Mountain biking sapa vietnam mountain biking vietnam's northwest

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Mountain Biking Sapa Vietnam - Mountain

Biking Vietnam's Northwest

Mountain Biking Sapa Vietnam

Mountain Biking Sapa Vietnam - Mountain Biking Vietnam's Northwest.

Vietnam bicycle holidays in the far North West of the country offer some of the

best cycling terrain in Vietnam.

Our Mountain Biking Sapa Vietnam route sees virtually no tourists and avoids

Vietnam's notorious highways. The Vietnamese landscape is stunning, featuring

amazing karstic rock formations, stilted houses with thatched roofs, and mountains

nestled between limestone outcrops. This region is home to the highest concentration

of hill-tribe people in Vietnam.

We cycle through villages of H'mong, Tay, Dao and Xa Pho. Vietnam has the

richest and most complex ethnic make-up in the whole of South-East Asia; their

markets and festivals add colour and character to the areas we bicycle through.

The French colonial rulers dubbed these minorities the "montagnards" meaning

high-landers or mountain people. Despite decades of isolation from "outsiders" these

traditional hill tribes show a warm, respectful curiosity to strangers.

Now is the perfect time to visit Vietnam; some areas opened to tourism in the late

1980's but it was only in the late 1990's that a lot of the red tape and travel restrictions

were removed from Vietnam.

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Hotline: +84 915 890 923




Tel: +84 4-3 7545268


The Green Trail Tours Vietnam cyling holiday offers some challenging mountain

biking and a wonderful opportunity to experience the traditional and varied lifestyles

of the people of Vietnam.

Detail Itinerary

Mountain Biking Vietnam's Northwest

Days 1-2: Hanoi

Vietnam’s beautiful and tranquil capital lies at the heart of the northern Red River Delta. It is a city of

lakes and leafy boulevards that still retains an air of French colonial elegance. Its fine coffee and perfect

baguettes have led some to call it the ‘Paris of the East’, but it roots go all the way back to AD 1010.

On arrival in Hanoi, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in the old quarter. This ancient part of

the city is a maze of narrow cobblestone streets each named after a trade or guild. Nowadays it is lined

with tempting restaurants, guest houses, shops and cafes, but the past never seems far away. It is a

charming place to either unwind or visit some its many attractions, among the most popular being the Ho

Chi Minh Mausoleum. We will spend 2 days here before the hard work begins.

Accommodation: Guest House

Day 3: Hanoi to Son La

After an early breakfast we transfer Son La. It’s a fascinating drive past many minority villages as we

climb onto a higher plateau. We pass coffee and tea plantations before arriving in the late afternoon. Son

La was once the site of a French penal colony where radicals and revolutionaries were incarcerated

during French rule.








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The prison was destroyed by American war planes during the Vietnam War (or as the Vietnamese

sensibly call it the American war) except for a lone peach tree planted by an inmate in the 1940s. Since

then the prison has partially rebuilt and a museum opened.

Accommodation: Hotel

Cycling Distance: 42km

Day 4: Son La to Tuan Giao

The ride begins with a 5km climb into the beautiful surrounding countryside. We pass through a

patchwork of rice fields and plum orchards. After the 50km mark we have a 12km, 900m lung busting

ascent. The scenery makes up for the hard work as the rolling land erupts into stunning karst rock

outcrops bristling with trees. The land is home to the Black Thai who originated in southern China.

The women can be glimpsed working the fields in brightly colored dresses and hats, the children riding

water buffalo and the men speeding along on noisy motor cycles. We finish the day with a thrilling 11km

decent before we reach the town of Tuan Giao.


Cycling distance:: 90km

Mountain Biking Sapa Vietnam

Day 5: Tuan Giao to Lai Chau

Once out of Tuan Giao the road deteriorates as we take a spectacular back road to Lai Chau. This road

isn’t well traveled, you first notice this by the increased curiosity and smiling faces and of the people,

making this a day not to be forgotten.

We cycle past rice fields and bananas plantations as we pass through small minority villages of Red

Hmong and Kho Mu. There are two hard climbs today the first starts after 50km with a 5km ascent but the







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Hotline: +84 915 890 923




Tel: +84 4-3 7545268


second, and most challenging comes at the end of this stunning day, with an 8km strength-sapping

climb.

All this hard work is easily forgotten as we finish the day with a stunning descend of 18km on a winding

road into this lush valley of Lai Chau.


Cycling distance:: 98km

Day 6: Lai Chau to Tam Duong

After we leave Lai Chau we cross the Hang Tom suspension bridge and follow the Na River passing

through spectacular gorges and Black Dao villages. The Dao worship spirits and ritually sacrifice pigs and

chickens.

The women clothes are covered with intricate weaving and silver colored beads and coins. It is said the

wealth a women can be judged by the weight of the coins she carries. We finish this long day with a 15km

ascent followed by a gentle 10km ride down to Tam Duong.


Cycling distance: 106km

Day 7: Tam Duong to Sapa

Today is the highlight for many; as we cycle up to the Tram Ton Pass (1,900m; 6,230 ft) the highest

mountain pass in Vietnam, on our way to Sa Pa.

We start with a relatively easy 7km ride before we hit the first of two major climbs. A 8km tough ride sets

us up for the 26km monster climb later in the day. As we start the second climb we slowly start to witness

the beauty of Mt. Fan Si Pan, South East Asia’s highest peak. Often hidden with a veil of moving mist and

fog, we will hopefully get a glimpse of its lofty peaks.

Sa Pa is an old French hill station perched in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains near the Chinese border. Its

position gives it some of the best vantage points to savour the surrounding mountain peaks.



Day 8: Sapa

Rest day.


Day 9: Sapa to Than Thuoc









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From Sapa we start the day’s ride with a 15kms climb to the top of the Tram Ton Pass, stopping on route

to visit the “silver waterfall”. Then it’s a 26kms plunge down to Binh Lu junction. From here we continue

along the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, there are a number of hard climbs but the magnificent

landscape makes the hardship all worthwhile. We finish with a 20kms descent to Than Uyen.



Day 10: Than Uyen to Tu Le

We follow the valley out of Than Uyen until the road begins to wind up into the hills. This rugged terrain of

dense vegetation brings us into contact with the Black Hmong and the mysterious White Tay people who

are famed for their folk music, poems and songs. We end the day at Tu Le.



Day 11: Tu Le to Nghia Lo

Today we pass large white limestone mountains as we explore the “real Vietnam”. We will cycle through

meandering roads before we finally end the day in Nghia Lo. It sits on a mountain ridge overlooking the

Red and Black River and is home to the Thai, Nung, H’mong, La Ha and Ma peoples.



Mountain Biking Vietnam's Northwest

Day 12: Nghia Lo to Yen Bai

The route today day takes us on the back roads to Yen Bai. A spectacular road through undulating terrain

of tea plantations, lush forests, rice fields and gum trees.







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Hotline: +84 915 890 923




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Day 13: Nghia Lo to Hanoi via Tran Phu

Our last day in the saddle takes us back to paved roads through the rolling terrain of tea plantations lush

forests, rice fields and gum trees used for paper production. We finish cycling early in the afternoon, then

transfer back to Hanoi.



Day 14: Hanoi

After breakfast you will be transferred to the Hanoi International Airport for your flight home. Those

wishing to extend their visit to include Halong Bay can do so at an additional cost. Halong Bay is often

called the eighth wonder of the world and once visited it is hard to dispute this claim.








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Mountain biking sapa vietnam mountain biking vietnam's northwest