3 Countries 15 Days

Before booking please check the status of the trip you are joining. We do not advise you to book flights until a trip is confirmed to run.

• There is a 5% booking incentive discount for all 'Available' and 'Available - 2 more to Guarantee' tours. To confirm your place on a tour please make the deposit payment. Your final balance is payable no later than 56 days before the trip start date. On booking your trip you are agreeing to our booking conditions. Please read them fully via the link here. For each holiday a minimum number of participants is required to enable it to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed'. You can check the trip status for each departure in ‘Dates and Prices’ table. Other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not cancel a trip once it has achieved this guaranteed to run status and so you are free to proceed with your international flight booking and other travel arrangements. If you are only interested in booking a tour that is already guaranteed to run and you wish to be contacted by us when the trip you wish to join has been guaranteed, please contact us on office@redspokes.co.uk.

  Guaranteed Limited - trips are open for booking and confirmed to run but have a limited number of spaces available.
  Guaranteed - trips are open for booking and confirmed to run.
  Available 2 More To Guarantee - trips are open for booking but not yet confirmed. 2 more bookings will guarantee the running of this tour.
  Available - trips are open for booking but not yet confirmed.
  Contact - If you would like to book this tour, please contact us.
  Fully Booked - trips now closed for booking.

• Accommodation. We choose accommodation on the basis of comfort rather than luxury. Our prices are based on sharing a twin room; single rooms are available at extra cost.

  Most meals are provided on the tour (see trip notes for details) along with snacks and mineral    water during cycling days.

  All transportation and local guides within the itinerary.

International flights. On some tours internal flights are not included.

Soft and alcoholic drinks are not included in the meal plan.

Some meals on non-cycling/cycling days (please refer to itinerary).

Optional extra excursions.

Visa costs are not included in your trip price.

Personal spending money.

Travel insurance.

Airport transfers outside of our trip arrival and departure dates.

Tips for local staff Snacks and drinks with meals. Miscellaneous personal expenses.

The tour starts in Hanoi. We appreciate that people join redspokes tours from all over the world; no matter what time you arrive at the airport on the tour start date you and your luggage will be transferred to the joining hotel. Please bear in mind that if you arrive before midday you may have to wait for your room to be made available. If you decide to arrive early or stay on after the tour, redspokes can assist you in booking your accommodation and airport transfers at additional cost. 

Our tour price does not include your international flight.

Check out www.kayak.com or www.opodo.co.uk for an idea of times and prices.

You will need to arrange multi-destination flights for this tour to arrive in Hanoi (Vietnam) and depart from Chiang Rai (Thailand).

You will at all times have the security of a back-up vehicle; either a jeep or a bus. The vehicle will carry your luggage (we transport your main baggage by support vehicle from each overnight stop to the next) and yourself if you want. The backup van will be with us throughout the day stopping around every 12 miles (20 km).

Our leaders carry a good tool kit and will help to fix any bike problems so all you normally need to carry is a daypack, for your camera etc. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be equipped for all repairs, so if you are bringing your own bike on the tour you must ensure that it is in good working order. If in doubt, have it fully serviced by a bike shop before you travel.

The South East Asia tour is suitable for Hybrid/Cyclocross/Gravel bikes or mountain bikes with slick tyres.

We have hybrid bikes available for hire for this tour. 

If you are not hiring from us but bringing your own bike you need to ensure that it is in good working order before you leave home to join the tour. We recommend that you get your bike checked by a professional bike mechanic. In particular we suggest you check and adjust all wheel spokes, grease all your bearings, check your brakes/gears cable, tighten all nuts and bolts, check chain, quick release clamps, tires and put in new inner tubes and check wheel rims are not worn. In addition, ride with as much care and attention as possible. We would also advise that you bring the following tools: multi-tool, tyre levers, pump, 2 spare inner tube, spare spokes of the correct length to fit your wheels - check with a bike shop, brake pads, a few spare links for your chain, spares for any unique or high-tech items on your bike, e.g. fluid and bleed kit for hydraulic brakes. 

Your bike must be carried as a part of your luggage allowance and, to this end, we recommend you make every effort to keep your total check-in baggage to an absolute minimum. The baggage allowance for most airlines for an economy-class ticket is 20kg per person; although a degree of flexibility is usually extended to groups and the check in staff may accept up to 26kg per person without imposing excess baggage charges.

Your bike (in its cardboard box) will weigh 15 to 18kg leaving a small allowance for clothing, etc. You should carry small heavy items in your day pack / pannier which you can take onto the plane as hand luggage.

Your hand luggage is not included as a part of your overall allowance, as it is not weighed. Please inform your airline in advance that you will be taking your bike on the flight and attempt to make every effort to secure from the airline an additional baggage allowance.  

If you wish to hire a bike or have a single room for the tour this can usually be arranged for you at extra cost. You will have the opportunity to request these extras at the time of booking or, subject to availability, at a later date, by emailing your request to us.

If you require additional accommodation or transfers in advance of the trip start date or at the end of your trip we can arrange this for you at extra cost.

If you are bringing your own bike you must bring any specific spare parts with you.  A detailed equipment list of what to bring with you will be provided before you travel. Small day sack or pannier (assuming you have a rack to attach it to) to carry clothing, camera and valuables, a couple of spare passport photos, photocopies of key documents e.g. passport (data and visa pages), travel insurance policy, airline tickets, camera, photos of your family and postcards of your town to show the locals.

In terms of clothing this is clearly up to you and we can only supply a rough guide as to what to take. This guide is entirely flexible and should be tailored to your specific needs. Sunglasses, lightweight trekking boots/shoes, cycling footwear, lightweight socks (3 pairs), underwear (4 pairs), lightweight long johns, lightweight, long-sleeved  shirt, lightweight trekking shorts, padded cycling shorts (2 pairs), shorts, t-shirts (2), long-sleeved shirt, fleece jacket/pullover, biking jacket, waterproof (breathable fabric), fingerless biking gloves, sunglasses, toiletries, basic first aid kit: to include: antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, broad spectrum anti biotic,  painkillers, plasters and blister treatment and re-hydration salts (Dioralite) lip Balm, sun cream, towel (small). If you have any questions about this list please feel free to contact us. 

We have a wide mix of cyclists on our tours from couples,friends to solo travellers. Our prices are based on twin shared accommodation. If you sign up for one of our tours as a solo traveller we will twin share you with another person of the same gender in your group. If you prefer to have your own room this is an option on most of our tours for an extra charge.

Most meals are included in your trip price apart from on non cycling days and some other exclusions. Please check the itinerary for full details. If you have a special dietary request, please advise us at the time of booking. Most diets can be catered for, but it is always important to advise us in advance.

It is mandatory that you are well-insured for the full duration of the tour. This must include personal injury, medical expenses, death, repatriation, helicopter or aircraft rescue, loss of luggage or equipment, cancellation or curtailments.

You should also ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities included in your tour. Any claims concerning matters for which you are insured must be directed to your insurers.

We strongly recommend that you take out insurance at the time of booking your trip to ensure that you are covered in the event of cancellation.

For people within the UK Snowcard Insurance Services specialize in all mountain sports holidays including mountain biking. Follow the link to obtain full information and a quote:

Vietnam
Vietnamese is the official language; English is generally favoured as a second. Chinese and Khmer and numerous other local languages are also spoken in places. 

Vietnamese New Dông (approx. VND 26,131 to £1). The US Dollar is the most favoured foreign currency and we recommend taking some US Dollars travellers cheques and money in small denominations. British currency can usually be changed in the larger cities. There is a charge for changing money in banks. Travellers Cheques are widely accepted in hotels and banks. 

Buddhism is the major religion in Vietnam. In the far north Hoa Hao and Cao Daism are among the indigenous religions along with groups that have animist beliefs. Ancestor worship is an important influence in Vietnamese culture. Other religions are Christianity and Islam. 

Capital Hanoi
Government  Communist Party-dominated constitutional republic.
Currency  Dong (VND)
Area total: 332,000 km² (127 243 sq. mi.)
Population  : (2016) 92.6 million
Language Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer, mountain area languages.
Literacy: 91%

Religion  Buddhism
Electricity  220V/50Hz (European & US plugs)
Dialling Code  +84
Internet TLD  vn, vnm
Time Zone  UTC +7 

Laos 
Some suggestions for reading prior to the tour include Dervla Murphy: One foot in Laos/Thailand. Christopher Robbins: The Ravens: The Men Who Flew In The Secret War In Laos. The most thrilling read of all the books on America's secret war in Laos. 

Capital Vientiane
Government  Communist state
Currency  Kip (LAK)
Area total: 236,800 km2
Water: 6,000 km2
Land: 230,800 km2
Population  6,521,998 (July 2007 est.)
Language Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Religion  Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Electricity  220V/50Hz (European & US plugs)
Dialling Code  +856
Internet TLD  .la
Time Zone  UTC +7 

Thailand 
Capital: Bangkok
Government: constitutional monarchy
Currency: Thai baht (THB)
Area total: 513,120 km2
Land: 510,890 km2
Water: 2,230 km2
Population:66,720,153 (2011 est.)
Language: Thai (official), minority languages
Religion: Buddhism (mainly Theravada), Islam in the south
Electricity: 220V/50Hz (American and/or European plug)
Dialling Code: +66
Internet:TLD .th
Time Zone UTC +7

We choose accommodation on the basis of comfort rather than luxury. Our prices are based on sharing a twin room.  Should you wish to have a room all to yourself there is a single supplement option on the most of our tours.  For more information on the additional costs please see Dates & Prices.

The majority of the accommodation for this trip is in hotels & some will have en-suite facilities and air conditioning.

You must be in possession of a valid passport and visa. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of arrival or 1 month after expiration of visa and have 2 blank pages in your passport for each country that you visit.

You can apply online for an e-visa. Alternatively, visa application forms for UK residents can be obtained by clicking here. If you would prefer to pay an agent to get your visa, we would then suggest using Travcour UK Ltd.  They have been in the visa business for 25 years & offer our customers a £5 discount on all visas purchased.

Please check with the relevant embassy for details on visa requirements as they do often change without notice. It is your responsibility to arrange visas prior to the start of the trip.

Please ensure you check that all the details on the visa are correct prior to your departure.

Vietnam:  British and Thai passport holders do not need a visa if they stay in country less than 14 days. For information relevant to the country for which you hold a passport, check with your local Vietnam embassy for up to date advice.  If you do require a visa please be aware that. An e-visa is not acceptable for this tour as it will not allow entry or exit from Vietnam at the Tay Trang border gate.  Your visa must be applied for in advance. You can arrange for a visa on arrival in advance of the trip and our agent can provide you with a travel document that will permit entry to Vietnam for issue of the visa. There is a £10 admin charge for this. The visa fee is payable at Noi Bai airpot, Hanoi.  

Laos:  Your visa will be issued as you enter the country.  The visa fee is payable in cash in dollars only (no other currency is accepted). Please visit this website for further information:  Laos visa regulations. 

Thailand: Most nationalities can enter Thailand for 30 days without a visa.  Please check the list on this website to see if your country is included in the visa exemption: Thai Consulate Country List.

We strongly recommend that you contact your doctor or local Travel Health Clinic at least 8 weeks before going on your trip for advise on the correct vaccinations required for your trip. Also please refer to advice from National Travel Health Network and Centre . 

There are no mandatory vaccintations for this trip, however the following are recommended Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Typhoid, Hepatitis.

Vaccination requirements can change and we aren't medically quailified to answer your questions regarding vaccinations so please also check again with your health professional before departing for your trip.