ST AD 07 : Song Ma Valley Walk Tour ( 9 days / 8nights )

Song Ma is a remote area near the Laos border, the region contains beautiful valleys, nature reserves and national parks and Song Ma Region is blessed with rich forest, limestone panoramas, magnificent rice terraces, water wheels, breathtaking mountain scenery and beautiful villages of hill tribes. On this trip we trek on the bank of Ma River to experience the everyday life and culture of Black Mong, Flower Hmong, White Thai, Muong people and stay in their traditional long house on stilts as honored guests.

Day 1: Hanoi - Mai Chau - Hang Kia Village (L, D).

08:30 our driver meets you at lobby of your hotel, we drive to Mai Chau. This scenic drive takes around three hours. Along the way we pass fields of tapioca and sugar cane as well as rice paddies. After lunch in a traditional stilt house of the Thai people, we drive for one hour to Sa Linh Village to begin our trekking. The verdant and rugged mountain scenery combined with the colorful local population makes this an unforgettable experience. Today we walk along gravel tracks and small paths, used by the locals. Our destination for this evening is Hang Kia village, home of the Hmong Minority people. Here we stay overnight as the guests of an H'mong family in a traditional long house, situated in a picturesque valley of peach orchards.

Day 2: Hang Kia - Van Village (B, L, D).

Today we get well and truly off the beaten track as we trek through tropical rain forest, using the local tracks and passing through cornfields as we descend in to Mai Chau Valley . On the way we will encounter the local villagers as they go about their daily business: whether it be tilling the fields, logging or herding buffalo. The trek will take around 7 hours and is quite steep in places. Lunch will be provided en route, and weather permitting, we will have a picnic near a babbling brook at the foot of the valley. From here we pass through several White Thai villages, and are sure to attract attention as this part of the country receives very few visitors. We will arrive at Van village by late afternoon and we will have time to walk around this charming little village, enabling us to understand a little more about how the people live. The village is home to the Thai people, and tonight we will be their guests in one of their traditional stilt houses. There, we will be toasted as honored guests and will be able to sample some of their homemade rice wine!

Day 3: Van Village - Sam Khoe Village - Hang Village (B, L, D).

Trek from Van Village to Sam Khoe Village and drive to Pong Comg for lunch. Following lunch we drive to Ban Sai village from here we trek to the Thai Village of Hang. We spend the night with a local Thai Family who will be our hosts in a traditional house built on stilts. We will definitely learn more about their lives and cultures when staying with them.

Day 4: Hang Village to Kho Muong Village (B, L, D).

The sound of mountain, cock and pork make us up for a new day and breakfast. We stroll around the Hang Village before we start trekking. We will be hiking about 6 hours through many Thai Villages and hamlets and encounter friendly children, villagers before arriving Kho Muong Village, home to the Muong ethnic minority, where we stay overnight.

Day 5: Kho Muong - Hin Village (B, L, D).

Following a simple breakfast, we trek for three hours on un uphill gradient through a picturesque forest passing several villages along the way. We break for a lunch in Nua village before we downhill to the Hin village. We overnight in the Thai Family.

Day 6: Hin village - Thanh Hoa - Cuc Phuong (B, L, D).

Thanks for the graceful host; we walk about 4 hours thoughts beautiful hamlets, villages and meet our driver again and drive back to Cuc Phuong National Park via Thanh Hoa Province. You go through the most beautiful landscape of Vietnam countryside.
Arrive Cuc Phuong late in the afternoon, check in our ecolodge in the park and dinner and overnight in this first national park of Vietnam fonded 1962. Overnight at guesthouse ..

Day 7: Cuc Phuong National Park - Hanoi (B, L).

Rising this morning with the sounds of the forest all around us, we commence to trek through the lush rainforest, past centuries old trees. Meet driver at other site of the national park from here we make our way back to Hanoi.

Note: Hotel accommodation in Hanoi could be arranged upon requested

Things to bring: warm clothes in Winter (Nov.-Jan.), rain coat in the Rainy Season (Jun.- Oct.), casual clothes: short pants & shirt, wet shoes,sun cream ,sun glasses, hat, personal medicine.

Itinerary: Due to the nature of the tour, the weather, road condition, local circumstance, prevailing safety factors, the route & itinerary may vary to those published but the content of the tour will remain similar. The final decision of the actual itinerary will be made by the tour operator's staff on the day of the tour.

Accommodation offering in this trip: ( click to see hotel )

Tour Cost includes:

- Full transportation as tour program indicated.
- Full meals as indicated in the itinerary.
- English/French - speaking guide
- Twin-share accommodation with daily breakfast;

Tour Cost excludes:
Airport taxes; Visas; travel insurance; tips; personal expenses, emergency transfers.

Trip Summary:

Where:	Trip starts and ends in Hanoi;
When:	All year round;
Grade:	Moderate to Strenous;
Accommodation:	Simple guest-houses (Standard), Tourist-class hotels (Superior);
Transport:	Private car or bus.
Meals:	As indicated; (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)