VIETNAM CYCLING HOLIDAYS

Day 1: Day tour in Hanoi

Today visit in the fascinating 36 –street quarters of the city, enjoying the atmosphere of an age-old town and the unexpected views of moss-grown traditional architecture among the modern facades of shops, hotels: an old Buddhist pagoda, a family chapel, or an old, graceful house nestling under a frangipany tree..

The people of Hanoi still somewhat preserve their traditional style of life. You find here roadside tea stands that cannot be found any longer in any other cities in Vietnam, flower and fruit vendors walking from house to house crying their wares.. Hanoi also boasts the best foods of Vietnam: “pho”, “chả cá” [grilled chopped fish], fried pork rolls.. Also enjoy the best opportunities for shopping here. (L/D). O/n Hanoi.  

Day 2: Hanoi- Mai Chau (80km cycling)

Shuttle from Hanoi to Luong Son. Get on your bike and start cycling for 80km  on Highway 21 to Mai Chau. Do not miss the chance for a look at the system of dikes along the Red River. For ages since the ancient times the Vietnamese have been building hundreds of kilometers of these dikes to ward off the floods of the rivers. From Kim Boi district on, stunning limestone karsts and green hillside gardens start to appear on both sides of the road. Mai Chau is home to the Thai group. Unlike the Viets who chose to inhabit the plains and consequently were deeply influenced by the Chinese culture, this ethnic group keep to the mountainous areas, live in houses on stilts and preserve well their traditional customs. Enjoy their home-made wine in clay jars, to drink with long stalks, steamed sticky rice with pork..You can also do some shopping here for the mountaneer’s products , ethnic brocade bags, bamboo-woven utensils.. Cycle around to visit the local waterfalls, rock cemeteries.. (L/D); O/n Mai Chau.

Day 3: Mai Chau- Cuc Phuong- (80km cycling)

Cycle on Highway 15 to Cuc Phuong. Along your way enjoy the breath-taking scenery typical of limestone terrain of the North. Cuc Phuong is Vietnam’s first forest is home to an amazing diversity of flora and fauna. Visit Cuc Phuong Primate Rescue center to see the great help the center’s staff have given to the preservation of the rare, endangered kinds of animals and vegetations here.

Day 4: Cuc Phuong- Hanoi (80km cycling)

On this biking lap, enjoy cycling part of the way through the fantastic green  rain forest of Cuc Phuong for Lam Kinh. This place saw the famous national hero Le Loi’s successful insurrection against the Chinese domination in the 15th Hochiminh Trails through mystic primitive forests of Cuc Phuong, Ma legend river, Thai still house villages..until lunch time , have lunch at a local home and head back to Hanoi. End trip.