Roam
From Hanoi to the Highlands
Vietnam, the North 2024
September 21 - 28, 2024
From the patinaed grandeur of Old Hanoi to the deep hilltribe valleys of Lao Cai province, this week is a master class in the vibrant present and the ancient past. Our hosts will be Hanoians, Hmong, Red Dao, and the people behind Song Cai spirits, the most knowledgeable culinary minds in Vietnam’s north. We’ll track down the roots of pho from black cardamom fields to water buffalo markets. We’ll dine on blue plastic chairs down Bun cha alleys and private dining rooms with Vietnam’s most dynamic chefs. An unforgettable deep dive with the people who know it best.
Our Host
Activist, Distiller, Researcher
Daniel Nguyen
Trip Guide
R&K Co-Founder
Nathan Thornburgh
R&K Trip Itinerary
From the patinaed grandeur of Old Hanoi to the deep hilltribe valleys of Lao Cai province, this week is a master class in the vibrant present and the ancient past. Our hosts will be Hanoians, Hmong, Red Dzao, and the people behind Song Cai spirits, the most knowledgeable culinary minds in Vietnam’s north. We’ll track down the roots of pho from black cardamom fields to water buffalo markets. We’ll dine on blue plastic chairs down Bun cha alleys and private dining rooms with Vietnam’s most dynamic chefs. An unforgettable deep dive with the people who know it best.
September 21 – 28, 2024
Day 1
Sep 21 Sat
WELCOME TO THE CAPITOL
- Metropole Hanoi
- 15 P. Ngô Quyền, Street, French Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
- +842438266919
- Private transfer airport to the opulent Metropole Hanoi
- Welcome cocktails with Nathan & Daniel
- Classic Hanoian dinner on Trúc Bạch Lake
Day 2
Sep 22 Sun
LEARNING THE RHYTHMS
- Metropole Hanoi
- 15 P. Ngô Quyền, Street, French Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
- +842438266919
- Egg coffee experience next to Hoan Kiem Lake at the cafe of the creator’s daughter
- Stroll through Hanoi’s buzzing wet market with a tasting of the best market snacks
- Visit Mr Le Dinh Nghien, last remaining artist of Hang Trong painting
- Dinner of Chả Cá—imperial sizzling fish—a must-have classic of Hanoian cuisine
- Private modernist cocktails with Richard McDonough – a renown molecular mixologist “Mood Therapist”
Day 3
Sep 23 Mon
NOODLES FOREVER
- Hanoi-Lao Cai Sleeper Train
- Early morning Jeep tour of the Old Quarter and French Quarter
- On to Phở Thìn Lò Đúc for the king of breakfasts—Phở—in the glorious delirium of an early-rising, high-energy city
- Lunchtime lesson in how to eat Bun cha Hanoi-style at Ngo Tram Alley
- Siesta, or optional spa time at Hotel Metropole
- Dinner with the best of Bia Hoi snack and beer culture
- Taste Vietnamese cocktail culture at Ne for a cocktail before the train
- Head to the hills where Phở was born with private berths on our sleeper
Day 4
Sep 24 Tue
DAWN IN THE HIGHLANDS
- Hotel de la Coupole
- 1, Hoang Lien Street Sapa District, Lao Cai Province Sapa, 033000
- +842143629999
- Visit the remarkable Si Ma Cai water buffalo market, which foreigners can only visit with special permits (we got ‘em)
- Private lunch of Hmong specialities at the home of Vang Sin Min, our host. This is the heartland of the earliest styles of phở
- Transfer to Sa Pa, the blinking, blistering technicolor good-weird jewel of the north
- Swim in the gaudy hotel pool complex or relax in the in-house spa or just do cocktails
or do nothing - Dinner of Sa Pa speciality grilled meats
- Stagger to bed, full, tired, happy
Day 5
Sep 25 Wed
MOUNTAIN LIFE
- Topas Ecolodge
- Thanh Kim, Sa Pa, Lao Cai, Vietnam
- +84 24 7307 0899
- Wake early to head to the Red Dzao village near Sa Pa
- Roam fields of black cardamom, a key foundational ingredient of phở
- Forage with Red Dzao elder Ly May Chan
- Visit to a traditional Red Dzao home
- Celebratory Red Dzao feast featuring ancient mastery of black pig cookery
- Transfer to Topas Ecolodge, a stunning and sustainable paradise in the hills
Day 6
Sep 26 Thu
RICE AND RELAX
- Topas Ecolodge
- Thanh Kim, Sa Pa, Lao Cai, Vietnam
- +84 24 7307 0899
- Wake up late, no rush, no fuss
- Rice cooking masterclass with Andy Ricker at the resort
- Infinity pool, infinite chill
- Rice wine and rice cocktail tasting at the poolside bar
- Dinner of hotpot in Sa Pa town
Day 7
Sep 27 Fri
BACK TO THE LOWLANDS
- Metropole Hanoi
- 15 P. Ngô Quyền, Street, French Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
- +842438266919
- Wake slowly in Topas Ecolodge
- Swim, sulk, smile, say farewell to the mountains you’ve come to love
- Transfer to Hanoi with halfway northern Vietnamese lunch stop
- Last night epic farewell meal: a private dining experience in Hanoi
Day 8
Sep 28 Sat
GOODBYE HANOI
- One last breakfast at the Metropole Hanoi
- One last egg coffee and Bun cha
- Private transfer to Hanoi Airport