Vietnam cycling adventure holiday

Planet

By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment. On this trip, some parts of the itinerary stay in smaller towns using accommodation outside of busy cities.

Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing.

We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste, for example eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles and instead providing refills for re-usable bottles.

During our time in the Ha Long Bay area, we visit the Ha Long Women's Association in Hon Gai township. The association is a local sustainable initiative that is committed to cleaning up waste in Ha Long Bay and upcyling any waste where possible into items of value. Our visit helps support the women who are involved and to help ensure the contiuation of this conservation initiative.

We provide clients with a re-usable tote bag at the start of the tour (locally made in Hanoi), offering an alternative to single-use plastic bags and a souvenir to take home!

We choose to travel on the overnight train from Hue to Hanoi as opposed to taking an internal flight.

Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally-sourced food which has not been transported long distances.

Vegetarian and vegan options are available at majority of accommodation and restaurants.

People

The use of a local guide and cycling support team means our customers will be well informed about local traditions, and cultural and social sensitivities.

This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally-owned hotels and restaurants, the emphasis on eating locally produced food and support of other local enterprise.

There is the option to see a traditional folk dancing or water puppet show in Saigon. This encourages local customs to continue and creates employment opportunities.

In Hoi An, we also stop by a shop called ‘Reaching Out’, which sells gifts handmade by artisans with disabilities – helping them to develop their talent and independence.

In Hanoi, we include a farewell dinner at KOTO (Know One, Teach One), which is an NGO that provides a two year course in hospitality, English and life skills training to groups of 16-22 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds. Students also receive accommodation, food, medical check-ups and treatment whilst they are being trained. Many of the 400+ graduates have gone on to continue developing their careers at KOTO restaurants or have gained employment elsewhere with their training so this is a great initiative to support.