On this 10 day Vietnam Cycle Challenge adventure through remote mountain villages, you will be surrounded by magical scenery off the tourist track and be immersed in the local H mong culture. Visit down-town Hanoi, Vietnam's vibrant capital city. Enjoy an extraordinary road trip though the spine of Vietnam via Viet Tri, Tuyen Quang, the valleys of Tuyen Quang and onto Ha Giang. Then, traverse the Ha Giang province by bike over 5 days, along the way meeting the local H Mong people, immersing yourself in local food and culture. You will also have the very unique, and special, opportunity to visit several Plan International Programmes, thus seeing you support in action directly.

Here at Plan International Ireland, we have a vision happy, healthy and educated girls. By joining us on this extraordinary adventure, you are supporting this vision. You can see you support in action, while experiencing a personal journey of adventure and discovery. We believe that if we can help create the opportunity, they will do the rest. This is tenet of our Because I am a Girl campaign. Being a girl in the developing world is tough. It means you are more likely to be married off early, more likely to find yourself having a child while still a child, more likely to drop out of school, more likely to suffer from violence and abuse, to be the last to be fed, the last to be heard. Plan International's 78 years of experience has proven to us that supporting girls is the best investment we can make in the world today. If we invest smartly in girls, they can decide the future they want for themselves and for their children. They can educate themselves and those around them. They can invest and save and reinvest. Ultimately, they can make the world better.. our world.

Day 1, Wednesday 12 th April Depart Dublin And we are off! The journey starts here with our flight from Dublin to Hanoi. Day 2, Thursday 13th April Arrive Hanoi. B/L/D The real adventure begins as we arrive in Hanoi. We will be greeted by our local guide at Noi Bai Airport and make our first visit to Plan International Vietnam country office in Hanoi before arriving at our hotel. After a freshen up we will enjoy an evening meal and an early night for the start of the challenge trip tomorrow. Day 3, Friday 14th April Hanoi > Ha Giang. 15km B/L/D Today we will have a group breakfast in Hanoi before enjoying a full day transfer to Ha Giang province. Enjoy a full day road trip along the national road #2 via Viet Tri, Tuyen Quang to Ha Giang province. We will have some stops on the way to take pictures or to visit local ethnic villages. We will be immersed in the beautiful scenery of lush palm forests, tea plantations and stunning valleys as we travel through Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang. Lunch will be provided in local restaurant en route. We will arrive in Ha Giang by 16:00. After checking in at our hotel we will get to try out our bikes for the first time with an optional warm up cycle to Tay village before returning for an evening meal. Day 4, Saturday 15th April Ha Giang > Quan Ba. 65km B/L/D Following breakfast at hotel, we set off by bike heading out of town for the first 25km on relatively flat road through the landscape of terraced rice paddy fields. Passing through minority villages we cycle the next 25km up winding roads into the vast limestone mountain range, with its perpendicular walls of rock, climbing 800m towards the mountain road pass Heaven Gate 1. As we pass through mountain villages, we will receive a friendly greeting from the local communities along the way. From the pass we can look down at amazing views, including the famous vista of the Tam Son Valley with the Twin Hills and can spy Quan Ba town, our destination, in its beautiful location. It s mainly downhill for the last 15km into Quan Ba, where we overnight. Day 5, Sunday 16th April Quan Ban > Myen Minh. 45km B/L/D Following, we re back on the bikes to Yen Minh, surrounded by outstanding natural beauty. The terrain today will be a slightly challenging mix of up and downhill at an altitude over 1000m before a final 15km descent. We plan on taking our time today as our beautiful surroundings offer numerous photo opportunities and the rocky limestone and karst terrain is as diverse as it is beautiful. We cycle uphill for the first few km before a descent of around 10km and flat terrain for the next 10km, before a well-earned meal at our hotel in Yen Minh.

Day 6, Monday 17 th April, Yeh Minh > Dong Van. 30km B/L/D Today is our first opportunity to witness first hand the work Plan International and how your fundraising efforts help. Our morning will be spent at our first programme visit where you will get to meet the children, families, teachers and communities that are benefitting from our Community based Bilingual Education for Ethnic Minority children in the region. We will lunch in Yeh Minh before getting back on our bikes to continue to Dong Van. Today s ride is short, but the climbs are a little harder but more spectacular. The colorful traditional costumes of the local people will help you to face the challenge of the hills, and the views over these spectacular mountains and through the huge gorges will reward your efforts, with an overnight planned for Dong Van. Day 7, Tuesday 18th April Dong Van > Meo Vac. 30km B/L/D Today we will be cycling one of the most scenic 10km of Northern Vietnam. As we leave town, we will descend slightly, but into the next climb you are delivered an optical encouragement as the valley floor down to your right drops at almost the same level as you climb. The huge gorges leading away from you at this point lead straight into the wild frontier land and Yunnan Province of China. We will have lunch in Meo Vac before travelling to our second Plan International programme visit where we will spend the rest of the afternoon, before heading to our destination for the night - Meo Vac. Day 8, Wednesday 19th April Meo Vac > Bao Lac. 65km B/L/D Our final day of cycling we see us take on a stunningly remote mountain road en route to Bao Lac as we wind our way through beautiful villages. After a 5km uphill cycle we will make a 20km descent before following a fairly flat road for the next 10km. The surrounding landscape, with predominantly limestone formations, is a surreal vista of peaks, troughs, towers and caves. We will once again pass people from the local minority communities along the way dressed in their vibrant tribal costumes. Arrival in Bao Lac, we will check into a local guesthouse for our overnight. Day 9, Thursday 20th April Bao Lac > Hanoi. B/L/D After breakfast we will have our full day transfer back to Hanoi, arriving late afternoon, with refreshment stops along the way. On arrival back in Hanoi, we will have our final celebratory meal together tonight in Hanoi and have time to explore Vietnam s vibrant capital. Day 10, Friday 21st April Hanoi > Dublin. B/L/D (in-flight) Following breakfast at hotel, we will transfer back to the airport for flight back to Dublin, arriving into Dublin on Saturday afternoon.

Plan International was founded over 78 years ago with a mission to promote and protect the rights of children. Today, Plan International is a global organisation that works in 51 developing countries to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty Because I am a Girl is Plan International s global campaign to create a world that values girls, promotes girls' rights and ends injustice. We are committed to driving a global movement that transforms power relations so girls everywhere can learn, lead, decide and thrive. The Because I am a Girl campaign empowers girls and boys to become agents of change. Putting children s voices at the centre of the social movement is a core belief that underpins Plan International s work and our desire to create lasting change.

What does it cost? The total fundraising target for this trip is 3,750. How do I fundraise? There are so many fun and creative ways to raise the funds. You will receive a comprehensive fundraising tool kit and have our full support throughout your journey. How fit do I need to be? All international flights All transfer as per itinerary (private air-conditioned vehicles) Twin-share accommodation Plan International Ireland staff member Local translator Bike, with support vehicle/team All meals as per itinerary Water and snacks on cycle days All entrance fees/permits This challenge is marked moderate. Whilst no extensive cycling experience is required prior to registering, our challenges are designed to be just that CHALLENGING! We advise you to increase your physical fitness with aerobic exercise and cycling in the three months prior to your trip. What is the minimum age? The minimum age for this trip is 18. However, younger participants will be considered on application. We have had participants from ages 17 to 70 on our challenge treks and challenges previously! Visa Meals not mentioned in Itinerary Services, excursions or activities not mentioned in itinerary Personal expenditure Tipping Can I extend my stay? Yes. If you wish to extend your stay and visit more of the country this is entirely up to you. Any travel arrangements outside of those mentioned in itinerary will be at your own cost. Will I meet the Team before I go? Yes. We hold information evenings which are a great opportunity to meet the rest of the group this works well for those taking on the challenge on their own. You will also have regular contact and updates from the Plan International Ireland staff member that will be on your trip.

Three easy ways to do it logon @ plan.ie/vietnamcycle freefone 1800 829 829 email rachel@plan.ie This is a challenge that you shouldn t miss. Vietnam is a stunning country. You won t regret doing it, and I am personally looking forward to leading you on this adventure of a lifetime. Please get in touch to discuss in more detail. Rachel, Plan International Ireland Plan International Ireland 126 Baggot Street Lower Dublin 2 D01X934