Vietnam Itinerary

Wednesday July 25
Saigon, 25 Miles
Bike fitting and ride to Cuu Chi Tunnels. Transfer back to Saigon. After Chu Chi Transfer to Dalat


Thursday July 26
Dalat, 31 miles, Hotel Novotel
Dalat was once a favoured retreat for the French, especially during the hot summers. It was once known as Le Petit Paris and is now a popular honeymoon destination for the Vietnamese. We arrive in time for lunch while our staff set the bikes up. In the afternoon we ride quiet back roads along the Langbian Plateau, passing along side the Xuan Huong Lake in the shadow of Langbian Mountain. The ride takes us past flower farms and vegetable gardens, through smaller villages and past picturesque churches and ornate cemeteries, up cobbled streets and past old colonial buildings. We stay in a beautifully converted French colonial Villa.


Friday July 27
Nha Trang, Ride to Phan Rang Transfer to Nha Trang, 67 miles,Nha Trang Lodge
Setting off on our bikes from the hotel we ride along quiet roads out of Dalat. There are some stiff but short climbs followed by some outstanding descents to take us back down to sea level. There are some fantastic views and beautiful mountain scenery before we reach the Cham towers of Po Klong Garai. Those arriving early may have time to explore take some time to explore the crumbling Hindu temples. We then drive to Nha Trang, the resort town where we can enjoy a more lively evening.


Saturday July 28, Tuy Hoa
Ride/transfer to Tuy Hoa, 52 Miles,Hotel Cong Doan
An early start takes us on a wonderfully scenic ride to the beautiful fishing village of Dai Lanh. We are riding on Highway One today and there will be some traffic on one side contrasting with the best of rural Vietnam on the other. There is just one short climb in an otherwise smooth days cycling and you will be surprised how easily you cover the 80 kilometres. We will have lunch on the beach. Most people will spend the rest of the day swimming and relaxing but serious cyclists might want to ride the last 45 km into Tuy Hoa town.



Sunday July 29, Qui Nhon
43 miles,Life Resort
We transfer out of town past the busy and dusty section of Highway 1. We turn off the main road and cycle a loop to Ba To Town. The road is extremely quiet and people unaccustomed to the sight and sounds of cyclists. It is truly a pioneer ride. Looping back to H1 we transfer the rest of the way in the afternoon to Qui Nhon

Monday July 30
Hoi An, Ride My Lai loop and transfer to Hoi An, 55 Miles
We transfer from Qui Nhon to Quang and start the ride to My Lai, the site of one of the worst massacres of the American/Vietnam War. After a guided tour of the site and museum, we continue cycling out into the Vietnamese countryside. We stop to visit an interesting pagoda. The rest of the ride is through quiet, rural villages before eventually looping back to the main highway. We transfer the rest of the way to Hoi An, arriving in time for lunch. The afternoon is free to explore Hoi An. The town was known as Faifo to early western traders and was one of Southeast Asia’s major trading ports during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was an important point of call for Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese traders and the architecture reflects its cosmopolitan past. More than anywhere in Vietnam, Hoi An retains the feel of the past. There are over 844 structures of historical significance and most people spend the day wandering around and enjoying the sights and atmosphere.

Tuesday July 31,Hoi An, Free day or ride My Son loop, 33 miles
Staying another night in Hoi An, we ride out of town to visit My Son, the ancient centre of Cham civilization. We ride through small back roads out of town. We transfer out of town to avoid the highway before cycling along scenic country back roads past paddy fields and through eucalyptus forest passing many scenic villages. The road climbs away from the coast offering stunning views. We ride and as the road cuts a gorge through the lush jungle alongside the Song Tranh River. Eventually we arrive at My Son, which was once Champa's greatest city. Although many of the temples were destroyed by American bombs, there is still enough of the archaeological site to impress most visitors. We take lunch before spending the afternoon visiting the site. In the afternoon we ride back to Hoi An.

Wednesday August 1 ,Hue
Ride coastal road to Hue, 62 miles,Saigon Morin
This is probably the toughest ride of the tour but is also one of the best. We transfer beyond Danang to take on the High Van Pass. Climbing 500 metres above sea level, we enjoy stunning views of the South China Sea. The afternoon downhill is just reward. After lunch we turn off the main highway and take a coastal side road for 44 km almost all the way to our destination. Energetic riders will make it all the way into Hue, the old capital of the Ngu Yen Dynasty.La'Residence.

Thursday August 2, Nam Dinh,Boat trip. Night train, 19 miles
We take a day off to explore the historical city of Hue. The main sight is the citadel, where huge walls contain the Forbidden Purple City, where only emperors, eunuchs and concubines were allowed to enter. In the early evening we regroup to transfer to the train station where we board the reunification Express for the overnight train to Nam Dinh. The train is a fun and comfortable way for us to travel 600 kilometres into the heart of North Vietnam.Ride 30 Km Sleeper Train. B D.

Friday August 3, Cac Phuong,Transfer ride Ninh Binh to Cuc Phuong, 37 miles
National Park
We arrive in Nam Dinh late in the morning. We then transfer to Ninh Binh. The area around Ninh Binh is famed for its spectacular karst scenery. Soaring limestone mountains jut straight out of the paddy fields. We ride amongst this extraordinary scenery to the ancient city of Hua Lu. After a quick visit we continue on country roads to the National Park at Cuc Phuong where we visit the primate rescue centre before checking into our accommodation at the Park.

Saturday August 4 ,Haiphong,Ride and transfer to Haiphong, 37 miles
Harbourview Hotel
From Ninh Binh we head east, riding some interesting backroads through North Vietnam. You will notice the difference between North and South Vietnam immediately. The villages are poorer and people dress quite differently; suddenly everyone seems to be sporting a pith helmet. The ride is a very pleasant meander through the back roads of North Vietnam. We pass through many rice fields and follow country back roads past poor but friendly villages. Later in the afternoon we jump into the bus to transfer 3 hours to Haiphong, one of Vietnam's major ports.

Sunday August 5, Cat Ba, Ride across Cat Ba Island, 22 miles
Sunrise
First thing in the morning we cycle and traverse numerous rivers by local ferry to the harbour to reach our private boat to Fulong, on Cat Ba Island. The island is at the southern end of Halong bay and contains one of Vietnam’s most beautiful national parks. We disembark at Fulong and cycle 22 kilometres taking one of the island's only roads. We pass through some lush jungle scenery and get stunning vistas across Halong bay. The road is small and we hardly encounter any traffic at all. Lunch on board.Ride up to 35 km. Sunrise Hotel. B L D.

Monday August 6,Hanoi,Guoman Hotel
We spend a truly memorable day on a boat cruising through Halong Bay. The awesome limestone karst mountains rise dramatically out of the emerald sea. Halong bay is one of the most incredible natural wonders of the world. Legend has it that it was formed by a great dragon that descended from the mountain into the sea. The boat trip is a fitting reward for all our exertions we then transfer from Halong to Hanoi by road

Tuesday August 7, Hanoi