Located about only 17km from Hanoi, Song Phuong vegetable village is part of Song Phuong Commune, in Hoai Duc District, Hanoi. Here, you will join this half day tour. During this tour, you will have opportunity to visit a local market, have a look at Vietnamese farmers while they are working, chat with hospitable people, cook their traditional dishes and share peaceful moments with the Ms. Manh family. Leaving the peaceful village, we come back to the city center, at slow-pace and enjoy the charming environment, with lovely landscapes and lakes. Hanoi personifies the spirit of historic Vietnam in the temples, monuments and pockets of ancient culture along the narrow streets of the Old Quarter, but perfectly reflects the rapid changes sweeping through the country as Hanoi “Yuppies” sip their cappuccinos in roadside cafes and chat in their cell phones.
Detailed itinerary:
This morning, you leave Hanoi center and drive about 35 minutes to the west of the city. It is about 17 km from the old quarter to Xuan Phuong vegetable village. Upon arrival, you will meet the host at our meeting point and she will show you a local market since Le King Dynasty. It is the most famous market in the region where many traditional items are for sale. If on market days (two or three times per week, on other days this market is not too crowded), people from all the surrounding villages would come here to trade. People bring dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, ducks, and bamboo baskets to sell. Everyone is excited to meet each other on that day. You will be surprised about this bustling and colorful market which is working under the canopy of the old tree. You will see old women chewing betel and areca nut and blacksmiths working hard with their bright brazier. Right next to the market is a nice vegetable farm. We take a tour around vegetable fields, where varieties of products are grown, including: bitter melon, corn, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, green peas, snake peas and corn, as well as fruit gardens with oranges, pomelos, papaya and more (depending on the season to grow different crops)., You will learn more about the background of vegetables and you may have a chance to help a farmer working on his field. Afterwards, we go to her house for cooking some delicious dishes. She will teach you how to cook some Vietnamese dishes using simple and traditional recipes. Enjoy local fresh vegetable, fruit, make traditional cake and talk about Vietnamese family’s customs together. After that we return to Hanoi.
