CYCLING IN LAOS AND NORTHERN VIETNAM

Laos, the land of a million elephants is now the land of a million smiles, with stunning mountainous landscape and a laid back atmosphere that comes from its longterm isolation from its neighbours.Our route takes us through some spectacular scenery, from narrow roads shaded by jungle vines to shimmering rice paddies. The surrounding mountains are home to a fascinating mix of tribes and our encounters with these welcoming people are a real highlight of the trip. Out of the saddle, we walk through villages and bamboo forest and visit Luang Prabang, one of Asia's most attractive towns, with agricultural fields hidden behind tree-lined avenues. In addition to Laos, we also visit the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and finish our trip in bustling Bangkok. The cycling is demanding at times, but our reward is to have roads with nonexistent traffic almost to ourselves in Asia's friendliest and least known country.