Cycling in the north west highlands of Mai Chau is a great way to see this stunning part of Vietnam, offering both adventure and hill tribe life. The verdant and rugged mountain scenery of the Highlands provides a beautiful backdrop. As we cycle we encounter Muong and White Thai inhabitants and are guests in their traditional stilt houses allowing us to see firsthand how these minority peoples live. Our modern lightweight European bikes make exploring this part of the country an enjoyable and relatively easy experience and there is a support vehicle on hand if necessary.
Day 1: Hanoi – Hoa Binh – Mai Chau (40km)
In the morning, we transfer by support vehicle to Hoa Binh town. From here we are introduced to our bikes and start our ride to visit a village of Muong people. After lunch we get back on our bikes and head up to Mai Chau. As the road becomes very steep in parts we combine cycling with the support vehicle. Our final destination today is the White Thai village of Lac. Here we spend the night as guests of the Thai people in a traditional home stay built on stilts.
Day 2: Lac village – Van village (35km)
We leave Lac and cycle through some beautiful countryside en route to the village of Van. Along the way we pass through several Thai and Muong hamlets. In the afternoon, we cycle along the valley floor and are constantly surrounded by stunning scenery, arriving at Van village by late afternoon. Here there is time to explore this charming little village before dinner. The village is also home to the White Thai people, but unlike Lac it has remained completely unchanged by the advent of tourism. Tonight we will be their guests in one of their traditional stilt houses.
Day 3: Van village – Hanoi (35km)
Although we return to Lac we take a totally different route. Today’s cycling will probably be the hardest so far as we climb hills and descend into valleys. As before we will pass through many Thai and Muong villages, where we will be greeted with smiles and quite possibly a degree of fascination! Arriving in Lac around midday we once again take a well-earned lunch in the village. There will be time for a little rest before we join our support vehicle for the return drive to Hanoi.
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