Overview

 Highlights


  • Discover the vibrant city of Hanoi and catch a water puppet show
  • Explore the less visited hill tribe regions around Mai Chau on foot
  • Experience a homestay with a local family
  • Stay on a junk boat in Halong Bay where you can swim, kayak or just soak in the glorious sunshine
  • See a traditional dance performance in Mai Chau

Discover the very best of northern Vietnam on this exciting journey to Vietnam. Take in the sights and sounds of Hanoi, explore a lesser known, more authentic hill tribe walk in the Mai Chau region and no journey to this part of the world is complete without a visit to the natural wonders of the famous Halong Bay. Start your adventure by taking in the many highlights of the French colonial chic city of Hanoi, such as the Ho Chi Minh complex, before heading east to the Mai Chau region to gain a fascinating insight into the life of the different ethnic minorities who live in this enchanting part of the world during your amazing walk. Your hill tribe trek will showcase the real Vietnam, from terraced rice paddies to genuine cultural exchanges with local villagers. After your trek, transfer to the World Heritage listed limestone pinnacles of Halong Bay where you'll stay on a traditional junk boat as you explore the highlights of the regions 3000 limestone islands, caves and grottoes. Here, you can swim, kayak or just chill on the decks under the sun. Your tour concludes with a transfer back to Hanoi where you'll have time for some last-minute shopping.

Countries:

Start and Finishing Point:

Hanoi

Activities:

Grading:Introductory   

Addressing:


Welcome to Hanoi! On arrival in Hanoi, you will be met at the airport by your guide and transferred to our centrally located hotel. We will have a full trip and safety briefing before exploring this vibrant city the way the locals do, by cyclo! It’s then off to celebrate with a welcome dinner in a local restaurant and an opportunity to sample specialty dishes of the north. Overnight in Hanoi

Meals:  D

After breakfast, the tour leader will give a comprehensive tour briefing. Afterwards, the group will first take a walk across the old colonial district to the Vietnam Women Museum. A very interesting place to learn more about the place of women in Vietnam’s History and the evolution of their roles in the society. Then a quick bus transfer and lunch is served at the KOTO restaurant, a social enterprise that trains disadvantaged youths. In the early afternoon, the group visits to the Temple of Literature to get insights about the roots and place of Confucianism in Vietnam society. Then visit the Ho Chi Minh complex to learn about the period of Vietnam’s war and unification. After a break at the hotel to refresh, the group transfer/walk to the Old Quarter to the restaurant for our dinner.

Meals:  B,L,D

In the morning, drive to the mountainous region of Mai Chau. Mai Chau is inhabited by a majority of White Thai people living in hamlets of wooden houses on stilts. But before Mai Chau let’s drive up to the heights of the province to meet with a Hmong ethnic community. Reach Hang Kia, a little village perched 1,300 meters (433 ft) above sea level in a narrow and rocky mountainous circus. Lunch is served at a local guesthouse and in the afternoon join the women of the village on a traditional Batik dyeing workshop. Hmong women are famous for their embroidery and dyeing skills. Most of the clothes wear by the people are still homemade. Transfer to Ban Buoc for dinner and overnight.

Meals:  B,L,D

After breakfast, the group will start with a 15 km (9 mi) cycling tour on narrow pathways across villages and passing by vegetables gardens, rice fields. This will give an overview of the rural daily life in the region. After the tour, a cooking session is arranged with the women of a village. Students will learn how to cook several iconic dishes including the rice cooked in bamboo. Lunch on the spot with the food cooked by the group plus some additional dishes. In the afternoon relax by the swimming pool or take a walk around the village. Overnight in a guesthouse on stilts. Evening traditional folklore show by the women of the village.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning, after breakfast we say goodbye to the local people and transfer to Ninh Binh. We arrive Ninh Binh at noon time. This area is called “Halong Bay on land”. In the afternoon, we will enjoy the boat trip in Tam Coc. We can explore the scenic limestone karst landscapes and picturesque caves along the Ngo Dong River. Afterwards, we go back to hotel for refreshment and relax before our transfer to a local restaurant for dinner. Driving time: approximately 3 hours

Meals:  B,L,D

Departure from the hotel at 9:00. About a 3-hour transfer to Halong Bay with a stop en-route. The group boards a private boat and starts the cruise with lunch onboard. Afternoon activity could include some kayaking or the visit of a cave. Dinner and overnight onboard.

Meals:  B,L,D

For early birds, you will join Tai Chi session on the sundeck. This is good way to start your day in Ha Long Bay. After breakfast, we continue cruising through the bay. We enjoy brunch on board before we arrive at the wharf in the late morning and back at the dock, where you will be met and transferred back to Hanoi to catch a flight home.

Meals:  B,L


Addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty:  Economic growth must be inclusive to provide sustainable jobs and promote equality.

Zero Hunger:  The food and agriculture sector offers key solutions for development, and is central for hunger and poverty eradication.

Good Health And Well-being:  Ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well-being for all at all ages is essential to sustainable development.

Clean Water And Sanitation:  Clean, accessible water for all is an essential part of the world we want to live in.

Life On Land:  Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss

Climate Action:  Climate change is a global challenge that affects everyone, everywhere.

Responsible Production and Consumption:  Responsible Production and Consumption


Learning outcomes for students

World Expeditions Schools journeys are designed to encourage positive personal development and the learning of life skills, while leaving the communities and environments we travel to, in a better condition than when we arrived.
The programs are designed to:
• build strong friendships and bonds with their peers, their teachers, and the local people they meet.
• increase the confidence to engage with new people, and collaboratively make informed decisions.
• discover the benefits of working cooperatively together as a cohesive team, to achieve a common objective.
• Increase the ability to face, and cope with, mental and physical challenges and therefore increase resilience.
• give students a chance to appreciate and care for the natural world. The environments we travel through are beautiful and often pristine, invariably the students will gain a deeper appreciation and understanding about how their individual actions impact on the environment.
• Learn personal skills i.e., time management, personal hygiene, responsibility for personal gear, patience, tolerance, and public speaking.
We help encourage students to learn what it means to be a true global citizen.


Inclusions

  • 7 Breakfasts, 5 lunches, 6 dinners
  • 3 nights in good hotel accommodation
  • 2 nights homestay at local house on stilts in Mai Chau (dormitory style)
  • 2 nights on deluxe Junk in Halong Bay (private cabin on shared Junk)
  • All transfers and transportation with air-con vehicles
  • English speaking throughout in Vietnam with medical kits
  • All entrance and sightseeing fees as mentioned in the itinerary
  • Traditional dance performance in Mai Chau
  • Water refills each day
  • Government tax and service charge

  • Travel Insurance (compulsory)
  • Items of a personal nature ie phone calls laundry and email
  • Entry visa fees for Vietnam
  • International airfares to Vietnam
  • Tipping

Grading

Introductory

This Schoolies adventure rated 'adventure touring' level. Although there is no commitment to extended physical activity on this journey we nonetheless want to keep the ‘accent on the active’. We therefore advise that any physical training you complete before undertaking the trip will be to good effect and enhance your travel experience. Remember the fitter you are the more enjoyable your experience will be.


Why travel with us

Why travel with us

Assisted over
14,000 Students Worldwide

Since the 1980's, we have helped students from around the globe to experience the world's most exciting destinations, allowing them to travel, give, grow.

400+ Service Learning
Programs

Together with students, we have completed over 400 Service Learning programs in developing countries. We will always continue to support causes including social justice, animal welfare, the environment and more.

Fully Customised
School Travel Programs

Want to include service learning, your school curriculum and a physical challenge, or any of the above? Contact us and we can design a program fully catered for your students and budget.

Safety and
Support - Our #1 Priority

Every school receives a detailed risk management plan that is guided by government advisories and the local partners we work with. We never compromise on the safety of your students to reduce the price of the program.

Testimonials


Want to find out more?

Our educational travel experts are ready to help you tailor an itinerary or service learning project to suit your school’s needs and budget. Contact us today to receive a free consultation.


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