Northern Vietnam: Route 2 - 79

The Vietnamese had, by the 1970s, suffered more than their fair share of bother with the unwanted interference of other nations. So when the Chinese crossed their northern border without invitation in 1979, the war-weary nation wasted no time defending its newfound sovereignty. The North Vietnamese Army was, at the time, arguably more aware than any other military on Earth of the importance of keeping military supply lines open, and so, in February '79 military engineers set about building a supply road tracing their northernmost border - a road that was aptly named 2/79. And like the wonderful Ho Chi Minh Trail road that follows the border with Lao, QL279 is a mountain road, little used by motorised traffic but kept in good condition due to its strategic importance.

A well maintained rural road through stunning mountain scenery, bereft of traffic and leading from one side of a nation to the other - what is there for a cyclist not to like?

Highlights

• Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter.
• Climbing the 2000 metre Trung Son Pass beneath that summit of Mount Fansi pan.
• A rest day in the colonial hill station town of Sapa.
• Visiting the lovely Ba Be National Park
• Above all else, cycling through Vietnams beautiful rural mountain scenery, the delicious national cuisine, and the friendly people of Vietnam beyond the tourist hordes.

Our Vietnam Route-279 cycling tour travels on frequently deserted back roads and trails through a quiet, beautiful region of Vietnam little visited by western travellers. The tour will be supported by one or two vehicles (dependant on group size), a local guide (Phong), and a Western tour leader (David).