Bike Travel

If you've got the legs, lungs, and equipment, mountain biking is a formidable but fantastic way to experience the steep mountain ranges of Hoa Binh Province. Most people who do the Hoa Binh–Mai Chau route find alternative transportation to the provincial capital of Hoa Binh, such as an early morning public bus. Bus drivers will strap bikes to the top of their vehicles for a nominal payment of around 10,000d. From there it's about 100 km (62 miles) up and down two major sets of mountains. Hardy bikers reach Mai Chau by evening, exhausted. Slower riders can spend the night in a home in one of many roadside villages. The Hanoi Bicycle Collective rents out a variety of bikes from simple runarounds to more advanced models capable of negotiating the steep mountain roads of northern Vietnam.

Bike Contact

Hanoi Bicycle Collective. 33 Nhat Chieu, 4/3718–3156; www.thbc.vn. Bike rental from 100,000d per day.