Tour overview

PHONG NHA VILLAGES EXPERIENCE
BY BOAT & BICYCLE

Phong Nha is surrounded by a collection of unique and interesting local villages, which specialize in a variety of crafts and local delicacies. The local people, who rely on the Son River for most of their daily activities, are amongst the most friendly and hospitable you will meet on your travels through Vietnam.

Our Phong Nha Villages Experience by Boat and Bike showcases this unique side of Phong Nha, one that exposes the rich diversity of life beyond the caves. We limit our tours to a maximum of 15 people per tour departure to really give everyone a chance to participate and enjoy the day without crowds of other tourists.

Our tour starts with an early morning visit to Xuan Son market, where you’ll have a close encounter with the towns morning activities. Then get on board and after a short boat trip you will arrive at Xuan Tien Village, where you will learn about local fish farming practices, including the Black Carp and special eel from Phong Nha.

Continue cruising down the river to the very pleasant Gia Tinh Village, where guests will alight from the boat and have a chance to wander through the village with their guide, visiting a craft house where the locals make handmade rattan products. Here the local will show you how to make a product from rattan and you can put your craftiness to test.

You’ll then get back to the boat and float toward Gia Hung village. Here you will have a chance to learn about one of the most impressive churches of the region, if not the country, with its unique local wooden architecture. Then after a short walk, you will get to a local house where they make different types of rice cake. You will have a chance to try making it for yourselves to experience first hand the skills needed to produce hundreds of rice cake per day. You can buy some and bring back on the boat as snack.

Then a delicious lunch will be served on the boat to help you rest and recharge for the next portion of the tour. Our boat will take you back to Lien Trach where you will have some times for swimming. It must be hot after a day of walking around. This is your chance to relax in the cool water of Son River.

You will now head down to Ha Mon boat station then start the afternoon with your bicycles – cycling through very rural farming villages, where buffaloes will compete with laughing children to grab your attention!

This tour is perfect for those wanting to experience local life with a professional local guide – you will not be disappointed!

DETAILED ITINERARY

  7:45 – 8:15 Pick up guests from Phong Nha Village to Xuan Son market
  8:15 – 8:35 Visit Xuan Son market
  8:35 – 8:55 Pick up guests at Xuan Son boat station and boat ride to Xuan Tien village
  8:55 – 9:25 Visit Xuan Tien fish farm
  9:25 – 9:45 Visit Gia Tinh village
  9:45 – 10:25 Walk to local house and learn about weaving rattan products
  10:25 – 10:40 Boat ride to Gia Hung village.
  10:40 – 11:20 Visit Gia Hung Church
  11:20 – 11:50 Walk and visit rice cake house
  11:50 – 12:00 Walk back to boat
  12:00 – 13:00 Have lunch on board while the boat ride to Lien Trach
  13:00 – 13:30 Swimming time at Lien Trach
  13:30 – 14:00 Boat ride to Ha Mon
  14:00 – 14:10 Short briefing
14:10 – 15:40 Bike ride back to Oxalis Home. Tour ends.

TOUR INCLUSIONS

Professional English Tour Guide, 3 – 4 Hour River Cruise, Village Walk, 2 – 3 hour Guided Cycling, Lunch, Water.

Tour excludes personal expenses and additional drinks or beers.

WHAT TO BRING

Comfortable clothes and shoes, Sun scream, hat, sunglasses and bug spray, Camera or phone for picture, Rain Poncho.

PRICE & AVAILABILITY

Guaranteed daily departures at VND 1,320,000 per person with maximum of 15 guests per departure. Bookings essential as tours tend to sell out quickly.