Superior
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Destination
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Trip duration
5 days, 4 nights
Most first-time visitors to Vietnam miss out on the rugged north-east of the country as it requires much time, effort and adventure to explore this remote area. This mountainous region lies off-the-beaten-track, however, the effort comes well rewarded with breath-taking landscapes and rich culture. This immersive five-day tour introduces us to the highlights, taking us through stunning scenery that is sprinkled with hill tribe communities. We start the tour with our first night in a homestay in a hidden mountainous village.
Day 1
Hanoi – Ba Be
After pick-up at the hotel, we set off on a six-to-seven hour scenic drive to Bac Kan province (200 km). We stop at Thai Nguyen to visit the fascinating Ethnology Museum which provides an informative introduction to the 54 ethnic groups that reside in Vietnam. We get an overview into the area and the hill tribes we will meet during this cultural trip. Lunch is at a local restaurant before we continue on our journey to Ba Be National Park. The park was established in 1992 and is home to limestone mountains that tower to 1,554 metres, deep valleys and evergreen forests that hide cascading waterfalls, winding rivers, caves and expansive lakes. We take a boat trip across Ba Be Lake, passing legendary Widow’s Island and Fairy Pond. We then arrive at our overnight accommodation, a homestay in the Tay village of Pac Ngoi, for dinner.
Food
-/L/D
Day 2
Ba Be – Cao Bang – Ban Gioc
After breakfast, we bid a fond farewell to our host family before setting off on the next leg of our journey. We drive along shade-dappled roads that wind through Ba Be National Park’s thick forests. On the way to Ban Gioc we stop at a Tay ethnic village in Trung Khanh where we are treated to more hill tribe hospitality with lunch at a local house. We then spend the afternoon exploring impressive Nguom Ngao Cave which is hidden deep inside a limestone karst mountain. The cave system was formed by an underground river and extends for several kilometres. We then refresh at Ban Gioc Waterfall which is fed by the Quay Son River before heading to the nearby town for dinner and our overnight accommodation.
Food
B/L/D
Day 3
Ban Gioc – Dong Khe – Bac Son
Wake up early for a refreshing dawn stroll to admire the spectacular waterfalls as the sun rises for the day. After breakfast, we depart for Cao Bang. On the way, we stop at a Nung ethnic minority artisan village that produces incense sticks and paper and is home to skilled blacksmiths. Their traditional techniques have been passed down through generations and their signature products can be found in Cao Bang’s markets. We have lunch en route before stopping at Dong Khe to view a historical relic that pays tribute to victims of the Indochina Wars. We continue to Bac Son Valley and visit some handicraft villages. In the afternoon, we explore our sublime surroundings by bicycle or a short trek and learn about traditional farming and tobacco planting and drying. We also take a gentle one-hour uphill hike to enjoy stunning panoramas of Bac Son Valley. Dinner is at our overnight accommodation at a local house.
Food
B/L/D
Day 4
Bac Son – Ha Long Bay (200km, 5 Hours)
After a simple breakfast, we hit the road for an early 7.30 am departure to ensure we arrive at Ha Long Bay for noon. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to thousands of dramatic limestone karsts that jut out of the ocean. We board the boat and set off on our unforgettable exploration of this fascinating natural phenomenon. Unlike Camille and Jean-Bapstite in the famous movie Indochine, we enjoy a lavish seafood meal and take part in a variety of activities, including swimming and kayaking among the ancient rock formations and visiting caves that date back millions of years. In the late afternoon, we can kick back and relax on the sun deck, soak up the sublime surroundings, enjoy a sundowner cocktail during happy hour and learn how to cook like a local with a cooking demonstration. Dinner and overnight on boat.
Food
B/L/D
Day 5
Ha Long – Hanoi
Early-risers can wake at dawn to enjoy sunrise and a Tai Chi session on the sundeck as we set sail for our return journey through Halong Bay. A hearty brunch is enjoyed on the boat as we pass by more of the bay’s intriguing rock formations and dramatic limestone islets that have been created during millions of years of weather conditions and strong waves. There is a range of activities for you to enjoy, including fishing and informative talks from the crew about the sites we sail by. Alternatively, kick back on the deck and soak up the seascapes. We arrive at the pier by late morning and disembark to drive back to Hanoi (about 2.5 hours). We will then check-in to your overnight accommodation (Hotel in Hanoi is charged to your own account), with the rest of the afternoon free to explore the bustling capital city at your leisure.
Cao Bang
Saigon Ban Gioc Hotel
Ha Long
Indochina Sails Premium
Superior
Create the experience of your dream with our travel experts
Make your own trailIncluded
- Tours and transfers with licenced English-speaking guiding services/ assistance. Other languages are on request and are subject to availability;
- Accommodation in sharing twin/ double;
- Transportation for tour and transfers by air-conditioned vehicle, unless otherwise stated;
- All entrance fees for visits as mentioned in the program;
- All applicable taxes and service charges;
- All meals as indicated in the program (food only);
- Package 2D/1N on sharing cruise in Ha Long Bay (kayaking is excluding); Asian Trails Guide not on board with the clients.
Not Included
- Voluntary Carbon Offset Compensation: USD1.50 per person per day;
- Personal expenses such as other meals, drinks, tips and gratuities, shopping, portage fees and optional tours/ visits, unless otherwise stated;
- Hotel accommodation in the destination of commencement;
- Any domestic / international airline tickets, airport taxes, visa fees, specific camera / video fees, additional transportation cost from and to the general pick-up / drop-off regions (such as airports, out-of-town resorts, ports, harbours and accommodation in surrounding towns);
- Any accommodation expenses of a personal nature. This includes (compulsory festive) meals and drinks, mini-bar consumption, laundry, room service, any telephone or other communication cost not mentioned in the program;
- International travel and medical insurance coverage for customers;
- Vietnamese visa approval letter and Visa stamping fee;
- Asian Trails reserves the right to charge a supplement to all guests if Tourism Authorities eventually decide to increase the fees applied to cruises in Ha Long Bay (e.g. USD 21/person on the 2D/1N cruise program)
Payment and Cancellations
- Full payment is due 30 days prior to departure. We reserve the right to release all services in case of payment default.
- Intermediate bank charges and fees are the responsibility of the client.
- Cancellation policy: In case of cancellation, the following cancellation fees will apply:
• Between 30-15 days prior to departure - 25% of total price
• Between 14-7 days prior to departure - 50% of total price
• Less than 7 days prior to departure – 100% of total price
You are booking
5 Days Gems of the Northeast
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Destination
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Trip duration
5 days, 4 nights
About your trip
RESERVATIONS
All tours and services can be booked directly with our office in China
A TRAILS CHINA / DAOCHENG
Beijing Office
Suite 810, SunFlower Tower
#37 Maizidian Street Chaoyang District, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100022, P.R. China
Tel: (86-10) 6515 9259
Fax: (86-10) 6515 9293
Email: info@atrails.cn
CONFIRMATIONS
All reservations are confirmed by return with the up-dated booking status within 2 working days. Due to occasional delays in communication with more remote destinations, it may take a few days longer to get confirmation.
RATES AND AVAILABILITY
All rates are quoted in RMB and are subject to change without prior notice. Inclusions and exclusions in the tour packages are indicated at the end of each itinerary. Commonly our package tour rates include accommodation, transfers, certain meals, and other tour related services. Domestic or international airfares are included where mentioned. Our tour itineraries do not include visa fees and expenses of a personal nature. The validity of our rates is November 01, 2018, until October 31, 2019, unless otherwise specified.
SERVICES
Local English speaking guides are accompanying tours and transfers in each destination. German, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian and Chinese speaking guides are available on request in major cities and subject to confirmation.
DELIVERY FEES
A delivery fee will be charged according to the distance traveled, if any train tickets are required to be delivered to clients’ hotel.
PAYMENT
Full pre-payment by bank transfer is required 30 days before the commencement of services.
Our bank account details are:
Bank Name: Bank of China Beijing JianGuoMen Wai Sub-Branch
开 户 行：中国银行北京建国门外支行
Account Name：ATC TRAVEL SERVICES (BEIJING) LTD.
账 户 名：北京道成国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3259 6908 9747
账 号：3259 6908 9747
Swiftcode : BKCH CN BJ 110
For itineraries operated outside China
Account Name：BEIJING GLORY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE CO, LTD.
账 户 名：北京千乘假期国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
账号：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
Bank Name: Industrial Bank Co., Ltd Sanyuanqiao Sub-Branch
开 户 行：兴业银行三元桥支行
CHILD POLICY
For children aged between 2 and 11 years following rates will apply:
- Child in shared adults’ room with extra bed will pay 80% of the total package price
A maximum of two children per party is granted such a discount. Besides this general policy, specific conditions may apply case by case.
CANCELLATIONS
For cancellation of confirmed reservations, following general cancellation charges apply :
- Between 30 and 15 days prior to arrival : 20% of the total amount
- Between 15 and 7 days prior to arrival : 50% of the total amount
- Less than 7 days prior to arrival : 100% of the total amount.
Special conditions apply for cruises, beach resorts as well as for some of the boutique and landmark hotels. Expeditions and specific products may have different conditions.
Domestic and international air tickets are non-refundable once issued. You are obliged to pay full airfare (inclusive of any tax and fuel surcharge) of any cancelled tickets based on the contract rate.
PROGRAM CHANGES
We reserve the right to re-arrange the order of any tour program, to cancel or substitute elements of any tour itinerary without notice, when local conditions require such changes. All itineraries depending on domestic flight confirmations are subject to changes.
Any increase in taxes or fuel surcharges imposed by the authorities will be advised as soon as we are informed of them, and they will be added to the invoice.
Flight and train details mentioned in our itineraries are for indicative purposes only.
CONFIDENTIALITY
This agreement, its contents and all related documentation sent over to the customer/tour operator are strictly confidential and must not be disclosed to any third parties.
COMPLAINTS AND IRREGULARITIES
We consider complaints as valuable feedback to improve service delivery levels. We request that service delivery failures or customer concerns, be reported during the customer’s stay, to one of our representatives. It is the aim of the company to solve any irregularity on the spot. The company reserves the right to refuse to take action on perceived irregularities submitted to the company 14 days after the customer returns back home.
FORCE MAJEURE
During the term of this agreement, neither party shall be in default of its obligations to the extent that its performance is delayed or prevented by causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to, acts of God, natural disasters, bankruptcy of a vendor, strikes and other labor disturbances, acts of war, or civil disturbances, or other equivalent or comparable events.
INDEMNITY
The client agrees to indemnify and to save A Trails – Daocheng from harm and against all damage or injury (including death) to property or person(s) resulting from intentional or negligent acts or omissions from their respective officers, employees, agents, contractor or subcontractor in connection with the performance of this agreement.
LEGAL NOTE
This agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of China (and/or applicable in relation to the country it is legally represented) for the time being in force and the parties agree to submit any dispute arising between the parties under this agreement to arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the respectable Arbitration Institute, Office of the Judiciary applicable at the time of submission of the dispute to arbitration and the conduct of the arbitration thereof shall be under the auspices of the specific Arbitration Institute accordingly.
IMAGES
Images displayed on the website have a promotional intent only and are not necessarily reflecting the actual destinations and service conditions. These may belong to ATrails staff, customers, photographers we are collaborating with or retrieved from websites such as Pexel, Pixabay, Unsplash or Originoo. While trying to be the most accurate as possible, is agreed that those images do not necessarily depict the actual services promoted.
LIABILITY
We act as an intermediary between the concerned airlines, hotels, all transport operators and local tourist offices providing the services. The Company is therefore not responsible for any loss, injury or damage sustained by the tourists, including those occurring outside the touring programs. Additional expenses incurred due to delay, accidents, natural and disaster, political actions and unrest must be borne by the tourists. Programs and prices, services and conditions are based on those valid at the time of printing and are therefore subject to change without advance notice before or during the tour. Acknowledgment and confirmation of the above-mentioned conditions is active, once clients participate in one of the provided services via us. The itinerary of the excursion, package and/or tour cannot be altered or changed without prior permission from us. We cannot be held liable if you amend the excursion and its content in your brochures or give wrong descriptions to clients that are travelling.
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING AUTONOMOUS REGIONS IN CHINA
The Company is not responsible for any last-minute closure of specific regions or tourism sites caused by decisions taken by local or national authorities to restrict access hereto. We will provide alternative itineraries where necessary and reduce cancellation fees to a minimum, however, such imposed closures are beyond our control and constitute a case of force majeure.
The areas concerned include but are not restricted to : The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, minority regions in Qinghai and Gansu provinces.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
Travel breaks down borders and brings people together: The nearly 900 million people who travel every year make the sector one of the biggest in the world, a major employer and a key element in the global economy. But this has its downside, too: increasing pollutant emissions from the tourist traffic, loss of coastlines and other landscapes through excessive building development and sexual exploitation of children are just some of the negative consequences of the growth in global tourist travel. In order to minimize the negative impacts and enhance the positive ones, our Corporate Responsibility Strategy focuses on four prime issues:
- We increase efforts to ensure that children and adolescents in tourist areas are protected against sexual exploitation, one of the worst forms of abuse of young people today.
- We promote fair working conditions and sensibly service provider partners to social and environmental concerns.
- The supply and saving of clean water is a further key issue.
- We develop our own projects to meet the growing threat posed by climate change. Indeed, helping counter the adverse effects of global warming is one of the biggest challenges faced by the world tourist.