In the morning we cycle out of Hanoi and head for Hoa Binh town. Along the way we will make several stops, the first of which is the Van Phuc silk village, approximately 12km southwest of the capital.

From Van Phuc we continue on to the Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum. Our third and final stop is at the Dau Pagoda, whose origins date back to the 3rd century.

From Dau Pagoda we cycle the remaining 50km to Hoa Binh town, where we spend the night.

Today we set off for Mai Chau town. As the road becomes very steep in parts we combine cycling with driving in the support vehicle.

Upon arrival in Mai Chau, we move to the nearby White Thai village of Lac where we have lunch in a traditional stilt house.

After lunch we take to our bikes to discover some of the neighboring villages in the valley. Later we return to the village of Lac where we spend the night.

We leave Lac and cycle through some beautiful countryside en route to the village of Van. Along the way we pass through several Thai and Muong hamlets and have lunch in another village.

We cycle along the valley floor and are constantly surrounded by stunning scenery, arriving at Van village by late afternoon. Here there is time to walk around this charming little village before dinner. The village is also home to the White Thai people, but unlike Lac it has remained completely unchanged by the advent of tourism. Tonight we will be their guests in one of their traditional stilt houses.

We return to Lac, taking a totally different route. Today’s cycling will probably be the hardest so far as we climb hills and descend into valleys.

As before, we will pass through many Thai and Muong villages, who are sure to greet us with smiles and quite possibly a degree of fascination! Arriving in Lac around midday we once again take a well-earned lunch in the village. There will be time for a little rest before we join our support vehicle for the return drive to Hanoi.