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HANOI EXPLORER
Cycling on the banks of the Red River on a quiet dyke road we’ll pass through flower and vegetable gardens, village lanes and alongside lotus lakes to give you a whole new view of Vietnam’s capital city.
We’ll meander around West Lake and stop at one of the most revered Buddhist pagodas in Vietnam. You’ll be surprised at how little traffic we’ll encounter as you explore a side of Hanoi that’s well off the beaten path.
What will we see? We head down hidden back alleys to see where the real Hanoi lives. Here you can peek into open doors and see families preparing for the day, cycle past children on their way to school and see what’s for sale and to eat from the various street stalls. After winding our way through we leave the concrete of the city behind come to open farm land along the banks of the Red River. Here we board a small local ferry to cross the river to ride on a dyke road. We’ll come across small gardens grown on the fertile banks when the river, notorious for violent flooding, is low and ride through villages. We cross back over at Thang Long Bridge and have a local lunch on the banks of the Red River, named for the reddish-brown heavily silt-laden water.
After lunch we cross some busy roads to reach the north side of West Lake, the largest of many lakes in the city. We’ll take in lotus gardens as we ride along the water’s edge to one of the most revered Buddhist pagodas in Vietnam. After a visit to Tran Quoc Pagoda we’ll peddle through quiet back streets, admiring the colonial architecture, before reaching the end of our tour.
To make sure we don’t miss an important cultural event, this itinerary may be adjusted if there is a festival or other special activity nearby.
What is the riding like? We ride approximately 40 km on good quality flat tarmac roads. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for taking photos and just taking in the wonderful scenery.
Anything else? Lunch is typical Vietnamese cuisine served at a local riverside restaurant.
Of course, water, soft drinks, snacks and lunch are included during the tour and SpiceRoads supplies a TREK mountain bike and helmet.
| FACTS & FIGURES | |
|---|---|
| Tour Cost | US$75 |
| Number of Days | 1 Day |
| Pick Up Time | 7:30 to 8 am from Hanoi hotels |
| Drop Off Time | Usually around 4:30 to 5 pm at your hotel |
| Departure Days | Daily - with a minimum of 2 and maximum of 12 participants |
| Children | Children aged 12-16 years are welcome on this trip and receive a 25% discount. |
| Bike Rental | TREK mountain bike, helmet and water bottle are all Included in the tour price. |
| Total Distance | 40 km |
| Group Size | Minimum 2. Maximum 12. |
| Biking Grade |
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~Elaine Lee
Hanoi Explorer, May 2010
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