Ha Giang Hike & Homestays

Escape the crowds with this trek through remote northern Vietnam

Itinerary

Day 1 Hannoi to Thong Nguyen

You will be met at your hotel at 9am and hit the road to the north. Our destination is a remote region tucked away between the Tay Con Linh and the Song Chay mountain ranges. It is a place where very few venture and which natural and social environments remain almost untouched. We spend the day making our way to that region. The drive is pretty long to the Northern part of Tonkin, but the trek is worth the drive. We arrive at Pan Hou Village in the afternoon, this little eco-lodge is located in the heart of the Song Chay mountains adjoining the Yunnan. This natural fortress has long been a refuge for many ethnic groups who have escaped from the Middle Kingdom, his persecution and its famines. We have some time for a little walk around and eventually a dip into the river before dinner. Drive: 290km / ~7hrs Overnight: Panhou Retreat

Day 2 Thong Nguyen to Giang Ha

Enjoy an home-made breakfast in the restaurant of the lodge or on the terrace overlooking its exceptional gardens. We leave Panhou at 9am to enter the nearby mountains through tropical forests and rice terraces. After a three-hour hike, we take a well-deserved break in a Red Dao village for lunch. People of the village have, by necessity, sculpted the mountainside and used its water courses to grow rice. These laborious adjustments enabled them to settle and live in the higher parts of the mountains; and offer us the chance to contemplate some unique views of these landscapes. The cooler climate and fresh water in abundance also contribute to the growth of tea trees. We will see this in the afternoon on a 2-hour hike to another Red Dao village. We then meet our homestay hosts and rest before dinner. Hiking: ~5hrs Elevation: +400/-200m Overnight: Homestay – Red Dao

Day 3 Giang Ha to Nam AI

Our trek continues after breakfast with a walk along the Suoi Nam Valley passing by some farms on stilts, built on the mountainside and always close to water. Terraced rice fields are all around this region, where the Ti Ki Liu mountain rises high above the others and where Hmong Hoa, Man Ta Pan, Tay, Dao and Nung Inh share the lands. We arrive for lunch at the Red Dao village of Khoa Trung. After this break, we keep hiking to end in the secluded hamlet of Nam Ai, located in the heights of the mountain range inhabited by Dao and Tay communities. Hiking: ~6hrs Elevation: +500/-200m Overnight: Homestay – Red Dao or Tay

Day 4 Nam Ai to Ho Pien

In the morning, the trekking route takes us further into Nam Son Valley, passing over a mountain to a Dao village, where we are hosted for lunch. After lunch, we start our ascension to the top of Ho Pien Mountain. The trails go through the tea plantations and bamboo forests. We reach our overnight stopover in the late afternoon and are welcomed by a H’mong family. Hiking: ~5hrs Elevation: +600/-300m Overnight: Homestay – H’mong

Day 5 Ho Pien to Thong Nguyen

Today we begin our descent towards the lodge where we started from. We hit the trails to Lang Giang valley and then a little Red Dao village famous for its production of Shan Tuyet tea, one of the finest produced in Vietnam. We keep hiking from that village on the mountainside and enjoy a deep view over rice terraces. We may meet some “montagnards” from the Red Dao ethnic group on their daily routine to some agricultural work. After lunch, we loop the loop across a stretch of forest to get back to the initial starting point of our trek at Panhou. Tonight we enjoy a little comfort after several nights with very basic facilities. Have a drink at the bar of the lodge to celebrate the conclusion of the trek and/or enjoy a traditional spa at the healing center. Hiking: ~5hrs Elevation: +200/-600m Overnight: Panhou Retreat

 

 

Day 6 Thong Nguyen to Hannoi, trip concludes 

This morning is an easy morning as there is no need to wake up at dawn. We leave the lodge in the mid-morning and have a stop enroute for lunch before arriving in Hanoi in the late afternoon. Trip concludes upon arrival into Hanoi. If you would like to extend your stay in Hanoi, please discuss arrangements with your World Expeditions' Adventure Travel Consultant. Drive: 290km / ~7hrs