Hanoi – Hai Phong – Lan Ha Bay                                                              [L,D]

This morning, you are picked up from your hotel in Hanoi and transferred to the pier (about a two-hour drive). After boarding, the crew deliver a safety briefing. Lunch is served as the ship begins to cruise, passing Da Chong Islet which is home to a French-built lighthouse. Along the way, you see the limestone karst formations of Con Vit and Gia Luan rise dramatically out of the sea. This area remains relatively untouched as few cruise lines use this route.

In the afternoon, step off the boat to explore a local fishing village. Take a ride in a traditional coracle boat which is used by local fishermen and get an insight into local fishing methods. In the summer months, guests can swim and kayak in the bay’s pristine waters. In winter, guests can take a guided cycling excursion to a local village, stopping to visit home made from straw, mud and bamboo. In the evening, options include happy hour drinks at the bar or a cooking class. Dinner and overnight are on board.

Lan Ha Bay Cruise                                                                         [B,L,D]

Wake up to the serene sights and sounds of this amazing seascape in the heart of the bay. Start with an optional tai chi session on the sundeck followed by breakfast as the cruise continues. Today, you have the option to enjoy kayaking or swimming (depending on the weather) or a cycling excursion to Viet Hai Village. Surrounded by sea, high mountains and the dense jungles of the Cat Ba National Park, this rustic village exists as part of its natural surroundings, a charming respite from the modern world. Lunch and dinner are served on board.

Lan Ha Bay – Hanoi                                                                 [B]

The day starts with another energetic tai chi class on the sundeck followed by brunch as the boat makes its way back to the pier in Hai Phong. Disembark at the pier and transfer back to your hotel in Hanoi.

Hanoi – Mai Hich                                                                                                          [L, D]

Guided by an English-speaking guide, an early morning departure from your Hanoi hotel signals the start for a scenic drive in western direction towards the Mai Chau District. The 4-hour drive to our final destination for the day, Mai Hich which is located in the beautiful north-west mountainous area, brings forwards numerous scenes of what lies ahead for the night to come.

At the end of the morning, a scenic landscape with thatched wooden houses dotted along and inside rice paddy fields appears when nearing the small village of Mai Hich. Its little-known status has earned this village the badge of authenticity where traditional farming blends in with an equally traditional way of life. Upon arrival we are welcomed by our host family from the Thai ethnic minority who will be dressed in traditional costumes. We experience the kind and uplifting hospitality of our hosts during our homestay as we witness first-hand their culture and customs.
Your check-in will be swift and easy before we move on further through the day.

A local lunch is included

After a local lunch, we take a leisurely cycle, or walk in the countryside along vegetable gardens, ponds and rice terraces to experience the local daily life of those who inhabit the area and whose livelihood relies on farming and livestock rearing. Part of the Mai Chau valley, the scenes of untouched Vietnam will remain forever with you.

Seen as one of Vietnam’s most idyllic valleys, traversing large parts of the Hoa Bin province, the Mai Chau Valley has developed itself as a great natural destination, used as the canvas for hiking and walking trips. Large parts of the valley have maintained its traditional look and feel where one can visit the various stilted houses, the rugged mountain slopes and green forests. The valley offers numerous viewing points to see the landscape unfold in all of its beauty.

Our evening and dinner can be accompanied with a traditional performance composed of ethnic music and dances performed by family members, or a local troupe from the area as an added extra. We can join in this performance and try Ruou Can, a local brewed rice win in jars that is drunk with long bamboo straws as a gesture of building friendships.

Dinner and accommodation is at the homestay.

Mai Hich – Hanoi                                                                                                               [B, L]

After a deliciously home cooked breakfast prepared by our hosts, the morning is spent relaxing in the tranquillity of our surroundings and exploring its beautiful natural landscape. Guests can add an early morning rise to their morning to watch the sun setting over the Mai Chau valley, walk leisurely through the town while its local residents prepare for yet another day working in their piece of paradise, or simply gaze away towards the horizon, ready to schedule a future trip further into the mesmerizing world of Northern Vietnam.

Lunch included at the homestay.

After lunch, you graciously thank your hosts for their stay before being comfortably driven back to Hanoi. Arrival back in the Vietnamese capital is scheduled for the late afternoon.

In the morning, our English-speaking guide and driver wait for you in the lobby and guide you to your air-conditioned car to start your journey. Situated some 70 kilometres outside Hanoi, the Perfume (Huong) Pagoda is one of the most famous sites surrounding the city.

Set in the beautiful karst cliffs of the Huong Tich Mountain this legendary pagoda attracts thousands of pilgrims every spring after TET – the celebration of Vietnamese New Year – as it is considered a site of great reverence. Be mindful that the climb to the top is steep – should you dare to take on the 2-kilometre hike – one but the views at the end of the stairs are beyond breathtaking. Alternatively, a cable cart runs regularly from the base of the mountain to the top.

The journey continues overland where you will see farmers labouring endlessly over their crops, before boarding your simple sampan for the serene ride to the enormous complex of pagodas and shrines built into the cliffs of the Huong Tich Mountain, collectively known as the Perfume Pagoda. If one is seeking a definition of living in harmony with nature – search no further!

You will enjoy a scenic boat trip down the meandering Yen River from My Duc before exploring the pagoda, its temples and caves amidst fascinating views opening from every angle as you move to the top. A large part of the day will be spent cruising leisurely through the marvels of Mother Nature as your guide for the day outlines the many unique natural features. Nothing beats spending a couple of hours aboard a local boat and be in awe of how breathtaking this region of Vietnam is.

After a local Vietnamese lunch at a local restaurant, the boat will take you back to the jetty for the return transfer to Hanoi. Arrival back in Hanoi will be in the late afternoon with memories of spectacular rock formations, caves with large stalactites and ‘stairways to heaven’ lingering in your thoughts.

Our English speaking guide and driver will wait for you in the hotel lobby from where we leave the city centre for our tour through Buddhist history in northern Vietnam. Customers have the freedom to choose from a morning or an afternoon excursion to these famous grounds in Vietnamese Buddhism.

Located 30 kilometres south-west of Hanoi is the Thay Pagoda (Master’s Pagoda). Whilst a temple is a place that worships the dead, a pagoda is a place to worship the Lord Buddha. Thay Pagoda is widely known for its finely carved statues in lacquer and gold of Buddha in his past and present form and its colourful Buddhist ceremonies performed here during auspicious dates of the Lunar calendar.

The pagoda itself dates back to the 7th century and is also remarkable for its impressive collection of Buddhist wooden statues from the 17th century. Figures representing “The Conditions of Man” are the pagoda’s most celebrated feature – carved from jackfruit wood, many dates from the 18th century.

Take the steep steps up to the main pagoda building, then find a path at the back that loops down past the other two pagodas and wander through the adjacent hillside village. The temple complex itself can be rather confusing with lots of hidden corners and smaller parts of the pagoda that tell you yet another story – just follow your guide and you will gain a deeper understanding. The temple is filled with references made by the reincarnations of deities that shaped the foundation of this holy site.

After this full immersion into the local culture and day-to-day life off the beaten tracks, we safely will bring you back to your booked hotel in Hanoi. If you happen to be in Hanoi and plan to visit this temple in March, try to match your dates with the Pagoda’s annual festival (held from the fifth until the 7th day of the 3rd lunar month). The temple grounds are filled with festivities and water puppet performance.

Your English-speaking guide and dedicated driver welcome you to your booked accommodation in downtown Hanoi for a leisurely drive in the direction of Ninh Binh. Along the way, moments of traditional Vietnamese life pass the revue, and with your guide eagerly explaining the ins and outs of his / her beloved Vietnam.

After approximately 110 kilometres – with samples of the most beautiful landscapes of the Red River Delta passing you by just before reaching Ninh Binh- it is time to exchange the car seat for a more aquatic-based touring.

Continue on a sampan and explore the stunning beauty of Tam Coc or ‘The Three Caves’. This majestic site is also known as “Dry Ha Long Bay” or “Ha Long Bay on land” for its resemblance to the famous Ha Long bay with its impressive rock formations jutting out of the rice paddies. Enjoy the beauty of imposing limestone structures lying amid rice fields as you move along the Ngo Dong River and through the caves.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit the ancient capital of Vietnam, Hoa Lu, where the impressive temples of the Vietnamese royal dynasties of Dinh and Le are waiting to be explored. Little remains of the once imperial citadel of Hoa Lu, built when the city was the country’s administrative centre. Now, Hoa Lu and the surrounding province of Ninh Binh are more commonly known for their unusual landscape. The three-level Bich Dong pagoda built in the 15th century will offer you some fascinating views of the surroundings. The energetic among us may undertake the climb of some 200 steps for a rewarding view for exploring the temples of Dinh Tien Hoang and Dai Hanh.

In the late afternoon, we drive the 110 kilometres back to Hanoi and your home far away from home – your hotel room in the Vietnamese capital.

In the morning, your English-speaking guide will welcome you in your hotel lobby, ready to show Hanoi to you. Accompanied by a local driver with extensive knowledge of the capital, the morning starts with a visit to Ba Dinh Square where silent sentries guard the mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies in state, Next door, walk along the simple cottage where Uncle Ho lived and worked. Colonial architecture still flows through Hanoi with ample examples still boasting the downtown area.

Before we end the morning, we make a stop at the One Pillar Shrine and the Quan Thanh Temple, a Taoist Temple. This fine example of an 11th century temple was built to keep the evil spirits out of Hanoi’s city centre. Next on the itinerary are the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature constructed in the 11th Century by one of the famous emperors of its time. The temple was founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong and honours Confucius. Six years later, Vietnam’s first university was founded here to teach the children of royalty and aristocracy. A delicious Vietnamese lunch breaks the day perfectly before continuing on this Hanoi encounter.

Experience Hanoi’s famous Old Quarter from a different perspective as you enjoy a local rickshaw ride (Cyclo) before visiting the Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake. This densely populated corner of the city was once a centre of commerce where goods were sold under the street name of a particular guild. Still thriving to date, you will see street names such as Sugar Street, Tin Street and Paper Street. Well-preserved homes and temples are interspersed with stores, small cafes and quaint little restaurants in this shopping paradise.

Finishing off this day will be at a Water Puppet Show theatre, a unique form of Vietnamese traditional art has taken its roots from myths and sagas. This tradition dates back to the 11th century and has its origin in the villages of Northern Vietnam. The theme of the 45-minute show is rural and has a strong reference to folklore, making it a charming end to a perfect day before heading back to your hotel.