If you don't have much free time left in your holiday schedule, but you refuse to go back home without a quick taste of ancient and rural Vietnamese lifestyles, this trip will suit your needs perfectly.

Let's go back in time, walking paths paved with tradition and cycling along rural trails and along rich fields. We always meet local families along the way, and your guide makes it easy to learn more about the intersection between ancestral culture and modern changes.

If you're serious about cycling and want an even more in-depth exploration of life in the Vietnamese countryside, then choose the 'Maxi Cycle' option.

DESTINATIONS

• The buffer zone of Ba Vi National Park
• Duong Lam ancient village

HIGHLIGHTS

• Stroll through the ancient Duong Lam village and pay a respectful visit to its main temple.
• Cycle through the scenic areas bordering Ba Vi National Park.
• Bump into local families all along the way. Ask questions. Trade stories. Come away enriched.
• Soak up the green in the countryside's peaceful environment.

[Option Regular] Hanoi – Ba Vi – Duong Lam - Hanoi
Meals: lunch | Accommodation: N/A

We leave the Handspan main office at 8.00am, bikes packed in the minibus. After a 2-hour highway drive out of the bustling capital, we reach a small tea village bordering Ba Vi National Park. Time for a cold drink if you like while your guide preps the bikes.

The tea village lies within a woven network of surrounding various plantations connected by a web of small roads and trails that make up our biking route. We start our ride around the lush green of the tea plantations. Tea is everywhere in these surroundings with various other farms scattered across the emerald landscape. We then cycle through other areas where lychee, cassava, corn, rice and pineapples are grown, stop by the big old tree standing like a lighthouse alongside the Da river, and finally end the loop on a small road that winds between corn fields along the river.

After cycling we take a short drive to the ancient village of Duong Lam, where we stop to share lunch in a 400-year old family house. They have lived in their charming house for generations and treasure their ancestral knowledge of producing a local delicacy called 'Che Lam' – an unbelievably tasty treat made from ginger and peanuts. A few bites will make you realize why we made the detour. We then stroll the paved paths running between very ancient buildings. There is a beautiful Confucian temple to discover and a pagoda very famous for all pilgrims of the region.

At about 3.00pm, we get back in our car and return to Hanoi. Arrival at Handspan office is about 5.00pm.

[Option Maxi Cycle] Hanoi – Ba Trai tea village – Ba Vi - Hanoi
Meals: lunch | Accommodation: N/A

Less walking, more cycling. Choose this option if you prefer fewer temples and more pedaling through the green.

The morning schedule is similar to the standard tour, however we return to the tea village house for a greedy picnic lunch.
After lunch we take a short drive to another part of the national park buffer zone to begin our second cycling loop. This is a beautiful ride across small hamlets and seasonal cultivations with the national park's lush nature as the background. Enjoy friendly and warm encounters with farmers who are always up to a chat about their activities and to share a cup of tea with their guests.

We return to our car around 3.00pm, take some time for some refreshment and then drive back to Hanoi. We arrive back at the Handspan office about 5.00pm.

Note: N/A

PRICE PER PERSON (Valid from 01/01/2013 to 31/12/2013)

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Included

• Meals as specified in the program
• Travel in an appropriate air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver
• Mountain bikes and helmet (currently using Trek 4500 bikes)
• The services of an experienced English-speaking guide
• All entrance fees
• VAT and other taxes

Not included

• Hotel in Hanoi
• Beverages, guide gratuities and personal expenses
• Camera fees (if any)
• Insurance