Trek to remote markets to experience the Hmong tribal culture. 
Bath in the herbal baths close to the Chinese border.  Capture the magic of Vietnam and Laos!

Northern Vietnam and Hoi An

Travel with us to the remote regions of the North close to the Chinese border. Capture the unique and remote hill tribe cultures. Markets by motorcycle, small villages, herbal baths  - we go off the beaten path to be a part of the true Vietnam culture. Then on to Hoi An, the foodies’ paradise! Cycling Hoi An is an experienced you don’t want to miss. Soak up the French fusion cuisine, after spending a day with a basket fisherman on the South China Sea, and learn to make the best fresh spring rolls of your life! Then off to Laos where
you can ride elephants in crystal blue waterfalls and paddle down the mighty Mekong. 

Our featured NGO

Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, rescues street children, child labour victims and any other child in need, living in Hanoi and all over the country. At Blue Dragon today, they provide all the services a child could need tailored to the individual needs of each child: education, nutrition, health care, counselling, physical and creative activities, rescue, legal advocacy and safe shelter led by their team of social workers, psychologists, teachers and lawyers. The children and Blue Dragon have a deep commitment to improving their lives. We have worked with the Blue Dragon kids over the years, many times and in fact one of their alumni kids was our guide, Yen! We will visit and offer a photo workshop.

November 2-12 , 2016 (VietnaM)
NOVEMBER 2-14, 2016 (VIETNAM & LAOS)

Cost – $3700 usd (Vietnam) $4500 (Vietnam and Laos)
Guests – 6-10
Arrival airport – Hanoi

Quick Pack list

camera equipment, layered clothing, warm outerwear, rain jacket, bathing suit, school supplies for children, small art supplies.

Recommended Reading

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures 
 

Travel level

Comfortable, some strenuous hiking, walking, motorcycling with driver (optional). Accommodations ranging from luxurious boutique hotels to basic homestays. All have full western bathroom facilities. 

ITINERARY

Arrival Day. Hanoi Airport

Accommodations: The Cinnamon Hotel

Day 1
Arrival Day! Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam!

Day 2
Up early to capture the magic around Hoan Kiem Lake. Welcome class, meet the team and then a stroll  around Hanoi's Old Quarter, and in the afternoon, a bike ride around the West Lake, visiting pagodas and temples along the way! In the afternoon, we visit our friends and conduct an art workshop with rescued children of the Blue Dragon Foundation. In the evening we have a Photo Class to get you ready for the stunning visuals to come!

Day 3
We bicycle through pre dawn Hanoi to get to the famous Long Bien market night market where not many tourists go. Real Vietnam at its best!  We ride back by the Red River and visit with an NGO working
with people who live in boats made of rubbish. After our Photo Class we kick off our foodie adventure with a Hanoi Street Food Tour. It's unbelievably delicious!

Day 4
We say goodbye to Hanoi and head straight up to North Vietnam's Final Frontier! The breathtaking, Ha Giang District! Rugged and remote, untouched and authentic, this area boasts the most diverse tribal markets and village life in the country. Away from the tourists, we head to Pan Hou Village Eco lodge for the evening and have a Chinese Herbal bath before cocktail Photo Class on the terrace overlooking
the rice paddies and buckwheat fields. 

Day 5
We'll hike the area around the lodge, visit villages and then head to Quan Ba, even closer to the Chinese border. This is home to the Dao and Tay people who are the friendliest, most welcoming folks in the world. We stay at a homestay, helping to cook meals, do daily chores and experience local life. 
Accommodations:  Nam Dam Homestay

Day 6
We photograph one of the largest and most diverse tribal markets in Quan Ba before breakfast - Dao, Tay, Hmong and Hoa all gather here. We have our Photo Class at our homestay before getting back on the road. Just when you thought you'd been off the beaten track, we take you further! Through Heaven's Gate and to the Dong Van Rocky Plateau. Through the Ma Pi Lan pass, we travel in the clouds to our authentic
Mountain Lodge in Meo Vac. 
Accommodations:  Auberge de Meo Vac

Day 7
One on one photo classes with Nance as the mist clears over the mountains around this amazing lodge. We will visit small Hmong and Hoa villages and markets by foot or motorcycle in the morning and have the afternoon to enjoy the village life or visit a local school for a giving back project. 
Accommodations:  Auberge de Meo Vac

Day 8
Making our way back through the mountains we pass through the Buckwheat fields in bloom, through Tay villages and rice paddies back to our hotel outside Ha Giang City. 
Evening Photo Class.
Accommodations:  Truong Xuan Resort

Day 9
We hop back in the van for the four hour ride back to Hanoi and head straight to the airport for our trip to Hoi An! Flights to Da Nang Airport, short transfer to Hoi An
Accommodations: Sun Boat Hotel

Day 10
We cycle, then stroll through the dawn fish market, exploring the stalls and get an introduction into the diverse cuisine of Hoi An with our guide, Pete. After Breakfast Class, we head out to a local NGO Streets Hoi An, where Street children are being trained in the restaurant business,
followed by a sunset bike ride through the rice paddies. 

Day 11
At dawn we head to An Bang Beach to photograph the basket fishermen as they head out to get their daily catch, followed by a yoga class on the beach. In the afternoon we visit Hoi An's Tea Houses with our guide, Pete's Mum!  Then, for dinner, we hop into a riverboat to enjoy a cooking class with one of Hoi An's top chefs. On board we will dine on what we've created and have a final critique and show of all your photos! 
 
Day 12
Morning to swim, relax, shop and pack. Afternoon flights back to the stunning LAOS (or home)!

TWO DAY ADD-ON TRIP TO LAOS. We fly to charming, colonial Luang Prabang in the north. Our days are spent swimming with elephants in aqua colored waterfalls, taking a dug out down the northern MeKong River to see small villages. We stay two nights along the river in a sleepy Inn and
soak up the slow pace of life in luxury, in Laos! You've earned it. 
Accommodations: The Mekong Riverview Hotel

Featured Hotel

Welcome to the Mekong Riverview Hotel on the banks of the mighty Mekong in Luang Prabang, Laos! 

WHAT OUR TRAVELLERS SAID