Meal: lunch, dinner | Accommodation: On board the Treasure Junk

8:00 to 8:30 we will pick you up at your hotel and leave on our shuttle bus for a 3.5-hour drive to Halong City. Upon arrival, we will board the Treasure Junk and start to cruise towards the boundaries of Halong Bay while a delicious lunch with fresh seafood is served (vegetarian and kid’s menus available).

Make yourself at ease and just relax after lunch. Hundreds of emerging limestone rock formations will parade all around us for about 2 hours before our first stop. We will then reach the perfect spot, where the waters of Halong and Bai Tu Long hit and wave together. Let's get ready for a closer look at the water and explore the bay in depth paddling on our own kayak.

We’ll get back on the Treasure before sunset when we will be able to enjoy a cocktail on board while we will sail to the anchorage area where we will spend the night offshore. The dinner will be served either inside or outside on the deck, depending on weather conditions. Overnight on board in our cozy air-conditioned cabin with an en-suite bathroom. 

On our way to Halong, we will stop at a place with food, beverages, and souvenirs for sale. Please bear in mind that we are not trying to incite you to buy any product. This is just the only place on the way with proper facilities that our travelers, guides, and drivers can use without being forced to buy anything. Thanks for your understanding.

Meal: brunch, dinner | Accommodation: in Tam Coc

Wake up smoothly while witnessing the silence of the beautifully misty bay. From 6:30 a.m., coffee, tea, and cakes will be served. We will be free to join a 30-minute Tai Chi session at the first light of dawn, organized by our Tai Chi master on board, so we will have the chance to energize our body, mind, and soul, although if we prefer, we can simply enjoy a sunbath with a cup of coffee.  

We will hop later on a bamboo boat to visit a secluded floating village surrounded by mountains. We will trace our way among numerous floating houses and small rowing boats that are used in everyday life as a vehicle, itinerant shops, fishing utilities, and even sometimes as an overnight shelter.

We will be back on the Treasure before 9:00 a.m. to start cruising back to the pier. From 9.30, brunch will be served. Take a last glance at the emerging rocks, standing still as the eternal guardians of a kingdom, we are about to reach the pier.

Disembark from the Treasure Junk, we will be transferred from Halong to Ninh Binh. The drive will take us around 4 hours, reaching Tam Coc (known as one of the most scenic spots in the region) in the late afternoon.

Meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner | Accommodation: in Pu Luong

After breakfast, we then embark on traditional rowing sampan for about one hour on a less-traveled canal of the region. It goes through caves and along the border with the natural site of Trang An. Afterward, you’ll hop on bicycles for an easy-paced ride through scenic rural landscapes in Tam Coc. There’s time for a visit to Bich Dong Pagoda en route. The site offers a nice climb up to the top building for a breathtaking view of the Tam Coc area. The cycling route ends at a local house and enjoy a home-cooked lunch.

14:00 – Leave from Tam Coc for around 3 hours driving to Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Dinner and overnight at a traditional house-on-stilts in a local resort.

Meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner | Accommodation: in Mai Chau

After breakfast, we should be ready for a full-day trek through the Nature Reserve. The day starts with a light trek to Kho Muong village and ends with a late lunch at the village’s local house. In the afternoon, you’ll decide to trek a little bit further or take a quick drive to Mai Chau. The trekking route is at the intermediate level which includes some single trails leading you through local villages and rice terraces. 

You’ll arrive in Mai Chau in mid-afternoon and check in at a local homestay for dinner and overnight accommodation.

The accommodation is provided by a local family in their traditional house on stilts. There’s no private room and you’ll sleep on the floor in a large communal area. The sleeping corner is set up with a single mattress (thin, but adequate), blankets (ditto), pillow, and mosquito net. The restroom is at the international standard and a few steps from the main house. Upgraded accommodation to a boutique resort is available with a surcharge.

Meal: breakfast, lunch | Accommodation: not included

Easy morning, you can have a small walk around the village or take local bicycles to their morning market and villages nearby. Back to the homestay for lunch.

In the afternoon, you’ll return to Hanoi with a new perspective on life in rural Vietnam and some fantastic memories stored in the camera and in your heart.