Day 1, Hanoi Mai Chau, 140 km, ~4-5 hrs.
Heading out of Hanoi on road number 6 to Mai Chau, and idyllic valley populated by mainly White Thai ethnic people. Visiting Mai Chau, you have a chance to enjoy folk songs and traditional colourful culture of White Thai in Mai Chau. The scenery of the arrival to Mai Chau is characterized with beautiful limestone mountains and colourful hill tribes who can be seen and visited on the way. We also have an opportunity en route to learn about the culture of the rice-cultivating inhabitants in the Red River valley and Da River down stream. From the top of Thung Nhuoi pass there is a beautiful view of Mai Chau valley, often engulfed by clouds but still a sight to be enjoyed. After visiting this wonderful site, we drop down to explore more of the area of White Thai people.
In the evening, we can enjoy a local dinner and overnight in a beautiful village at the edge of a river. After dinner, you can spend the evening sitting together around a fire and join in a Thai traditional music show. In their traditional attire, typical of their culture, Thai women invite visitors to participate in the Xoe dance. To the rhythmical and ebullient music, the hosts and guests will dance for hours hand-in-hand. When they get tired, they stop for a while to drink special sticky rice liquor called "ruou can". Visitors who participate in the Xoe dance once, especially by the light of a fire at night are likely to remember it forever.
Overnight and dinner in our host family of Thai. B,L,D, permits, entrance fees, and traditional dancing show.
Day 2, Mai Chau Sam Nua, 210km, 5h
Drive along Ma River down to Thanh Hoa province on medium mountain road then ride up higher mountain to Quan Son for lunch before arriving to Na Meo border crossing.
The road from Quan Son to Sam Nua is narrow and windy through thick rain forest in both sides Vietnam and Laos. On the way to Sam Nua, we stop for a visit at Vieng Xay the former of Pathet Lao Revolutionary head-quarters with its famous hundred limestone cliffs, caves and Pathet Lao stories from the second Indochina War. <
Day 3, Sam Nua Plan Of Jars, 230km ~5h
The day is spent on a beautiful road and ride with time spent visiting some local hill-tribe villages along route No 6. We will lunch in a restaurant in Nam Neun village before heading on another 95 km dirt road to Muong Kham. On the way we can stop to visit Tham Piew cave - where about 400 people were killed during the second Indochina War by a rocket from American Jet on 24 Nov 1968.
Arrival in Phonsavan, leave our luggage at the hotel then we ride to visit Plan of Jars an impressive archaeological site where thousands of large stone jars are littered all over the Xieng Khoang plateau. These huge jars are supposedly over 2,000 years old, but most of archaeologists are still mystified about their purpose.
Day 4,Plan Of Jars Luang Prabang, 230km, 4h.
This day is great for riding on good road and windy on mountain road, where you will have chances to visit local ethnic villages of HMong, Thai Dam, Thai Nua...
Day 5, Luang Prabang
Full day visit peaceful World Heritage site
Day 6, Luang Prabang Udom Xay Muong Khua240km, ~5h
First part ride to Udomxay with 180km on good road with beautiful scenery. It is possible to make this distance by 3 and half hours. We will make some stops in our friend villages on road. The last part on smaller road along the Nam Phak river take us to Muang Khua. A small central village of Muong Khua district on the bank of Nam Ou River.
Day 7, Muong Khua Dien Bien70km, ~2h
Ride on narrow dirt road to Muang May, Tay Trang where we enter back to Vietnam.
After lunch in Dien Bien we have full time in the afternoon to visit Dien Bien Phu, the famous battle field during the Indochina Wars again the French
Day 8, Dien Bien Xin Ho, 185km, ~5h
Sin Ho is a scenic mountain village with a large percentage of ethnic minorities and it has a colourful Sunday market to offer. Sin Ho is a 38-km climb on an abysmal dirt road off Route 12; the turn off is about 1 km north of the village of Chan Nua, on the road from Lai Chau. Sin Ho can also be reached by a challenging trek from the town of Tam Duong.
Day 9: Xin Ho Sapa, 110km, ~3h, (Sin Ho Market)
Due to the environment and a height of 1,700m, getting there is very hard journey, so the people living here mostly keep to their very long lasting lifestyle. The unchanged way of life from ancient days is hard to be done anywhere. However, it should be said that there is no way for urbanization to occur in these areas. Moreover, only a handful of travel agencies can bring their customers to this remote area. The reason Sin Ho is regarded as the richest mountain market in the Northwest province, is that anybody who is courageous enough to visit the area is rewarded with the fortune of visiting. This does nothing to limit the motley colours of traditional clothes of various ethics such as the Green H'mong, the Black H'mong, the White H'mong, the Dzao Dau Bang, and the Lu.
We will enjoy a picnic lunch at the top of Tram Ton Pass, the most beautiful one in Sapa. In the afternoon we are free to explore Sapa, usually being engulfed by clouds. After enjoying a cup of Artichaux local herbal tea, a special drink from Sapa, we embark on a walk to discover this charming town and get acquainted with the host people who are the soul of this area.
Sapa was founded in the early years of the last century as a hill resort for the French administration at the time. It soon became famous in Indochina for its ideal climate. Nowadays, Sapas breathtaking scenery is some of the best in ASEAN.
Inc: B,L,D
Hoang Long hotel
Day 10: Sapa,
To day we enjoy the trek to discover the spirits of Sapa hundred years-the local Mong, Dao people who migrated to Vietnam from China and chose Sapa as one of their homeland to continue their rich traditional cultures there. We learn how they renounced the habit of opium plan and move to the wet rice and herbal-medical tree plan now. Picnic lunch will be provided on the mountain side. After 5 hour trek of Ta Van and Lao Chai villages the Car will transfer you up hill back to Sapa and overnight in Sapa
Inc: B,L,D
Hoang Long Hotel
Car transfer Ta Van village to Sapa
Day 11, Sapa Xin Man, 150 Km, ~ 4 hrs
In the morning, we go down to Lao Cai town with a visit to Lao Cai border gate with China. Then roll along the route 70 to Bac Ngam for a nice break, taking pictures of beautiful scenery of mountain and river view. We head up mountain pass to Bac Ha for our lunch and short hiking to some H'mong villages there.
In the afternoon we continue the small trail to Xin Man in the rocky, muddy and slippery for taste of motorbiking in Vietnam
12, Xin Man Luc Yen, 170 km, ~ 4-5 hrs.
One special day begins by heading South direction on the bumpy, dirty, and muddy road. Luckily, we climb up to top hill on a good condition road, enjoy your riding down hill with beautiful scenery of rice paddies on the mountain sides toward Xin Man which seems to be impossible in the rain. Stop at many villages to chat and talk with local people and discover their culture.
After about 3 hours riding, we reach a good road, but still small and wild. That would be great for rolling a bike through rice fields, limestone mountain karsts of Luc Yen.
- B,L,D
- Overnight in Tay family
Day 13, Luc Yen Vu Linh, 80 km, ~ 2 hrs.
We follow along the side of Thac Ba lake with beautiful villages, limestone mountains, rice and palm fields.
Arrive in Vu Linh, a village of White Trouser Dao locates on the side of Thac Ba Lake. Leave the bikes in our host family - where we will stay for a night - and then we experience of paddling a small single boat by our feet with local people to discover the life of local Dao and Cao Lan minority people
- B,L,D + Boat trip
- Overnight in Dao family
Day 14, Vu Linh Hanoi, ~165 km, ~4 h
Easy day to ride back to Hanoi by following the Chay River on dirt road, last chance to enjoy dirt riding in North Vietnam.
Beautiful scenery of daily life boating, maize and rice fields, beautiful villages of Tay and King people.
- B,L
COST
* Including:
- Motorbike Minsk, all fuel;
- Tour guide / Translator;
- Motorbiking protective pants, jacket, gloves, helmet, rain gear, and other safety equipments;
- Sleeping bags, mosquito nets, sheets, pillows and accommodations;
- Third party motorbike insurance;
- All food;
- 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.
* Personal expense (such as souvenirs), personal insurance, drinks, train or flight tickets, food and accommodation in Hanoi and tips are not included in our fee.
Contact us now to book this tour or to know about different itineraries.
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