TOPAS ECOLODGE BIKING PACKAGE

3 days & 2 nights at Topas Ecolodge

The beautiful Topas Ecolodge is located 18 km from Sapa, deep in the Hoang Lien Mountains. Our 50 bungalows overlook the picturesque valleys, home to Red Dao and Tay ethnic minority people. Enjoy the return Hanoi – Sapa ride with our luxurious Topas Mountain Express limousine; get on your high-quality mountain bike and ride along winding mountain roads and experience the ethnic communities and their unique cultures, relax with breathtaking mountain views at the quiet lodge.

Reference: SEB3 | Activity: Mountain Biking | Grade: Moderate
Duration: 3 days 2 nights. Contact us if you want to extend it for one or more nights.

Please enquire

SUMMARY

Day 1: Take Topas Mountain Express to Topas Ecolodge. Ride to the Red Dao village of Lech.

Day 2: Remote Sapa: Explore Tay and Red Dao villages on bike.

Day 3: Transfer by Topas Mountain Express to Hanoi.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

Day 1: Comfortable drive to Topas Ecolodge. Take a biking tour to neighboring villages

From 6:45 – 7:30 AM, you will commence from your Hanoi hotel with Topas Mountain Express for a 5 hours transfer to Topas Ecolodge. After checking in your bungalow, you will enjoy the beautiful and peaceful view of the surrounding mountains and valleys from your private balcony.

2:00 PM, you will start the cycling trip by following the main road for three kilometres to Lech village of the Red Dao minority, observing the magnificent valley view on the way. Here you will leave your bikes and take a short walk to visit a traditional Red Dao family. You will get close to the culture of the minority villagers who are living peacefully in the same way as their ancestors. Back at the parking place, you will take a further ride to the Ban Moi village where you will take a longer break to learn about the women and their embroidery, which the Red Dao people are very famous for. From the village, you head back to the lodge.

Approx: Grade: easy/ 1.5 hours biking / 30 minutes walking / elevation up 220m / elevation down 170m

Day 2: Biking to the Tay, Xa Pho and Red Dao villages in the remote area of Sapa

You will start from Topas Ecolodge by cycling on a quiet road for a while before taking a descent to Ban Ho village. At the bottom of the valley, you will meet the Tay minority, one of the largest ethnic minority groups living in Sapa, who are famous for their beautiful and traditional stilt houses. You will be warmly welcomed to visit their home, experience their daily life of farming and fishing in the river. Leaving Ban Ho village your ride becomes a bit more challenging with ascending parts on the winding road. At Thanh Phu village, also inhabited by the Tay minority, your lunch is served at a nice local family where you enjoy the valley view while tasting the local foods.

In the afternoon, you will pass by My Son village of Xa Pho ethnic minority, who belong to one of the smallest ethnic groups in Vietnam. You now continue the ride deeper into the mountain area to Nam Cang village, inhabited by Red Dao minority. Nam Cang village locates at the most remote area of Sapa. The Red Dao women wear some of the most colorful and diverse costumes of all Vietnam’s ethnic groups. Herbal bath, local medicine and embroidery are some of the things that the Red Dao are very skilled at. You then transfer back to Topas Ecolodge.

Approx: Grade: Moderate/ 5,5 hour biking

Day 3: Leaving the mountain and back to the city life of Hanoi

The morning is at your leisure at Topas Ecolodge. You can either relax or borrow high-quality mountain bikes from the lodge for an exploration of the surrounding areas. Topas Mountain Express departs at 1:30 PM and returns you to your hotel in Hanoi. Drop off at around 6:45 PM – 7 PM.

This package includes:

English-speaking guide during shared excursions (*)
2 nights at Topas Ecolodge (twin shared Premium Executive bungalow)
2 breakfasts + 1 lunch
Transfer by Topas Mountain Express Hanoi – Topas Ecolodge – Hanoi (SIC)
Mountain bike with disk brakes, helmets, gloves and water
All other indicated transportation (sharing)
All entrance fees to the indicated places

What to wear and bring:

It is recommended to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, trekking shoes, and to bring insect repellent, sunglasses, sun hat, and sunscreen.

Attention:

(*) The excursions are designed for shared experiences in groups of up to 10 travelers.
Please note that during the tour, you may be followed by ethnic women who are eager to sell their handcrafted items. They may follow you throughout your journey. If you are not interested in purchasing, just decline nicely. We are very sorry for this inconvenience.
As described on the program, you will visit a local house, and interact with local people. However, during the seasonal days, they all may not be at home but work in the fields, this experience may be lacking.
Visiting a local school is also subject to availability of school calendar.
The course’s difficulty is assessed on average across the program, meaning that even an “easy” rating could include sections of moderate or hard difficulty due to the uneven, mountainous terrain with varying elevations.
Lunches are intended to be provided at local restaurants; however, should unexpected situations arise, a picnic lunch will serve as the fallback option.

Note for biking:

No supported car during the biking time.
When joining a tour, one of the most important parts is selecting the right bike. Topas Travel provides mountain bikes that are suitable for people from 155cm only. Client’s height is requested at the booking time or at least 24 hours in advance for smooth services.
Biking tours offer up and downhill segments. For safety, these tours are advisable for adults or children from 13-year-old up, who are familiar with mountain road biking. For smaller children, contact us.

Note for Topas Mountain Express (Seat in Coach):

Only pick up and return passengers at hotels/residences in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and Tay Ho Area.
Pick-up time is around 6:45 AM – 7:30 AM, but guests need to be ready at 6:45 AM. for smooth services. Kindly share the client’s phone number or WhatsApp that is functional in Vietnam, allowing us to reconfirm the day 1 pick-up time and reach them if there are any emergencies.
Due to limited space, guests are requested to bring only 1 cabin bag/suitcase 115cm (56cm x 36cm x 23cm) per person.