Mai Chau Valley Walk + Home Stay (3 days / 2 nights)
Hanoi – Mai Chau Valley – Village Home stays - Mai Chau Markets
Highlights
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Easy two day trek through lush Mai Chau valley
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Home stays with Thai families
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Picturesque villages
Overview
This North Vietnam adventure is ideal for families and travellers who are looking for an easy trek combined with home stays in local villages. From Hanoi, travel 135km to Mai Chau, a mountainous area inhabited by Thai and H’mong ethnic communities. Here you trek for two days through peaceful villages and verdant landscape learning about the culture and traditions still practiced by the valley’s inhabitants. From the mountainous region of Mai Chau, travel back to Vietnam's capital Hanoi refreshed and recharged.
Itinerary at a glance
| Day 1 | Hanoi to Xo Village Meals: Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Home stay |
| Day 2 | Xo Village to Ban Village |
| Day 3 | Van Village to Van Mai Village, return to Hanoi |
Prices
Private tour |
$AUD price per person |
3 to 4 people |
255 |
2 people |
310 |
1 person |
525 |
Validity |
31 December 2010 |
Prices are in Australian dollars based upon the number of people travelling together. Price is land content only + subject to currency fluctuations. Credit Card payments incur an additional 3% surcharge. See Booking Conditions for more details. Prices beyond the validity available on request. Call 1300 43 10 69 or email us for a booking form.
Includes
- Village home stays + permission
- Return transfers between Hanoi + Mai Chau
- English speaking guide for trekking
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary
- One bottle of water per day for trekking
- Entrance + sightseeing fees
- Donation for teaching materials to hill tribe school
Excludes
- Airfares and departure taxes
- Travel insurance
- Visa, passport or vaccination costs
- Other meals not specified in the itinerary
- Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone calls, bar charges, tips, optional activities
Trip grade
EASY:
Soft adventures enjoyed by just about anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. Walks are generally on good tracks and rarely exceed five hours in a day. Ideal for families.
Trip notes
Home stays
There is no better way to immerse in local culture than experiencing a village home stay. Not only is this a wonderful cultural exchange, it offers the visitor great respect for how people live without all the comforts and appliances of the West. By staying with a family we ensure that the economic benefits of our travel filter down to the villages and families that most need it. Home stays in villages are simple in terms of bedding and amenities. You sleep in a dormitory style room and are provided with a mattress, clean sheet and pillow. Amenities are shared with the host family. Toilets are usually western-style, hot water is not available for showers.
Food
A local cook accompanies your trekking tour. All meals, indicated in the detailed itinerary, are included in the price. When you are trekking, the emphasis is on healthy and nutritious fresh local produce, for example; Vietnamese spring rolls, eggs, chicken and pork, rice and noodles. Please advise us if you have any special dietary requirements.
Local guides
English speaking guides support your sightseeing and trekking activities. These guides love their job and are on hand to ensure you have a great trip. They have extensive experience in guiding outdoor tours in Vietnam and have internationally recognized first aid qualifications. If you feel your guide and support crew provided you with excellent service, a tip at the end of the tour would be truly appreciated… a little bit goes a long way in Vietnam.
The trekking day
A typical trekking day starts at around 8.30am. We aim to reach the next overnight stop between 4.30pm and 5.00pm – because of the easy terrain travelled on this trip; we may get to our destination a little earlier. During the trek you have short breaks for rests, snacks and there’s plenty of opportunity for photographs.
What to bring
Pack lightly for the trek, no more than 10kg as you carry your own pack. Remember, you are only going for two nights! For an extra cost, we can arrange your luggage to be transported ahead to the village home stay. Use your day pack and travel wallet to carry your personal items and important documents. We recommend using a sturdy day pack with good back support and a waterproof cover.
Your luggage should include: trekking boots or walking shoes, thongs or comfortable slip-on shoes for night time, light weight long pants & shorts, shirt & t-shirt, warm clothes for at night, raincoat, hat, sunglasses, sun block, insect repellent, flashlight, essential toiletries, water bottle, camera, spare batteries, pen & paper, original passport, barley sugar/lollies for sustenance, zip lock bags, toilet paper and personal medication. (Optional: light weight sleeping bag.)
Equipment provided
Silk inner sheet, first-aid kit, walking pole and gaiters (on request).
Note on client safety
We reserve the right to deviate from this itinerary for any reason, including road and weather conditions, frequency of visits to a village or for any other factor that may impact client safety.
Your group + share accommodation
Prices are based upon dormitoray home stay accommodation. A single traveller pays the single supplement price for a private tour.Tipping guidelines
It is customary to express a personal thank you to your guide and driver at the end of your trip, especially if he or she has provided you with excellent service. As a guideline only, we suggest tipping around AUD$4-$5 per day for the guide and AUD$2-$3 per day for the driver. You can pay this in local currency or US dollars. Of course whether you tip and how much is always at your discretion.
Vietnam visa
Most visitors to Vietnam need a visa to enter the country. Inner Journey Expeditions offers a Vietnam visa on arrival service where you obtain an entry visa stamp on arrival at HCMC, Hanoi or Danang International Airports. We arrange a Vietnam visa authority letter which you present with a valid passport, passport photo and your visa stamp fee to the Visa Landing Counter. This service is inexpensive, easy to arrange, only takes four working days and is all done on email - no need to mail your passport.
For more details, CLICK HERE.
Climate
Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta in the South are hot all year round with average day time temperatures at 30 degrees Celsius. The hottest period is from March to May with average temperatures of 35 degree Celsius. The wet season runs from May to November where it down pours for an hour or so in the afternoon. Hanoi and Northern Vietnam experience four seasons. Summer from May to October can be hot and wet with regular downpours and occasional typhoons. July to August is the hottest months with temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius. Winter runs from November to April with cold and humid conditions. December and January can be particularly cold with temperatures ranging between 10 – 20 degrees Celsius.
Health issues
Good medical advice usually recommends vaccinations in advance of travel to Vietnam. We suggest you consult with your doctor to discuss health care needs specific to your holiday.
Insurance
You must have comprehensive travel insurance to travel with us. Insurance should include cover for personal accident and medical expenses, evacuation and repatriation, baggage loss and cancellation or curtailment of your holiday. Your trip notes + vouchers will not be issued until you confirm possession of appropriate insurance. Better be safe than sorry!
Pre + post tour arrangements
We can arrange additional hotel nights at the beginning or the end of your tour or if you are interested in doing additional touring we can organise a private tour to cater to your interests and time frame. Check out the IJE website for more details.
Handy travel tips + traveling responsibly
For more information on how you can participate in sustainable tourism go to Handy Travel Tips. To help plan your trip go to Vietnam Visa + Travel Guide.
What next
To reserve a place on this trip, contact us now and we will send you a booking form. To guarantee your booking you must email the first section of the booking form to us and pay your non-refundable deposit of 30% of total tour cost. The balance of payment is due 50 days prior to departure. Once your booking is confirmed and you have paid in full, you will receive your tour voucher and detailed itinerary for this tour.Book now
> CLICK HERE + request a booking form
> Get in touch with us via EMAIL
> Live in Australia call 1300 43 10 69
> Find out more about our other trips at www.IJE.com.au
> About Inner Journey Expeditions
