Mountain Biking
Biking Sapa- Ha Giang, North West & Far East Vietnam
Our adventurous mountain cycling trip to the North and East regions will begin in Hanoi- Vietnam country's political and capital city. This evening, we'll get to know the group over our first dinner at locals. Your tour leader will make a brief tour.
We depart early today at 7:00 AM in Ha Noi with 3 hours vehicle drive on the freeway to Xuan Giao- a farm market. Then, turn on a minor road where we begin our first-day mountain biking. Explore the outstanding tribe village of Thanh Phu where Tay People and Red Dao people are living. The routes are lovey along the river. Enjoy fantastic views; green valleys, streams, forests and buffalo trails through rice terraces along the way. Then we continue our adventure cycling to Thanh Phu Bridge, then turn left on small trails and keep undulating though mountain areas to Topas Riverside Lodge Homestay.
Today is a whole challenge day because Sapa is more than 1000m above the level sea. We cycle on windy and hilly paths through tribe villages; Su Pan, Ta Van Village and Lao Chai. We make many stops at tribes home for tea breaks, experience local life and learn the culture of each tribe. Enjoy beautiful landscapes and peaceful scenery surroundings when you enjoy breakfast and coffee at your homestay. We stop at a village of Black Hmong to view amazing mountainous landscapes and terraced rice field’s scenery before continuing the rest of today to Sapa town.
check out of the hotel, a short transfer to the T-Junction, turn left on the road DT155, and ride to Ba Khoang and then Ban Xeo villages in the morning. We challenge mountain hills as we cycle on winding gravel roads, along hillsides through Ban Khoang. The village has untouched forests and rice terraces and it's also the home of the tribal Red Dao people. Then continue biking on amazing routes, down to Ban Xeo, turn right on DT158, and keep exploring the local life along an incredibly scenic road that is more down than up. The last section is cycling along the river-China border to Lao Cai city.
Have an early breakfast, check out, for vehicle transfer to outskirt of Lao Cai. Enjoy spectacular mountain views, lush hillside orchards before a big challenge day. Our biking adventure on a paved and mountainous road challenges some hills and farmland. Discover the mountain hills, meet tribes at their farmland, view breathtaking landscapes, and learn the rich ethnic culture at tribe local markets on the way to the Coc Ly market. (On Tuesday) We'll spend time to see how Ethnic people exchange goods. Locals bring their buffaloes, cows, dogs, horses, chickens, and cates to trade with each other. Animals could be exchanged if they are the same valued. The Weekly market is open every Tuesday. It's an imposing market. Then we continue to ride on single tracks to Bao Nhai Bridge and turn off to Bac Ha town. Upon arriving at Hotel, check in and explore the city on your own for the rest of the day.
Today, we start with a short vehicle transfer west to Lung Phin for an off the beaten track mountain riding to Xin Man. the rural Dist, located right on the Vietnam & China border. There are some hills with incredible picturesque landscapes between Ha Giang and Lao Cai provinces. We bike to explore one of the most remote parts- a homeland of local ethnic groups; Nung, the Flower Hmong, the Tay and the Ha Nhi tribes. Enjoy every minute on today' ride; breathtaking view of the Hoang Su Phi terraced fields, a national heritage, one of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam. The epic landscape of rice terraced fields and architecture of the peaceful scenery created by man and nature over thousands of years. In the after, we carry on our adventure mountain biking along a quiet road that gently climbs and follows the river to the town of Hoang Su Phi.
Today is another great ride as an adventurous journey. We ride to smell and taste Hoang Su Phi, Dong Van karst plateau Geopark and Mu Chai, the National Rice Terrace Heritage. We’ll ride on fascinating routes and challenge incredible passes before we ride down to Ha Giang. We’ll feel that we are on top of the world. Hoang Su Phi is one of the most areas of outstanding natural beauty and unspoiled traditional life. It is also the removed East-West region of Vietnam. Most of the ethnic groups are still using traditional ways of cultivating rice plants. Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark is world-famous. It is a mysterious landscape along the Chinese border- a natural combination of conical limestone peaks and deep, beautiful valleys. Mu Cang Chai- the most beautiful of rice terraces fields, and it had listed National Heritage of Northeast Vietnam
After your healthy breakfast, we do check out for another great ride to discover the fantastic natural scenery of Ba Me and Bao Lac. About 10km riding up gentle hills and the rest of the distance to Ba Me is on undulating roads. We cycle and enjoy fascinating landscapes passing through villages to Bac Me Township. After lunch in town, we continue riding on the tarmac road to Bao Lac. There are plenty of impressive views surrounded by limestone formations, villages, farmlands, and mountain peaks undulating the road along Gam River. Stay a night in Bao Lac town.
Have breakfast at 7:00 am and check out for our last day adventure trip with a short support vehicle that transfers us to the peak; we ride on quiet undulating roads and enjoy beautiful mountain views and scenic villages. Lunch is in the town of Nguyen Binh. Our adventure cycling will continue, but our guide will figure out and choose the best time to transfer to Ba Be Lake. We'll stay overnight in the beautiful village of Pac Ngoi
After breakfast at the home-stay, we take a short walk to pier, where your private boat will be waiting. We get on board to cruise on the lake. On this boat cruising, we will listen to many species of birds' singing and enjoy the peaceful landscapes. The boat comes to Puong Cave which is a massive 30 meters high. The cave is an impressive feature of the area, and if you are lucky, you can see some of the bats. Then, our enjoyable boat trip will continue to Cam Ha village, where the home of Tay people. The cruise continue upstream the Nang River. The boat trip is ends at the gate where we hop on the support vehicle, transfer to local restaurant for lunch before a 4.5 hours drive back to Ha Noi.
Today is your return home. After breakfast, spend the rest shopping, and relaxing until a pick up for transfer to the International Airport to fly home. Tour End!
Two third of the mainland of the country are mountain ranges, tropical forests, remote hillsides, and valleys in northern Vietnam with sparse population. Most small towns, cities in the northwest and far north near the Laos border, and the Chinese are homes to hill tribes. Most rural gravel roads and dirt tracks are the primary means of transport for locals due to peak mountain ranges, slopes, deep valleys, and sparsely populated. Many roads are closed to traffic because of rivers, streams and high mountains, while the minor and high roads are less traffic. Mountain biking tours in northern Vietnam are on-road and off-road, and fewer off-roads in rural Districts where rural roads are unsafe and dangerous.
Hanoi and North Vietnam have two distinct winter and summer seasons. The relaxed but primarily dry winter lasts from November to April when temperatures average 17-22°C, the coldest months being December to February. With hot and humid, summer lasts from May to October, and the highest rainfall is from May to August.
In the Northeast, the rainy season usually occurs in May and will end in August with heat and low humidity, while the Far North begins from June to August. The rainy season is from June to August in the Far North, and the cold winter is from December to February.
North West and Far North Vietnam's agricultures depend on the wet season, particularly rice crops on terraces. Rice plants need plenty of water to grow and develop themselves. The yearly rice crop in North West and the Far North is only one crop and will begin after the first rainy month to make the soil more workable before seeding starts. The different times to seed the rice plants are from 2 weeks, depending on locations, high or low terraces, how much water is from raining or getting from streams and rivers.
The best time to explore North West & Far North Vietnam is the farming season, not at the beginning, with too many rains and young seeling rice plants only. From the early September to last October are the harvest seasons. Here are the opportunities for travellers to admire stunning colourful rice terraced fields, lush country farms, green rainforests, waterfalls, and vast vegetations. Travellers also meet hill tribes on farms and their homes.
Private Support Vehicles
We organize cycling holidays, cycling adventure trips and mountain biking tours. All are flexible with luxury, fully air-conditioned vehicles to support riders on the entire journey. It depends on how many riders are in the group, and the vehicle support services will be well-arranged to satisfy your travels. There are air-conditioned 16-seat van/minibuses to take up all riders, luggage, and a truck to hold all bikes during the trip.
Every morning, the vehicles will transfer you out of the bustling city, and then you will ride to explore the stunning countryside, and you will back on the vehicles to avoid traffic in town when the daily's ride ends in the late afternoon.
Every 20 - 25 km, the support vehicles will be waiting at the high road if you are tired and really would love to ride on A/C van. Your guide will escort you to vehicles easily because many country back roads are linked to the main roadways where keeping vehicles are on standby.
Then you can relax on a support vehicle when others in the group can continue cycling as long as they wish! You will meet the others at the next point/ destination where you love to re-join the group and continue to ride.
All your luggage/ suitcase and day bags are safe on the vehicles and well kept by the company's drivers and its team.
2 to 4 riders in a group
There is only one A/C 16 seater van to take up all riders, luggage & suitcases, and bikes. There are four rows of seating for passengers on the A/C 16 seater van. Two people sit on each row. The third row is for luggage and suitcases. The last row of seats will be folded up, so all bikes will be uploaded here.
A medium group tour: from 5 to 7 people
There will be two vehicles to support riders on the entire trip. One 16 seater van to take up all riders, luggage & suitcases. Another truck to carry all bikes, spare bikes, tool kits, icebox to keep cold drinks, and so on
A large group tour: 8 to 14 people
One minibus to take up all riders, including luggage & suitcases, and one truck to carry all bikes, spare bikes, water, cold drinks, and snacks...Iceboxes
A group has more than 15 riders and more than 20 people
We provide two vans and one minibus, and one truck to escort large groups of riders and help ensure their safety. Our pro guide will motivate a team with support vehicles to bring the best services to riders.
Giant MTB & Trek Hybrid MTB Bikes & Gears
Trek Hybrid MTB Bikes - Wheelsize 700c x45/1.95 - Gravel tires
Giant MTB Bikes - Wheelsize 27.5 x 1.95
