The Epworth Medical Foudatio Charity Challege: Vietam Hike & Hill-tribes For Orthopaedic Research A cultural experiece like o other: visit remote ethic hilltribes, hike through stuig valleys ad past tumblig waterfalls, die o traditioal Vietamese cuisie A chace to make a differece: raise fuds that will directly help orthopaedic patiets at Epworth receive the best possible care, ad have all the support they eed EMF Charity Challeges www.emf.org.au/challeges
explore taste Jourey from Haoi to the beautiful Sapa Valley, with majestic views, distictive rice terraces, colourful markets, remote hilltribes ad stuig waterfalls Relish the may flavours of traditioal Vietamese cuisie, ejoy home-cooked meals i hill-tribe houses, savour local produce from cor fields ad tea platatios laugh discover Forge ew friedships ad stregthe old oes through the commuity ad camaraderie of the road, ad the mutual experiece of this extraordiary adveture Discover rare 1000-year-old temples; tour Haoi s Old Quarter by bike; visit a remote hill-tribe school; explore vibrat, colourful markets; swim uder moutai waterfalls World Heritage ruis give rest At the ed of the day s trek, ejoy traditioal meals cooked by local chefs, ad rest your head i a rage of comfortable accommodatios, from lodges to homestays With every kilometre, you will be helpig to esure that orthopaedic patiets at Epworth cotiue to receive the best possible care through cliical trials ad research
What is this challege? The Epworth Medical Foudatio Hike ad Hilltribes Challege is a ie-day trek i orther Vietam, through Haoi ad the stuig Sapa Valley. It is a uforgettable adveture through colourful cultures, breathtakig sceery, ad delicious local fare. Begiig with a visit to the 11th Cetury Temple of Literature i Haoi, we will tour the historic Old Quarter by cyclo (bicycle taxi) before takig a overight trai ito the stuig Sapa Valley. Here we will meet may of the remote ad colourfullydressed hill-tribe people; explore traditioal markets; hike past stuig rice terraces, tea platatios ad moutai waterfalls; ad experiece a taste of rural Vietamese life. Fast facts Dates: 2 to 11 March, 2016 Trip duratio: Days hikig: Locatio: Challege grade: Accommodatio: 9 days 6 days Vietam Moderate Lodges ad homestay Total cost: $6090 + air taxes ($2500 is tax deductible ad the full amout ca be fudraised) Beeficiaries: Orthopaedic patiets at Epworth Where the moey goes The fuds you raise for the Epworth Hike ad Hill-tribes Challege will fud vital research beig udertake to improve the treatmet ad care we provide to orthopaedic patiets at Epworth. EMF ca help you The Epworth Medical Foudatio staff are able to aswer ay questios you may have as well as provide you with all the support you eed as you fudraise for your challege. Please cotact Deborah Brow o telephoe 03 9426 8169 or email deborah.brow@epworth.org.au who will be happy to talk with you. EPWORTH MEDICAL FOUNDATION [ 3 ]
Full itierary The EMF Hike ad Hill-tribes Challege is a fully-guided challege, suitable for ayoe who is i reasoably good health ad fitess, ad able to participate i five to seve hours of daily walkig. Itierary highlights Breezy cyclo tour through Old Haoi, with bustlig markets ad water puppets Trek to mist-shrouded moutais with hilltribe villages ad local markets Homestay i Ta Va ethic hosts ad traditioal meals Visit a village school over Silver Stoe Mout, with Red Dzao ad Hmog childre Cycle ride aroud the breathtakig Mai Chau Valley, visit a former muitios cave [ 4 } EPWORTH MEDICAL FOUNDATION Day 1: Arrive Haoi, Vietam Upo your arrival i Haoi, your guide will be waitig to trasfer you to your hotel. Accommodatio: May de Ville Old Quarter Hotel (deluxe) Dier provided Day 2: Haoi Old Quarter afteroo city tour Start the afteroo with a visit to a 11th Cetury relic: the Temple of Literature, which was built i homage to the Chiese scholar Cofucius. At almost 1000 years old, the temple is oe of the few remaiig examples of traditioal Vietamese architecture still stadig i Haoi. Next is the Ngoc So Temple, set o a tiy islad o the picturesque Hoa Kiem Lake. We will reach the temple by crossig the Huc Bridge, which literally meas Place Touched by Morig Subeams. We ll be told the leged of a emperor, a magic sword ad a giat turtle, ad how the islad got its ame. After the temple visits, we will ejoy a breezy cyclo (Vietamese bicycle taxi) tour through the Old Quarter s 36 streets, a place where Haoias buy everythig from oodles to light fixtures ad Buddha statues. The Quarter s streets were amed for the products that were sold i their shops ad, today, vedors o Ti ad Bamboo Streets still sell the same wares. We will ed the day watchig a delightful water-puppet show, a traditioal art that is still beig performed today, before boardig a overight trai to the border tow of Lao Cai: the gateway to Sapa. Accommodatio: Overight trai from Haoi to Lao Cai Breakfast ad luch provided (ow dier o trai) Day 3: Sapa to Tava We start walkig o a small path dow the valley to the Muog Hoa River ad from here to the Black H mog village. Black H mog is oe of the biggest miority groups i the Sapa area. They are proud of their culture ad keep their traditios ad way of livig. They have their ow laguage ad wear traditioal idigio blue clothig. After visitig the village we cotiue to Ta Va village (1200 m) to visit the Zay people. We stay overight with a local family i Ta Va ad have our dier here. Accommodatio: Homestay Breakfast, luch ad dier provided Total hikig: Approximately 15km
Day 4: Tava to Sapa After breakfast we cotiue to visit the Red Dzao people at Giag Ta Chai. Here, we also stop at a waterfall. The Red Dzao wome wear colorful red embroidery ad cois o their clothig. O their head they wear a red scarf. Some of the wome have shaved off their eyebrows because of a Red Dzao Leged. We cotiue alog small paths i the rice fields, cross the Muog Hoa River ad trek up to Su Pa where you will meet the jeep ad trasfer to Sapa. After luch the day s trek begis with a leisurely walk dowhill to My So village, which belogs to the Xafo ethic group. The Xafo are oe of the smaller ethic groups i orther Vietam, ad most visitors to Sapa do t have the opportuity to meet them. From My So, we cotiue walkig aother 90 miutes to the Red Dzao village of Nam Toog for luch. We the desced to Ba Ho village for a welleared dip i the earby La Vie waterfall. Accommodatio: Chau Log Sapa Hotel (Deluxe) Breakfast, luch ad dier provided Total hikig: Approximately 15km Day 5: Sapa Valley Full Day Tour Today we explore the valleys of Sapa with a trek that takes us to visit the Tay miority ad the Red Dzao. We drive to Su Pa, the startig poit of our trek ad commece our walk dowhill through picturesque moutai sceery. Stop for a chat with the Tay people of Ba Ho village ad see their houses built o stilts. The cross the suspesio bridge over the river ad ejoy luch i a local home where we get a peek ito the daily lives of the people. After luch, we walk through rice terraces to Red Dzao village for a cup of tea ad chat before loopig back aroud to Ba Ho village ad uphill to Su Pa where our car will be waitig for us. Accommodatio: Chau Log Sapa Hotel (Deluxe) Breakfast, luch ad dier provided Total hikig: Approximately 15km Day 6: Sapa (Lech Village) We travel by car for half a hour out of Sapa through spectacular moutai sceery of Hoag Lie Natioal Park to reach the Silver Waterfall. Whe the water level is at its peak from May to October, the falls cascade i log ribbos over 100m to a series of pools below. We ca access the falls through a series of walkways ad ladders to get that perfect photo! Travel o to Love Waterfall, a favourite place for couples takig weddig photos. The series of cascadig waterfalls are a spectacular sight. The regio is also well kow for its cool climate fruits, ad o the way we stop at a local orchard for a cup of tea ad chat with a farmer. We the cotiue to Heave s Gate at 2047m, it is the highest stretch of road i Vietam with paoramic views over the surroudig valleys. O a clear day, there are picture postcard views of Mout Fasipa, the highest moutai i Vietam. At 5.30 i the afteroo, we take the shuttle-bus to Lao Cai for the overight trai back to Haoi. Accommodatio: Overight trai from Lao Cai to Haoi Breakfast ad luch provided (ow dier o trai) Day 7: Haoi to Mai Chau (optioal cyclig trip) Upo arrival i Haoi, our guide will be waitig to trasfer us to our hotel, where we will have breakfast. After breakfast we head towards Mai Chau, a less-visited variatio o Sapa. The ride from Haoi to Mai Chau takes about four hours, through beautiful, lush sceery. We will arrive at the Mai Chau Lodge at oo ad ejoy a freshly prepared luch. You may choose to relax this afteroo, or take a cyclig trip aroud the coutryside. Mai Chau offers a mix of culture ad adveture, i stuig Vietamese sceery. We will discover waterfalls, towerig limestoe moutais, rice paddies, corfields, bamboo groves ad terraced tea platatios. Our lodge is a rustic-but comfortable retreat with a outdoor pool ad Roma-style Jacuzzi. Ejoy a dier of Vietamese ad iteratioal dishes, followed by traditioal dacig by members of the local ethic-miority group. Accommodatio: Mai Chau Lodge Luch ad dier provided Total cyclig (optioal): Up to 25km depedig o preferece ad weather coditios Day 8: Mai Chau full day tour After breakfast, we head ito the surroudig tropical coutryside to visit a cave i which North Vietamese soldiers used to store muitios durig the Vietam War. Mai Chau sits ear the Vietam-Laos border, where the North Vietamese Army shuttled supplies ad material to fellow troops statioed further south. We will the have the optio of visitig a village of the local ethic miority group to lear about their lifestyle ad farmig methods. Luch will be served either back at Mai Chau Lodge, or i the home of a Thai ethic group family. Sped the rest of the afteroo relaxig at the lodge s pool or saua, or just readig a book o the patio. Accommodatio: Mai Chau Lodge Breakfast, luch ad dier provided Day 9: Mai Chau to Haoi After breakfast at the Lodge, ejoy a getle trek to Lac ad Pop Coog, two villages of the Thai ethic group. Meet the villagers ad ejoy a chat over a cup of tea, to lear about their culture ad traditios. This is a uique experiece, where we will be able to see iside their homes ad watch traditioal farmig methods up close. Our Mai Chau Village Walk eds with luch at the Lodge before we retur to Haoi late i the afteroo. Depedig o flight times, we will either trasfer to the airport for the flight home, or book a day-room at a Haoi hotel. Breakfast ad luch provided Total hikig: Approximately 5km EPWORTH MEDICAL FOUNDATION [ 5 ]
Helpig orthopaedic patiets at Epworth with every kilometre By takig part i the OrthoSport Victoria Hike & Hill-tribes Challege, you will ot oly ejoy the adveture of a lifetime: you will also be helpig to support importat medical research at OrthoSport Victoria. OrthoSport Victoria is a group of Melboure orthopaedic surgeos with extesive expertise i both sportsrelated ad degeerative problems. They specialise i treatig problems with the kee, hip, shoulder, foot, akle, had, wrist ad elbow, as well as sports ijuries, arthritis surgery, ad trauma ad limb recostructio. The surgeos at OrthoSport Victoria are committed to udertakig ad supportig research alogside their cliical practice, ad each surgeo persoally doates to the OrthoSport Victoria research fud every year. They are ow workig o a umber of ew, importat research projects that will improve the way we uderstad ad treat ijuries ad post-operatively rehabilitate both the upper ad lower limbs. I have walked the Great Ocea Road ad hiked the Great Wall of Chia with Epworth doctors ad woderful groups of people who wat to make a differece for others. These trips have truly bee advetures ad so much fu where I have made ew ad geuie frieds. I would really ecourage you to experiece the challege. Scott Bulger [ 6 } EPWORTH MEDICAL FOUNDATION
Reserve your place o this adveture To take part i this extraordiary adveture through orther Vietam, you simply eed to meet a miimum fudraisig target of $6090. This covers all the costs of your trip, icludig flights to ad from Melboure, ad provides vital fudig to orthopaedic patiets at Epworth. Of course, we wo t stop you from raisig more tha this amout! You ca be cofidet that every cet will be used to help orthopaedic patiets at Epworth. There are two ways to pay for your adveture: [1] Simply pay for it yourself, as you would ay other holiday (although this will be a LOT more memorable tha ay other holiday!). If you do so, $2500 of this cost will be tax deductible. [2] Fudraise some or all of the amout. Whe you do so, ay doatios that others make towards your challege will be tax deductible. If you d like to fudraise for your trip but do t kow where to start, our professioal fudraisers will provide you with the support ad resources to make it easy ad stress-free. Iclusios Iteratioal retur flights to Haoi Twi-share accommodatio Tours ad trasfers by air-coditioed vehicle Cyclo tour i Haoi All etrace fees where applicable Fully-escorted Eglish-speakig tour guides Air-coditioed bus with experieced driver Ulimited drikig water o trek ad cycle Soft-sleeper four-berth air-coditioed trai cabi Meals as idicated i the itierary Not icluded Air taxes Travel isurace Vietamese visa Driks at meals Other meals ot specified i the itierary Gratuities, such as tips to guides ad driver Get started today To joi this challege today, or for further iformatio o this challege or fudraisig ideas o how to reach your target, please cotact the Epworth Medical Foudatio: Deborah Brow, phoe 03 9426 8169 or email deborah.brow@epworth.org.au Register ow To sig up for this adveture please complete the form overleaf with your cotact details ad retur together with your $500 deposit to the Epworth Medical Foudatio. EPWORTH MEDICAL FOUNDATION [ 7 ]
make a differece today Yes! I would like to take part i Epworth s Vietam Challege for OrthoSport Victoria I am uable to take part, please accept my taxdeductible doatio to the cause Name:... Address:... Telephoe:... Email:... Date of Birth:... Eclosed is my o-refudable deposit of $500 Doatio of $... towards the cause Made by: Eclosed cheque / moey order made payable to the Epworth Medical Foudatio Credit Card Mastercard Visa Amex Diers Card Number:... Expiry:... /... Cardholder:... Sigature:... Please retur registratio ad deposit to: Epworth Medical Foudatio Reply Paid 84307 89 Bridge Road RICHMOND VIC 3121 Disclaimer: I uderstad that I am participatig i this evet at my ow risk ad I will subsequetly provide evidece of my travel isurace. Epworth HealthCare will ot be held resposible or liable for ay loss, damage, delay or ijury, icludig death, that may result from my participatio i this evet. Tel 03 9426 8169 Fax 03 9427 9253 Email emfifo@epworth.org.au Web www.emf.org.au/challeges Your support saves lives.