Bac Ha - Can Cau

Lao Chai village: Located 7 Kms from Sapa, it is quite approachable from Sapa for a travllers who do not have much time. In this village which you will have a welcome feeling  at any house of the hospitable people there. You can interact them, learn about their culture and customs. Ta Van is located in the northern province of Lao Cai, about 5 kilometres from Sapa, at an altitude of 1, 816 meters.  This province borders the province of Yunnan in south-west China, and the indigenous people here share many cultural features with their Chinese neighbours.   Hanoi – Lao Cai   Vietnam TripAdvisor’s private car come to pick you up from your hotel then transfer to Ha Noi Railway Station and catch the night train to Lao Cai (soft sleeper with airconditioning).   Lao Cai – Sapa home stay (B/ L/ D) (Sapa - Y linh ho - Lao chai San - Lao chai - Ta van) The bus ride uphill to Sa Pa takes a little over an hour, giving you a glimpse of the stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces. You'll have breakfast in a local Restaurant. The first part is on the road but we soon turn to the right and walk on a small path down the valley to the Muong Hoa River along Y Linh Ho valley and from here lead to the Black H'mong village Lao Chai. Black H'mong is one of the biggest minority groups in the Sapa area. They are proud of their culture and keep their traditions and way of living. They have their own language and wear traditional indigio blue clothing. After this you continue to Ta Van village (1.200 m) to visit Zay people. Zay is a fairly small minority group of about 38.000 people who live mainly in the mountains in Northwest Vietnam . The development has meant that some of their old customs have been lost but many women still wear traditional shirts with a purple, blue or green color. The Zay houses are build of wood and bamboo with a clay floor. We stay overnight with a local family in Ta Van and have our dinner here. Meals:Breakfast,lunch,dinner Tavan - Giang Ta Chai - Su pan – Sapa (B,L,D) After the breakfast we continue to visit Red Dao people at Giang Ta Chai where we also have short break near by a hanging brigde made from cane and a beautiful waterfall. The Red Dao women have very colorful red embroidery and coins on their clothing. On their head they wear a red scarf. Some of the women have shaved off their eyebrows because of a nice Red Zao Legend. We continue along small paths in the rice fields, cross the Muong Hoa River and trek up to Su pan where you will meet the jeep and transfer back to Sapa. Have late lunch in Sapa in discover Sapa town in your own before departure to LaoCai train station. You'll have dinner either in a restaurant in Sapa or on the way back to Lao Cai to catch a night train back to Ha Noi. Take night train from Lao Cai station to go back to Hanoi. Arrive Hanoi next morning.End of services. Meals: Breakfast,lunch,dinner VietnamTripAdvisor can arrange additional customized trips for you if the above itinerary does not match your expectations. Source: www.sapatravelguide.com