Cycle the Red River Delta - CODE: DE01

Trip's length:	2 days
Trip Themes:	Local life & Culture, Local food
Transport:	Bicycles/ Support Vehicle
Places visited:	Red River Delta
Tour operates:	All Year Arround
Start / End cities:	Hanoi / Hanoi
Accommodation:	1 night at Home Stay

 

 HIGHLIGHTS:

•     Vegetable farm and Bat Trang Pottery Village
•     Home Stay at a local family
•     Boat Row to visit Stork Island
•     Bicyle Ride thru the countryside
•     Nom Ancient Village
•     Dong Ho Painting Village and But Thap Pagoda

INCLUSIVE:

•     A night local home stay with breakfast
•     Meals mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D=Diner)
•     Expert tour guides
•     Good Bicycles and Supporting Vehicle
•     Sightseeing fees and permits during guided time
•     Boat in Stork Island
•     Two bottles of mineral water/person/day

EXCLUSIVE:

•     Travel Insurance (Compulsory)
•     International flight tickets
•     Visas and airport departure tax
•     Tips and gratuities
•     Meals, drinks and others that not mentioned clearly in the inclusion above

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi – Hung Yen – Hai Duong (Stork Island) (-/L/D)

Biking approximately 50km

Get picked up from your hotel at 8 AM. Check the gears, flap your knees and jump up on your bike for a short ride to visit the vegetable market. Weave thru the crowd and green, soak up the sound and smell then cross the Red River on the hundred years old Long Bien Bridge. Inhale the fresh air as the water flows under your wheels to the sea.

Stop to visit a pagoda and orphanage by the bank of the River then continue to paddle thru green vegetation along the river bank to Bat Trang pottery village. Here, you will have a chance to observe the working process of local artisans on their way to create beautiful ceramic stuffs that famous in the country and international market.

After lunch in a local restaurant, you will get transferred deep further to the delta in the Hung Yen Province. Get back on your saddle and paddle along shady country roads along evergreen vegetation and farm land. It is great chance for you to observe the real local life where it happens, contact with local people and learn about their work. Sharpen your shooting skill with photos of stunning landscape and excellent moments.

You will reach Stork Island Village in Hai Duong Province in the afternoon. This is the land famous with litchi fruit. Check in home stay in a typical local house thence take a row on the lake with some lush islands where different kinds of Stork inhabit and enjoy the countryside scenery at sunset amongst the call and flap of thousands of birds.

In the evening, after dinner with local specialties, you will have a tea party and chat with the local host to learn more about their life and culture.
Overnight in the local home.

Day 2: Hai Duong –Dong Ho – But Thap – Hanoi. (B/L/-)

Biking approximately 45km

This morning, if you can get up early why not joining with your local host for morning exercise or a badminton game then follow your host to local morning market to get fresh stuffs for your breakfast. After breakfast, say goodbye to your host and get transferred by bus thru the country land to an ancient village. Here, you will get on your bike and paddle along village road to visit the village temple and ancient houses. Enjoy the peaceful scenery and the typical atmosphere of the past lingers to this modern day and do not forget to catch up interesting moment of local life with your camera.

Continue to ride through different villages and farm land to get to Dong Ho traditional painting village. Here you will visit the home of the most famous artisan with golden hands - Nguyen Dang Che and learn about the very typical traditional arts of Vietnam.

After lunch, continue with your bike along river bank to visit But Thap Pagoda, an ancient pagoda built from 13th century with famous pen-shape stone stupa (with which the pagoda got the name) and a masterpiece of woodcarving - thousand hands Goddess of Mercy.

Slowly ride on the bank of Duong River and enjoy the beautiful scenery of country side until you get picked up by bus for a short drive back to Hanoi.

Tour finishes in Hanoi around 5PM. End of service. 

Source: http://www.customvietnamtravel.com/vietnam-tours/special-experiences/cycle-the-red-river-delta.html