Vietnam Expedition 2008: 14-day Trek & Home stay in Cao Bang Area - Northern Vietnam December 25, 2007

Vietnam Expedition - What is that?

For the ultimate in off-the-beaten-track travel experiences it's difficult to beat going on an ATV expedition. If you embark on our expeditions you will travel through the Vietnam's most hidden places with extreme environments. ATV expeditions aren't easy going and they are most definitely not for a traveler that likes their creature comforts - but it's precisely this fact that makes going on an ATV expedition such an exciting prospect. Going on an ATV expedition gets you away from the usual tourist trail and enables you to see some incredible places few other people ever get to see.

ATV organizes the expeditions in order to test its operation, itineraries and services. After 2 expeditions to the place, basing on expeditors' feed back, ATV will refine the program and promote the place to public. Thus ATV does not aim at making profit from the expeditions but running the trips with small mark-up on net rate to cover organizing fee.

Part of ATV expedition operating philosophy is to respect the communities in which we operate. We do this by acting in a manner that is environmentally, socially and economically responsible. On the expedition participants would do a charity event in order to support the community. The cost of this charity event would be totally funded by ATV.

The expedition
• Join-in group
• Guided expedition
• Outdoor activities
• Charity event
• 2 departures a year
• Small group
• Fully supported Your will have
• Fun
• Real expedition
• Real adventure
• Lowest rate
• Discount on other trips with ATV What we expect from you
• Your feedback
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Expedition program:
14-day Trek & Home stay in Cao Bang Area - Northern Vietnam

This area offers breathtaking views and interesting subcultures. The North East mountainous areas of Ba Be Lake, Cao Bang and Lang Son offer opportunities for rugged jeep rides and stunning trekking routes. It is the least traveled area of the north and is ideal for more hardy travelers craving a glimpse of some of the more remote ethnic minority people.

Highlights of the this expedition experience in Cao Bang include stunning trek across mountain ranges, interesting home stay in different tribal villages and beautiful cruise on Ba Be Lake.

Rough Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi. Welcome dinner. Group meeting & Trip briefing (D)
Day 2: Transfer to Cao Bang. Overnight in hotel. (B)
Day 3 - 10: Trek over an area of rugged mountains, Home stay in different tribal villages & Charity event. (B,L,D)
Day 11: Transfer to Ba Be Lake. Overnight in National Park. (B,L,D)
Day 12: Boat trip on the lake. Transfer to Hanoi. (B)
Day 13: Free at leisure. Group meeting & Farewell dinner. Overnight in Hanoi. (B,D)
Day 14: Check-out the hotel. Trip completes.
Click to order detailed itinerary

Start date Finish date Place available
16 Dec 2007 29 Dec 2007 9 Join now
06 Apr 2008 19 May 2008 10 Join now


Trip Notes

Duration: 14 days, 13 nights
Group size: Minimum 6 persons Maximum 12 persons
Depart from: Hanoi
End at: Hanoi
When: May & December
Activities: Trekking, Home stay, Cruise, Cultural expedition & Charity event
Trekking grade: Challenging
Transport: Chartered bus, Chartered boat, Walking
Accommodation: 3-night hotels, 10-night home stays
Tour guide: English speaking guide from Hanoi
Support crew: Local cooks, Porters
Equipments provided: Trekking poles, Sleeping bags, Gaiter, Maps, T-shirt of the expedition logo. See the ATV Gear list.
Meals: As indicated in the itinerary (B: breakfast, L: lunch, D: dinner)

Food
All meals, which are indicated in the itinerary, are included in the price of this trip. While in big towns we will enjoy Vietnamese cuisine in fine restaurants. Once we travel away from big towns, the emphasis will be on healthy and nutritious fresh local produce.

The home stay
Home stay in remote villages is simple in term of bedding condition and toilet. We will sleep on beds or floor with sleeping bags.

ATV tour guide
The tour will be led by one of our tour guides who are experienced in guiding trekking tours in Vietnam. He has been carefully trained in this field and is fully licensed in tour guiding by the government. In addition, he has been trained in first-aid by SOS International and he knows how to deal with difficult situations. You will have a great time traveling with him.

The trekking day
A typical trekking day start at about 8.30 am after breakfast. Lunch times can vary depending on the terrain. We aim to reach the next overnight stop by 4.30 pm or 5 pm. During the trek we will have short breaks for rest, snack and photographing.

What to bring
Trekking boots, sun block, hat, anti-insect repellent, sunglasses, sleeping bag (optional), rain coat, toiletries, original passport.

Note on client safety
We reserve the right to deviate from this itinerary for any reasons, including road and weather conditions, frequency of visits to a village, or for any other factor which may influence client safety.

Booking Conditions

Reservation should be made at least 20 days prior to departure. Depending on the number of participant we would work out the final trip cost and inform participants about the final trip cost per person then.
Confirmation should be made at least 15 days prior to departure. A deposit of 50% of the total trip cost should be made at the time of confirmation.
If you fancy the idea of going on a real expedition and have any question you would like to discuss with someone in person then why not give one of ATV's team of expert travel advisers an e-mail.

Official Website: http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/atv_expedition_2008.html