Sapa Vietnam nothwest Mountain Bike,we ride from Hanoi - Lao cai - Sapa - Than Uyen - Tu Le - Nghia Lo

This itinerary takes you over the Tram Tom "Heaven's Gate" Pass (highest point of Sapa road to Laichau province, around 2,000 m) to explore the other side of Mt. Fansipan (highest mountain in Indochina), where few tourist ever been.

Quite road, big adventure, a lot of fun. So expect plenty of curious faces and smiling children shouting “Hello!".

Often when Sa Pa is shrouded in cloud and fog, this side is clear and blue. Descend through one of ’s most picturesque and inspiring valleys. The partially rocky road meanders along the base of the mountain range past old growth forest and through the villages of Thai, H’Mong and Lu ethnic minority people.

Testimonials of this trip

Joe:
That was a great tour. I have a few shots that I thought turned out pretty well. The smiling kid is from the valley we dipped into after I banged my head—you probably know the name better than I do. And the remote countryside is just a few kilometers before we stopped for lunch on the last day. The rest should be easy to figure out. I’ll send more pictures when I have time to review them
Best wishes and have a great 2009.
I’ll keep in touch.
Rick

Itinerary

*Night 1*	8:30pm – Depart at Marco Polo Office by private coach to Ha Noi Railway Station to catch the night train (soft sleeper with air conditioning) to Lao Cai.
*Day 1*	(B,L): Laocai- Sapa (+-60km): 5.30am or 6am - Arrive in Lao Cai. After breakfast ride off road to Sa Pa . Overnight in Sapa hotel
*Day 2*	(B,L): Sapa - ThanUyen (+-90km) Ride down 80km of occasionally rocky road to Than Uyen , a charming little tea town where you'll spend the night in Than Uyen local Hotel .
*Day 3*	(B,L): Than Uyen -Tu le (+- 90 Km) Breakfast in hotel and starting ride down to Mu Cang Chai - Tu Le through valleys of old growth forest, tea plantations and rice paddies. After 90 km we arrived Tu le . Overnight in Tu Le local Hotel
*Day 4*	(B,L): Tu le - Nghia Lo (+-55km ) We will cycle through undulating road 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. Overnight in Nghia Lo
Day 5	(B,L, D): Nghia Lo - Yen Bai (+-65km) A 70 km ride down other side of the spectacular Khe thang Valley provides plenty of time to stop and take pictures of the local sights. Arrive in Yen Bai .Overnight in YenBai hotel.
Day 6	( B,L): Yen Bai - SongThao - Hanoi (+-55km) A ride down other side of the spectacular Red river side, plenty of time to stop and take pictures of the local landscape. Arrive in SongThao, time for lunch before taking Mini Bus to Hanoi. End of Services.

Tour Cost

Guide tour

Group Size

3-5

6-10

Price /person

860USD

740USD

690 USD

Self guide tour

Group Size

Price /person

560USD

Note:

1) Self guide tour only have Hotel with breakfast, minibus stand by, bicycle

2) Prices are based per person, double occupancy, with a separate cost for solo travelers. If you are traveling in a group but prefer single accommodations, a single supplement fee applies. Triple accommodations are not available in many of the destinations we visit.

Best time to go

From Aug to May

WHAT'S INCLUDED

	English speaking local guide
	Accommodations in hotels in Hanoi, home stays and local hotel around trip as mention with breakfast
	Meals as mention with B= breakfast, L= Lunch, D= dinner.
	Drink as water, coffee, tea, energy drink by nutritional gel, juice
	Sightseeing and activities as noted in the itinerary
	Ground transportation
	Additional guides where necessary
	Entrance fees and permits
	Basic medical

WHAT NOT

International airfare; meals not noted on itinerary; Vietnam visa; insurance other than basic medical ; optional tipping to leader, guides and local staff; excess baggage charges; international airport taxes; cost of medical immunizations; items of a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.).

Bike Hire

Trek4500, Giant Yukon including in tour price, Cannondale F3 pay 110 USD, Giant XTC team 90 USD.

Bikes suggest : XC hardtail, Freeride , All mountain

If you bring your bike please ensure that you bike is in good working order before you leave on tour. If you are not the most mechanically minded we suggest that you get your bike looked at by a professional bike mechanic. In particularly we would suggest looking and adjusting all wheel spokes, greasing all your bearings, checking your brakes/gears cable, tighten all nuts and bolts, check chain, quick release clamps, tires and put in new inner tubes and check wheel rims are not worn. In addition make sure the bike is well serviced and ride it with as much care and attention as possible.

Gears checklist

Total Distance

+-420 km

Number of cycling days

5 full days

Average Daily Distance:

65km

Off Road

Max. Altitude

2,000 metres

Road Surface

This tour follows a mix of asphalt roads, broken roads, , and long cycling uphill . You should be confident of your physical condition and bike handling skills.

Support

One or two 16-seat air-conditioned transit vans converted to take bikes and bikers.

Group Size

Minimum 2. Maximum 8.

Staff

English speaking Vietnamese cycling leader plus guide and support team.

Accommodation

1 nights in comfortable tourist class train, 4 nights in basic tourist class hotels, All accommodation in hotel has a/c or fan, hot water and private facilities.

Food

All meals as mentioned.

Break every 15- 20 km ( 10 miles) for tea break with water, coffee ,tea, juice, bread, tuna ,banana, apple... including nutritional ( 3 Clif Bar MoJo energy bars /per day)

During the " BikingVietnam.com" the main meals are breakfast and the evening meal. Thus, breakfast should be large and substantial (and include cereals). We recommend that all participants should bring a supply of their favorite cereals as many of the hotels where we stay don't yet have cereal on offer at breakfast.
For lunch (picnic) we have some day is fire rice, Sushi or you will need to make sandwiches in the morning, and take some fruit. We recommend you also bring along some of your favorite energy bars.
The evening meal will be in a restaurant, and precooked by the Organizers. We will make sure there are always plenty of carbohydrates and protein on the menu.
Don't forget adequate hydration is as important as a good meal and so you should make sure you carry enough water with you. In some stages there is no where to “top up” along the way. Follow your guides instructions for each stage. We recommend you use a hydration pack with at least 2l capacity, rather than water bottles. The water bottles don't carry as much water, plus it will get warm during the day, they are not as hygienic and the water bottle cage can get in the way when you may have to carry your bike.

NUTRITION
We recommend you should bring nutrition as details:

* Hammer Gel energy gels are 100% pure complex carbohydrates

* Clif Bar energy bars are a great-tasting, convenient source of energy for any activity. Made with 70% organic ingredients
Mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber promote steady increase in blood sugar levels followed by a gradual decline for sustained energy

4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein; excellent for post workout recovery "

Biking Grade

Challenging

Scenery

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