Hidden Treasures Around Hanoi

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Hidden Treasures Around Hanoi

A Tour through Vietnam's Beautiful North East

19th April 2016

Dear Travel Partners,

Today, I would like to present you a Vietnam Tour which is especially suitable for repeat clients, as it offers the possibility of an in-depth experience and a route which differs from the normal itineraries - Hidden Treasures Around Hanoi.

The duration for this tour will be 7 days/6 nights and it can easily be combined with further modules or a beach extension, which is what I had decided on when doing this tour some time ago. Also, in case your clients have special requests like different accommodation options or additional days, please note that we are happy to provide you with a flexible, tailor-made offer.

For myself, the reason to go on this tour was to get a better understanding of Vietnam's Northern area, especially around Hanoi as my previous Vietnam stays were very focused on South or Central Vietnam. In addition, driving times are not as long as if you are going up to the far North of Vietnam and this was an important item for me in order not to lose any time on the road with only 7 days to explore.

My friend and I started our trip in May, which is in general a very good season for the northern region of Vietnam with a mild climate in Hanoi and the chance to soak up some sun rays in Halong Bay. It is recommendable to visit this area either in spring or fall as it can get very hot and humid during the summer months.

Hanoi - Charming Capital

After arriving in Hanoi, we had a night's rest in Vietnam's charming capital to get accustomed to the time difference and to relax after the long distance flight.

In case your clients haven't been to Hanoi yet, a city tour can be organized on an optional basis. For a short stay like this we recommend a hotel located near Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter as the clients have the possibility to explore the Old Quarter with dozens of restaurants, shops and cafés by themselves in the evening and are able to enjoy the magical atmosphere on Hoan Kiem Lake.

Mai Chau - Rice Fields and Water Buffaloes

On the next day, were brought to Mai Chau (driving time approximately 4 hours), an idyllic region surrounded by rice paddies and lush rolling hills. Mai Chau is also a famous weekend getaway for Hanoi's locals in order to escape the hectic city life. We stayed here in a small, idyllic White Thai village called Pom Coong with a local family living in a traditional stilt house. While taking a stroll through the village we quickly got into contact with the friendly inhabitants and, extending our walk to the surrounding rice paddies, were able to learn something about the work of a rice farmer - including an encounter with a Vietnamese water buffalo. In Mai Chau, you can definitely feel the pulse of nature and will be awoken by the crowing of the roosters.

Day 3 started with a 2.5 hour bike tour through the valley and adjoining villages in order to learn more about the history and the traditions of the Vietnamese ethnic groups living around Mai Chau.

After the tour, we were welcomed at a local house for lunch with the family which gave us the opportunity to once again experience the Vietnamese hospitality and try some specialities of the Northern cuisine.

A little sad we said our farewells and continued our tour in direction to the bustling City Ninh Binh.

Ninh Binh - Caves and Grottoes

Here, we stayed a total of two nights in order to experience the area with an amazing mixture of nature and culture - pagodas, temples and grottoes, to Name only a few. And of course we couldn't miss the famous karst landscape of the so called "Dry Halong Bay". At Van Long Nature Reserve we took a tour with a classic rowing boat, passing wet rice paddies and impressive rock formations.

Halong Bay - Squid Fishing and Bike Tours

The third and last stop of our trip was the world famous Halong Bay. Even though I had visited this World Heritage Site before, I decided to get to know the bay in more detail by spending two nights on the water. And we definitely did not regret this decision - being spoilt with warm, sunny weather and an extensive activity program on board with my personal highlight: a biking/trekking tour to Viet Hai Village on Cat Ba Island where we were able to learn a lot about the local plant and animal life.

Back to Hanoi and Farewell

After this amazing experience we were bound back to Hanoi for our onward flight in order to spend some well-deserved days on the beaches of Phu Quoc Island in the south of the country. But this is another story...

I hope I was able to awaken your interest in the region around Hanoi and will be happy to send you the detailed program for your clients upon request.

You can reach me via email: veronica@focus.asia

This newsletter was also a great way to introduce myself to you.

I have joined the Munich Sales Team in March 2016 and am excited to sell our wonderful destinations in cooperation with you all.

After my studies of Tourism in Munich, I first got in contact with Vietnam and the whole Indochina region working for the German tour operator FTI Touristik in their Asia product. I left FTI after five years in order to pursue new challenges and to get more acquainted with the areas of Sales & Marketing working for an US-based tour operator selling roundtrips world-wide and for a marketing agency specialising in destination marketing.

Now, I am more than happy to be reunited with my favourite destinations - on the DMC side of things and I'm sure that my experience will help me for a smooth induction phase.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

My best regards,

Veronica Riedrich

Head of Team Sales Europe

Focus Asia Munich Office

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