Good Morning Vietnam

This section begins in Saigon, one of Asia’s most energetic cities. The route heads out through rubber plantations and fields of sugarcane before climbing up into the hills to the former French hill station of Dalat where riders can enjoy the cooler air before a challenging climb and 30 km downhill to the beach town of Nha Trang. The route heads north along Vietnam’s stunning coast to the ancient trading port of Hoi An where riders can explore the city’s beguiling old town. The cyclists continue up over the Hai Van Pass, before finishing in Hue, Vietnam’s old imperial capital.

Cyclists then pedal north through kilometres of family tombs and shrimp farms to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where they can explore some of the planet’s most extraordinary caves. The route climbs up a spectacular river gorge to the border with Laos and then on to the sleepy town of Thakek, perched on the banks of the mighty Mekong River. The last 3 days of this section take the riders through numerous small villages and past seemingly endless rice paddies before arriving in Vientiane, one of the world’s most laid back capitals.

Highlights

• Historic Trading Port of Hoi An
• Limestone Caves of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
• Wats and Monks of Luang Prabang
• Tiger Leaping Gorge