Mu Cang Chai - The paradise of North Vietnam, 23 - 29 March 2014

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Travel style: Authentic Discovery
Organiser: Asiatica Travel
Participants: - Vietnamese & foreign journalists works for international travel & life style magazines & other media channels
Quantity : 10 people
Registration expiry date: 31/12/2013
Escorted by : Minh Thang - Product Director of Asiatica Travel
Guide language: English
Notes: - The journalists must complete the registration form and submit to us
- The tour does not include international flights to Vietnam. Asiatica Travel covers all tour services in Vietnam, except personal expenses & tips.
 

 

Register trip



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Responsibilities of Participants


- Deal with international flights and insurance
- Pay the stamping fee of Vietnam visa at the airport (45 USD / person )
- Take care of personal expenses
- Follow the route and schedule mentioned in the tour program
- Write at least one report of the trip published on relevant magazines or online travel platforms and must mention our brand “Asiatica Travel” in the article
If you have any concern regarding the stipulated conditions, please let us know. We welcome your idea on how we can work together for long term mutual benefit.



Responsibilities of Asiatica Travel


- Make all tour arrangements and take care of all services mentioned in the tour program
- Respect the agreed program
- Dealing with the visa approval letter for participants and local authority for permits
 

Liability limitation


Asiatica Travel reserves the right to change, modify or alternate the program for the safety of the participants or as required by local authority. Asiatica Travel holds no liability for any damage or loss that is attributable to the violation of the agreement or in case of force majeure.
 

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Weather


It's cool in March with mist in the morning and evening. Very little rain. The rice terraces are likely to be green around Mu Cang Chai, Muong Lo and Tu Le.

Packing list


- Some sets of clothes with layers
- A light jacket
- Walking shoes
- Hat
- Toiletries kit and towel
- Medicine for personal use
- Small bag with padlock to contain personal documents & money
- Camera

Accommodation


 We will be staying in tribal homestays most of the nights. Facilities are clean, but very basic. Travellers share a bamboo-slat floor, separated by curtains. Restrooms and showers are often absent or limited. Mattresses, blankets and mosquito nets are provided.

Money



The places we will visit are quite remote so you should bring cash (VND). It is recommended to change money in Hanoi. No need to bring a lot of cash however as we already take care of all tour arrangements. 

Tipping


It is totally up to you and if you are delighted with the driver or the guide.
 

For more information , do not hesitate to contact us at press.en@asiatica.com  
 

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Why do we offer Press FAM trips?


At Asiatica Travel, we constantly seek for new range of unique tours that bring unforgettable and authentic travel experiences for travelers to Indochina. We need more publicity on media channels worldwide and we know you are also in search of newly discovered destinations and activities for your readers.


And our sole purpose in hosting these Press FAM trips (PFT) is to bring our new discoveries closer to those who love travel. Each PFT is an elaborate investment and effort of Asiatica Travel and we look forward to strong cooperation with travel editors and media channels worldwide.


What makes our PFTs different?


Asiatica Travel organizes at least two Press FAM trips every year. These special tours are designed for travel experts like you and you can rest assured that our expertise and professionalism definitely meet up your expectation.
The key appeal of our press tours lies in the uniqueness and exoticism of the tours as a result of our constant thirst and search for new destinations and experiences. Surely, they will delight you and your readers too.


Who can join our PFT?


-    Freelance travel writers
-    In house travel editors of printing press and other media channels.
-    Famous travel bloggers


What are the conditions to join our PFT?


It is voluntary and participants of our PFT must sign an agreement with us to ensure effective and successful organisation of the tours. The tours will be sponsored by Asiatica: we pay for all services mentioned in tour program, typically including guide, transfer, accommodation, meals but excluding visa stamping fee, international flights and personal expenses. 

Additionally, the participants must:
-    Provide us personal profile with all required information,
-    Provide us a list of printing press, online press and other media channels you are working for or writing for, and specify at least 3 chanels you can publish your trip reports on.
-    Choose one to three topics (suggested in highlights of the tours) to write about after the trip
-    Agree and comply with all conditions in Asiatica Travel PFT Agreement

What to write about and May I choose another topic?


The topics to write about are mentioned in the “Highlights of the tour” part and we highly recommend you to focus on these topics. Of course, you may choose another topic as long as you inform us in advance and we agree on that.
The registration for 1 to 3 topics to write about after the PFT is a condition of the PFT Agreement between Asiatica Travel and you.


Do I have to share content copyright with Asiatica Travel?


No, but we can use the images, clips and articles you make about the trips on our website and other marketing channels without having to ask for your permit in advance. Of course, we will keep your copyright and cite references.

Specifically, how we can cooperate?


As the host of these fascinating press tours, we look for effective communication support from YOU. We believe the cooperation between You and Asiatica Travel, as experts of our fields, will result in long term win-win benefits for both sides.

Below are some suggestions on how we can work together:


-    You create articles or other media contents about the recommended topics, which must mention Asiatica Travel is the operator of the trips.

-    You can propose another media topic it is associated with our brand Asiatica Travel.

-    You can help us to publish press releases on our new products and new travel trends on the media channels you are managing or working with

-    You can barter marketing programs for us on the media channels you are managing

-    You hold full copyright to all photos, videos and other contents you made about the trip but we will be very happy if we can share them on our marketing channels.

-    You can also propose us other ways and we will discuss with each other for win-win cooperation. We welcome your ideas to: press@asiatica.com   

May I invite other editors/journalists/ writers?


Definitely, you can invite other travel editors/journalists/ writers to join in the trip as long as they meet our conditions and we have availability.


Can I extend the press tour to other destinations?


Our PFTs are designed for you to explore the new destinations and travel experiences we have just discovered. However, we will provide the best conditions for you to extend the trip to other classic major destinations in Indochina if you haven’t been to.
You can enjoy the extension tour before or after our press FAM trip and we will be happy to help you arrange for that extension.
Of course, you must pay for that extension trip; we cover the press tour only.

Can my family/relatives/friends join with me?

You can invite family/relatives/friends to join in the trip with you as long as they agree with our PFT program and we have availability. The tour cost for these people must be paid by them, however.
Due to special features of this tour type, you should inform them clearly of the tour itinerary and fitness requirements. In addition, you must guarantee that their participation will not affect the organization of our PFTs.

For more information, please contact us. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
 

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  • Day 01: Hanoi arrival (D)

  • Day 02: Hanoi - Mai Chau (L,D)

  • Day 03: Mai Chau - Muong Lo (Nghia Lo) (B,L,D)

  • Day 04: Muong Lo - Mu Cang Chai (B,L,D)

  • Day 05: Mu Cang Chai - Sapa - Ta Van (B,L,D)

  • Day 06: Sapa discovery - transfer back to Hanoi (B,L,D)

  • Day 07: Hanoi departure (B)

Highlights of the Tour

  • Explore the most spectacular mountain route in North Vietnam
  • Discover amazingly diverse hill tribal cultures – their colorful traditional costumes and exotic customs
  • Experience village homestay, be enchanted by the warm welcome of our ethnic host families
  • Explore the varied and tasty cuisines of Vietnam
  • Admire the most magnificent terraced rice fields in Tu Le, Nghia Lo and Mu Cang Chai – A unique National Cultural Heritage of Vietnam
     

Detailed Program


Day 01: Hanoi arrival (D)

Arrive in Hanoi. Welcomed by our guide and transfer to the hotel. Time to rest. Welcome dinner at local restaurant and have a short talk with our Product Director. Overnight at the hotel in Hanoi.

Day 02: Hanoi - Mai Chau (B, L,D)

8h00: Pick up at your hotel, morning departure to Mai Chau via a beautiful mountain road. Around noon, arrive at Van village inhabited by White Thai ethnic group. Check in the homestay and be warmly welcomed by our host, Uncle Cuong family.

Take some rest and fill your lung with pure fresh air, then enjoy a walk around the village to gain close up views of local life. You can also learn how to weave silk with an old loom in the family courtyard.

The afternoon dedicated to hands-on experience of the local life. You will participate in agricultural production activities of the family such as: land preparation with a buffalo, rice planting, harvesting corn or vegetables,etc. Joy and fun guaranteed. Note: these activities are seasonal.

If time permits, enjoy a cycling ride to Nhot village. You can see picturesque scenery of emerald rice fields surrounded by mountains and fog. Stops along the way to meet the locals, visit their stilt houses and also drop by a brick making plant. Dance to folk music in the evening. Taste some Can wine made from fermented rice! Overnight homestay in the Van village.

Day 03: Mai Chau - Muong Lo (Nghia Lo) (B,L,D)

After breakfast with Uncle Cuong family, we leave the beautiful valley of Mai Chau to reach the plateau of Moc Chau, famous for its tea plantation, pleasant climate and dairy industry. The scenery along the road is wild and spectacular. We see few tribal villages of H’mong, Thai and Muong people.

Passing a large reservoir and enjoy a relaxing walk along the lake shore. Spectacular views of rice terraces, aquatic breeding bamboo rafts and traditional wooden stilt houses nestled on hill sides. Continue hiking through the valley of Phu Yen before lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, we drive to Muong Lo, the capital of Thai ethnic people in Vietnam. Flooded rice fields, lush vegetable gardens and little villages shrouded in cloud and fog keep our hands on the cameras. Arrival in Muong Lo. Overnight at hotel.

1 – 2 hour hiking. 

Day 04: Muong Lo - Mu Cang Chai (B,L,D)

Muong Lo is the second largest rice basket in Northeast Vietnam. Here, Thai ethnic people have built their houses on stilts and cultivated wet rice for 700 years, creating stunning rice terraces. 

The road to Muong Lo winds through the chain of Hoang Lien Son, the highest mountains in Indochina. We then stop for a hike across the rice field to reach the ethnic Thai and H’Mong villages. Amidst magnificent landscape, we will meet ethnic minority people in their colourful costumes and be dazzled by their welcoming smiles. This is the only place in Vietnam where people still keep their tradition of bathing naked in the river.

After lunch at Tu Le, we continue the drive along the mountain chain crossing Khau Pha or the Heavenly Horn Pass. This second highest pass of Vietnam offers stunning views over Tu Le and Mu Cang Chai, the paradise of most spectacular terraced rice fields in the country. Overnight at the hotel or homestay in Mu Cang Chai.

4hour easy hiking

Day 05: Mu Cang Chai - Sapa - Ta Van (B,L,D)

Departure by car, after an hour we reach Than Uyen, stop for a stroll in Thai villages. Then we drive over the Tram Ton Pass, the highest pass in Vietnam at 2047m height. Stop to enjoy the fresh pure air and savor superb view of Fanxipan (3143m), the roof of Indochina in cloud.

Arrive in Sapa, a former colonial hill station of the French at 1650 meters altitude. Overnight homestay in Sa Pa. 

3 – 4 hour easy hiking

Day 06: Sapa - back to Hanoi (B,L,D)

Enjoy breakfast at host family then transfer to Sapa train station to get back to Hanoi. Overnight in hotel.

4 hours hiking

Day 07: Hanoi departure (B)

Transfer from hotel in Hanoi to airport. Time to say goodbye.

 

Please, see more beautiful pictures of the tour here:

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