We will catch the overnight train soft sleeper with AC to Lao Cai. The train leaves at 22.00 from Hanoi railway station

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Guide picks you up at Lao Cai Railway Station in the early morning. After having breakfast we go to the Lung Khau Nhin Thursday Market by a van. It takes us 2 hours to get there.
This is a small market but very colourful one in a remote mountainous area where the Flower H’mong mainly gathers to exchange their homemade products. You can not see many tourists visiting this Market. After the market we can visit a Flower H’mong village on the way back to Sapa.

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At 10 am  we  leave the hotel and start trekking.  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 and from here 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 colour. 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.
Trekking distance: 15 km.

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Day 4: (SAT) Ta van-Giang Ta chai- Ban ho. (O/N) (B/L/D)

After the breakfast we continue to visit Red Dao people at Giang Ta Chai where we also see a waterfall. The Red Dao women have very colourful red embroidery and coins on their clothing. On their head they wear a red scarf.
We continue along small paths in the rice fields, cross the Muong Hoa River and arrive to the Tay village Ban Ho (900 m). Tay is the most populous of the hill tribes. Because of the development and adaptation to the Vietnamese society some of them have started wearing Vietnamese clothing. But most women still wear the traditional checkered headscarf. We stay overnight in e of the women have shaved off their eyebrows because of a nice Red Zao legend. a wooden Tay stilt house. If we reach Ban Ho in the early afternoon you will have time to swim in a nearby river. In the evening we have dinner with the Tay family.
Trekking distance: 25 km.  

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