-D )
After breakfast we depart for the Wild Elephant Valley which is a nature reserve for elephants. We overnight inside the nature reserve from where we can see wild elephants if we are lucky. Local lunch. Dinner.
The wild elephants in China live only in the tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna. The Wild Elephant Valley is the place that these elephants move most often too. In the main scenic spot we will make a walk and if we are lucky we can enjoy the scene of wild elephants bathing, playing with water and seeking for food.
Overnight in Wild Elephant Valley.

Day 16 Wild Elephant Valley - Menglun (B- L)
We drive to Mengyang where we stop at the Elephant Shaped Banyan Tree for a short break. We will continue our ride through the area of the Jinuo Minority people, which was the last nationality acknowledged by the Chinese Government. The Jinuo minority is reputed for its long history of planting, producing and consuming tea. Near their village, we will take a look at their ancient tea plantation aged over 200 years and which tea trees are still producing buds. Local lunch on the way.
Near Mengyang, there are also villages of Han Dai and Colourful - waist Dai, which are two branches of traditional Dai People, but with different dialects, costumes, traditions and architectural style. There is another ethnic minority group living in Xishuangbanna - Aini, also known as Akha in the North of Thailand.
We are going to visit also the famous Menglun tropical botanical garden, which is hosting the largest variety of Tropical plants growing in Xishuangbanna.
Overnight in Menglun.

Day 17 Menglun – Boten – Muang Singh (B-L-D)
Early morning departure after breakfast. On the way we visit the Air Corridor in Mengla, which is a border town with Laos, the corridor has been financed by UN for the survey of the wild animals living in the rain forest.
After this visit we are leaving for Laos. First we have to go to the Chinese border. After crossing the border we will have Lunch in a small Lao village just at the border. The coming days we will encounter several different hill tribes and ethnic groups like the Tai Dam living in this area. We continue to Muang Singh and depending on the time en route we will have stops and possible a short walk to get some feeling of their ways of life. You will notice that in this area almost no tourists are to be seen and most of the time we will be the attraction of the day. Lao welcome dinner in a local restaurant.
Overnight in Muang Singh.

 

Rice terraces in the south of China

 

Day 18 Muang Singh (B)
Today we can discover this small but interesting village ourselves or we can make a one day walk through the area where we can visit Akha and Yao villages. The morning market is very lively with the different hill tribes coming down from the mountains to buy and sell their products. The village has also some interesting temples. At the end of the day you can relax with a typical Lao sauna and traditional massage.
Overnight in Muang Singh.

Day 19 Muang Singh – Luang Nam Tha (B)
Early morning departure for a half day on the road through typical Lao landscapes with many small villages along the way inviting us for a short walk. It will be amazing what we will experience from the different ethnic people living here. Nature can be as divers as the tribes living here. We also visit one of the remarkable hill tribes in this area, the Lao Houei or Lanten. Luang Nam Tha is becoming an important town for trade with China.
Overnight in Luang Nam Tha.

Day 20 Luang Nam Tha (B-L)
We will make a boat trip on the local river and visit the hill tribes in this area. Lunch on the way. In Luang Nam Tha there are also bicycles for hire if you want to explore the surroundings of this small town.
Overnight in Luang Nam Tha.

Day 21 Luang Nam Tha - Huay Xai (B-L)
On the way to Huay Xai we will make stops and have a local lunch en route. This will be our last night in Laos. Huay Xai is a small border town situated at the Mekong river. This town has a beautiful located temple and an interesting morning market.
Overnight in Huay Xai.

Day 22 Huay Xai – Chiang Rai (B-L-D)
We cross the Mekong river and enter Thailand. In Chiang Rai we visit a unique and remarkable "white temple". Lunch will be in a local restaurant. We visit the Hill Tribe Museum. In the evening we have our welcome to Thailand and goodbye dinner together. We can look back on our adventurous exploration of the Hill Tribes and other ethnic groups of Vietnam, China and Laos.
Overnight in Chiang Rai.

Day 23 Chiang Rai (B)
After breakfast end of the tour.

 

Route Hill Tribes Exploration Tour

 

Group Tours

Start date Finish date Places available
5 April 2009 27 April 2009 Yes
6 September 2009 28 September 2009 Yes

 

Individual Tours

You can make this Hill Tribes exploration tour also as an individual tour on other dates during the year. You will be escorted by an English speaking, expert Tour Leader. For 6 persons or more, the prices are the same as the prices for the group tours.

 

Price Group Tours

€ 1890 per person

An advance payment of 25% of the price has to be made at the time of booking.

The balance is payable the latest 6 weeks before the departure date of the tour.

 

Included in the price

 

Not included in the price

 

Single Room Supplement

In principle the room will be shared with another participant. Single travelers share the room with another single traveler of the same sex.
Single travelers who do not want to share the room can book a single room. The supplement for a single room is € 280.

 

Visa

The visa for Vietnam, China and Laos have to be obtained in advance by you in your home country at the respective embassies. The visa for Thailand can be obtained on arrival in Thailand.

 

Akha hill tribe woman in the north of Laos

 

 

Info

Travel code : VCL
Meals: B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner
Duration : 23 days in Vietnam, China, Laos and Thailand
Start of the tour : Hanoi, Vietnam
Finish of the tour : Chiang Rai, Thailand
Group : 6 - 14 persons

 

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