Mai Chau Valley

 Mai Chau is located in Hoa Binh Province. From the top of Cun Mountain, one can admire the superb panorama of Mai Chau surrounded by a green valley and stilt houses. When visiting, visitors can stay overnight in one of the Thai silt houses, walking across the beautiful valley through the rice fields and trekking to minority villages. The houses are quite large with palm leaf roofs and polished bamboo-slat floors. The kitchen is located in the center of the house; the cooking as well as the making of the colorful tho cam takes place in the kitchen. The Sunday market brings a lot of people into town. People from different minorities living in the mountains come to Mai Chau market to sell their specific products: honey, bananas, corn, and tho cam made by skilled Thai women. The Sunday market is also an occasion to enjoy traditional Thai dishes and to participate in traditional dances.

Dien Bien Phu

Dien Bien Phu, the capital of Dien Bien district of Lai Chau Province, is in one of the most remote parts of Vietnam, where the battle that ended French colonial rule in Vietnam. On 7 May1954, the day before the Geneva Conference on Indochina was set to begin half a world away, Viet Minh forces overran the French garrison at Dien Bien Phu after a 56-day siege. Dien Bien Phu now bears few scars except for the occasional scattered tank to bear witness to its horrendous past. History is the main attraction here and the scenery is just a sideshow enjoyed during arrival and departure overland. The area around Dien Bien Phu is also home to many ethnic minorities. The hill tribes make up 70% of the regions population, and the ethnic minority groups include the Black Thai, Nung, Meo, Loa and others.

Sapa

Sapa is a must-see on any northern Vietnam itinerary due to its beautiful scenery and colorful ethnic people. The best time to witness the scenic beauty of Sapa is in April and May. Sapa’s flora is diverse, ranging from flowers to tropical fruits; among the most popular fruits produced in Sapa are apples, pears, peaches and plums. Markets are crowded and merry, and are especially attractive to visitors. Today, visitors can see Western-style ancient and modem villas juxtaposed in a poetical cherry forest and with green pomu (Fokienia hodginsii) trees. It would be of considerably less interest without the H’mong and Dzao people. Many youngsters have a good command of English and French. Apart from its fascinating ethnic diversity, Sapa is also renowned for its trekking to local villages like Cat Cat, Taphin or Ta Van. Some of the villages now have local homestays where you can overnight with a family in their traditional home.

Sapa skyline is the peak of Vietnam’s highest mountain, Mount Fan Si Pan, rising to 3,143m above sea level. The peak is accessible all year to tourists in good shape, who loves adventure & difficulty.

Bac Ha 

Bac Ha is located in the north-east of Sapa. It is well-known for the century-old colorful market of the real mountainous people including the Dzao and the Flower-H’mong. One of Bac Ha main industries is the manufacture of alcoholic brew (rice wine, cassava wine and corn liquor). Bac Ha is the only a place in Vietnam where visitors will find this particular ferment; there is an entire area devoted to it at the Sunday market. The mountainous people seem to fall in a sleep and time stands still until Sunday mornings when the Bac Ha market occurs. This lively market is a good place to pick up handy crafts, or you can just wander around and admire the colorful dresses worn by the H’mong women.