Mountain biking in Vietnam
| country: | Vietnam |
| location: | North Vietnam, Hill Tribes |
| trip type: | Challenging mountain biking holidays |
| departures: | 2009: 11 Apr, 12 Sep |
| price: | From £1395 (14 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Discover Vietnam at its best on this incredible trip which takes us beyond the beaten track and into the beautiful Highlands of Northern Vietnam.
You’ll be riding on spectacular hillside trails and through lush forest and paddy fields, populated by traditional Vietnamese ethnic groups. Very few travellers see this part of the country and no westerners have ridden this route before. Stunning scenery, undiscovered trails and the chance to stay in some remarkable minority villages make this an outstanding way to discover Vietnam.
This adventure into Vietnam’s far north uses single track and jeep roads to explore a beautiful and undiscovered part of the country. The nature of Vietnam’s countryside, with lush forests and hill-top villages linked by endless trails makes it ideal for two-wheeled travel and allows us to see the country and its people up close.
At first we’ll explore the lowlands, biking through orange groves and tea plantations and stopping off in ethnic Tay and Dao villages on the way. Each day is new, as our local guides and support team lead us on trails never ridden by westerners before. Most evenings we’ll end in a small village or town, where the colourful scene lets you soak in the tastes, sounds and smells of rural Vietnamese life.
As we head further north we’ll skirt the border with China, where awesome scenery and the mountain tribes of White Hmong, Tay and Lo Lo people, make for a fascinating and unforgettable journey. One of the biggest highlights will be the Ma Phi Leng Pass, where the road snakes 1500m above the river Nho Que below.
This is a small group adventure with 4 to 12 in a group.
You’ll be riding on spectacular hillside trails and through lush forest and paddy fields, populated by traditional Vietnamese ethnic groups. Very few travellers see this part of the country and no westerners have ridden this route before. Stunning scenery, undiscovered trails and the chance to stay in some remarkable minority villages make this an outstanding way to discover Vietnam.
This adventure into Vietnam’s far north uses single track and jeep roads to explore a beautiful and undiscovered part of the country. The nature of Vietnam’s countryside, with lush forests and hill-top villages linked by endless trails makes it ideal for two-wheeled travel and allows us to see the country and its people up close.
At first we’ll explore the lowlands, biking through orange groves and tea plantations and stopping off in ethnic Tay and Dao villages on the way. Each day is new, as our local guides and support team lead us on trails never ridden by westerners before. Most evenings we’ll end in a small village or town, where the colourful scene lets you soak in the tastes, sounds and smells of rural Vietnamese life.
As we head further north we’ll skirt the border with China, where awesome scenery and the mountain tribes of White Hmong, Tay and Lo Lo people, make for a fascinating and unforgettable journey. One of the biggest highlights will be the Ma Phi Leng Pass, where the road snakes 1500m above the river Nho Que below.
This is a small group adventure with 4 to 12 in a group.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Hanoi. After being met by your guide, you’ll be taken to your hotel and have time to explore the sights and sounds of this bustling city. |
| Day 2: | Drive to Yen Bai. |
| Day 3-7: | Your Vietnam mountain biking adventure begins. At first we’ll explore the lowlands, biking through orange groves and tea plantations on the way to Ba Be National Park with its limestone karsts and the lush forests of Du Gai Nature Reserve, home to rare Tompkins snub nosed monkey. Accomodation will be simple – in guesthouses and homestays in beautiful ethnic villages. |
| Day 8-12: | As we get further north, we will be mountain biking in Vietnam’s least accessible areas. Skirting close to the Chinese border, we will bike on dirt roads and single track as we go from village to village. The biking culminates with an uphill pedal to the former colonial hill station of Sapa, where we will check in to a hotel after days well off the beaten track. |
| Day 13: | Overnight train from Sapa to Hanoi. |
| Day 14: | Depart Hanoi. Journey ends. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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Cycling is an inherently sustainable activity and is definitely one of the best ways to travel in South-East Asia. Travelling by pedal power ensures you can soak in the scenery and the culture, and enables you to journey through the mountains and villages in an inspiring and unobtrusive way.
Since the beginning of our business six years ago, we have been committed to the principles of sustainable and responsible tourism. Responsibility to the environments, the communities and economies in which we operate has always been and will continue to be at the very core of our business. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |