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Day1: Depart Sydney Airport and welcome drinks - Arrive Hanoi (B,
L, D)
Meet at Sydney International airport for welcome drinks then we
depart for Vietnam. Arrive in Hanoi and transfer to our hotel.
Day 2: Hanoi - Mai Chau. ~170 km, ~5 h (B,
L, D)
Once out of the Red River Delta, which brims with traditional
farming activity, we pass through limestone monoliths and into
foothills populated by Muong people. We head straight at the
main range before breaching a high and beautiful forested pass,
which descends into the hidden valley of Mai Chau where we spend
the night with friends in a traditional Thai stilt house in a
Thai village.
Day 3: Mai Chau - Son La. ~185 km, ~9 h (B,
L, D)
On good road looking high over distant mountains we head up into
a forested region populated by H'mong people before descending
into a mountainous tea-growing region. Soon after we follow a
long valley floor covered in a sea of rice surrounded by Black
Thai villages all the way to Son La with its bargain-filled
market. Sleep in Trade Union Hotel.
Day 4: Son La - Muong Lay (former Lai Chau). ~200 km, ~10 h
(B, L, D)
15 passes. Very nice road and stunning landscape. Probably the
most beautiful journey of the whole trip even the road is in
poor condition. Sleep in Lan Anh Hotel.
Day 5: Boating on the Black river. ~6 h boating (B,
L, D)
Lai Chau is where the Da river and Nam Na river meet. The
occasion to go downstream to meet local people. We propose a
picnic to have one complete day of relaxation and to discover
this wild area.
Day 6: Muong Lay - Tam Duong. ~120 km, ~6 h (B,
L, D)
The most demanding and remote section of the drive takes us
upstream along the left side of a Black River tributary through
forest on a bumpy dirt road past isolated pockets of Tay, Thai,
H'mong and Man peoples before breaching a pass to enter the Tam
Duong plain, which is covered in shark's teeth like limestone
karst.
We would visit a Mang village near Sin Ho, the guide will buy some food to
give to the head of the village, and he later distributes our
donations to the villagers. We stay Overnight at
Phuong Thanh or Tam Duong Hotel.
Day 7: Tam Duong - Sapa. ~90 km, ~4 h (B,
L, D)
Tam Duong market in the morning. There are colourful Montagnard
groups living in Tam Duong: Black H'mong and Dzao. ~10 am:
beautiful ride at slow pace on bumpy road to Sapa. We will have
a big breakfast because there is nothing to eat on the way, just
us with the wildness. We stay Overnight in Hoang Long Hotel.
Day 8: Sapa - Bac Ha. ~90 km, ~4 h (B,
L, D)
The ride from Sapa to Bac Ha takes ~3 hours, down from Sapa to
Lao Cai (34 km) and up to Bac Ha (70 km) with stunning
landscape. We check in Dang Khoa Hotel and have lunch. In the
afternoon, we trek to Lung Phinh village. Stay overnight in Bac
Ha.
Day 9: Bac Ha - Market - Bac Ha. ~120 km, ~5 h (B,
L, D)
Market of Bac Ha: true riot of colour where flower H'mong carry
out the dance. It is a superb and merry show but becomes
oppressive about 10-11h with the massive arrival of the
tourists. It is time to leave!
Day 10: Bac Ha - Luc Yen - Vu Linh. ~150 km, ~5 h (B,
L, D)
We start the day by strolling around Bac Ha to meet with many
ethnic villages in this area. We then move towards the lake Thac
Ba. From Bac Ha to Luc Yen, the road is easy and sealed all the
way. After Luc Yen, we take a small dirt track bordered by palm
trees, in the middle of the karsts. A boat is waiting to take us
across the lake of Thac Ba while skirting northern bank (3
hours). We arrive at Vu Linh, a traditional village of Dao where
we sleep in the family of our friends. The welcome is
exceptional.
Day 11: Vu Linh - Ba Be. ~180 km, ~8 h (B,
L, D)
Quite a long ride but easy, with an early departure from Vu Linh to Ba Be (~250 km). Ba
Be is a nice stop and it is good to arrive the first day to have
a full day
there. However, if you feel like resting before, it is all the
time possible to stop 50 km before Ba Be. The place before Ba Be
is Na Khan, a village of Tay people lost in the forest.
Day 12: Ba Be. (B, L, D)
Easy boating on the lake and river. Go to market. Stop at waterfall,
beautiful swim Ong pirate,
the chef of Dau Dang waterfall where we enjoy dinner. Down the
waterfall, we could visit the village and a small school (only
few pupils during the summer). We propose to stay in the stilt
house of Tay people for the second night.
Day 12: Ba Be - Quang Hoa. ~170 km, ~8 h (B,
L, D)
Cross Ba Be lake to come back to our captain's house. Beautiful
ride up to Cao Bang province. Few passes from where you can
dominate the area. The road is easy but many curves. We can stop
a lot. All together, stop for drinks and food it should be an
8-hour journey. Then ride 1 more hour to reach the beautiful
village of Quang Hoa, in the middle of a mountain cirque. This
is the territory of Nung An people. Spend the night in our
friend's house.
Day 12: Quang Hoa. ~30 km, ~1 h (B, L,
D)
Na Tau is a completely unknown area that we propose to discover
it by raft and motorbike. Rivers and waterfalls everywhere are
extremely beautiful and wild. It is only 15 km from Quang Hoa.
Day 13: Quang Hoa. ~100 km, ~3 h (B, L,
D)
Having obtained permission from the border police, we make our
way through spectacular scenery to Vietnam's most impressive
waterfalls. Weather permitting we can swim right up to where the
50 m high falls hit the river.
Day 13: Quang Hoa - Mau Son. ~180 km, ~6 h (B,
L, D)
Ride from Quang Hoa to Lang Son. Continue driving toward the
border from Lang Son to Mau Son. Mau Son is 30 km away from Lang
Son, 1,541m above sea level. Quite cool in the evening! Night in
the guesthouse of Mau Son Resort.
Day 13: Mau Son - Hanoi. ~180 km, ~4 h (B,
L, D)
Promenade around Mau Son in the morning. Ride down to Lang Son
to have lunch. The road is asphalted all the way and it takes 3
and half hours to ride back to Hanoi.
Day 14: Hanoi - Sydney (B,
L, D)
Transfer from our hotel in Hanoi to the airport then travel back
to Sydney.
B: Breakfast.
L: Lunch.
D: Dinner. |
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