Into Remote Vietnam
If you've never visited Vietnam, don't wait any longer. Put it on your "must list." If "soft adventure" isn't your druthers, do the usual tour of Saigon, Hanoi, Hue, etc., and then return to visit the hilltowns of Vietnam.
Our first trip was over the Millennium and both ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I were blown away by the friendliness of the people since we expected animosity over American participation in the Vietnam War. The second trip in 2002 revisited some places and included Sapa in the Hill Country. Read all the details about A Trip in Vietnam.
Surfing the Adventure Center offerings (see side-bar on this site), we entered "Vietnam" and there were over 70 TRIPS to chose from! Ranging from 3 days to 43 days. Vietnam alone, Vietnam combined with Laos and Cambodia, bicycling from Hanoi, and on and on, all run by different tour operators that Adventure Center represents. Well...a week of downloading different dossiers...telephone calls to Adventure Center, and we decided on "Remote Vietnam." A 13-day trip beginning and ending in Hanoi, including Sapa again but with other areas we'd never visited. Mai Chau, Dien Bien Phu, a short hilltribe trek, Fan Si Pan and a Halong Bay Boat Cruise.
It would focus on local cultures and historic sites, was not demanding but we would have to "rough it" dormitory style in Mai Chau. An extremely reasonable-in-cost tour that sounded great. Peregrine was the tour operator for this trip and Adventure Center immediately sent out packets of information.
Booked it and started planning.
