ARECA TRAVEL

French-speaking agency.

Ethnic Mosaic & Authentic VietNam, discover Vietnam and its cultural riches in 15 days from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City

Hanoi - Sapa - Along Bay - Ninh Binh - Hue - Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta

-Spirit of the trip:

The most interesting discoveries at major sites & off the beaten track. We'll experience the life of the natives, admire the wild landscapes and visit the homes of minorities still living their ancestral way of life. What's more, we'll relax in the magnificent Bay of Along after long journeys.

-Highlights:

Thousand-year-old capital: Hanoi, economic center: Ho Chi Minh City World heritage sites: Bay of Along, Hue, Hoi An

Onshore Along Bay (Trang An) and Thung Nham floating village Floating markets in the Mekong Delta

Minority encounters: H'mong, Yao Rouges, Tays, Dzays Cooking classes: discover typical dishes from North to South

- Supervision :

Physical condition: normal

Transport and transfers: minibus, boat, train, plane Guides: English-speaking

Accommodation: hotels, homestay Restaurants: Vietnamese

- Itinerary :

Day 01: Hanoi - Arrival

Early arrival at Hanoi airport. Welcome by our guide. The capital of unified Vietnam, Hanoi has retained the old-fashioned charm of the French colonial era. The face of Hanoi hasn't changed much in decades. It's undoubtedly the most charming city in Vietnam, with all its authenticity, wide shady avenues, numerous lakes and well-kept gardens. Transfer to your hotel.

Afternoon: a cyclo pousse tour of the old quarter and its small shopping streets will allow us to discover the main points of interest of the Vietnamese capital. Tonight: we attend a puppet show on water, typical of rice-growing. Night in hotel.

Day 02: Hanoi - Lao Cai

We visit the Jade Temple in the middle of the Restituted Sword Lake. The giant turtle in this temple tells the legend of the lake from the 15th century. Then we continue to Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum complex, dominating Ba Dinh Square, and his house on stilts, to better understand the life of a great man whose life was very modest. The One-Pillar Pagoda, famous for its original construction and linked to an interesting legend dating back to the 11th century. Then a visit to the Temple of Literature, dedicated to Confucius and his disciples. By visiting the first University, we gain a better understanding of feudal Vietnamese education. This afternoon: we visit the Museum of Ethnography, the largest and most comprehensive museum of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups. After dinner, transfer to the station for the night train to Lao Cai. Board the train and spend the night.

Day 03: Lao Cai - Sapa

Arriving early in the morning at Lao Cai station, after breakfast we immerse ourselves in the festive atmosphere of the multi-ethnic Bac Ha market (Sunday morning). After lunch at a local restaurant, we return to Lao Cai, stopping at the side of the road for a cruise on the Claire River to the Tays village, where we discover the life of the villagers until around 3:30pm. En route to Sapa, we admire the rice terraces hidden behind the clouds. Situated at an altitude of 1,650 meters, with a temperate climate, Sapa was once a climatic resort created by the French in the region of Mount Fan Si Pan (3143m), which is considered to be one of the world's most beautiful mountains

the roof of Indochina. The city is interesting for its mosaic of minorities: H'mong, Red Yao, Tay, Dzay, SaFo ....For hundreds of years they have coexisted here, leading their ancestral lives despite the modern world. Overnight at hotel in Sapa.

Day 04: Sapa

In the morning, we visit Sapa's daily market, where ethnic groups come to trade their agricultural produce or sell their traditional costumes, meticulously made by women's hands. It's also a popular spot for young couples. Next, we'll climb Ham Rong Mountain (Dragon's Jaw), where we can't miss the opportunity to take some superb photos of the area. An interesting walk will take us to the theater, where we'll have the opportunity to watch a dance performance by five of Sapa's ethnic groups. In the afternoon, we take a walk to the villages of the Black H'mong in Lao Chai and the Dzay in Ta Van, where we have opportunities to discover the specific cultures of each ethnic group. Return to Sapa. Overnight in hotel.

Day 05: Sapa -Lao Cai -Hanoi

After breakfast, we continue our walking tour to Cat Cat, the village of the Black H'mong. The walk takes us to the waterfall in the middle of the village, where contact with the H'mong people makes for interesting memories. In the afternoon, back to Lao Cai, we make a short detour to Ma Tra village, where we discover the centuries-old traditions of the Red Yaos. We return to Lao Cai, stopping at the Sino-Vietnamese border where we see the confluence of the Red River (red) belonging to Vietnam and the Nam Thi River (green) to China. After dinner at a local restaurant, board the 20:00 night train to Hanoi. Overnight on board the train, in a comfortable, air-conditioned couchette car.

Day 06: Hanoi - Thung Nham - Ninh Binh

After a shower and breakfast at the hotel near the station. We take Route Nationale No1 (route des Mandarins), south from Hanoi, through the beautiful landscapes of the Red River delta: rice paddies and vegetable fields create a romantic picture of nature 100 km long. After a 2-hour drive, we take the road to Tam Diep, where we take a boat cruise to the village of Thung Nham. Far from modern life, amidst picturesque landscapes. Our encounters with the villagers, especially the children, will etch images of an authentic region in our memories. A lunch of local specialities in a restaurant amidst the rice paddies is another interesting souvenir. In the afternoon, we take a sampan ride to see the local

trang An, also known as the "land bay of Along", with its many limestone peaks covered with lush vegetation. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07: Ninh Binh - Along Bay

En route to Along Bay. Arrival at HaLong around midday, an extraordinary landscape, "one of the wonders of the world", with nearly three thousand islets and limestone peaks in fantastic shapes: turtle, sampan sail, etc

board the boat for the 5-hour cruise to the grandiose Thien Canh Son cave, where we admire the different shapes created by the stalactites and stalagmites. Lunch & Shellfish dinner on board. Overnight aboard the boat in the middle of Along Bay.

Day 08: Along Bay - Con Son - Hue

After visiting the magnificence of Bai Tu Long Bay, the pearl oyster farms and the floating fishing village, we disembark after lunch and return to Hanoi. En route we visit the Con Son pagoda, the interesting walk through the forest reminds us of a glorious but pathetic story of the family of a hero beloved by the Vietnamese: Nguyen Trai. Return to Hanoi and transfer to the airport for the flight to Hue. Arrival in Hue towards the end of the day. Hué, the capital of the Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, offers visitors a perfect picture of harmony between the many well-preserved historic sites and the charm of nature. Overnight at hotel.

Day 09: Hue

Morning: we begin our city tour with the Imperial City, a Vauban-style architectural masterpiece built on the model of Chinese imperial palaces between 1805 and 1832. Then we board the boat for the Perfume River cruise, heading for Dong Ba market. We visit the Sinh village, the Thanh village

Arecatravel: harmony between cultural values & nature

At Thien, the ancient pier of Bao Vinh, our boat continues to the Celestial Lady Pagoda, and the Temple of Litterature. We have lunch on board, admiring the daily life of the local people along the banks. We arrive at Thuy Bieu village: we take an interesting ride in the velo to visit the families of Hué's crafts: incense stick making, conical hats, wood carving. After the ride, we relax with a traditional foot massage, prepared with medicinal herbs. Overnight in hotel.

Day 10: Hue - Danang - Hoi An

Drive to Danang, via the famous Col des Nuages road, for a magnificent view of the dozens of kilometers of beaches on the Lang Co peninsula. In Danang, we visit the Cham Museum (built in 1916), the famous collection of Champa kingdom civilization, then the Marble Mountain, next to the most beautiful beach in Vietnam. Continuing on to Hoi An, formerly Hai Fo or Fai Fo, one of Asia's busiest trading ports from the 17th to 18th centuries, where Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese, Indonesian, French and Dutch traders rubbed shoulders. Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, this charming city fascinates us not only with the authenticity of its architecture and the romantic landscapes of the river and beach

but above all by the phantasmagorical light of the lanterns after sunset. We visit the old houses and the Japanese covered bridge in the old quarter. Overnight at a hotel in Hoi An.

Day 11: Hoi An - craft villages

Morning: we cycle through the countryside to the village of Tra Que, where we take part in the life and work of the villagers as they prepare lunch of local specialties. After lunch: we enjoy a bath and foot massage with medicinal herbs.

In the afternoon: we take a boat trip along the Thu Bon River through a romantic coconut forest, admiring the poetic scenery. Stops include the Thanh Ha pottery village and the Kim Bong carpentry village. At the end of the day, we visit the silk village, where we can see for ourselves how worms are reared up to the point of harvest

the manufacture of all kinds of silk in traditional and modern ways. Return to Hoi An. Overnight in hotel.

Day 12: Hoi An - Danang - Ho Chi Minh City

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), the economic center of Vietnam. Located in the heart of Cochinchina in the Mekong Delta, it is also the largest city, with a population of over 8 million. City tour: Notre Dame Cathedral, a red-brick Romanesque Revival building consecrated in 1880. The Post Office, built by Gustave Eiffel, followed by a stroll through Cho Lon Chinatown. A multitude of small family-run businesses thrive today in this "Chinatown" devoted to trade and money. The richly decorated Chinese pagodas and temples are very different in style from Vietnamese sanctuaries. Visit the Thien Hau pagoda and the Binh Tay wholesale market. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 13: Ho Chi Minh City - My Tho - Mekong Delta

En route to My Tho, a vast network of thousands of canals characterizes life in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's largest rice granary. We're surrounded by the lush greenery of the Delta's fields and orchards

Arecatravel: harmony between cultural values & nature

rice fields dotted with lotus ponds. Embark on a cruise on the Mekong to the islet of Thoi Son or Unicorn Island: a large tropical garden covering 11km². Tasting of tropical fruits and fresh honey from the beehives in the orchards. Lunch on the island of specialties including the famous elephant-eared fish. In the afternoon, a sampan ride along the small arroyos, where lush vegetation grows on both shores. End of the day: we reach Cho Lach for an overnight stay.

Tonight: our master teaches us a few recipes in a local cooking class.

Day 14: Cho Lach - Sa Dec - Ho Chi Minh city

We continue our journey to Can Tho. Early in the morning, we take a sampan ride to the Cai Rang floating market, one of the main markets in the region. This gives us a good insight into the daily life of the inhabitants of the delta and the banks of the Mekong. We explore the floating market, then visit a village where we can see traditional crafts and an old house. We also have the opportunity to taste seasonal fruits. After lunch, we set off for Sadec, in the province of Dông Thap, famous for its horticulture (all kinds of exotic flowers grow here) and nicknamed "The Garden of Cochinchina" in colonial times. Marguerite Duras lived in this little-known town in the Mekong Delta until she was a teenager. A small

delta town, where a few colonial houses and "la maison du Chinois" (from her novel L'Amant, also adapted for the screen) still stand. We visit the house of Madame Marguerite Duras and the flower gardens of Sa Dec, before returning to Ho Chi Minh City. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at the hotel.

Day 15: Ho Chi Minh City - Departure

After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport for the 09:40 departure flight.