Sustainable Essence Of Vietnam – 14 Days

Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport, after clearing all customs procedures, please proceed to the exit gate and meet our driver, who will be waiting in the lobby, holding the signboard with your name on it. If you cannot locate your driver, please go to the Airport information counter in the middle of the Domestic and International arrival lobby (inside the terminal) and call the emergency numbers provided in the confirmation voucher for assistance. Your driver will come to meet you up and transfer you to your hotel in the Old Quarter.

Overnight in Hanoi

After breakfast at the hotel, you will meet with the local coordinator, who will give you a briefing on the tour program and introduce the volunteering activities, in which you will participate.  

Then meet your guide, who will take you through the charming sites of Hanoi. This city is famous for its ochre-colored colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards, and scenic lakes. Stop at the old coffee shop in the Old Quarter to sip delicious Vietnamese coffee and listen to the guide’s stories about the daily life of Hanoians. Head to the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, an imposing monument of marble and granite built to house the preserved body of beloved revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, affectionately known to the Vietnamese as “Uncle Ho”. Explore the square and the mausoleum building from the outside and see the One Pillar Pagoda. It is a Buddhist temple built in 1049 of wood in the shape of a lotus blossom and set on a single stone pillar, considered by many to be one of Vietnam’s most iconic pagodas. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s House nearby, a simple wooden house in a tranquil setting where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked. Some of his belongings are on display, and visitors can walk up the steps to see his bedroom. 

Continue sightseeing by visiting the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university, built in the late 11th century. This picturesque temple is an example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture and is featured on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese dong banknote. Then we will take you back to your hotel. The rest of the time is free for leisure.

Overnight in Hanoi

Notes:

Suggested departure time: 13:30

Tour duration: 3.5 hours

After breakfast check out the hotel and get ready for the transfer. We will drive you to Chien Village in Tan Lac. This place is famed for its splendid vistas of mountains and valleys surrounded by lush landscapes and stilt houses, inhabited mainly by the White Thai ethnic group. On arrival, check in at the local homestay and enjoy a traditional home-cooked lunch.

In the afternoon, we will head to a 2hr trekking tour through the beautiful valley of Chien village. Your guide will facilitate chats with local hill tribe people to learn about their daily lives including planting rice, herding buffalos, and building traditional houses.

Overnight in Tan Lac

Notes:

Suggested departure time: 08:00

Tour duration: 08 hours

Trekking distance: 5km

Grade: Easy

Have breakfast at the hotel and head to the village. Today you will spend time with the locals taking part in their daily routine: visit the fields and join the farming activities, you can join in cleaning up the area from the rubbish and other environmental protection activities. You also might visit the local school and join our team in the renovation and improvement of the school facilities. During the day you will see the real life of Vietnamese people and have a great opportunity for cultural exchange. Say goodbye to the people you spent the last days with, and get ready for your next adventure tomorrow. 

Overnight in Tan Lac

After breakfast at a local homestay, drive for 20 minutes to Ton village, from where we will hike to Nam Son cave. Once there, you will crawl through a cave of about 1m high towards the wide open space. There are blocks of virtual fossils. The air in the cave is cool and the holy sound of water is like a light wordless song. 

Have lunch at a local restaurant before 1-hour transfer to Pu Luong. Check in at our accommodation and have some free time to rest. 

In the afternoon, you will be transferred to a suspension bridge over the Cham River, where you begin your walk (3-6 km as you wish) in search of stunning water wheels. Get up close to each wheel and discover how water is moved from the river to handmade bamboo aqueducts via simple constructions of all sizes. Then visit a local fisherman’s house, where you will have a short rest to gear up for the rafting adventure, floating along the calm river and taking in the views in between learning how to paddle and steer your handcrafted rafts. Upon arrival at scenic Tan Lap Bridge, we will disembark and get transferred back to the hotel for dinner. 

Overnight at Pu Luong

Notes:

Suggested time: 08:00

Duration: 8 hours

Trekking distance: 8km

Grade: easy

Start early to descend into the beautiful valley with tumbling rice terraces. Trek through 6km of small paths downhill shrouded in vegetation to slowly reveal a picturesque village sitting at the base of a towering mountain. Continuing to Kho Muong village which is located in the central valley, to engage with locals and see their rural life. Then explore the “Bat Cave” – where the first ancestors of the Muong ethnic group lived. 

Lunch will be served at a local house on stilts. In the afternoon, we will continue trekking for 7 km through the jungle to explore the abundance of flora and fauna along the way. The winding road around gorgeous mountains will take you to Uoi village which is located in the middle of the forest. You weave between roads and farmland, villages and wild fields, ponds and rivers, mountains and open land. Savor the ever-changing scenery as you trek to a beautiful spot. Then you will be transferred back to your accommodation.

Overnight in Pu Luong 

Notes:

Suggested time: 09:00

Duration: 8 hours

Trekking distance: 13km

Grade: Moderate

Have a relaxing morning exploring the village on your own. Then enjoy the scenic 2-hour drive to Ninh Binh. Upon arrival, have lunch, and continue to Tam Coc, known as “Halong Bay on Land”, where a skilled rower will take you on a 2-hour slow journey on the winding river and canals. Enjoy the views of the beautiful karst formations as you enter into natural caves formed under the hills. 

After the boat trip, climb to Mua Mountain, which has a shape of a bell with a base sized around 800 square meters. On the left and right sides of the staircase, there are beautiful carvings of the dragon or phoenix. The way leading to the cave formed by a long stone staircase zigzags through the karst, there are nearly 500 steps to a simple altar to Quan Am (the Goddess of Mercy). Later you will be transferred to your hotel in Ninh Binh.

Overnight in Ninh Binh 

Notes

Suggested departure time: 08:00

Duration: 9 hours

After breakfast at the hotel, we will take you to Halong Bay, the drive will take around 4 hours, including a 20-minute stop on the way. The scenery of Halong Bay, where thousands of limestone islands jut out of the emerald sea, sculpted into bizarre shapes, is truly an iconic image for Vietnam. An overnight boat trip is the best way to enjoy this Vietnamese must-see. 

Arrive at the jetty in Halong City towards noon and proceed with check-in formalities. After a welcome on board, lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay. In the afternoon, enjoy some visits and activities, such as swimming and kayaking around the limestone formations (depending on each boat’s itinerary), or spend some time relaxing on board. Towards the end of the day, the ship sets anchor for the night among the karst formations. Then you will join “Action for a Green Ha Long” to collect waste from two isolated beaches on the cusp of the bay. Dinner is served on board.

Overnight in Halong Bay

The sun rises on Halong in the morning, and breakfast is served (also brunch on some boats) while the vessel cruises slowly back toward the port. Disembark and transfer to the airport, where you will take your flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival at Da Nang airport, we will meet you and transfer to your hotel in Hoi An. The rest of the day is free.

Overnight in Hoi An

In the morning, your guide will take you for a pleasant walk around the charming town of Hoi An. This World Heritage ancient town is known for its well-preserved architecture, pedestrian-only streets, and distinctive local cuisine, that give visitors a glimpse of its illustrious past. Hoi An’s narrow lanes are ideal for a guided walking tour of its many atmospheric sights including the old merchant houses with a mixture of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese architecture; the 400-year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, first built in the 1590s by the Japanese community to link them with the Chinese quarters across the stream; the Assembly Hall of the Chaozhou Chinese Congregation with its intricate woodcarvings; and the colorful market with stalls brimming with local specialties, silk, and clothes.

In the afternoon, we will show you the locally sustainable way to recycle kitchen waste. Vermicompost is the process of using worms to break down organic matter into compost. The final product is very rich in nutrients, a great plant growth promoter, and helps plants resist pests and unflavored conditions. More importantly, we use worms and introduce the vermicomposting method as a sustainable method in home and community waste management. It is an especially inspirational method as it requires low resource input yet gives a lot.

You have a chance to gain more understanding of the vermicomposting method in a picture of sustainable agriculture. You will learn how to set up a vermicompost system at home or the community garden and understand the importance of the host’s project in training local people to do this for their livelihood and the environment.

Overnight in Hoi An

Today, you are free after breakfast at the hotel until transfer to Danang Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel to check-in. 

In the afternoon, take a cyclo journey to explore the most beautiful parts of Ho Chi Minh. With over eight million inhabitants and four million motorbikes, Saigon is truly a city that never sleeps. Despite its modernity, Saigon maintains a strong link to the past, and our city tour takes in some of Saigon’s most historic landmarks including the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires constructed from materials imported from France (the entrance is only permitted when no services are being performed). Then head across the square to the Central Post Office, completed in 1891. A short drive away is the former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American War. Continue to the War Remnants Museum for a vivid perspective of the American War through the eyes of the Vietnamese. (Please note that some of the displays are very violent.) Experience Saigon’s famed street coffee culture while your guide provides a brief language lesson as well as insights into the daily life of a Saigonese before returning to your hotel.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Notes

Suggested departure time: 13:00

Tour duration: 04 hours*

After enjoying breakfast at your hotel, head to Coco Riverside Lodge in Trung Nghia – Vung Liem, which is a 2.5-hour drive via Ben Tre or a 3-hour drive through Vinh Long province. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a representative who will lead you to the lodge along a countryside path. After a short walk, you will be offered a welcome drink and proceed to check in at the lodge’s restaurant, where lunch will be served.

After resting for a while, you will have the opportunity to choose bicycles for a cycling tour on village paths that will take you to Mr. Cong’s home. Here you will witness the process of making pop rice and the blend of traditional and modern agricultural methods that sustain the local village. Mr. Cong will even teach you the secret of making ‘rice pop’, a unique and nutritious foodstuff that can be given as a gift to locals or children in school. Your guide will explain how the animals are raised and show you how they collect ‘biogas’ to make free and sustainable cooking food.

Continuing on quiet village roads, you will pass by a duck farm (if possible), green rice paddies, sedge fields, and small villages. Along the way, you will visit one of the dragon or orange fruit plantations and taste the fruit directly from the garden. You will have plenty of opportunities to capture picturesque Asian sunset scenes before returning to the lodge on your bicycles.

After refreshing yourself with a shower, you will walk to the home of a neighbor who fought during the Vietnam War. Here, you will listen to his story and experience ‘poon’ lights and traditional music. At the end of the show, you will walk back holding traditional torches made of dried coconut leaves.

In the evening, you will have a traditional cooking class where you will learn to make Vietnamese pancakes. This will be a great learning experience that will allow you to take a bit of Vietnam home with you. Dinner will be served at the lodge’s restaurant.

Overnight at Coco Riverside Lodge 

After breakfast, we will embark on a boat ride to witness local squatting markets and transport goods such as coconuts from one factory to another. Next, we will cross the local ferry to visit the magnificent Cao Dai temple. On our way back, we will stop at small coconut-processing operations situated along the riverbank. Here, we will see how the coconut fibers are removed from the husk to make rope, which is then used to weave rugs. Most of the work is professionally done by hand, and the buyers are mostly foreign companies.

Once we return to the lodge, we can participate in some activities such as harvesting water coconut leaves and weaving them ourselves. These leaves are a primary building material in the Mekong Delta, used to build walls and roofs of houses. The local people will demonstrate not only how they use these leaves, but also how to make the ‘poon’ sticks that illuminated the previous night.

Finally, after checking out, we will transfer you to Ho Chi Minh. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Relish a healthy breakfast on the final day of your trip. Complete the hotel check-out formalities, after which you can visit the local markets and buy souvenirs for your loved ones. Later, proceed for departure and board your flight back home. 

Trip Ends.