Terra Nova Travel

Professional trip designing for the inquisitive, independent and intrepid

Womens Tour of South East Asia

Book CoverView a copy of the commemorative tour book of this trip here. (6.9Mb file)

TempleKarmaQuest is proud to offer a 17 day customized cultural tour of Laos and Vietnam, specially designed for Christina Wilson and friends. This is the fifth collaborative tour organized jointly by KarmaQuest, Christina and Terra Nova Travel. More than two years in planning, this one-of-a-kind travel experiences takes you on a journey into Southeast Asia’s most vibrant and well-preserved cultural landscapes, including two UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Luang Prabang and Halong Bay), to Hanoi with its French colonial charm and lingering history of arts and craftsmanship, and to picturesque northern Vietnam hillside ethnic villages around Sapa where ecotourism programs are working to better people’s lives in environmentally and culturally appropriate ways.

Interwoven with these cultural highlights are specially arranged visits to villages and centers where traditional weaving and hand-stitchery techniques are still practiced and promoted. We’ll learn about the region’s rich history of textiles from experts, and will see the colorful weavings being worn and sold in village bazaars as well as in boutique outlets where traditional patterns have been adapted to modern Western tastes.

Throughout the trip, we’ll travel by a variety of means, from floating on the Mekong River, to an overnight train ride to Sapa, to a night on a charming ‘junk’ in Halong Bay. The trip is rated as moderately adventurous, requiring the ability to walk on well-maintained village trails on two 4 km/2.5 mile long day-hikes; and a sense of openness to different ways of life, with flexible expectations and patience. Travel in Southeast Asia is rich in both anticipated and unanticipated opportunities. Your safety and comfort is always our top priority.

Trip leadership is provided by Wendy Brewer Lama, owner of KarmaQuest Ecotourism and Adventure Travel, and Ecotourism Specialist. Wendy has worked for the past twenty years in Asia in community-based (eco)tourism development and has led numerous trips throughout Asia. Local sightseeing/tour guides will provide expertise from each country, and resource people will be invited to speak on special-interest topics. In keeping with KarmaQuest’s, Terra Nova Travel’s and Christina Wilson’s travel ethics, we’ll visit social service project sites where your purchases and donations will help support programs that benefit disadvantaged people, particularly women, and help to support cultural, environmental, and wildlife conservation. An (optional) group donation to a selected social service non-profit is encouraged.

ITINERARY

Day 1-2: Arrive in Bangkok Feb 2-3 ,2009 (Monday –Tuesday)

Upon arrival, take a short shuttle bus to Novotel Suvarnabhumi airport hotel for check in. The remainder of the day/night is free to catch up on rest after a long flight.

Day 3: Bangkok –Chiang Rai via TG130 @1415/1535 Feb 4 (Wednesday)

The morning is free time. Later, we’ll gather for a group briefing and will transfer to the airport for the short flight to Chiang Rai. Upon arrival in Chiang Rai, we’ll transfer to the hotel for check-in. Now is a good chance to take a walk along the river or into town, or perhaps for a massage, a spa treatment or a swim in the hotel’s swimming pool.

Day 4: Chiang Rai to Pakbeng on Luang Say Cruise Feb 5 (Thursday)

Mekong vistaAfter a breakfast of fresh Thai fruit and goodies, we’ll take the morning shuttle to the pier and after immigration procedures, will cross the river to Hueixay (the Lao side). At 9:00 am, we’ll depart on a boat ride down the Mekong River to Pak Beng, Laos. Along we way, we’ll stop to visit hill tribe settlements. A delicious buffet lunch will be served on board. The boat will arrive at LuangSay Lodge before sunset for an overnight stop. Dinner is served at the terrace overlooking the Mekong River.

Day 5: Pakbeng-Pak Ou-Luang Prabang Feb 6 (Friday)

Full breakfast is served at the lodge. (Optional: walk to Pakbeng market, where people from the surrounding minority villages exchange their goods). At 8:30 a.m., we’ll re-board the boat for the second leg of the cruise. A short stop will allow you to discover a H’mong village before having a buffet lunch on board. Continue to Pak-Ou village at the mouth of the Nam Ou River, and then visit Tam Ting "Cave of a Thousand Buddhas." On the way to Luang Prabang a brief stop is made to observe the traditional process of manufacturing local rice alcohol. Arrive at Luang Prabang before sunset.

Day 6: Luang Prabang Feb 7 (Saturday)

Alms GivingOur four night stay in Luang Prabang gives ample time to take in the city sights and surroundings. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, Luang Prabang is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional Laotian architecture and European colonial styles of the 19th and 20th centuries. As part of the UNESCO plan, new buildings have been limited and development must be in keeping with this magical place.

Rise early in the morning to join in the local custom of alms giving: when local people give alms to the Buddhist monks who carry bowls for the collection of their food as they walk through neighborhoods early in the morning. It is a belief that in order to gain merit before they start their daily life, people normally go to a Buddhist temple, or, they – and we -- can earn merit in this way.

After witnessing the Alms Bowl giving on the streets, we will be transferred to a quiet monastery - the Wat Ba Pat nestled on the shores of the Mekong River. Here we can make an offering in the local tradition. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast, we will set out for Phone Say village. Hidden along the Mekong River, just a few kilometers from the Luang Prabang downtown, Phone Say appears to be one of the most intact traditional Lao villages in the area. Here most women weave textiles while men make fishing traps for fishing on the Mekong River. This charming village cannot be reached by vehicle but just half an hour walking from the main road brings us to another part of the world, with the rattling sound of weavers’ looms.

We will stop at one of the most skillful lady weavers in this village, Ms. Ting, who inherited a hand-weaving skill from her mother 30 years ago. After visiting her workshop, we’ll enjoy a home-hosted lunch cooked by her younger sister Mrs. Bounkhong, who is teaching cooking at a college in Luang Prabang.

TempleReturn to Luang Prabang. In the afternoon, we’ll set out to visit National Museum, the former Royal Palace which houses the collection of valuables, including the famous Prabang Buddha statue and gifts received from foreign dignitaries (the US gift is of a bit of moon rock). We’ll also visit Wat Visoun, the 16th century temple that served as a small museum for religious artifacts, and Wat Aham, the early 19th century temple whose two guardian figures at the foot of the steps represent two characters from the Ramayana – Hanuman, the Monkey God and a fierce Yaksa. We’ll visit Wat Xiengthong, the 16th century temple, which more than any other temple in Luang Prabang, epitomizes all the elegance and grace of Luang Prabang architecture.

Time permitting, we’ll visit the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre (TAEC) - the first exhibition space and fair trade store dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation, and presentation of the traditional arts and lifestyles of Laos. We’ll end the day at Phousi Hill - climbing 328 steps to the summit of Phousi Hill which dominates the sky-line of Luang Prabang providing the finest panoramic view in the whole city!

Day 7: Luang Prabang Feb 8 (Sunday)

After breakfast, we’ll take a morning drive (15 km/10 mi) outside of Luang Prabang to the Elephant Park Project, located on the banks of the Nam Khan River. Xieng Lom was established in 2003 to protect the Asian elephants in Laos. As the forests disappear, the elephants which used to help with logging can become neglected. The camp’s aim is to give these elephants a brighter future. So far six elephants have been freed from logging work and given a new home in the park. Experienced mahouts (elephant keepers) and vets help the elephants adapt to their new environment.

Elephant rideThis project brings the elephants a more comfortable retirement by providing professional medical care, nutritious food, caring staff, and a natural environment. It also provides jobs to local people and supports the community, as well as helping support rural development in Luang Prabang. Most importantly, the project provides both communities and local businesses with an example of sustainable tourism and how to successfully link conservation with tourism.

As well as protecting the Asian elephant, all tours benefit the communities in the area. Guides, cooks, mahouts and maintenance staff at the Elephant Park come from the surrounding villages. The Elephant Park has also funded construction of the community's water supply. Profits from the project also help fund nearby Xieng Lom School. In the future, the Project plans to convert elephant dung into biogas, fertilizer and even paper.

Wash dayAfterward, we’ll continue to drive (125 km/ 78 mi) to visit Ban Nanyang village, inhabited by the Lu people, a minority tribal people originally from Yunnan, China dating back to the late 18th century. We’ll walk (on an easy trail) to the village of 500 inhabitants where they grow their own cotton for weaving. Each household has 2-3 weaving looms underneath the stilt house. This Lu village has its own weaving style, of which they make special table cloths, wall hangings, scarves, etc. We will spend a few hours here visiting from home to home and interacting with local people about their traditions and effort to preserve the traditional craft over the generations.

We’ll return to Luang Prabang, and this evening, will enjoy a Barci ceremony at Heritage House. This special ceremony also called Soukhouane is one of the most charming ceremonies in Laos, usually held during Lao New Year festival, but also at any auspicious time, such as for those who will take a long journey or have just returned, and especially for welcoming guests. This is for blessing for good health and happiness.

Day 8: Luang Prabang Feb 9 (Monday)

Today will be a full day free at your leisure to explore this pleasant and walkable city on your own, to do shopping, to linger and visit some of the many temples, or to have a massage and just to rest. Luang Prabang has many lovely small streets to explore, cafes, bookstores, and textile sales shops. Some ideas to choose from:

Kopnoi, is the name of a beautiful boutique-gallery, located in the village of Ban Aphay in Luang Prabang, near L'Etranger, Books & Tea, which carries a large selection of books on Southeast Asia. When visitors trade books, they offer cash, or credit on books, food and drinks.

CAMACrafts is a non-profit, self-help project that markets handicrafts made by Lao artisans. Products are entirely handmade using traditional patterns and techniques, such as appliqué, cross stitch, embroidery and batik. This work provides employment for more than 250 women, an estimated 70% of whom are the only cash earners for their families. Money earned from the handicrafts is largely used to send their children to school, and to provide food and medicine for their family.

Tum Tum Cheng Lao Food Restaurant and Cooking School in Luang Prabang gets its name from the early morning sounds of drums and cymbals played by the monks at the nearby Xieng Thong Temple. The cooking school has been open since 2001, and focuses on traditional Lao recipes as well as Lao fusion dishes.

Option: Those who wish can take an all day weaving class, an introduction to all dye sources and silk yarns. After lunch an introduction to the loom, and spinning. Weave a placemat featuring a traditional Lao motif. Take home the results.

Day 9: Luang Prabang - Hanoi via VN868 @1515/1605 Feb 10 (Tuesday)

This morning, we’ll have free time again until your transfer to the airport for the flight to Hanoi (check out time 1200PM). Upon arrival, meet and transfer to the hotel for check in. Evening at leisure.

Day 10 Hanoi Feb 11 (Wednesday)

Hanoi street scene by Chuck KuhnHanoi lies in the mighty Red River Delta and has a turbulent history going back over a thousand years. It is a charming city and graded by many parks and lakes, and the Old Quarter still features some magnificent French colonial architecture. Our first visit is to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (subject to availability). We’ll walk via the beautiful Presidential Palace to visit Uncle Ho’s simple Stilt House, where he lived off and on between 1958 and 1969 and the lotus-shaped One Pillar Pagoda known as the Temple of Love. It emerges from the water and rests on a single stone pillar. Then, continue to visit the Temple of Literature, to have an overview of Hanoi culture and history. We’ll also visit Quan Thanh temple, established in the 12th century and if desired, Tran Quoc pagoda, one of the oldest Buddhist pagodas in Vietnam.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit to the beautiful Museum of Ethnology with its unique presentation of objects and dress from a variety of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups. We’ll stop in at an Art Vietnam gallery and then explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter by cyclo and on foot. In the 13th century, Hanoi’s 36 guilds established themselves here, each taking a different street, like Silversmith Street or Coffins Street, Fish Street.

In the evening, we’ll attend a water puppet show, a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form especially designed for depicting scenes from rural life and many episodes of national history – an opportunity to enjoy interaction with the puppeteers after the show.

Day 11: Hanoi/ Hanoi – Sapa via Victoria Train Feb 12 (Thursday)

Duong LamIn the morning, leave Hanoi for a day trip to one of the oldest villages surrounding Hanoi, the ancient village of Duong Lam, also known as a museum of laterite homes. Around 300 houses were built three or four centuries ago with lateritic bricks. A journey to Duong Lam village is a trip to trace back the origins of Vietnam's culture and Vietnam's traditions. This is also the great chance explore the architecture of ancient houses while wandering along the village’s narrow alleyways, visiting temples dedicated to the two kings born there, and chat with locals living in the ancient houses. Enjoy a home-hosted lunch with one of the local families there.

Return to Hanoi and the remainder of the day is free at leisure until we transfer to the Hanoi Railway for the night train to Sapa.

Late check out at Quoc Hoa till 18:00PM

Day 12: Lao Cai - Sapa Feb 13 (Friday)

SapaWe’ll arrive early morning at the Lao Cai station, near the Chinese border. We’ll disembark, and take a scenic drive up to the hill station of Sapa. Along the way, enjoy the spectacular views of rice-terraced mountains and Black H’Mong and Red Dao hill tribe people dressed in their colorful outfits, walking along the roadside. After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll drive to Ta Phin, a village of the Red Dzao hill tribe people, to visit and learn about the community-based tourism project under sponsorship of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). There we’ll see Red Dao women weaving their beautiful brocades and will walk around the village visiting some local houses and even a local cave. Return to Sapa and lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we’ll walk through a Sapa market then slowly downhill to Cat Cat, a village of the Black Hmong hill tribe overlooking the valley. We’ll visit a local house and old French built hydro-electricity station en route. Late afternoon, we’ll drive back to Sapa. (Note: hiking is rated moderate about 4 km/2.5 miles in all.)

Day 13: Sapa Feb 14 (Saturday)

Today we’ll visit more ethnic hill tribe villages, and walk the scenic countryside. We go by Russian jeep to Su Pan, where we start descending to Ban Ho village. We’ll walk through the village and experience the daily life of the Tay minority. We then will cross the suspension bridge and walk through the rice fields up hill until we reach the Red Dao minority village - Nam Toong. We’ll start descending and will pass the river before trekking up hill to Nam Keng, while enjoying the spectacular views towards the valley and the Xa Pho village. The guide will prepare a delicious lunch in a local Xa Pho house. After lunch we’ll start our journey back to Sa Pa, where we arrive in the afternoon.

Day 14: Lao Cai – Hanoi via Victoria Train Feb 15 (Sunday)

Bac Ha marketToday’s outing is a highlight of our visit to Sapa. In the morning, we’ll enjoy a 3-hour drive to Bac Ha. On arrival in Bac Ha, 130 km from Sapa, we’ll visit the colorful market of hill tribe people such as Flower H’Mong, Phu La and Dao Tuyen who gather here to barter and exchange goods. After a packed lunch, catered by our hotel, we’ll drive to Trung Do and and trek 4km/2.5 mi to visit its village – inhabited by the Tay minority. From the village we go by boat on the river Chay for an hour and a half, where we’ll see magnificent caves, and the “raining waterfall.” The boat arrives at Bao Nhai from where we’ll drive back to Lao Cai to visit the century-old banyan tree, the park of the 12 zodiac-signs, and the China-Vietnam border. Then, we’ll transfer to Lao Cai International hotel to freshen up before taking the overnight train back to Hanoi.

Day 15: Lao Cai – Hanoi via Victoria Train-Halong Feb 16 (Monday)

Halong JasmineArriving early morning in Hanoi, we’ll transfer to Quoc Hoa Hotel for a quick freshening up and breakfast. After breakfast, we’ll drive around 3.5 hours to Halong City with a coffee break en route at a local coffee shop. Arriving by noon at the quayside, we’ll board our deluxe junk where a welcome drink awaits. After a relaxing break, we’ll enjoy a delicious seafood lunch while cruising through Bai Tu Long bay recalling the famous Indochine film featuring charming Actress Catherine Deneuve. Later there is an opportunity to go trekking or swimming at Soi Sim Island. Then, we’ll continue to visit Hang Doi water tunnel by rowboat. Around 6:30 pm, we’ll dock for overnight and will enjoy dinner on board.

Day 16: Halong – Hanoi/Hanoi – Bangkok via TG685 @2035/2225 Feb 17 (Tuesday)

Halong BayWe’ll rise early to catch the sunrise on the bay and enjoy a Tai Chi demonstration on the sun deck. Relax with a cup of hot coffee or tea. We’ll then depart for a visit to the splendid Sung Sot grotto and a quick glimpse of a nearby fishing village. Afterward we’ll have a late buffet brunch on board while cruising back through Halong Bay to the pier.

Arriving at the pier around 11:00 am, it’s time to say goodbye to the crew. Return to Hanoi with vehicle /guide ready to take us for further sightseeing until our transfer to the airport for the evening flight to Bangkok. Upon arrival, we’ll take a short shuttle bus to Novotel Suvarnabhumi airport hotel for check-in.

Day 17: Departure Feb 18 (Wednesday)

We’ll rest at the hotel until our homeward or onward flights depart (Check out time: 12:00PM.)

End of services.

Title