A full day trek which takes you through some of the Sapa region's most stunning scenery, based around the Thanh Kim valley. It contains the perfect combination of high mountains, narrow canyons, beautiful streams and terraced rice fields. This trek is all about getting up close and personal with the traditional lives of the Black H'Muong and Red Dzao communities.

It is a 12 mile drive at the start of the day and then the first section of the walk is on a large path, winding its way across the high mountainside for about half an hour. Wonderful views of the Thanh Kim valley abound. The going then turns a little more arduous, following a narrow dirt trail uphill for approximately two hours, passing through Lech Mong village - which is in fact three hamlets scattered on the sides of a stunning valley. Here you will meet the Black H'Muong people.

After lunch break in a local house, the walk gets easier as you head downhill and then along large rocky path for about a mile to Lech Zao village, visiting several Red Dzao homes and watching them doing their everyday work; ploughing and harrowing the fields, growing and harvesting rice, weaving and embroidering. The walk back in mid afternoon passes through some stunning terraced rice fields.

This is a wonderful trek, with plenty of opportunity to visit local villages and witness the incredible colours of northern Vietnam. If it is a school day, then you may even get opportunity to visit one of the village schools to meet the children.

This is a full day excursion, of which you would expect to be actually trekking for around four hours.