Ba Vi Eco Tour was designed to show travelers the authentic life of Vietnamese villages and to support the local community. Traveling is not just about visiting remarkable places, but also an opportunity to learn something new and understand different cultures. We believe the best way to do it is to experience the local life. At this private Eco tour in Hanoi we have picked up the activities, which show you the different aspects of the local lifestyle and which give you the opportunity to communicate with local people.
“I really felt like I got an insight into the local way of life and it did not feel like a show for the tourist.” _Marie_
Ba Vi district lies about 50 km from Hanoi center on the Bank of Da river and surrounded by mountains, emerald-green rice fields, and tropical gardens.
Harvest tea leaves with Vietnam War veteran
During this trip, you will pay a visit to 3 local families who will introduce you to the daily life and traditional activities of the local villages.
The first stop is at the Ri village, where you will meet Mr. Duoc, who owns the tea plantation. You will have a walk around his farm and will take part in the tea harvesting. Later he will teach you how to roll and dry the tea leaves.
Afterward, you will try the tea made on this farm with some homemade snacks and will listen to the stories of Mr. Duoc’s life. He is a Vietnam War veteran and has many interesting and hear-piercing stories for you.
“On the way home, we visited a Tea Farm, owned by an ex-Vietcong veteran. This was so special asking him personal questions about his experiences in the war. He was lucky to survive a bullet graze to the head & of course the agent orange & other chemical warfare.” _Andrew_
Learn how to cook traditional Vietnamese lunch
Later you will visit another village and your other host Mrs. Chin, who will teach you to cook Vietnamese meals. After cooking you will try the meals you made for lunch at the tropical garden.
“…Mrs. Chin invites you to her home for a cooking demonstration where you get to enjoy your efforts with fabulous lunch in her beautiful garden. You’ll meet people to show you how to make tofu, shell the rice, and make a tradition conical hat! The locals will show you their village, their happy-go-lucky kids in the school playground that are eager to say ‘hello’ and be part of your photo…” _Richard_
After short break Mrs. Chin will take you to the trip around the village, you will meet many people at their workshops and will see what Vietnamese people do for a living and how the local products are made.
Cycle through the rice fields
Afterward, you will have a cycling trip along the lake, rice fields, and banana plantations. On the way, you could enjoy the surrounding sceneries and talk to local people.
After the cycling trip, you will visit your third host Mrs. Chinh, who has prepared a pleasant surprise for you after the cycling trip – a herbal bath for your feet. Mrs. Chinh is a representative of Muong nation and uses their traditional recipe for the bath.
After the relaxing time at Mrs. Chinh’s house, she will take you to a boat trip along the Da river, what will be the last part of this eco tour in Hanoi.
We do hope this trip could bring the travelers a memorable experience and a fun day.
If you want to discover some more authentic and eco-friendly experiences nearby Hanoi of Realistic Asia you could read about Mai Chau – another great destination of Vietnam.
What is your idea about the authentic experience? And what would you want to learn about Vietnam? Please share your thoughts in comments.