Vietnam Northern Highlights

Marie Dubois

France

We did not have a worry for the entire 6 days 4.8

Wanting to get our kids away from video games, internet, and TV, we decided to take trekking package with ATV. Your guides were so capable and experienced, we did not have a worry for the entire 6 days and our kids loved it! The trek really got out kids interested in nature and culture, and the food was great.

Marie Dubois, Paris

4.8

Frieda Lee

Singapore

Thank you Sunny, for helping smoothen the travel experience for us! 4.8

Dear Tony Tran,

I would like to extend my thanks to Sunny's help whilst i was in Hanoi.

She has been very helpful in trying to get the deposit from my credit card information.
Also, there was a bad incident which she helped me out of immediately.
After the Halong Bay cruise, one of the tour operators returned my a US$100 bill, saying that he needs a new note.
The currency that i had, was from the airport exchange counter (Travellex) - so all the bills were the same old version. He wanted me to exchange it for another same note that i had.
I refused, because if he had a problem with it, he should have told me. The travel guide from the cruise helped me speak to a vietnamese exchange counter, who also did not accept my note; my worry is that it may not have been the same note i gave him the day before.

I called Sunny, and she spoke to the travel guide + tour operator. She had solved my problem on the spot by making him take back his note.

As a traveler, these are one of the worries that is not within my control and it would take a helpful, understanding, efficient and well experienced tour staff to handle.
I am very happy of how Sunny handles this situation.
She is #1 in terms of customer service, and placing empathy on the customers needs first.

Please extend my thanks to her on behalf of your organisation as well.

>From my short exposure with Sunny, she is confident and appears to be able to handle projects, staffing and situations that are out of the ordinary. I would say she is a problem solved and a person who takes quick initiative.
I will recommend active travel to more of my friends who travel a lot from Singapore. I hope you will provide Sunny many more opportunities within your organisation so that she can achieve her inate potential.

Thank you Sunny, for helping smoothen the travel experience for us!

Frieda Lee
(Travelled with ATV in Jan09)

4.8

Food
All meals, which are indicated in the itinerary, are included in the price of this trip. While in big towns we will enjoy Vietnamese cuisine in fine restaurants. Once we travel away from big towns, the emphasis will be on healthy and nutritious fresh local produce.

Hotel & homestay
In cities we use the finest 3-star hotels with centre location. Please contact us if you prefer higher hotel categories.
Homestay in villages is simple in term of bedding condition and amenities. We will sleep on beds with mattress, clean sheet, pillows and mosquito nets. Toilet is usually western style.

The junk  
The beautiful Chinese junk functions as a hotel and we would share it with other travelers. We will get twin shared cabin with AC and restroom.
The next day when we go kayaking a smaller wooden boat will support us the whole day. 

The kayak
On this trip we use mainly sit-in, hard-cell, single kayak. However, due to the limit number of the single kayak, the double kayak can be used as alternative. Paddle, life-jacket and dry bag are available.    
++ Important note: The maximum weight per kayak is 125kg (275lb) for Single kayak and 250kg (550lb) for double. For your utmost comfort, we recommend customers from 100kg (220lb) should not take kayaking tours unless you are in very good fit body. Otherwise, we will manage Sit-on Kayaks that are subject to availability. 
more on our different kayak types

The kayaking day
A typical kayaking day starts at about 8.30 am after breakfast. Lunch will be served on support boat or at a beautiful spot depending on the weather. At the end of a kayaking day, we would return to the homestay around 4.30pm.

The trekking day
A typical trekking day start at about 8.30 am after breakfast. Lunch times can vary depending on the terrain. We aim to reach the next overnight stop by 4.30 or 5. During the trek we will have short breaks for rest, snack and photographing.  

Our tour guide
The tour will be led by one of our tour guides who are experienced in guiding outdoor tours in northern Vietnam. He has been carefully trained in this field and is fully licensed in tour guiding by the government. In addition, he has been trained in first-aid by SOS International and he knows how to deal with difficult situations. You will have a great time traveling with him.

What to bring 
Trekking boot, sun block, hat, anti-insect repellent, sunglasses, sleeping bag (optional), rain coat, flashlight, toiletries, original passport,

Note on client safety
We reserve the right to deviate from this itinerary for any reasons, including road and weather conditions, frequency of visits to a village, or for any other factor which may influence client safety.

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