16 Days / 15 Nights
16 Days / 15 Nights
Pioneer the Red River with Pandaw!
For the first time, travelers will be able to explore the key sites of Northern Vietnam by river ship traversing the Red River delta and its main tributaries, connecting the wonders of Halong Bay with the excitements of downtown Hanoi, and then on into the interior, well off the beaten track. This is a combination of scenic beauty, lively and interesting (sometimes industrial) life of the river, and exploring rivers where no other tourist craft operates.
Sailing deep into Highland Vietnam we will discover the mountain villages and a number of tribal areas. We will go as far as is navigable up the Song Red River and then down the little-known Da or Black River. Note this is a new river expedition and itineraries and schedules very much subject to change due to uncertain local conditions.
Note that departures from December to March have an alternative itinerary covering a larger inland water cruising area on the coastal plain area. We cruise in beautiful rural areas as well as some interesting more industrial sections. Note the daily temperature range at this time of year can be from 7C to 21C and there is a higher chance of mists.
Arrive Hanoi. You will receive a warm welcome from your guide. Private transfer to hotel.
In the morning, you will depart from your hotel by private car to a remote hilltop of Topas Ecolodge. After checking in to your bungalow, relax and enjoy the beautiful and peaceful view of the surrounding mountains and valleys from your private balcony.
Breakfast
We begin hiking from Topas Ecolodge and along the footpaths of Silver Stone Mount. Enjoy the stunning views of the valleys and rice paddy terraces along the walk. At noon, we arrive at the Lech village, inhabited by the Red Dao minority and have lunch at a local house in the village.
After lunch, we continue the walk to a nearby Red Dao village and if it is a school day, we visit the village’s school. It is a nice opportunity to meet different groups of children from the Red Dao or H’mong minority. From the village, we follow the hill trails up to the main road while enjoying the breathtaking views of dotted peaks, endless rice terraces and the beautiful Muong Bo river. We arrive back at Topas Ecolodge after another 15 minute walk on the main road.
Breakfast – Lunch
You will enjoy the breath taking views along the winding ride up to Muong Khuong, a small trading town near Chinese border, 50 km Northeast of Lao Cai. From there you turn to a dirt road which goes up into the mountains for another 23 km before reaching the tiny market. Here you will have a great opportunity to meet the Nung, Flower H’mong, Black Dao, Tu Di and Giay minorities, who not only gather for purchasing local products, but also for exchanging gossip and views on all aspects of life such as farming, caring for animals and even finding partners. You will have lunch at a nice local restaurant in Muong Khuong town. In the afternoon you will experience more of the minorities’ culture by visiting their villages. You will take an easy walk in about one and half hour through a peaceful valley, where is home village of Nung and Flower H’mong minorities. On the way back is an opportunity for you to stop at green tea hill and pineapple farm, where our guide will explain about how local people do cultivating. You than get on your car for the journey back to Topas.
Breakfast – Lunch
Late morning, check out of hotel and transfer back to Hanoi. Arrive Hanoi, check in and the rest of the is free at leisure.
Breakfast
Transfer from meeting point in Hanoi (Pan Pacific Hotel) to Halong Bay to embark your Pandaw ship followed by lunch on board. Cast off in the afternoon with a welcome cocktail for an evening sail, dropping anchor in a sheltered bay amidst the beautiful island scenery.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Morning sail around Halong Bay and beyond with its 1,500 dramatic limestone islands and extraordinary rock formations, dating back 20 million years.
Stop at Viet Hai Village and explore on a mountain bike or electric buggy, visiting the village’s vegetable farm and typical village houses. It is a breath-taking trip along a small road winding its way through the limestone rocks.
In the afternoon continue cruising towards Lan Ha Bay for a visit to a floating fishing house.
Weather dependent, end the day with cocktails at a beautiful beach in Halong Bay – bring your swimwear!
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Exploration of Halong Bay continues with a visit to the so called “Dark and Bright Cave”. Take a kayak or a local basket boat rowed by fishermen and enter this remarkable cave into an enclosed area similar to a crater. Bats can be heard in the cave and massive stalagmites hang from the ceiling.
Depart Halong Bay and enter the river to drop anchor near Hai Phong.
In the afternoon, our chef will share his skills in fruit carving and demonstrate how to create Vietnamese spring rolls.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Observe the lively and interesting life of the KinhThay river, a key commercial waterway. Meet your guide in the dining room for a lecture on Vietnam, its history, geography, and the boat people.
Afternoon excursion to Thanh Ha Commune with a village walk and a private water puppet show set under the shade by a beautiful pond of lotus and lilies. Return to ship and continue cruising until late evening, dropping anchor midstream.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
The day is spent cruising towards Hanoi. En route, stop at Bat Trang in the afternoon, a ceramic village. On the way back to the ship watch a traditional unicorn and lion dance at the jetty. This dance originated in China and spread over Southeast Asia.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Drop anchor in the capital and bustling city of Hanoi to visit some highlights of this Asian metropolis. Must-sees include the notorious Vietnam War prison known as the Hanoi Hilton, the temple of literature where Confucius did his thinking, and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
Afternoon walking tour of Hanoi’s old quarter, including a visit to a coffee shop to learn about Vietnam’s famous coffee-making industry.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Morning sail through the day from Hanoi up the Red River to Viet Tri – not the most picturesque of towns, but an excellent base for going deeper into Highland Vietnam.
Go ashore to visit a timeless Arcadian Vietnam with emerald green rice paddies punctuated by limestone rock formations. Of particular interest are the Thay and Tay Phuong Pagodas.
Afternoon excursion to a carpenter village famous for exquisite carvings and woodwork techniques.
Evening arrival in Viet Tri.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
In the morning cruising to Tien Du ferry station to the village of Gia Thanh, makers of the conical hats (known as ‘non la’). Take in the sights and sounds of the bustling river with all kinds of craft and activity.
The ‘non la’ are handmade with palm leaves and bamboo. There is no machinery available to create this work of art. Their origin dates approximately 3,000 years back.
By bus continue to Hung Lo Temple.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day sailing downstream while admiring the unspoiled beauty of the Da River. Pass through the Ba Vi National Park with its rich and diverse tropical and sub-tropical flora and fauna before arriving at Hoa Binh then visit the UNESCO-praised village of Duong Lam.
In the afternoon, take a tour of the ship including the galley, crew area, and engine room.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Hoa Binh was the site of a major battle with the French in 1951 & 1952 and is home to the Muong ethnic group. The Hoa Binh Dam at the Black River is the largest hydroelectric dam in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Take a morning boat ride on the reservoir of Hoa Binh power station and visit a local village. A traditional performance by local hill tribe people is given in the evening.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Disembark after breakfast and visit a museum and local village where villagers still wear traditional dress. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant, followed by a transfer to the airport for departure next destination or the Pan Pacific hotel Hanoi.
Note: Estimated arrival at Hanoi Airport at 14:45 and continuing to Pan Pacific hotel Hanoi, arriving 15:30. Your flight out of Hanoi airport must be after 16.00pm (domestic) or 17.00pm (international).
Breakfast – Lunch
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Arrive Hanoi. You will receive a warm welcome from your guide. Private transfer to hotel.
In the morning, you will depart from your hotel by private car to a remote hilltop of Topas Ecolodge. After checking in to your bungalow, relax and enjoy the beautiful and peaceful view of the surrounding mountains and valleys from your private balcony.
Breakfast
We begin hiking from Topas Ecolodge and along the footpaths of Silver Stone Mount. Enjoy the stunning views of the valleys and rice paddy terraces along the walk. At noon, we arrive at the Lech village, inhabited by the Red Dao minority and have lunch at a local house in the village.
After lunch, we continue the walk to a nearby Red Dao village and if it is a school day, we visit the village’s school. It is a nice opportunity to meet different groups of children from the Red Dao or H’mong minority. From the village, we follow the hill trails up to the main road while enjoying the breathtaking views of dotted peaks, endless rice terraces and the beautiful Muong Bo river. We arrive back at Topas Ecolodge after another 15 minute walk on the main road.
Breakfast – Lunch
You will enjoy beautiful scenery along the ride until you arrive in Muong Khuong, a small town near Chinese border, 50 kms Northeast of Lao Cai. From there, you turn onto a dirt road which goes up in mountains for another 11 kms to reach the tiny market. Lung Khau Nhin market, which is almost untouched by the modern life, will offer you a great opportunity to meet the Nung, Flower H’mong, Black Dao, Tu Di and Giay minorities gathering to purchase local products such as foods and materials for agriculture and fabric. Your lunch is server at a nice local restaurant in Muong Khuong town. In the afternoon you will experience more of the minorities’ culture by visiting their villages. You will take an easy walk in about one and half hour through a peaceful valley, where is home village of Nung and Flower H’mong minorities. On the way back is an opportunity for you to stop at green tea hill and pineapple farm, where our guide will explain about how local people do cultivating. You than get on your car for the journey back.
Breakfast – Lunch
Late morning, check out of hotel and transfer back to Hanoi. Arrive Hanoi, check in and the rest of the is free at leisure.
Breakfast
Transfer from Hanoi International Airport or meeting point to Halong Bay to embark your Pandaw ship followed by lunch on board. Cast off in the afternoon with a welcome cocktail for an evening sail, dropping anchor in a sheltered bay amidst the beautiful island scenery.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Morning sail around Halong Bay and beyond with its 1,500 dramatic limestone islands and extraordinary rock formations, dating back 20 million years.
We make a stop at Viet Hai Village and continue our journey by mountain bike or electric buggy to visit the village’s vegetable farm and typical village houses. It is a breathtaking trip along a small road winding its way through the limestone rocks.
In the afternoon we will continue cruising towards Lan Ha Bay for a visit to a floating fishing house.
Weather dependent, we will end the day with cocktails at a beautiful beach in Halong Bay.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Our exploration of Halong Bay continues and we stop at the so called “Dark and Bright Cave”. Take a kayak or a local basket boat rowed by fishermen and enter this remarkable cave into an enclosed area similar to a crater. Bats can be heard in the cave and massive stalagmites hang from the ceiling.
In the afternoon, we leave Halong Bay and are enter the river where we drop anchor near Hai Phong.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Observe the lively and interesting life of the Kinh Thay River, a key commercial waterway.
Afternoon excursion to Thanh Ha Commune with a village walk and a private water puppet show set under shade by a beautiful pond of lotus and lilies.
We continue cruising until late evening and drop anchor midstream.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
This morning we will sail on the Lower Red River and Day River. Afternoon visit the Dien Xa Bonsai Village where we will walk to the bonsai village and meet with local artists and share their bonsai experience. Cruise on Day River towards Ninh Binh City.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
In the morning we will visit Tam Coc, taking a rowing boat ride to visit the so call “Halong on land” in Ninh Binh. In the afternoon we visit the quaint village of Pham Phao where guests can walk around the village visiting a host family where musical instruments have been made and repaired for generations. Listen to the owner who plays every instrument within his family-run business. We visit local Woodworking Artisans who produce items for local and international markets.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
In the morning we sail upstream on the Red River to Phat Diem Cathedral visit the famous stone cathedral of Pat Diem. We then continue on the Red River to Hanoi.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Dropped anchor in the bustling city of Hanoi, passengers will visit some highlights of this Asian metropolis, must see’s like the notorious Vietnam war prison known as the Hanoi Hilton, the temple of literature where Confucius did his thinking, and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Afternoon walking tour of Hanoi including a visit to a coffee shop where we learn about Vietnam’s famous coffee making industry. Before returning to your ship you will enjoy a traditional unicorn and lion dance at the jetty.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Morning going offshore to visit Bat Trang ceramic village then sail through the day from Hanoi up the Red River to Viet Tri, not the most picturesque of towns but an excellent base for going deeper into Highland Vietnam. Going ashore we visit a timeless Arcadian Vietnam with emerald green rice paddies punctuated by limestone rock formations. Of particular interest is the Thay and Tay Phuong Pagodas, hardly known, yet with exquisite temples dating from the 8th and 11th century and home to some fine Buddhist statuary carved from jackfruit trees. We will arrive in Vinh Phuc in the evening.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
In the morning we go ashore to visit the UNESCO praised village of Duang Lam. In the afternoon, visit the carpenter and smith village of Ly Nhan. We sail upstream on the Upper Red River to Viet Tri. Enjoy traditional dances on board.
Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Disembark after breakfast and visit the conical hat-making village of Gia Thanh. By bus we continue to Hung Lo Temple, Lunch will be served at a local restaurant, followed by a transfer to Hanoi airport for departure next destination or drop off point Pan Pacific hotel Hanoi.
Note: Estimated arrival at Hanoi Airport at 14:45 and continuing to Pan Pacific Hotel Hanoi, arriving 15:30. Your flight out of Hanoi airport must be after 16.00pm (domestic) or 17.00pm (international).
Breakfast – Lunch
From $899.00 pp
