
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. In the late afternoon, we check all bikes and bike testing, then 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 4 hours vehicle drive on the freeway to Xuan Giao- a farm market. Enjoy lunch before we pick up the bikes. We begin our first-day mountain biking. After we quickly leave the Xuan Giao market and cycle along the river, we follow the dirt road winding up the mountain hills, rolling hills to Suoi Thau. The routes are incredible, through remote villages and peaceful valleys. Enjoy fantastic views, green valleys, streams, forests, buffalo on farms, and rice terraces along the way. Then we continue our adventure cycling to Thanh Phu Bridge, turn left on small trails, and keep undulating through 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. We cycle Sau Chua Village, then to Ta Phin and Sapa.
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
Begin our pedal this morning as we head out of town, cycling for the first 25km on a relatively flat road through the landscape of terraced rice paddy fields. Passing through minority villages, we cycle the next 25km up winding roads into the vast limestone mountain range with its perpendicular rock walls, climbing 800m towards the mountain road past "Heaven Gate 1". As we pass through mountain villages, sometimes covered by clouds, we will receive a friendly greeting from the local communities. From the pass, we can look at amazing views, including the famous vista of the Tam Son Valley with the 'Twin Hills, and observe Quan Ba town's countryside. The ride will continue to Yen Minh town. There will be a transfer to Yen Min in the late afternoon.
We set up early today for many highlights and the most natural beauty of the trip. In the morning, it is an incredible ride to cycle into the world-listed Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark's heart and visit the House of Vuong Chi Sinh- the King of the H'mong people, where his family lives. The house is typical of the housing design of the White H'mong people, who prefer to live in spotless homes with graceful handmade rock fences surrounding their gardens. We ride rolling hills, stunning valleys, and the highly breathtaking Ma Pi Leng Pass to Meo Vac mountain cliffs in the afternoon.
After a leisurely breakfast, we quickly visit the colorful hill tribe market before we ride to Dong Van. You are rewarded by pristine nature and magnificent Karst Plateau scenery while cycling ascending to the summit. Stop to visit and explore Hmong King Palace (Vuong Chi Sinh Palace), and then we will continue cycling to Lung Co Pole Flag Tower. After lunch, we ride to Meo Vac. Follow the main road out of town. We will soon approach the street and ascend into the mountain area with incredible scenery and stunning mountain landscapes - Ma Pi Leng– and an excellent opportunity to experience the local rural life of Ha Giang.
A daily market in the town center of Meo Vac is used mainly by the White Hmong, Tay, and Lo Lo hill tribes. Tribal women, well-dressed in their traditional customs, walk and carry bamboo woven baskets filled with corn and vegetables into the town for sale. It's a chance for us to explore before today's ride. We will pass people from the local minority communities along the way dressed in their vibrant tribal costumes. Stop on sideroad to visit a local market or explore the daily life of hill tribal people. After lunch in Bao Lam town, we continue to ride along the Gam River, then the Gam River, and gear up for some gentle hills, sometimes rolling hills, before descending to Bac Me township.
Bac Me is the little valley town by the Gam River, with small suspension bridges over the river and its branches, circled by mountains and peaceful landscapes. One historic site in the rural village is the French Army base and the prison sentenced Viet Minh Politicians. After we check out, we take a short drive by vehicle to Cang Bac Me and visit to learn more about the history of the old French Army Base and its prison before the day ride to Ba Be Lake starts from here.
In the morning, we'll explore the fantastic mountain countryside, jungle forests, and remote villages and enjoy the region's incredible breathtaking scenery on speeding-up winding mountain roads. After lunch in the remote township of Yen Hoa, Na Hang, we continue rolling onto lush valleys, undulate along small rivers and sometimes backwater areas, pass stilt-houses villages and little markets, and the incredible mountain scenery the remote villages offer. The last section is to follow dirt roads to Da Vi villages, where we take 1. hour to rest on vehicles, transfer to Ba Be Lake.
We'll take a boat trip to Ba Be Lake and explore the Puong cave. Then, the cruise continues to Cam Ha Village, where you can experience the peaceful life of the Tay people before getting back on the boat that takes you upstream along the Nang River. The river has slowly eroded the karst, eventually breaking through to the other side and leaving behind a great tunnel of fascinating rock formations. Finish the boat trip and get on the support vehicle at the park gate and head out for lunch before a transfer back to Hanoi.