With Jock Montgomery and Sinh Le Vanh
October 17 - November 1, 2009

Jock Montgomery
In 1983 Jock moved to Nepal to train raft guides and lead river expeditions and treks in Nepal, Tibet, India and Bhutan. Jock was based in Kathmandu for 12 years and now (along with his French wife and co-explorateur Annie Miniscloux), makes his home in Bangkok, Thailand. Jock has been leading trips and expeditions for 26 years, and currently leads river running, sea kayaking, trekking and mtn biking trips and expeditions in the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, North America, Greenland, Patagonia and Ecuador. He speaks Nepali fluently and is conversant in Thai. He is a knowledgeable, caring, enthusiastic leader, and is a certified Wilderness First Responder. When not leading trips, Jock is also in demand as a commercial and editorial assignment photographer. He was the sole photographer for Menam Chao Phraya, River of Life and Legend, a 252-page coffee table book about Thailand’s principle waterway. Visit his website at: www.jockmontgomery.com

Mr. Le Van Sinh - From the Lonely Planet Guide to Vietnam
We wish to recognize Mr. Le Van Sinh a guide extraordinaire who has made an on going commitment to improving the quality of this book. Sinh has and incredible travel bug, and over the past decade has covered perhaps more ground than any traveler in Vietnam. A deep and abiding love for his country, its people and culture, shines through in his dedication to promoting responsible tourism and helping visitors discover and understand Vietnam. We express our gratitude to Sinh for his immeasurable contribution, extensive knowledge and travel savvy, and most of all his friendship.

What we do and How we do it
Our trip is best enjoyed with the usual, "early to bed and early to rise," syndrome/illness. But I am not sorry about this, because you’ll soon discover the beauty of early morning riding and making the most of the daylight hours. A typical day begins with us gathering for breakfast at 06:30 (bags packed), and arriving at our destination by mid or late afternoon. Every morning and evening I will give briefings describing what’s coming up, and if the group is interested, perhaps a short reading.

While you ride you’ll want to carry enough water for half the day (but our vehicles always have water on hand as well), some snacks/energy bars, and a light windbreaker. Rain is possible so be sure to have rain gear that is appropriate for cycling.

Personal riding times will vary greatly depending on personal abilities. One vehicle will usually go ahead to arrange lunch, and later in the day to check our luggage into our hotel. As soon as possible they’ll drive back to support the faster riders. There will be a minibus/sag wagon at the back providing friendly, but discrete support. The vehicles will do their best to pass by you about once ever hour or less. I will ride my bike the whole way but am usually found near the back where I can better provide support. Depending on the day and the group’s abilities, Sinh Le Vanh, will ride his bike as much as possible, but his main responsibilities are to make sure everyone gets full support.

Pre-Departure Information Packet:

For more information contact:
jock@jockmontgomery.com

DAILY ITINERARY:
Day 0: Early arrivals
If you plan to arrive early—and I do recommend this highly—I can help you arrange a variety activities in and around Hanoi—don’t miss the amazing water puppet show!. High on the list would be an overnight visit to Halong Bay where you can sea kayak through caves and into hidden bays called "hongs". Just outside of Hanoi are some great day rides and Sinh and I would be happy to lead this with you. Please contact me for details and costs.

Day 1 (Oct. 17): Arrive in Hanoi
A car or van will meet you at the airport to transfer you to our hotel in central Hanoi. Most flights coming from the US or Europe arrive in the late in the day, so no meals are planned for today. I will either meet you at the airport on the hotel lobby. Desyloia Hotel www.desyloia.com (dinner on your own)

Day 2 (Oct. 18): Tour Hanoi, Night train to Lao Cai
Hanoi is a wonderful city replete with French colonial architecture, Chinese shop houses, French café culture and a fascinating Old Quarter. In the morning will take a walking tour of the colorful Old Quarter. Many of the streets are named for what is sold there: Hang Ma the ritual offerings street, Hang Dong, the tinsmith’s street, Hang Vai the bamboo ladders street, and so forth. Lunch will be near Hoan Kiem Lake at the Little Hanoi. In the afternoon we will visit Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum and the American War Museum. Dinner will be at Le Bistort—owned and operated by an eccentric Frenchman, it’s popular with locals and expats. In the evening we board the luxury Victoria carriages on the night train north to Lao Cai. Our train departs 9:55 pm, first class Victoria car to Lao Cai. Overnight Train (B,L,D)

Day 3 (Oct. 19): Ride Lao Cai to Sapa 36k. +1,600m, -180m.
We will arrive Lao Cai around 6:30am and have a simple breakfast near the station. Our support vehicles will be there waiting for us and after taking our bikes for a spin to make sure everything is in order, we will head toward Sapa. The ride to Sapa is only 36k. but we will be gaining 1,600 meters, so for our first day out is a challenging one! We will be entering the what the colonial French called the Tonkinese Alps, and as we ascend the landscape, and foliage will change dramatically. We will arrive in Sapa in time for lunch at a local eatery. The afternoon is free to wander around town. There are many Montagnards (a colonial French term for ethnic hill tribes), roaming the streets looking to selling you their hand made products. Be sure to save a little time to enjoy the amenities of our fine hotel—including perhaps a plunge in the pool! Dinner tonight is on the premises. Stay at Victoria Sapa Hotel (4 Star) www.victoriahotels-asia.com/eng/hotelsin-vietnam/sapa-resort-spa (B,L,D)

Day 4 (Oct. 20): Sapa – Heaven gate – New Lai Chau 80k. +1170m. -1820m.
(Lai Chau was formerly known as Tam Duong.) There are some gorgeous mountain views today with stunning karst limestone cliffs, and many hill tribe villages to stop in and visit. From Sapa, we ride three hours uphill, with a stopover at the Silver waterfalls before we summit the highest mountain pass of the trip, the Tram Ton Pass, at 1,910m. The name means Heaven’s Gate. And what a gate it is, because from near here we can see the highest peak in Vietnam Mount Fansiapan (3,100m). Check your brakes because from here we have a mind boggling 30k. downhill through more of the Tonkinese Alps, known locally as the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. We will pass through many Hmong hill tribe villages, and as we near Binh Lu, villages of the Dao people. (Dao means coins, denoting the old colonial silver coins they use as jewelry). Depending our time and interests today, there is an option to detour onto a dirt road 30k. through villages of Dzao and Lu tribes. Phuong Thanh Hotel (basic accommodation) (B,L,D)

Day 5 (Oct. 21): New Lai Chau – Paso – Muong Lay 112k. +1030m. -1780m.
(Muang Say was formerly known as Lai Chau—talk about confusing!) Today we descend to the picturesque Nam Na River and follow along her for the rest of the day. The riding is punctuated by some steeps ascents where the road must go uphill to avoid riverside cliffs. At the non-descript village of Pao we are only 10k. from the border with China. At a point about 5k. before Lai Chau, there is a turn right to Muong Te, remember to keep on straight to Lai Chau. We will see the scenic Da River from the Hang Tom suspension bridge before entering this small town. Lan Anh Hotel (basic) (B,L,D)

Day 6 (Oct. 22): Muong Lay – Dien Bien Phu 105k. +1630m. -1360m.
Today is another pleasant and fairly challenging ride. We ascend a distinct hill and summit at around the 30k. mark, the Mathiho pass (at 910m. and about 750m. above Lai Chau). We pass through more lush, spectacular scenery this time along the Nam Ron River. In the distance as we approach Dien Bien there is more of the karst limestone cliffs which we saw around Tam Duong. We pass through numerous hill tribe villages, and of particular note are the Red Hmong. Stay at the Hin Lan Hotel (B,L,D)

Day 7 (Oct. 23): Layover in Dien Bien Phu
In the morning we will ride around town to see the former French battlefields: A-1 Hill, DeCastries bunker, and the Dien Bien museum. The museum has an old “iron horse” bicycle on display, which is one of the thousands of bicycles that were used by the Vietcong to carry supplies along the Ho Chi Min Trail. One bike could carry many hundreds of pounds of supplies. Lunch is at a local noodle shop. The fternoon is at your leisure—probably a good time to get a massage! Hin Lan Hotel (B,L,D)

Day 8 (Oct. 24): Dien Bien Phu – Laos – Muang Khua 75k. estimate: +2000m. – 2200m.
To make up for yesterday’s rest day we have one of the biggest day of the trip with a cumulative ascent of roughly 2,000m. (In fact the GPS data I have for this day is very poor/ “noisy.” We start by riding through the Dien Bien valley for 12k. and from here begins our ascent to the pass near the Laos border at 1245m. The border crossing formalities will be straight forward, and on the Laos side we will meet our Laotian support team. The riding feels down right remote and in fact this is the least populated region of Laos. Here are people of the Black and Red Thai ethnic groups. We’ll pass through some of the areas of some of the last remaining virgin forests, and the usual spectacular scenery. In the afternoon there is a second ascent of about 500m. Muang Khua is pleasant town situated at the confluence of two rivers. Much of the trade in northern Laos flows up and down the Nam Ou River on long narrow cargo boats. Our guest house is simple but clean. Singali Hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 9 (Oct. 25): Muang Khua – Oudom Xai 80k. +590m. -400m.
Most of the riding today is follow the picturesque Nam Pak River and it’s relatively painless ride. The last 30k. are uphill but not too challenging Udom Xai is a dusty boom town with not much to recommend unless you like dust and karaoke! Dansavanh Hotel (B,L,D)

Day 10 (Oct. 26): Oudom Xai -- Nong Kiaw 80k. +1360m. -1575m.
We head back to the east now to meet up with the Nam Ou River. There are some climbs today but we are rewarded with a 30k. downhill to Pak Mong. We then follow a tributary or the Nam Ou to the picturesque village of Nong Kiaw. Our little guest house is situated right above the river with panoramic views of the water. Nong Kiau Riverside Guest House. www.nongkiau.com (B,L,D)

Day 11 (Oct. 27): Nong Kiaw; Ride Pak Mong – Luang Prabang 108k. +520 -590
You will have three options today. Option one is to ride your bike 108k. from Pak Mong to Luang Prabang. This is quite doable as the hills are not too difficult, and first 30k. entails retracing part of yesterday’s ride, so you will probably choose to do this part in the van to shorten the ride a little. Option two is to go to Luang Prabang by long tail boat. This section of river is very scenic as there are jagged limestone peaks lining either side of the river. Once we reach the Mekong River we would make a slight upstream detour to visit the amazing Pak Ou caves. This open cave is locate beside the river, is jam-packed with Buddha images and is an important place of worship for locals. If you choose to go by boat we can arrange it on the spot and the boat fee will be split amongst the passengers. Option three combines the two, riding 90k. to where the road meets the Mekong River. From here a boat can be arranged to take us to the Pak Ou cave and then downstream to Luang Prabang. Again boat hire cost would be split between the group. In the late afternoon we arrive Luang Prabang, one of Asia’s gems and a UNESCO World Heritage. It is pleasantly located at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers and encircled by distance jagged peaks. In recent years it has been a popular—but not spoiled—tourist destination, and it will be a bit of a shock to see so many tourists for the first time since Hanoi! Despite the hubbub, it’s quite a charming town with plenty to see and do. We will be staying at the charming Three Nagas Hotel. It’s right in town, but on a quiet street near the Nam Khan River. Three Nagas Hotel www.alilahotels.com/3nagas (B, L, D)

Day 12 (Oct. 28): Layover Luang Prabang
I highly recommend getting up early to see literally hundreds of barefoot monks in crimson robes gathering morning alms. After breakfast we will visit some of the temples and you will have the rest of the day at your leisure. There are numerous temples and monasteries to see. The Pousi hilltop in the center of town has great views, and the old Royal Palace is now a museum. If you feel like cooling off or going for a short hike there is a nearby waterfall that’s worth visiting. Lunch today is on your own. Three Nagas Hotel. (B,D)

Day 13 (Oct. 29): Luang Prabang – Kiu Cham 80k. +2065m. -950m.
It seems that after every rest day there is a big uphill ride! This one is the biggest of the trip, and luckily everyone should now being feeling strong and ready for the challenge. From Luang Prabang we head back up into more karst mountain scenery and this is another gorgeous ride all the way! Be ready for some very basic accommodation as Kiu Cham has not got much to offer. The rooms are drab at best. Hot water will be delivered in a bucket! Bounthoun Guest House (extremely basic!) (B,L,D)

Day 14 (Oct. 30): Kiu Cham – Bor Nam 70k. +1325m. -2000m.
This morning’s ride involves more beautiful mountain scenery with a fair bit of up and down. In the afternoon we have a gorgeous 25k. downhill ride surrounded by peaks and cliffs to Bor Nam where we lose 800m. Bor Nam is nothing more than a hot spring, a tiny guest house and a trucker’s restaurant. The bungalows are very simple but cute and clean. Hopefully we will have the place all to ourselves. The spring warm not hot, but it’s definitely worth going for a dip to loosen up those leg muscles. Next to the hot spring is a good restaurant with simple tasty food and a gorgeous views of the mountains. Bornamoun Bungalows (basic) (B,L,D)

Day 15 (Oct. 31): Bor Nam to Vang Vieng 77k. +570m. -975m.
This morning we will want to get an early start, so we have a good part of the afternoon to enjoy Vang Vieng. We will ride downhill to the valley floor and the town of Kasi. From here to Vang Vieng is pretty easy riding with one notable hill. For the those who are interested it will be possible to kayak on the Nam Song River in the afternoon. Plastic sit-on-top kayaks would meet us 8k. before Vang Vieng and you would paddle the river from here right to the door of our hotel. There are a few easy rapids and the river is suitable for beginners. Our hotel is set beside the Nam Song River with a long row of precipitous limestone cliffs as a back drop. The sunsets from the bar are spectacular. Ban Sabai Hotel or Tavounsok Hotel www.xayohgroup.com (B,L,D)

Day 16 (Nov. 1): Vang Vieng drive to Vientiane
This morning we load our bikes up and head by car to the capital city, Vientiane. Yesterday proves a nice ending to our riding; as from here the scenery becomes progressively less interesting and the road traffic and pollution increases dramatically. Today we drive about 5 hours (200k) to Vientiane and arrive in time for lunch. In the early afternoon we will tour some of the sites including Wat Haw Pha Keo (This temple originally housed the famous “Emerald Buddha.” It was nabbed by the Thais when the raised the city in 1779. It is now the central image in Bangkok’s Grand Palace), Wat Sisaket (with 6840 Buddha images) and That Luang (meaning “Great Sacred Stupa”). In the late afternoon we will head to the airport where you will connect to your international flights home. (B,L)

LEADERSHIP:
Per person cost with 4-7 members $3,300. With 8-10 members $3,100.
Single Supplement: $410

TRIP COST:
Per person cost with 4-7 members $3,300. With 8-10 members $3,100.
Single Supplement: $410

PRICE INCLUDES:
Customized itinerary at no extra charge!
Expert leadership and support staff
Qualified bike mechanics (both Sinh and myself!)
Drinking water and snacks
Airport and other transfers
Ground transportation, vans
Transportation fees and taxes
Entrance and zone fees, “special” permissions and “special” taxes
Porter/luggage tips
Meals as specified, breakfast lunch, dinner (B,L,D)
Accommodation as specified
Kayaking and safety equipment, including PDF (life-jacket) and other
Safety equipment and first aid kit

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Bicycle rental
Optional trip extensions
Optional long tail boat ride to Luang Prabang
Optional easy whitewater kayaking on the Nam Song River near Vang Vieng
International airfare from home.
Accommodation on route from home
Insurance of any kind
Personal expenses, including laundry, snacks, drinks, alcohol etc
Overweight luggage charges
Airport taxes
Customary but optional tips for local guide, drivers, and boat captain/crew

PAYMENT:
At time of reservation $1,000
150 days prior to departure Balance

CANCELLATION FEES:
Minimum Fee $1,000
61-90 days prior to departure 50% of land cost
60 days or less prior to departure 100% of land cost