Vietnam cycling holiday through rice fields, villages and mountain areas
Rice terraces around Mù Cang Chải
The terraces of Mù Cang Chải are a beautiful sight from the bike. But they are also fields where people work every day. They have been built on the mountain slopes over generations. The Hmong, Thai and Dao are among the peoples who live in this region. Cycling here, you pass villages and fields that are part of this landscape. Your local guide can tell you more about the region along the way.
Sapa and the Sìn Hồ plateau
Sapa is known for the rice terraces on its mountain slopes. In the valleys lie villages and fields where daily life carries on as you ride through. The Sìn Hồ plateau shows another side of northern Vietnam: high, mountainous and with roads that keep giving you a new view. Here you really notice why cycling in the north is both beautiful and sporty.
The rocky landscape of Hà Giang
In Hà Giang the green of the valleys gradually gives way to a landscape of limestone mountains. Around Yên Minh, villages lie among the hills. At the Mã Pí Lèng pass you look out over steep rock faces and the Nho Quế river far below you. This is one of those places where you get off the bike for a moment to take in where you are.
From Pác Bó to the Bản Giốc waterfalls
In Cao Bằng you ride through green valleys and between limestone mountains. At Pác Bó you can learn more about the time Hồ Chí Minh spent here. Further on, on the border with China, are the Bản Giốc waterfalls. The water falls in broad tiers, with the mountains in the background.
Ba Bể: another side of northern Vietnam
Ba Bể National Park centres on a large freshwater lake among forested limestone mountains. From a boat you see how the forest runs right down to the shore and discover the landscape from a very different perspective. Tày villages also lie around the lake.
A culinary journey of discovery
Food lovers will be well rewarded on this trip. In Vietnam you can enjoy pho (noodle soup), fresh spring rolls and plenty of fresh herbs such as coriander and mint. In Laos the cooking is more robust. The staple food is sticky rice, which you are welcome to eat with your hands. It is often served with laap (a spicy salad of minced meat and herbs) or papaya salad.
From northern Vietnam to Laos
On our 17-day combination trip you ride from northern Vietnam towards the border with Laos. Along the way you pass the rice terraces of Mù Cang Chải, the mountains around Sapa and Điện Biên Phủ, among other places. After the border crossing the landscape changes: in Laos, river valleys, villages and limestone mountains follow one another before you reach Luang Prabang.
The roads feel different too. In northern Vietnam you ride a lot on narrow paved mountain roads with steep gradients. In Laos, tarmac alternates with rougher surfaces. It is that transition between the two countries that makes this trip special.
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