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Victoria Lomax: Edinburgh, Scotland.
"A great trip! If you're looking to travel beyond the guide books and get a real insight into remote village life in Vietnam, then this is the ideal tour.
The informality of a Red Spokes tour is one of its greatest aspects, giving the opportunity to stop and meet locals, share a cup of tea and cycle along with groups of children, all of which gives a snapshot of the way of life in some of the villages we pass through.
The cycling did have some challenging climbs but these were broken up into manageable chunks and for every uphill, there was always a great downhill ride just around the corner!
I'm just trying to decide which trip to do next now"
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Dermot Bailiy: Belfast, Ireland.
“Vietnam is truly an unforgettable experience; the tour takes you far off the usual tourist trail where quiet roads wait as well as the colourful friendly mountain tribes who are very welcoming. The Cycling is sometimes challenging but the rewards of the amazing scenery make it more than worth while.”
“The Redspokes Vietnam tour is an amazing adventure; I’ll be definitely touring with Redspokes again.”
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Michael Forde: Dublin, Ireland.
"What a great part of Vietnam to cycle, empty roads, stunning scenery and great craig with a nice bunch of people. For me the essence of travelling is getting on roads less travelled and meeting different cultures and experiencing their warmth and hospitality, well done for helping me achive this"
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Alastair Ward:
Dorset, England.
"What a wonderful trip. A combination of camaraderie from others on the tour and welcome from the local peoples in an astounding geographical area less travelled made the whole experience truly memorable.
Organisation was good but not intrusive allowing for flexibility and time to stop and meet the local people along the way. My photos really don’t do it justice.
Looking forward to another trip with RedSpokes in another part of the world…just can’t decide where".
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Jean Mc Arthur and Andrew Credland: Wellington, New Zealand.
"Our trip to northwest Vietnam was a true adventure… biking up and down mountains offering spectacular scenery, winding our way through valleys where terraced paddy fields and tea plantations cling to seemingly impossible terrain, being invited into people’s homes and experiencing their generosity and ingenuity, eating meals in local people’s living rooms (cum cafés), laughing with children … laughing with each other.
Dermot and Redspokes did a brilliant job … establishing the culture within the group, ensuring the organisation ticked over smoothly. I can’t imagine any better way to experience the people and the countryside than biking it with a group of like-minded people.
Well done Dermot: the fact that nine of us had travelled with Redspokes before says it all. The big question is – where to next?
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Geoff & Emma Pittaway: Middlesex, England, UK.
We both had the time of our lives, although at times it did not feel like that!!! Great trip, amazing country, great route and good accommodation - thank you - only trouble is now we want to do more!
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Steve Cuming: Wellington, New Zealand.
"Yet another wonderful trip from the folks at Red Spokes, one that allow's you to see the real essence of the country and it's melting pot of people. The NW of the country is for the most part off the regular tourist trail and better for it, the people are friendly, receptive and not averse to inviting unusually clad, complete strangers into their home for a cup of green tea
Great company with like minded souls who enjoy riding and something a little different in a holiday. Another winner from the team at Redspokes"
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Paula Dyche: London, England, UK.
"I don’t think there could be a better way to experience Vietnam than cycling around the northern loop from Hanoi to Sapa. One of the great aspects of the trip was that you are on the bike all the time which allowed you to experience the contrasting landscapes – rice fields, mountains, villages and towns. You get a real taste of daily life – you happen upon events – stop to admire someone’s pig, watch rice pickers, sample some local food.
Some of the days I found tough but Dermot and his crew were there to keep me moving and there were carefully planned ‘strategic’ stops where you can see the table with refreshments up the hill/mountain that you need to get to.
The rest days were well placed in the itinerary and meant that we had time to explore Sapa and Hanoi, stay in more luxury accommodation and sample some great food. Going on a Red Spokes holiday (this was my second one) is like going away with friends on an adventure!.
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Nigel Carrick: Northumberland, England, UK.
A fantastic trip Dermot, even better than you described it. We cycled for days without seeing another westerner. This was very much the real Vietnam very much off the beaten track and away from all the usual tourist traps.
Your local guides were great - and so much history and culture to take in. What more could you want!
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Peter Marsden: Blackbool, England, UK.
"Vietnam was memorable…. for its ‘off the tourist trail’ cycling, its stunning rural scenery and the genuine welcome of its people.
What do I most remember? Long, steep punishing climbs (to 1,900 metres) and adrenaline fuelled downs. Mountain scenery, especially the lush greens of terraced paddy fields clinging vertically to the hillsides. Chance encounters on the road with exotically dressed hill tribe people and a run in with a stubborn road-blocking buffalo.
And above all the camaraderie of the road - cycling and sharing experiences with like-minded people.
A once in a lifetime holiday (at a bargain cost)…that is etched permanently in my memory banks".
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Phil Nelson: Waterlooville, England, UK.
"A brilliant trip extremely well led by Dermot from Red Spokes. You need a mountain bike for the terrain and sometimes good legs but everyone helps each other and a backup is there if you need it.
The scenery and the people were fascinating. The local population are friendly and often seen in authentic ethnic dress, not because of tourists as there weren’t many, but because that’s what they genuinely wore. I have cycled in lots of places but this trip was a real new experience. My advice - go now and see it as I saw it before it all changes".
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Robert Wright: St Margaret’s, Ireland.
"What a great place for a cycling holiday. A mesmerizing hidden corner of Vietnam, totally unspoilt, notraffic, no tourists and undoubtedly the most spectacular scenery in the whole country.
Cycling among the different hill tribe people, seeing close up, how little their lives had changed over the generations, was truly a fascinating experience.
For me that’s what cycling adventure holidays are all about. Well done Red Spokes".
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| Derek Hunter: Bromley, England, UK.
"A fantastic tour covering parts of Northern Vietnam not normally frequented by tourists – had a real adventure feel. The tour met all my pre-event aspirations with regards to people, adventure, challenge and satisfaction – would be difficult to better".
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