Phongsali is one of the most fascinating and remote towns in Laos, which still keeps a lot of traditional customs inside as well as has deep culture influences from China, Vietnam – neighbour countries.
Within Phou Den Din NBCA (National Biodiversty Conservation Area), Phongsali is known as pefect land for trekking to discover the life of some ethnic minorities in moutainous area. One thing that be sure you would always able to breath fresh air or fill your view with full of life colours.
Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau, 140Km ~ 4h.
Heading out of Hanoi on road number 6 to Mai Chau, and idyllic valley populated by mainly White Thai ethnic people. Visiting Mai Chau, you have a chance to enjoy folk songs and traditional colourful culture of White Thai in Mai Chau. The scenery of the arrival to Mai Chau is characterized with beautiful limestone mountains and colourful hill tribes who can be seen and visited on the way. We also have an opportunity en route to learn about the culture of the rice-cultivating inhabitants in the Red River valley and Da River down stream. After lunch, we have the whole afternoon free to climb up to the top of Thung Nhuoi pass. From the top of the pass there is a beautiful view of Mai Chau valley, often engulfed by clouds but still a sight to be enjoyed. After visiting this wonderful site, we drop down to explore more of the area of White Thai people.
In the evening, we can enjoy a local dinner and overnight in a beautiful village at the edge of a river. After dinner, you can spend the evening sitting together around a fire and join in a Thai traditional music show. In their traditional attire, typical of their culture, Thai women invite visitors to participate in the Xoe dance. To the rhythmical and ebullient music, the hosts and guests will dance for hours hand-in-hand. When they get tired, they stop for a while to drink special sticky rice liquor called "ruou can". Visitors who participate in the Xoe dance once, especially by the light of a fire at night are likely to remember it forever.
- L,D
- Overnight in Thai family
Day 2: Mai Chau – Son La, 200Km ~ 6h.
On good road looking high over distant mountains we head up into a forested region populated by H’mong people before descending into a mountainous tea-growing region.
Soon after we follow a long valley floor covered in a sea of rice surrounded by Black Thai villages all the way to Son La.
- B,L,D
- Overnight in hotel
Day 3: Son La – Dien Bien, 175 Km ~ 5h.
We have more mountain passes to challenge us, such as Son La, Chieng Pac, and Pha Din. You will enjoy the beautiful landscape on your way from Son La to Lai Chau town. The afternoon will provide free time to climb over the top of the Pha Din Pass - known as the interface between Heaven and Earth. Pha Din forms a natural border between Son La and Dien Bien Phu, the site of the decisive battle in Vietnam’s struggle for independence in 1954.
- B,L,D
- Overnight in hotel
Day 4: Dien Bien – Muang Khua, 110Km ~ 6h.
In the morning we start from Dien Bien, ride through Dien Bien valey, enjoy beautiful scenery from a lot of rice paddies and some local villages.
After the formalities at Tay Trang border crossing, our trip get more fun and adventure with riding on bad road (off-road) to Muang Khua. We have lunch in Na Son village (belong to Mai district).
Muang Khua – the mix of Lao Lao (Laos whisky) and bombs land, is just a small town on the bank of Nam Ou river. From Muang Khua you can have a short boating up or downstream to visit some villages around. Watching local people produce Lao Lao or walking on land which still has a lot of unexploded ordinances will give you some special experiences.
Dinner will be in a restaurant near the river bank.
- B,L
- Overnight in hotel or guest house
Day 5: Muang Khua – Boun Tai, 110Km ~ 5h.
Another funny riding day. Boun Tai is a small Thai Lu town which is popular as a rest stop for people traveling to Phongsali. Many traditional villages along the road.
Have picnic lunch. Dinner in small restaurant.
- Overnight in guest house
Day 6: Boun Tai – Phongsali, 94Km ~ 4h.
A beautiful riding day brings us up into the remote northern region of Laos between the borders of China and Vietnam. Do not miss any moments when we get closed to Phongsali town, taste felling of riding through jungle on zigzag moutain road. Many small villages: Lyzyzo Village, Roma, Ban Nam Ly… along the way invite us for a small walk, meet and say “sabaidee” to all local people.
The Ethnic Museum in Phongsali city center is a place where you can see traditional costumes and lifestyles of about 22 groups of ethnic minorities: H’mong, Iko, Arka, Yao,… The climate in Phongsali recommend you make a fire out door with somes Lao Lao at night.
Have picnic lunch. Dinner in restaurant.
- Overnight in hotel or guest house
Day 7: Phongsali – Muang Khua, Boating from Hadsa (Phongsali) downstream to Muang Khua ~ 5h.
Descending the Nam Ou river we will discover one of the most remote river areas of northern Laos. After breakfast, we take a short drive from Phongsali to Hadsa – a village of Lao Lum on river bank. From here, we offer long-tail boat (machine boat) ride on the scenic Nam Ou River to Muang Khua. To enjoy more the distance we will take slow boats that drive us through amazing countryside with rugged mountains, green forest covered hills and small villages along the way. The boat arrives Muang Khua in late afternoon. We will stay overnight in a hotel in Muang Khua.
We provide some options for you in Phongsali:
- Option 1: We spend one day more in Phongsali, visit the town and area around.
- Option 2: Akha village trekking. In the morning we collect all necessary staffs and drive down to the Trekking North Laos – Akha Nam Ou river about 20 km from Phongsali. From here we will start to ascent into the mountain world which is inhabited from different ethnic groups. Our goal is to get to know the Akha people who live a very simple life here in the mountains. Their villages nestle in the high ridges of green mountains it seems as we are traveling in a different world. After some “good” 5-6 hrs of walking we arrive in the village that will host us for the night. Normally the private house of the Chief of the village will give us a place to sleep and some food for dinner. Our local guide will help us to find out more about their unique way of life…
Note:
After trekking time, we always return Hadsa where we take the boat down Muang Khua.
Normally you should do trekking tour in 2 days, but another 1 day city tour or 3,4 days trekking are all in service.
Day 8: Muang Khua - Dien Bien, 110Km ~ 5h.
We take the same road which is entrance into Laos.
- Overnight in hotel
Day 9: Dien Bien - Sin Ho, 170Km ~ 5h.
Sin Ho is a scenic mountain village with a large percentage of ethnic minorities and it has a colourful Sunday market to offer. Sin Ho is a 38-km climb on an abysmal dirt road off Route 12; the turn off is about 1 km north of the village of Chan Nua, on the road from Lai Chau. Sin Ho can also be reached by a challenging trek from the town of Tam Duong.
Ride along Laos border to the North direction of China border on the road No12. Ride in the nature, an amazing adventure for the last 40km heading up to Sin Ho in the sunset. Sin Ho is located at 1700m above the sea-level with the main habitant of H’Mong, Dao, Kinh people.
- B,L,D
- Overnight in hotel
Day 10: Sin Ho - Sapa, 170Km ~ 4h.
Due to the environment and a height of 1,700m, getting there is very hard journey, so the people living here mostly keep to their very long lasting lifestyle. The unchanged way of life from ancient days is hard to be done anywhere. However, it should be said that there is no way for urbanization to occur in these areas. Moreover, only a handful of travel agencies can bring their customers to this remote area. The reason Sin Ho is regarded as the richest mountain market in the Northwest province, is that anybody who is courageous enough to visit the area is rewarded with the fortune of visiting. This does nothing to limit the motley colours of traditional clothes of various ethics such as the Green H'mong, the Black H'mong, the White H'mong, the Dzao Dau Bang, and the Lu.
- B,L,D
- Overnight in hotel
Day 11: Sapa - Vu Linh, 200Km ~ 6h.
We start from Sapa, down to Lao Cai town. After Lao Cai, the road gets worse with some periods underconstruction. We do a stop in Luc Yen town – a famous place of delayed precious stone pictures.
From Luc Yen we follow along the side of Thac Ba lake with beautiful villages, limestone mountains, rice and palm fields.
Arrive in Vu Linh, a village of White Trouser Dao locates on the side of Thac Ba Lake. Leave the bikes in our host family - where we will stay for a night - and then we experience of paddling a small single boat by our feet with local people to discover the life of local Dao and Cao Lan minority people…
- B,L,D
- Overnight in Dao family
Day 12: Vu Linh - Hanoi, 180Km ~ 6h.
Easy day to ride back to Hanoi by following the Chay River on dirt road, last chance to enjoy dirt riding in North Vietnam.
Beautiful scenery of daily life boating, maize and rice fields, beautiful villages of Tay and King people.
- B,L
Included:
- Speaking English, Laos, Vietnamese guide
- Motorbike, fuel
- Riding gears (helmet, jacket, pans, gloves, rain gears, saddle bag)
- All food and accommodations in Vietnam
- Border taxes (for motorbikes only)
- Permit for motorbikes travelling in Laos
Excluded:
- Food & accommodations in Laos
- Laos visa fee
- Personal expense( drinks, transportation fee,…)
- Boating fee in Phongsali
- Personal insurance
- Any changes made due to unexperted problems (landslide, bridge broken,….) or on clients request will be charged
- Tips
Please note: The program up here is just example for trip. We recommend to do customized tour depend on your design.
Contact us now to book this tour or to know about the price for trip.