Trekking Mai Chau To Pu Luong National Reserve 4 Days

 

With its eclectic blend of cultures and beautiful landscapes, there is no better way to explore the Mai Chau Valley than a village to village walking journey. This Vietnam tour takes you through the heart of the Hoa Binh Province and Mai Chau Valley and includes unique homestays with the local hilltribe people.
Leave the cityscape behind as you drive from Hanoi to Mai Chau for the start of your Vietnam tour. You'll be greeted by a local family, your hosts for the evening's homestay, and take a short walk around the village.
Moving further into the Mai Chau Valley, the next day of trekking on this Vietnam tour takes you to Nameo Village and then through terraced rice fields and lush forests to Buoc Village for another homestay with the Thai people. Along the way you will have ample opportunities to soak in the stunning views of the rugged outcroppings and surroundings with a relaxing boat trip on the Sa River.
Hike quiet paths to the Xalinh village on your final day in the Mai Chau Valley. Home to the Hmong people, you will pass low wooden houses, meet with friendly locals and encounter elders dressed in traditional costumes. If you happen to be there on a Sunday, the morning market is a kaleidoscope of colors as people from around the valley convene to buy and sell their wares.
For this Vietnam tour we offer two options of accommodation. You can choose to stay in homestays each night or alternate between a two nights at Mai Chau Lodge with a village stay. The Lodge offers the modern amenities and rugged luxury of a mountain retreat without compromising the beauty of its natural surroundings.  
Our teams have sought out the best walking trails through Mai Chau's most scenic areas, resulting in an immersive cultural experience that is easy enough for everyone to enjoy. Join us on this Village to Village Walking Tour through Mai Chau and discover the rugged beauty and timeless traditions of Northern Vietnam.

Set off after breakfast this morning for a four hour drive to Mai Chau. The drive takes you through beautiful Hoa Binh Province, located in the mountainous area southeast of Hanoi; the scenery is dotted with limestone karsts. Thai, Muong and Dao people live in the area and you’ll pass several small villages along the way.
  
Descend the last 14km along a steep mountain road into the stunning valley of Mai Chau where a hot lunch will be served by your trekking cook in one of the small villages. Your homestay this evening is in this quaint village and is a great way to experience the cultures and traditions of the Thai people. 

After lunch and some time to relax, take a short 1-2 hour walk around the village and the valley. Depending on the day of the week, visit Mai Chau Market and Van Village.  Overnight homestay in a Thai village. 

Walking around the village: 1-2hr
Difficulty: Easy
Transfer: 4hr

After breakfast, we drive 22km further into the reserve where we begin our trekking tour. We trek for approximately 3 hrs before arriving at Hang Village, which is home to Thai ethnic minority. We spend the night with a local Thai family who will be our hosts in a traditional house built on stilts. We can stroll around the village to observe daily life activities of the locals before dinner. Overnight homestay in a Thai village.

Trekking: 3hr
Difficulty: Easy
Transfer: 4hr

If you can get up early in the morning, you can take part in the local life activities, or take a stroll around Hang village before having breakfast. Today is a harder day of hiking, 50% on village paths 50% on an old disused unpaved French road. There are some steep climbs and yet more stream crossings. The trekking becomes more remote but one is never far from a villager tending fields or walking back from early morning market. Relax from the heat of the day in a local home at a village while lunch is cooked before continuing on along the old jeep road to a village nestled between steep karts mountains. Arrive early with spare energy to hike a two hour round trip to a newly discovered and incredibly large cave, hidden on high ground surrounded by thickets and hanging vegetation. It is now protected by the Forest rangers, due to the delicate ecosystem and bat species inside. Overnight homestay in a village. 

Trekking: 6hr
Difficulty: Hard

Wake up early to the sound of chickens and ducks and children preparing for school. Take an early morning walk through the village to experience morning life in a farming community. We trek toward Ma River. The trek is quite gentle since we descend a wide-open valley. After 2 hrs trek we will reach Pho Doan Town. If this falls into Sunday, you may want to visit the busy Pho Doan market. Followed by trekking to Ma River, we will see nice view of river, paddies and water wheel on the way. We will be picked up and transferred to Hanoi. Arriving back in Hanoi around late afternoon.
 
Trekking: 3-3 ½ hr
Difficulty: Medium
Transfer: 4hrs

NOTE: An itinerary may at times be altered by our guides due to local conditions, the skill of participants and other unexpected circumstances. Our priority is always the experience and safety of our clients.

1. HOW DO I BOOK AND PAY FOR A TOUR?
Amity Smile Travel can be booked online by click on the ‘book this tour’ button on the tour that you want to book. Besides, you can let us know by contacting us via email or the phone and from there you will be in direct correspondence with one of our travel consultant who will help you step by step. 
Our email: booking@amitysmiletravel.com
Our hotline: +84982 45 2222
Payment for a tour is done via bank transfer or by credit card at Paypal or payment by Western Union.

2. CAN I POSTPONE OR CANCEL  MY TRIP? 
All purchases are final and you will need to agree with our term & conditions before confirming your order. In some cases, your booking will be cancelled or postponed for a future day.  However, if you need to cancel within 14 days we may state in our conditions that we will charge cancellation fees. 

3. IF I PURCHASE A PACKAGES, CAN I TRAVEL IN REVERSE DIRECTION?
Yes, our packages are made up on individual travel vouchers, which can be use in any order.  You may want to travel our intineraries in reverse or you may want to complete your package over a number of short trip. 
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4. DO YOU OFFER LONGER OR MORE CUSTOMIZE TOUR? 
Yes, you can ask for longer or customize with any tours. If you have any request or questions please do not hesitate to contact us via email address: info@amitysmiletravel.com, our travel experts will help you decides which is best itinerary for you.

5. I HAVE SPECIAL DIETARY REQUIREMENTS – WILL THEY BE CATERED FOR?
We will try our best to accommodate all dietary requirements but in some out-of-the-way places it can be very difficult to guarantee. We will let you know if there are places on your itinerary where this is the case. Please let us know at the time of booking of any food requirements or allergies and we will pass the information onto your leader. It is also a great idea to bring a card with your dietary requirements written in local language for those time you are eating away from the group.

6. WHAT IS THE CURRENCY IN MY DESTINATION?
It is a good idea to travel with a credit card and ATM card. In Vietnam, the US Dollars and Euros are more widely accepted than other currencies (off course, out of VN Dong). However, in some cases, at some hotels they can accept your local currency but not very much. 

7.  WHAT STANDARD OF ACCOMMODATION SHOULD I EXPECT? 
The standard of accommodation depends on trip style you have choosen. Find out more

8. WHAT DO I DO IF I NEED HELP WITH MY BOOKING?
If you need any help with your booking please let us know by contacting us as soon as possible at anytime  via:
Email address: booking@amitysmiletravel.com
Or, hotline: +84 982 45 2222. 
We will make our hardest  to help you with the most comfortable and enjoyable trip.
 
9. WHAT IS AN EXTRA COST?
An extra cost is something you will pay direct to the tour or hotel upon arrival. Or, something is mentioned in NOT INCLUDED.  Most of Amity Smile trips are “All Clusive” meaning no extra fees will need to be paid. 

10. HOW DO I KNOW  MY RESERVATION IS CONFIRMED?
After you make an online booking, we will follow up with you to confirm availability and confirm the booking.  Your reservation is not confirmed until receive this follow up email or fax. 

11. CAN I MAKE CHANGES TO THE ITINERARY  OF MY GROUP TRIP, EITHER BEFORE OR DURING THE TRIP?
Please make sure that you are happy with your group trip itinerary before booking because we are unable to change them for individual travelers. However, if you and a group of friends, colleagues,…would like your own personally designed itinerary, get in touch with our travel consultants, they can tailor an itinerary just for you.

12.IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ON TOUR, WHO WILL I CONTACT?
When on tour, your tour guide is the first person of contact. We have our own hotline,  so emergency assistance is available 24hours per day. Please see the office contact details listed on your itinerary or on your voucher. 

13. I AM NOT READY TO BOOK RIGHT NOW,  WHAT SHOULD I DO?
For flights, you can make a booking and then we can hold the booking for a limited period of time until you are ready to purchase and issue the ticket. When you make a booking, we will inform you of the amount of time until the ticket must be issued since this time frame varies by airline.
For hotels, in order to make a booking and hold a room, you must confirm and pay immediately. Unfortunately, we cannot hold a hotel booking for you without payment.
For tours, as tours are related to hotels booking. We will need you 30% for Deposit. This amount is to cover our costs if you cancel the tour. Almost is for cancellation charges of hotels/resorts.
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TOUR PRICE: Available upon Request 
Rates vary frequently. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs.

THE TRIP INCLUSIONS:
- Vehicles: (varies based on local conditions and vehicle sizes available)
- English Speaking certified Adventure Guide
- Plenty of water per person per trekking day
- Snacks and local fruits
- Additional assistant guide for 16+ pax
- 1 first aid kit per guide
- Sightseeing tickets and zone entrance fees where mentioned in the itinerary
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)
- Accommodation as listed above.
- Flight reconfirmations

THE TRIP EXCLUSIONS:
- Visa arrangement
- International and domestic flights.
- Soft drinks, or beverages beyond water – we can add this into costs at agents request
- Beverage and alcoholic drinks at mealtimes
- Meals other than mentioned above
- Tips
- Energy drinks or powders, performance bars, or performance gels (Gatorade, Powerbars, Gu, Isostar, etc)
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Personal expenditure (laundry, telephone etc.)
- Credit card/bank transfer fees
- Any other services not clearly mentioned in the itinerary and in the inclusive portion
- Supplement for other language speaking guides
 
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- We strongly recommend the purchase of travel insurance (covering emergency medical evacuation) for trips.
- Prices are valid 30 days from date of offer. Past this date price and conditions may be readjusted.
- The cost of air tickets is subject to change without prior notice by the airlines.
- Reservations during peak times (Christmas, New Year, Vietnamese Lunar New Year, National Holidays) may be subject to supplementary charges.
- Rooms at hotels are available only from 1400 on arrival day till 1200 on departure date. A supplement will be added if early check-in or late check-out is desired.
- Please note that all the above services & tours have yet to be booked, they are proposed for your information only and we will not make any reservations before we receive your confirmation to do so.
- If one or some proposed service(s) is (are) not available at the moment of booking, we will try to find other possibilities/options or other similar service(s) in order to avoid changes to the program.

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