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.
- B,L,D + Entrance fee + traditional dance show
- Overnight in Thai family
Day 2, Mai Chau – Bac Yen, ~160 km, ~ 4hrs
A real challenging ride, after an hour on the new Highway no. 6 we make our own way on to the torturous and bumpy road to explore the H'mong hill tribe’s colourful customs and majestic mountainous scenery. Visit our H’mong friends’ families, walk in the village and then continue on the dirt road to Moc Chau.
These beautiful grasslands of Moc Chau have the best of both words and breath-taking scenery which is favoured by nature and covered with clouds all year round. It seems to offer the most ideal climate condition in Northwest Vietnam. Moc Chau's flora is diverse, ranging from forest and tea plantations to fruit hills.
Moreover, we can walk to the local dairy farms and try produce from the local processing factories. Dairy produce is Moc Chau’s specialty being exported to many other countries.
We drop down to Black River and take a ferry to pass the river. Then we ride along the river to before heading up hill to Bac Yen, the central district of Bac Yen.
- B,L,D + Ferry
- Local Guesthouse.
Day 3, Bac Yen – Tuan Giao, 170 km, ~6 hrs
The journey north continues onto Son La, following the 113 Highway. Along the way, there are superb landscapes with green valley and terraced rice fields. Passing the Chen Pass to the largest "maize" and "manioc" forest, we arrive at Son La plateau.
After lunch in Son La town, we will visit the former French Prison and provincial museum. We have more mountain passes to challenge us, such as Son La, Chieng Pac, and Pha Din. You will enjoy the beautiful landscape on your way from Son La to Lai Chau town. The afternoon will provide free time to climb over the top of the Pha Din Pass - known as the interface between Heaven and Earth. Pha Din forms a natural border between Son La and Dien Bien Phu, the site of the decisive battle in Vietnam’s struggle for independence in 1954. Then we take time to travel to Tuan Giao to view the sunset.
- B,L,D
- Trade Union Guesthouse
Day 4,Tuan Giao – Sin Ho, 150 km, ~5 hrs.
Today we continue venturing in to northern Vietnam with the 98ksm remainder of the historical Highway 6. The road is rough, but the scenery is unbelievably beautiful and magnificent with the 7 tall passes cutting though steep mountain along the Da River flowing around the foot of the passes, which can be found nowhere else in the Northwest route. Moreover, part of the pleasure of travelling by motorbike in this region is the simple joy of the friendly smiles and greetings of the local people, which make the hardship all worthwhile. Along the way, we stop to visit the Black Thai, Kho Mu, Lu, Black H'mong, Green H'mong and White H'mong, just some of the many hill tribe groups and discover their simple lifestyles and colourful cultures.
The afternoon ride up to Sin Ho for 28km on windy road with beautiful scenery.
- B,L,D
- Thanh Binh Hotel 2**
Day 5, Sin Ho – Sapa, 110km, ~3h, Hoang Long Hotel (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, Sapa’s breathtaking scenery is some of the best in ASEAN. - B,L,D
- Hoang Long hotel
Day 6, 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
- B,L,D
- Gia Long Hotel
Day 7, Xin Man – Luc Yen – Vu Linh, 200 km, ~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.
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 8, 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.
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