We had seen so much of nature’s beautiful landscape the previous day in northeast Vietnam. Today, we’ll witness a different kind of wonder: Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave, and Ma Phuc pass. Our route today will also be very enjoyable to experienced bikers.
After a hearty breakfast, we bid farewell to our host family before heading straight toward Ban Gioc waterfall. After an hour of riding some of the best roads running between limestone mountains, we’ll reach our first destination of the day: Nguom Ngao Cave. Exploring this cave will take up to 45 minutes, after which we will move on to the highlight of our day: Ban Gioc waterfall. From as far as 10km away, we can already spot the Qui Dien river and hear the faint sound of water thundering down in the distance.
Once we’ve reached the fall, we can ride closer to its foot before parking our bikes and taking a small raft to get closer to the waterfall. We’ll raft around the fall, towards the Tall fall, where we can all take a dip in the cool refreshing water. After a good swim and some coffee, we’ll return to Quang Uyen, taking a different route this time: harder, smaller roads that stretch for 45 km. Lunch break at a local restaurant in Quang Uyen , then we’ll return to our bike, riding on towards Cao Bang city.
This will be our ride of the day! Right upon leaving town, we’ll hit Ma Phuc pass. Ma Phuc pass is not too long, but the elevation is rather staggering. Its name, Ma Phuc, means ‘defeated horses’, as once upon a time, horses tended to collapse from fatigue at the top of the pass. Arriving at our hotel at around 5 pm, unpacking and unwinding after a long day of greatness and fun!
Summary:
Meal: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Accommodation: Standard Hotel
Distance: 160 km over 5 hours of riding
