Dong Van market

A unique selection for individual tourists next month is a five-day and four-night adventure tour to the North of Vietnam available from The He Tre Travel.

The tour, which will start on April 28, will take tourists to Dong Van, Meo Vac, Lung Cu and Sa Phin, the rarely-visited areas of the country. This is the first tour and the only tour of the company to the region this year. It is only offered to individual tourists.

Tran The Dung, the deputy director of The He Tre Travel said that the tour is suitable for tourists who like to experience something different. The first day of the trip, after flying to Hanoi from HCMC, tourists must overcome 420 kilometers of terrain, with many mountain passes, to arrive at the Ha Giang’s Dong Van highlands.

On route, the tour operator will guide visitors to some attractions such as the Quan Ba Heaven Gate, in Co Tien Mountain.

“Due to the difficult conditions, sometimes, guests arrive in Dong Van at 9pm exhausted,” he said.

Situated 1,025 m above sea-level, and inhabited by the Tay and H’Mong ethnic groups, Dong Van is one of the favorite destinations.

Two months after Dung surveyed the tourist site, the company launched this tour for tourists. “In the north, some attractions like Sapa or Bac Ha became familiar destinations for visitors. Our efforts are to provide new attractions that will hold more surprises for guests,” he said.

The second day is special for visitors because they have a morning to visit the twomarkets of Dong Van and Meo Vac. First, guests will visit Ha Giang District’s Dong Van market in the early morning, and then go to Meo Vac District to experience the Meo Vac market, the market of the Hmong, Lo To, Tay, Dao Do ethnic minorities. “The two markets are only open on Sundays so we schedule the departure time on Saturday so visitors can enjoy the two colorful markets,” he said.

In the afternoon, guests go to Lung Cu, the northernmost region of the country, around 30 kilometers from Dong Van. Many adventurous activities will take place there. They can try their best to climb the Rong Mountain, or walk in H’mong people’s villages to learn about the daily life and terraced fields found there.

Unlike famous attractions such as Sapa or Bac Ha, where foreigners see many other foreign tourists, or the ethnic people speak English while selling their gifts and souvenirs, in these rarely visited areas the ethnic people just carry on with their daily activities.

With fewer services and fewer comforts for tourists, the visitors nonetheless have a chance to experience the lives of these homey people and learn about their methods of survival in remote areas in the country.

After three days exploring the area, tourists can relax in the entertainment area of Tuan Chau resort in Ha Long City.

Tour costs range fromVND5.7 to VND6.3mil per tourist.

For more information, contact The He Tre Travel at 209 A Hoang Van Thu Street, Phu Nhuan District, HCMC. Tel: 08 997 1238, Email: thehetre@hcm.fpt.vn.

Source: SGT