NORTH-WEST VIETNAM

Motorbike Discovery Tour
- motorcycle adventure in Vietnam -

9 days, 8 nights

 

Highlights:

• Hidden roads and rural life in the countryside
• Back road rides on Minsk Motorbikes
• Meeting local people in the mountains
• Minorities, villages and market visits
• Mountain rides through Son La and Mai Chau
• Activities and sightseeing along the way
• 
  

Day 1: Hanoi - Vu Linh. ~180 km, ~7 h.
Welcome to our motorbike road trip through northwest Vietnam. To give us an easy start we take a soft drive on the sealed road to Thac Ba Lake and follow the little road to Vu Linh. The beautiful place of Vu Linh is a Dzao village by the side of the lake. Very friendly people expect us and give us a warm welcome.

 

Day 2: Vu Linh - Luc Yen. Boating.
Today we take a walk around in Vu Linh to discover the area in the morning. Lunch in Mr. Boi's family house. After that, a boat is waiting to take us and our bikes to Luc Yen on a 3 hour river ride. We meet and talk with our friends who work on the lake.

 

Day 3: Luc Yen - Bac Ha. ~130 km, ~5 h.
The 20-km drive from Luc Yen to Road 70 is quite bumpy and will take us some time. Then a sealed road is guiding us the way to Pac Ngam, where we turn right and drive up into the wonderful vietnamese mountains to Bac Ha (26 km). Here we take the chance to discover the little town and take a rest in Bac Ha.

 

Day 4: Bac Ha - Coc Ly - Sapa. ~80 km, ~4 h.
Today we drive down to Pac Ngam to meet the boat which takes us to Coc Ly and the beautiful market on Tuesday. Here we meet the local minorities from the tribes of the H'mong, Dzao and Phu La. The little town of Coc Ly is wild and surrounded by forest. It can only be reached by boat or bike. We leave the motorbikes behind to enjoy the comfort of cruising with a boat on the Chay River for over 1 hour (20 km). Lunch in Coc Ly before coming back to Pac Ngam and drive up to Sapa.

In Sapa, the humidity is high and it gets colder in the night.

 

Day 5: Sapa - Tam Duong. ~100 km, ~5 h.
In the morning we pick up the bike and drive to Tam Duong. The distance is short but the road is narrow and lots of blind corner. However, the landscape is absolutely beautiful with the view on the famous Fansipan Mountain

 

Day 6: Tam Duong - Lai Chau. ~150 km, ~6 h.
Another opportunity to meet the loclas today and to get an insight into their simple life here in the mountain areas. We will meet Tay, Thai, H'mong, and Mang people. We drive through the Tam Duong plain which is covered in shark's teeth-like limestone mountains. In Sin Ho we visit a village of the Mang people.

Day 7: Lai Chau - Son La. ~200 km, ~7 h.
The magnificent road of 15 passes. A great ride on a wonderful road blessed with wide views and a stunning landscape. Probably the most beautiful journey of the whole trip even the road is in poor condition.

Day 8: Son La - Mai Chau. ~180 km, ~7 h.
We follow a long valley floor covered in a sea of rice. All is surrounded by Black Thai villages and their filled markets. We are descending into a mountainous tea growing region and head down into a forested region populated by H'mong people. Before we descend into the hidden valley of Mai Chau we might have some stops to enjoy the views. In Mai Chau we spend the night with friends in a traditional Thai stilt house.

 

Day 9: Mai Chau - Hanoi. ~165 km, ~5 h.
Trek around Mai Chau in the morning to explore more of this stunning valley. Lunch in Mai Chau before driving back to Hanoi on karst road via Hoa Binh to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi around 5 pm. - fairwell dinner and optional extensions.

Extend your trip with a visit to the Halong Bay or with a trip down south

 

 

Including:
- Motorbike Minsk, all fuel;
- Tour guide / Translator and guiding
- Motorbiking protective pants, jacket, gloves, helmet, rain gear, and other equipment
- Sleeping bags, mosquito nets, sheets, pillows and accommodations;
- Third party motorbike insurance
- All food along the trip - local and european mixture
- All entrance fees, permits, tickets, boat trips, ferries, bamboo rafts, etc...
- Voyage Vietnam assistance throughout your trip;
- We also love to celebrate our guests' birthday... well any excuse for a celebration on the open road!

 

Not included:
Personal expenses (such as souvenirs)
personal insurance, drinks, train or flight tickets, food and accommodation in Hanoi and tips

 

MOST FAVOURITE EXTENSION - Halong Bay Explorer

 

Day 1: Hanoi - Bai Chay - Halong. ~170 km, ~5 hrs.
Go to bus station to take the bus to Bai Chay in 5 hours. Promenade along the coast in Halong City. A junk is waiting for us to cruise in Halong Bay. Seafood lunch on the boat. Boat to Thien Cung cave, fishing village and then through myriads of limestone karsts to Ba Trai Dao (Three Peach Fruit Islet). Swim and sleep here. Overnight on private boat. Lunch, dinner, permits and entrance fees.

Day 2: Cat Ba - Boating.
Cruise to Cat Ba. Cat Ba is at the far end of Halong Bay. Cat Ba still lives from resources of the sea. Tourism is developed and of high quality. Cat Ba Bay is a miniature of Halong Bay, its labyrinth of limestone karsts so dense that it is difficult to imagine we are on the sea.

We created this itinerary - the floating village Van Gia. They are our personal friends and the relationship with them is close, despite other companies now also visiting. Last but not least, Monkey Island (Cat Dua Islet). This has been totally ignored by mass tourism and has nothing special except the fact that there is nobody on the island except the monkeys and a family who cares for them. Arrive in Cat Ba and check in to Princes Hotel. Take a small boat (sampan) to the floating restaurant for dinner. Overnight in Princes Hotel. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, permits, entrance fees and boat trip.

Day 3: Cat Ba - Hanoi. ~120 km, ~3 hrs.
Motorbiking on Cat Ba Island in the morning on the mountain road. Ferry at 1.30 pm to Hai Phong. Taxi to Tam Bac bus station for the bus back to Hanoi (2 hours), arrive in Hanoi around 5 pm.

This tour is full inclusive with Transfers, Accommodation, Breakfast, lunch, permits and entrance fees.