Adventure Quests - Vietnam Fansipan Bac Ha Halong

TRIP

	Itinerary
	What to Expect

DESTINATION

Trips Vietnam

Mount Fansipan Trek & Bac Ha with optional Halong Bay Cruise

Fansipan Mountain is located 9km south-west of Sapa townlet in the Hoang Lien Mountain Range. Fansipan is still considered one of the very few eco-tourist spots of Vietnam. Fansipan, a rough pronunciation of the local name “Hua Xi Pan” means “the tottery giant rock”. The French came to Vietnam in 1905 and landmarked Fansipan’s height at 3,143m and branded it “the Roof of Indochina”. Very few people climbed to the top of Fansipan at that time as the country was not opened yet. As many knows, the country was plagued by many years of war and it was left unclimbed unti 1991 when a local soldier reached the summit after numerous attempts.

Considered the premier destination in of north-west Vietnam, Sapa is a hill station built in 1922. It lies in the beautiful valley close to the border with China. The region around Sapa is indeed home to various colourful ethnic minorities, wearing traditional attire. Among the tribes are the H'mong and Dao people. The Hoang Lien Mountain Range can also be seen at Sapa. This place is also famous for its cooling climate all year round though year end (Oct -Feb) tend to be colder (as cold as 0 degree Celcius). Thus it attracts lots of domestic travellers during mid summer.

Bac Ha is the largest market in the region, a place where many ethnic groups gather to buy and sell, eat and drink together. There are 10 minority groups in the Bac Ha region. You can buy homemade handicrafts and clothes.

The magnificent Halong Bay is an amazing complex of 3000 chalk islands rising out of the South China Sea and very beautiful with bizarre cave formations & grottoes - a World Heritage Natural site. Nearby is Catba Island which is a designated National Park with a rich repository of plants and wildlife.

Highlights

3D2N Mount Fansipan Climb
1D Sapa Trek to minority villages with fabulous waterfall visits
Largest and most colourful market in the region
3D Halong Bay & Cat Ba Island adventure

Included:

All local land transfers( including Hanoi-LaoCai return train, LaoCai-Sapa return vehicle)
All meals during trek
Full camping equipment - tents, sleeping mattress, sleeping bag
Accommodation in hotels / guest-houses on twin or triple sharing basis with attached bathroom & hotwater in Hanoi & Sapa and full camping on Mount Fansipan climb
National Park entrance fees
Local Vietnamese Trekking guide (Englsih speaking)
Day use of hotel if flying back on Day 7

Excluded:

Return airfares Singapore - Hanoi
Meals not indicated
Personal gear; Trekking pole, back pack
Personal porter during trek (separate from communal porter)
Personal Travel Insurance

Duration:	7 days or 10 days with Halong Bay
Dates:	1 - 07 or 10 Dec 12

Grading:

Group Size : min 2 pax	7D Price :	10D Price :
2 -3 persons :	S$ 800	S$ 1000
4 - 6 persons :	S$ 650	S$ 900

Best Season : The cool season from Oct to Apr is the best time to visit the north. Warm clothing is required for this trip.
International airfare to Hanoi can be arranged on behalf Chartis travel insurance offered at discounted price

Day 1	Singapore - Hanoi Flight to Hanoi, North Vietnam. Follow by night train ride to Lao Cai Station. Overnight on sleeper train.(D)
Day 2-4	Mount Fansipan Climb 3D2N camping trek with return from Sapa to the summit of Fansipan - The trek starts at Lai Chau Pass (1950m) and reaching Indochina's highest peak 3143m on day 3. Group will break camp on day 4 and descend. 2 nights camping and last night in homestay. (2B/3L/3D)
Day 5	Minority Village Trek Half day hike from village to village to catch a glimpse and understand the lifestyle/culture of the different minority groups. Transfer to Sapa to check into hotel and for lunch (at own cost because of the varieties of choices). Free & easy to explore Sapa town (B)
Day 6	Bac Ha Market After breakfast transfer to Ba Ha to visit the Sunday minority market and visit the surrounding villages before transfer to Lao Cai for overnight train back to Hanoi. (B/L/D)
Day 7	Hanoi - Singapore
	3 Days Extension to Halong Bay + Cat Ba Island
Day 7-9	Halong Bay Land transfer to Halong Bay after breakfast for 3D/2N Halong Bay + Cat Ba Island. Day 9 transfer to Hanoi for overnight. (B/L/D except D in Hanoi)
Day 10	Hanoi - Singapore

Unlike trekking Mt Kinabalu and Mt Rinjani, Mt Fansipan offers an entirely different trekking experience. Trekkers will be whized from the airport to the railway and follow by van to Sapa hill station. By afternoon, just slightly after 24 hours you will be trekking up the base camp of Fansipan, the roof of Indochina. Forty percent of the trek are walking in the open with good scenery while the remaining sixty will be walking through mixture of bamboo and coniferous forests. Sepember to December is a good time to trek with December to January the coldest period and November to March the driest. Average temperature is 15 degree C and night time can go as low as 0 degree C (Nov -Jan). The trail walking is generally pleasant with wide and prominent track. Expect a good 5 hours of walking on day 2 and 6 hours on day 3 & 4.