Vietnam N.W. - A World Apart

Our cycling itinerary sees virtually no tourists and avoids Vietnam's notorious highways. We journey through a stunning landscape of amazing karst 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 visit H'mong, Tay, Dao and Xa Pho villages. 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 cycle 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 1990s that a lot of the red tape and travel restrictions were removed from Vietnam. The redspokes Vietnam cycling holiday offers challenging mountain biking and a wonderful opportunity to experience the traditional and varied lifestyles of the Vietnamese people.