1,354 kilometers in search of Tam Sac flower in "North Vietnam"

Road Trip "Northern Vietnam" November 5-11, 2018

This trip aims to explore the scenic beauty of northern Vietnam, specifically the roads connecting Ha Giang and Cao Bang. This route includes the renowned Ma Pi Leng Pass, which stretches from Dong Van to Meo Vac. The winding mountain road offers breathtaking views, with sharp curves, oncoming traffic, and steep cliffs, reminiscent of the Leh Ladakh region, albeit with distinct geographical features.

Seven-day travel plan

Day 1: Fly to Hanoi, arriving at 09:30. Explore Hanoi for the full day. At 22:00, take the train to Sapa.

Day 2: Fansipan Half-Day Morning & Half-Day Afternoon at Topas Ecolodge Resort

Three days from Sapa to Ha Giang (Ha Giang)

Day four, Hasan went to Dong Van.

Day five, Dong Van to Cao Bang.

On the sixth day, the glue covered the Ban Sog waterfall and returned to Hanoi.

Flight 7 arrives in Thailand in the morning and reaches Thailand at noon.

The total distance covered during this road trip was 1,354 kilometers.

The cost of this trip is 12,000 baht (luxury travel, no budget).

First day

Take an early morning flight to arrive in Hanoi before noon, allowing time to explore the city before boarding the overnight train to Sapa. From the airport, take a taxi to the city center, near St. Joseph's Cathedral. Find accommodation nearby to store luggage and freshen up before the journey to Sapa. (This area has many affordable hostels.)

St. Joseph's Cathedral ( https://goo.gl/maps/1Z2RZDRqQLC2 )

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Hwan Gyeol Lake ( https://goo.gl/maps/VKzPHGigh3R2 )

At 4 pm, it was time to depart for Sapa by train. The train was a sleeper car with one bedroom that could accommodate four people. Each bed had a charging port at the head. The price was around 900 Thai baht per person. I had booked the train tickets through an agent, and upon arrival in Hanoi, I picked up the tickets and paid the agent.

Hanoi Railway Station ( https://goo.gl/maps/Z5WEHBm2BkF2 )

Day two

The train journey took four hours, arriving at Lao Cai Station at 5:00 AM. From Lao Cai Station, it is necessary to take a connecting vehicle to Sapa town. Taxis, buses, and minivans are available at the station. The journey to Sapa takes approximately 45 minutes. Due to the group size, a minivan was chosen for transportation. The minivan dropped the group off at the reception office of their accommodation in Sapa town. The plan for the morning was to visit Fansipan Mountain.

To reach Fansipan, I opted for a train ride from the city center to the cable car station. The train, operated by Sun World, departs from Sun Plaza (https://goo.gl/maps/MzPejNXBw6C2) in the heart of the city. The train journey takes approximately 10 minutes, offering scenic views along the way. Upon arrival at the cable car station, a 30-minute cable car ride ascends to the summit of Fansipan. The views during this ascent are breathtaking. Reaching the summit requires a short hike, rewarding you with a sense of accomplishment and stunning panoramic vistas.

Train from the city center

Take the cable car up to Fansipan

On top of Fansipan

After descending from Fansipan in the afternoon, we traveled to our accommodation, where a hotel shuttle picked us up from the city center. It took almost an hour to reach the Topas Ecolodge (https://goo.gl/maps/WaJSjrfpZn92). We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the scenery, swimming, and taking pictures at the lodge.

Accommodation reservations can be made directly through the accommodation's website.

Full accommodation review https://goo.gl/tUnzoM

Day Three

Today, I traveled to Ha Giang, a city in the northernmost part of Vietnam, bordering China. My goal was to find the Tam giac mach flower, which blooms from November to January. The journey covered 214 kilometers and took a full day due to the mountainous terrain.

The scenic views along the route between Sapa and Ha Giang.

Day four.

Today, it's time to search for Tam Sac Mac flowers. The flower field is located between Ha Giang and Dong Van, covering a distance of 149 kilometers. Although shorter than yesterday's journey, it's more challenging. It took us more than 12 hours to reach Dong Van from Ha Giang, starting at 8 am and arriving at 8 pm. The stunning scenery tempted us to stop and take pictures frequently.

The route from Hasan to Dongwan

After winding through the mountains for hundreds of curves, several villages finally arrived at the Tam Sac Mak flower field. I must say that I was not disappointed at all with the picture that I saw on the internet. It was exactly the same and very beautiful. The flower field has a backdrop of mountains.

Day five

Today, we traveled from Dong Van to Cao Bang, a distance of 227 kilometers. The highlight of the day was passing through the Ma Pi Leng Pass, which is known as the most beautiful road in Vietnam. As usual, we started our journey early in the morning and arrived at our accommodation at 8 pm. We meandered through the mountains, enjoying the scenery without getting bored.

Day six

This morning, we traveled from Cao Bang to Ban Gioc Waterfall. The waterfall is located 90 kilometers from the city center, and it took us an hour and a half to reach it. In the afternoon, we returned to Hanoi.

Day seven

Flying back to Thailand on an early morning flight.

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