Northwest Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Thac Ba Lake – 5 days

At 8 am, we will meet up with our fellow members to start our exciting day. From Hanoi, we will ride on QL32 through Phuc Tho, Son Tay to Ba Vi. After passing Trung Ha Bridge, we keep going to Co Tiet and turn left to Thanh Son. The road is quite far but certainly worth experiencing. From Thanh Son, we will go along Road 32 through Tan Son to reach Thu Cuc. The final stage in our journey today is turning left to Highway 32b to head straightly to Phu Yen. This road is full of steep and winding passes. When riding on this road, we can have a great chance to view small streams and the practical daily activities of locals living in the remote, lush forests.

Speaking about Phu Yen, the highlight of this destination is called Mr. Giap forest, which is about 200 hectares and surrounded by wild mountains. This forest gives tourists a great sense of closeness to Mother Nature with many different old trees. Moreover, you can hear the murmur of water from Dun stream days and nights that helps you blow off steam after nervous driving hours. On the way, you can take a break in the Observatory in the Hien stream, the Military Medical Station in the Bua stream; or Command Post held by the General in the Tac Ke stream.

Summary:

Distance: 160 km

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Guest-house

After recovering from the first day, we start our second day by riding to Mu Cang Chai. We move from Phu Yen to Lung Lo Pass, which is around 15 kilometers away, linking Van Chan (Yen Bai) and Phu Yen (Son La). This pass was critical in the Vietnam War because Vietnam soldiers regularly transported weapons and ammunition to serve the Dien Bien Phu campaign throughout it. Leaving this prideful pass, we head to National Highway 37. The road is not too long but challenging to all drivers, even the most professional.

After enjoying the local lunch, let’s prepare for the route to Mu Cang Chai. On this special track, plenty of charming viewpoints appear in front of our eyes. Sometimes, you can smell the aromas of growing rice in the immense fields. You can also view the prominent “soul” of Mu Cang Chai at sunset. See its wild beauty in the middle of a plateau, covered by immense mountain ranges, winding passes, and magnificent old-growth forests.

Summary:

Distance: 210 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

We set off Mu Cang Chai and rode straight to Quy Ho Pass, hanging up among clouds and mountains in the early morning. Surely, we cannot ignore vast tea, corn, or rice plantation along the tracks. Besides, winding passes and splendid mountain ranges sometimes make you fret but feel happy after conquering.

Sapa town is one of the popular tourist destinations in the highland areas of the North. Therefore, it is worth staying here and checking why it is such an attractive location. The first and foremost spot we highly recommend for you is Sapa Stone Church, which is ideal for tourists to check in and snap memorable photoshoots. The church is a landmark structure built under the French colony in the middle of Sapa center town for a spiritual reason. Nowadays, thousands of ethnic minorities’ communities have gathered for trade or even exchange their products daily, creating local cultural identity quite obviously.

After taking a stroll around this lovely town and researching local culture, we returned to the homestay. In the warm atmosphere, we can share our feeling about our travel time.

Ahead of us, this morning is the Vu Linh eco-tourism site, where we can relax with a wide range of different activities such as cycling, walking, sailing, fishing, or talking with indigenous people in Yen Bai. Before thinking of the entertaining stuff mentioned above, a long ride from Sapa to Vu Linh awaits you to conquer. Saying goodbye to Sapa, we must go through Lao Cai city (Yen Bai) on the CT15 road to reach our stopping point today.

Regarding Ngoi Tu village, Vu Linh commune, as a nature lover, maybe you are not interested in artificial structures here. However, the village management understands and tries to create activities associated with available nature landscapes, minimizing impacts on natural resources. The environmental consciousness is seen through every structure here. After visiting Vu Linh village, it is time to learn more about local cuisine through the typical dishes of the Dao people and their traditional wine. The Vu Linh wine, fermented manually from rice, is so strong and aromatic that makes you can easily drunk. So watch out! We still have the eventual day to cover.

Summary:

Distance: 200 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

Thac Ba Lake is the scenic delight of Vu Linh village. Our team will depart to the lake in the morning, and the hydroelectric dam is our first stop. The dam helps generate power, preventing floods and droughts in the Northern delta region. It took a huge effort to dig and fill up that tank, so it is a respected masterpiece of humans here. The next activity is exploring caves in Thac Ba by boat, which lies deep in the Limestone Mountains. The most prominent among them is the beautiful stalactite-covered Thuy Tien cave. After that, we can continue climbing along the rocky path to the top of the mountain. At the time, you can see Chay River, which adorably curves around the mountains. From there, vibrant images of traditional stilt houses and outstanding rice terraces keep you staring blankly. It is a bittersweet feeling when it almost comes to the end of the trip.

Finally, it is time to leave the peaceful North of Vietnam and say goodbye to your newly-made friends to return to Hanoi. We will have lunch on the way to the QL32 and make sure to arrive before the capital’s rush hour.

Summary:

Distance: 180 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.