Depart from Ha Noi at 7:30 am, and we'll transfer 2 hours to rural village outskirts of a rural village in Luong Son. The first-day ride starts on country paths, rustic countryside to Cao Ram village, passes impressive karst limestone mountains and rice paddy fields, then we pedal, along mountains, lush deep valleys with rice terraces. We cross the Boi River and undulate the rural farms down to beautiful valleys stretching to Bo township, where our lunch break with 30 km of the morning ride. Following lunch is 1.5 hour's transfer to Thung Khe, which offers impressive mountain views. We explore spectacular mountain forests on a minor road with less traffic, challenge some small hills to Noong Luong before we get off the road, and ride a few km on single tracks to Ban Lac, where the White Thai ethnic group inhabits stilt houses.