Active Adventure in Vietnam and Laos

Spend your day relaxing and exploring Hanoi. You’ll have our top recommendations for sightseeing and restaurant recommendations, so you can get the best out of this fascinating city before you move on to Ninh Binh in the morning.

Hoa Lu was the the ancient capital of Vietnam and is located in the Ninh Binh Province. While the ancient citadel has largely disappeared, the temples of the Dinh and Le dynasties still stand surrounded by rice paddies. After lunch at a local restaurant in Ninh Binh, continue to the 3,500ha (13.5 sq mi) Van Long Nature Reserve, the largest wetland natural reserve in the Red River Delta. Enjoy a boat trip taking in stunning scenes of local villages dotted among the limestone karsts and caves, perhaps encountering rare langur and birds on the way.

Placed in the North of Vietnam, Ninh Binh is an ancient royal capital and the home of the historic Tran dynasty. Undoubtedly the regions greatest allure is the small village of Tam Coc. Meaning the 'three caves', Tam Coc is often referred to as 'Halong Bay on land' for its dramatic limestone formations that rise out of rice paddies. The Ngo Dong River follows through the area and floats through three natural caves, Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba, which are home to stalagmites and stalagmites, wild vegetation and often, monkeys.

Located in Hoa Binh Province, Mai Chau offers a splendid vista of mountains and valleys surrounded by lush landscape and stilt houses, inhabited mainly by the White Thai ethnic group.

Enjoy walks or bike rides to local hamlets along the valley and in the surrounding mountains, and engage in a chat with local hill tribe people to learn about their daily lives such as planting rice, herding buffalos and building traditional houses through your guide. They'll be chances to sample home cooked food, visit local markets and a primary school, or simply explore the village on foot.

Visit the Hmong hill tribe village of Xa Linh village and set out on a walk through picturesque mountain scenery. Your guide will facilitate chats with local hill tribe people for insights into their daily lives including planting rice, herding buffalos and building traditional houses.

Explore this beautiful landscape by bike, cycling past impossibly green rice paddies and local villages.

A charming city, spend your time relaxing and soaking up the culture. Visit temples, trek through virgin rainforest to beautiful waterfalls and give alms to the monks. We can arrange a special and unique time in Luang Prabang.

Cruise away from the city with a boat trip on the mighty Mekong. Meander up the river to the junction with the Nam Ou river, and the site of the Pak Ou caves. Explore these shrines carved into the cliff face before returning by road to Luang Prabang, stopping en route at local villages Ban Xanhg Hai, to try a unique rice whisky called Lao-Lao, as well as Ban Phanom, famous for its traditional hand woven textiles. Continue through typical Lao villages at Ban Xangkhong and Ban Xienglek, well known for theor hand-made Jute Sar paper.

Head to Pick Noi where on arrival your guide will give you a short safety briefing and introduction to kayaking before heading off down the river. As you continue, you'll reach a small section of light but fun rapids before arriving at the tomb of the 19th-century French explorer Henri Mouhot who was the first European to discover Luang Prabang.

Wake up before dawn to witness and participate in offering alms to hundreds of saffron-robed monks. This early morning ritual dates back generations in Laos and is an awe-inspiring sight. The monks walk through the streets of Luang Prabang accepting offerings of food from local residents and businesses. Rising early also gives the chance to wander through the fresh market on the way back to the hotel for breakfast.

Drive out to the beautiful waterfalls of Tat Khouangsi. Below the 90m drop of the main cascade are a series of pools, connected by smaller falls and cascades. At low water levels, the water is an unbelievable turquoise, and swimming in the lower pools is a great way to cool off. On the walk through the forest to the falls, you will also pass the Free the Bears project – home to a group of rescued Asiatic Black (Moon) Bears and one Malayan Sun Bear. They are often searching for food hidden in their enriched environment enclosures, or simply sleeping. The route home offers the chance to stop at the villages of Ban Ou, Ban Ouay and Ban Thapene, home to some of the different Lao ethnic groups.

Explore the UNESCO -protected city centre to appreciate its unspoiled Laotian-colonial fusion architecture, taking in notable Buddhist temples. Visit the Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xiengthong, with its traditional roofs sweeping low to the ground, the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun, Wat Sene, the city’s oldest temple, and the shrines of Wat Aham and Wat Mai.

You will leave Luang Prabang then begin your expedition, venturing into the mountainous and remote area of northern Laos. The verdant and rugged mountain scenery combined with the colourful local population makes this an unforgettable experience.

You will make a few rest stops along the way, which give the opportunity to see the ethnic minority groups of Hmong, Khmu, Akha and Taidam. The hill tribe people are unfailingly friendly, welcoming you with waving hands and smilling faces. The journey to Muang La leads you through areas with dramatic landscape. You will arrive in Muang La in the afternoon, where you will have the opportunity to visit Pra Xack Kham Temple with its sacred Buddha image. The 400-year-old legendary statue is said to have many supernatural powers, and is widely worshipped among faithful local Buddhists.

The lush, mountainous province of Oudomxay shares its northern border with China and presents a corner of South East Asia yet to be touched by mass tourism. The region is home to over 500 villages where traditional life still prevails and the tribes each have their own language and customs.

You'll set off in a 4x4 and head to a small Khamu market. Continue following a picturesque route to Ban Poung Hieng, a Khamu village, then on to Ban Houai Chang which is the entry point to the national park at Phouhipi. Your route continues to other Khamu and Hmong villages which sit in the heart of the mountainous countryside of northern Laos. These isolated villages rarely see 'outsiders' and you will see people going about their daily, working in their fields. There are numerous places where you can take some amazing photographs before you reach the last Khamu-Hmong village of Ban Houa Nam Bak. This large village of around 1,600 inhabitants is close to the waterfall at Nam Pung where you can also enjoy some stunning views across the mountainous countryside. The falls are only accessible on foot and your trek of around 1.5 hours starts by crossing the fields around the village before following an uphill path to reach the waterfall. As you climb, you will see some amazing rock formations and the villagers have put a strong rope in place to help you climb to the top of one of the formations to enjoy the breathtaking view.

Cycle along the banks of the River Nam Pak where many Khamu villages are found. Pass by beautiful scenery and meet working villagers, harvesting vegetables on the riverbank. Stop in one of the villages to learn about its daily life and traditional beliefs such as respect of the village elders' wisdom, the innocence of youth and the communal spirit of the village. After around eleven kilometers you will reach the village of Tad Muan, where you can learn how the traditional houses are built and the different ways the villagers hunt. You will then cycle back to the resort.