Seemaskt,
Thank you for posting your blog! Beautiful photos, amazing travel experience - very off-the-beaten path.

I am really enjoying this and you've added yet another "someday" option to my long list of places to visit!

Beautiful photos. We loved the Mai Chau area.

Seemaskt, how strenuous were the hikes? I enjoy long walks with (interruptions for photos, of course!) but hikes with lots of uphill/downhill huffing and puffing climbs--not my strong point! From your photos, it looks like it was fairly level hike, with gentle hills. Correct?

Seemaskt, amazing pics, amazing trip. Thanks for showing another side of Vietnam besides the usual.

So, tell us about your accommodations and how you made the arrangements for your trip.

Thanks everyone!

CaliNurse, The hikes were long (14 kms each way) but easy with plenty of photo opportunities so definitely along the lines of what you like. The hikes in Sapa were much more strenuous.

CaliforniaLady - I organized the Kho Muong and Bac Ha portion of the trip through Vietnam Stay (also called Aurora Travel). I was very specific about what we were looking for and they recommended Kho Muong. We were very happy with their arrangements.

The accomodations were very basic. We slept in the upper level of a stilt house, on the floor on mattresses above the pig sty. We were given sheets, a pillow and blankets. There was a western style toilet and shower outside that we shared with the group of English cyclists. The food was as fresh as it can get and delicious and we all had rice wine shots afterwards.