Travelling by bicycle along the length of Vietnam on this adventurous and rewarding tour, you become part of the scene rather than an onlooker, seeing Vietnam as the Vietnamese see their country. The itinerary takes you from north to south, covering many of the major attractions along the way.

Our tour starts in the capital Hanoi, with its tree lined boulevards and lakes, and then continues to Halong Bay where we overnight on a traditional junk, cruising the thousands of limestone islets. The Reunification Express takes us to the former Imperial capital, Hue, situated on the Perfume River, and here we are introduced to our bicycles. We also visit the picturesque fishing village and old trading port of Hoi An, the Central Highlands area of Dalat and the sandy beaches of Nha Trang, before ending our tour in the vibrant metropolis of Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City where we visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. The scenery along the way is spectacular, and travelling by bicycle gives you the chance to meet a multitude of people.

Please note that you are expected to bring your own bicycle helmet for this tour. You may prefer to bring along your own bicycle seat as well for added comfort.

Hanoi to Halong Bay. Following breakfast, we drive to Halong, and there board our deluxe junk boat with private ensuite cabins, cruising Halong Bay, and staying overnight on the junk.

Halong Bay was designated a World Heritage Site in 1994, and covers an area of 1,500 square kms. Halong Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, has more than a thousand limestone peaks rising up from its emerald waters, and this area is viewed as one of the natural wonders of Vietnam. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. The sites outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest. (B,L,D)

Please note that depending  on our group size, the transfer to Halong Bay and the boat may be shared with other travellers.

Hue. Arriving into Hue we meet with our cycling crew. Here we are introduced to our bicycles, each designated bike is then adjusted and fitted to your own requirments as required. A short ride to Tu Duc's tomb may be possible during the afternoon.  (B)

Hoi An. Today is a free day to explore this fascinating riverside town. Hoi An is a charming, quaint fishing town that can easily be explored on foot (or bicycle!). Some of its many attractions include the Chinese Assembly Halls, built between the 17^th & 19^th centuries for the large Chinese merchant population. Also worth visiting are the ancient ancestral homes, some of which have been occupied by the same family for 15 generations. Hoi An is also famed for its tailors' shops. This stems from the time when the town was a major stop along the Silk Road and other trade routes. There is also the pleasant Cua Dai beach 4km from town. (B)

Quang Ngai to Kon Tum. Today is a more challenging day as we leave Highway 1 and head inland towards Quang Nam. We will cycle only part of today, along undulating roads with stunning photo opportunities. We will ride past many remote villages, tropical forests, over bridges and along quiet but scenic roads. We overnight in Kon Tum. The cycling distance is about 85kms.   (B,L)

Buon Ma Thuot to Dalat.  Today we have another excellent cycling day. We enjoy the first 50kms riding along the valley floors before taking in the undulating roads of Highway 27. The scenery along the way is just simply breathtaking. We will arrive into Dalat in the late afternoon.

Dalat is set in the hills north of Ho Chi Minh City and is a renowned retreat for poets and artists. The atmosphere typifies this patronage with typical French provincial villas and lush undulating hills. (B,L)

Dalat to Nha Trang Drive/Cycle. Today’s part-cycle covers 140kms on Highway 27B and whilst undulating is mostly downhill towards the coast and Nha Trang. We pass through more minority hamlets on our way to the kilometres of beaches, great climate and islands to explore which have made Nha Trang a popular Vietnamese resort. The accommodation for the next 2 nights is ideally situated right near the main beach in the centre of town. (B,L)

Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City - Cu Chi Tunnels.  Today we catch a flight to Hoi Chi Minh City (Saigon). Ho Chi Minh is a bustling city with an exciting blend of east-meets-west architecture and restaurants. It is very fast paced and full of contrasts, with street vendors selling fruit and vegetables next to glitzy western-style bars and boutiques. In Chinatown there are dozens of temples and pagodas, and the French left their mark with buildings such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office.

On arrival, we visit the famous Cao Dai Temple - Tay Ninh, near the Cambodian border, home to the unique Cao Dai sect. The religion is a hybrid of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. The Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh has been described as a Walt Disney fantasia of the East. The temple’s exterior is decorated with multi-colored dragons of all shapes and sizes.

The trip to Tay Ninh is combined with a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, home to 5,000 VC troops during the Vietnam/U.S. War. In present day - the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life in the American/Vietnam war must have been like. We drop to our hands and knees and squeeze underground for an insight into life as a tunnel dwelling resistance fighter. As we negotiate a very short stretch of the system, remember that people lived here for months on end. We discover the various mantraps and the remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500 pound bombs dropped by B52 bombers.   (B,L)

Please note - depending on the time of the flight we may cover the City Tour on Day 14, and the Cao Dai Temple and Cu Chi Tunnel visit on Day 15.

Please be aware that arrival times and the itinerary may change due to unforeseen delays or events such as festivals and public holidays. However, we shall endeavour to ensure all sites are visited and that your tour runs as smoothly as possible.

Be flexible, you will enjoy your tour much more. Kumuka makes a point of visiting the indigenous populations of each country you visit, in order to give a true reflection of the country; please treat the local people and their customs with respect.

This itinerary will be followed as closely as possible. However there may be times when it is necessary to change the route according to local conditions. There will be times travelling long hours as there will be days where we have to cover great distances. Weather patterns can change dramatically - high altitudes tend to be a lot cooler.

You are free not to participate in any of the included excursions. However, please note that there will be no refund for any excursions not taken.

Lastly, your tour leader is always conscious of everybody's views, but sometimes he/she will have to make an unpopular decision and your understanding will be appreciated in these circumstances.

For this trip we generally use the ‘Matts Cruise 5.7’ and ‘Kalahari 500’ performance bicycles made by German cycle specialists Merida, or Trek bicycles. The bicycles have 24 speeds and a lightweight steel alloy frame designed for road cycling. Other features include LRS (Low Ratio Suspension) and excellent damping capacity, both of which help to absorb vibration and shocks for a smoother, more comfortable and enjoyable ride. The bicycles are available in a number of sizes.

Please note that clients are expected to bring their own bicycle helmet.

Please also provide us with your height measurement so we can organise the correct sized bike.

The Pre-Departure meeting is held at 6pm THE DAY of the scheduled departure date. The pre-departure meeting is held to discuss the tour itinerary in more detail, meet your crew and fellow passengers.

In each departure city we have named a joining hotel from where the tour will leave. It is your responsibility to make your way to this hotel. Your Tour Leader will leave a notice at reception on the first day of departure with information as to where he/she can be contacted and you should inform him/her that you have arrived.

PLEASE ADVISE KUMUKA OR YOUR AGENT IF YOU WILL BE ARRIVING LATE AND ARE THEREFORE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE PRE-DEPARTURE MEETING.

In addition the crew will check that all passengers have the necessary travel documents, insurance and immunization certificates for the tour. It is IMPORTANT that you attend this meeting. Please advise KUMUKA or your AGENT if you CANNOT attend this meeting.

All passengers MUST bring:
1. Passport.
2. Vaccination Certificate.
3. Travel Voucher.
4. Travel Insurance Policy.

In most of the hotels in Asia you may be required to deposit your passport at Reception. This is a perfectly normal practice and nothing to be concerned about. Just make sure that you retrieve it before when you check out of the hotel.

Your passport is a valuable document and you should exercise extreme care in keeping it safe. We recommend that you keep your passport on you at all times, preferably in a money belt that is worn under your clothing. We advise that you take copies of relevant pages in your passport and any visas that you may purchase in case of loss or damage. Your tour leader will require your passport details at the pre-departure meeting. Again, we recommend that you have a photocopy of all passport details, kept separate. Your passport must be valid for six months after the END of your tour, and must have one blank page for each country to be visited.

Vietnam – Departure Taxes are now generally included in airfares.

Please note that these taxes are subject to change.

• Do not take unnecessary valuables with you.
• A money belt, or something similar, worn close to your body is the best way to carry passports, airline tickets and money.
• DO NOT leave any valuables in ANY hotel room in Asia, please use SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES. Items are left at the individuals’ risk.
• Pickpockets operate everywhere, particularly in tourist areas and in crowded markets; you must always exercise care.
• Be aware that anything left lying around will also be liable to theft.

Tipping is not expected in South East Asia, but salaries are very low and any gratuities for good service will be gratefully accepted. Bargaining is the rule in markets, when hiring vehicles and sometimes even when taking a room, but in most countries you won't need to be as forceful as you would in Thailand.

In order to ensure that you receive the best service from our local guides and operators we use throughout the tour, we operate a Tip Kitty. For this we request an amount of: US$35 - US$50 per person. The amount that your guide will ask for the tip kitty, depends upon the number of  people on your tour.

The tip kitty is monitored during the tour and detailed in a tip kitty report form for the tour leader to record all tipping expenses for the tour - and they will ask a passenger to sign as reference.

NOTE: The suggested tip above does not go to your tour leader / guide - it is entirely up to your discretion if you are satisfied with his / her performance however, our suggestion for a tip for your tour leader / guide is from US$2 to US$4 per person per day.

We suggest that you take into account the time of year you will be travelling, and pack accordingly to the season. Quick drying clothes are recommended, and at many hotels there are laundry facilities. Your tour leader will advise where laundry facilities are available.

Personal Effects:
Camera & film, Spare passport photos, Water bottle, Money belt, Torch, Sewing kit, Sunhat/ Sunglasses, Music cassettes /CDs, Books, Wet Ones, Soap to wash clothes, Writing materials, Swiss Army knife, Calculator, Personal toiletries, including tampons, Contraceptives, Insect Repellent, Sunscreen.

NOTE: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are uncommon. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

The Vietnamese Lunar New Year

The most important and widely celebrated public holiday of the year is Tet, the Lunar New Year, which coincides with the cycle of the moon. This public holiday usually takes place in late January or early February and lasts officially for three days, although many businesses are closed the entire week.

There is no more colourful time to be in Vietnam than during the days leading up to Tet Nguyen Dan, the most important festival of the year for Vietnam's Kinh ethnic majority. Since the first day of lunar year is thought to set the tone for the next 12 months, everyone strives to plan the perfect Tet. In Hanoi, the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter buzz with activity. Everyone is in a rush to get a haircut, buy new clothes, spruce up their homes, visit friends, settle outstanding debts, and stock up on traditional Tet delicacies.

Businesses hang festive red banners which read "Chuc mung nam moi"(Happy New Year) and city streets are festooned with coloured light. Stalls spring up all over town to sell nothing but cone -shaped kumquat bushes. Others sell flowering peach trees, symbols of life and good fortune which people bring in to their homes to celebrate the coming of spring. As vendors pour into the city with peach trees strapped to their bicycles, the streets look like moving pink forests.

In the south, people bring yellow mai (apricot) branches into their homes and place a coconut, a papaya, a mango and a custard apple on the family altar. Spoken in the southern dialect, the names of these fruit form a prayer for success and fulfillment.

Three crucial meetings are said to take place on Tet. The first meeting is between three family deities: Tien su, the deity responsible for introducing the family to its traditional career; Tho Cong, who oversees the land where the family lives; and Tao Quan, the Kitchen God, who cares for the family's food. The second meeting takes place between the dead and the living. People place offerings of food and drinks on their ancestral altars, light incense, and invite their ancestors to join the family's Tet celebrations. The third meeting involves the immediate family. On New Year's Eve, family members gather for a dinner of traditional food like banh chung (a square cake made of sticky rice stuffed with beans and pork), mang (a soup of boiled bamboo shoots and fried pork) and xoi gac (orange sticky rice). This is followed by a visit to the local pagoda and perhaps an outing to see the town's fireworks.

Please note that for tours which coincide with the Tet festival, many shops may be closed. and it may be necessary to amend the itinerary at short notice. We will, however, endeavour to try to ensure that all included sights are still visited.

Vietnam's elongated shape includes tropical and subtropical zones and is responsible for the varied climate in the country.

The South (from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet) - The south is hot year round and has two seasons: one wet the other dry. The wet season lasts from May to October and you can expect daily downpours. These are usually brief and easy to predict. The dry season from November to April is generally sunny and humid.

The Centre (from Nha Trang to Hue) - For most of the year Nha Trang is bathed in beautiful sunshine but between November and December the area can have heavy rain. Dalat, at an altitude of 1,500m is cooler than the coastal area, particularly from November through to March. Danang and Hue both experience typhoon activity from mid October to mid December when the climate becomes cooler, more overcast and wet.

The North (from Hanoi to Sapa) - Summer in the north lasts from May to October where temperatures range between 30-35 degrees Celsius with the occasional burst of heavy rain. The temperature varies from 10-15 degrees in winter (December to March). February and March can be damp with drizzle and overcast skies.

Food is one of the highlights of any trip. Vietnam has one of the most sophisticated and exciting cuisines in the world. Its historical influences and geographical gifts have created a cuisine rich in variety and vibrant in colour and freshness. Vietnam's culinary heritage combines elements from three of the world's most celebrated cuisines - French, Chinese and Indian. Paired with an acute sense of aesthetics and presentation, these influences give Vietnamese cooking a tremendous edible tapestry of flavours, textures and colours, which is sure to offer something that everyone will appreciate. Most Vietnamese dishes are served accompanied with chilli sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce. The traditional Vietnamese breakfast is Pho - a large bowl of rice noodles flavoured with sliced beef or chicken and fragrant broth, and garnished with fresh coriander and bean sprouts.

Vietnam has 3 main regions, the North, the Centre and the South, and each has a distinct cuisine. Generally the North is best known for its noodle soups and meats and seafood stir-fries. The Central region, especially around Hue has more elaborate dishes. In the South, where there is a greater abundance of spices, the food tends to be somewhat hotter. With over 3000kms of coastline, the seafood is delicious and varied. Crabs, prawns, crayfish and squid are in plentiful supply, as well as hundreds of varieties of fish.

We try to ensure that you get the most experience from your Kumuka trip and one of the ways to do this is by trying local cuisine.

Vegetarians, or those with special dietary needs can also be catered for, however in some places the type of food may be limited. Please let the Reservations team know your special requirements as soon as possible so we can do all possible to assist your needs.

Snacks are provided on cycle tours. The snacks generally consist of some or all of the following: Chocolate biscuits, peanuts or other nuts, candy bars and seasonal fruit. You may like to take along some additional snacks such as trail mix, dried fruit, muesli bars.

We have put a lot of thought and effort into locating the most appropriate type of accommodation for each tour. It will always be clean, comfortable and of a very high standard. All accommodation is in comfortable tourist class accommodation. Depending on the tour, this ranges from overnight sleeper train or cruise boat through to delightful lodges and excellent hotels (generally 3 star or above).

If you wish to spend a few additional days in your start city before the departure of your tour, then we can arrange accommodation for you. If you would like to book accommodation to stay additional nights after the tour ends, we will be more than happy to arrange this for you as well. All our accommodation is carefully chosen, conveniently located, clean and comfortable.

In most of the hotels in Asia you may be required to deposit your passport at Reception. This is a perfectly normal practice and nothing to be concerned about. Just make sure that you retrieve it when you check out of the hotel.

Kumuka endeavors to advertise a compliment of optional activities available locally during tours with selected ground handlers to make your tour more enjoyable. These ground handlers and activity partners are selected for their standards in quality, professional ability and reputation. Although Kumuka has developed a travel insurance policy to cover all activities offered during your journey, Kumuka cannot be held responsible for injuries or claims arising from adventurous activities by a third party.

Details and prices of optional activities will be advised by your tour leader.

Whilst on tour you will probably want to stay in touch with family and friends. There are several ways of doing this:

Mobile Phone – Before departing your home country check with your phone supplier to see if it compatible with the mobile phone networks in the countries that you are traveling to, and how much will it cost to use abroad.

Email – Internet Cafes are very cheap and popular, and you are sure to come across several during your tour. If you haven’t done so already, set up a free Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account which you can then access from any computer. Internet Cafes will charge a nominal fee for using their computers. Within Europe some hotels charge a wifi connection fee and we cannot guarantee a wifi connection at all hotels we use.

Twitter – A method of communication that is rapidly gaining in popularity on the Internet especially amongst travelers. Twitter allows you to send short messages and update your friends and family with where you are on tour and what you are doing. Create your free account at http://twitter.com. Visit Kumuka’s page on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kumuka

Facebook – Very popular website that allows you to upload stories, get in touch with fellow travellers before and after your Kumuka tour, upload photos and videos to share with other travellers, your family and friends. To create a free account, go to www.facebook.com and then become a fan of Kumuka’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kumuka-Worldwide/26617121087?ref=ts

Postcards – The good ol’ fashioned postcard. But you will probably get home before the postcard does!

KUMUKA WORLDWIDE

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www.kumuka.com

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