Day 1 : Hanoi – Ha Long Bay – Quan Lan Bay - 170km
Halong Bay
Transfer out of Hanoi by vehicle and prepare for the departure outside of Hanoi. Take the countryside road driving to Bai Chay where we park the motorbike and get on boat for lunch when the boat begin to cruise in Ha Long Bay. In the afternoon we continue to discover the magic landscape of Lan Ha Bay on ward to Quan Lan island.
– L, D
– Overnight in Quan Lan island.
– typical traditional junk cruise on the bay
Day 2 : Ha Long Bay – Quan Lan Bay
Bay Tu Long Bay
Full day kayaking from Bay Tu Long Bay through Lan Ha Bay and stop in Ha Long Bay for an overnight on boat.
– B, L, D
– Overnight in Quan Lan island.
– typical traditional junk cruise and kayaking on the bay
Day 3 : Ha Long – Ninh Binh - 160km
Trang An - Ninh Binh
Landing back to the main land after having breakfast to continue our motorbiking trip. The journey taking you to drive on road No 10 from Hai Phong to Nam Dinh and ended in Ninh Binh city.
– B, L, D
– countryside backroad
– The Long Hotel
Day 4 : Ninh Binh – Pu Luong - 150km, some offroad, begin mountain road
Pu Luong
n the morning, explore Tam Coc on boat, visiting Dinh and Le Temples in Hoa Lu and then we drive through Chicken Canal, Cuc Phuong National Park heading to the Ho Chi Minh Highway. The last part riding to Pu Luong is the test of motorbiking skill for all rider.
– B, L, D
– Local boat trip to visit Tam Coc, Cuc Phuong National Park, Pu Luong Nature Resavoir
– Thai ethnic family
Day 5 : Pu Luong – Sam Nua - 230 km
Vieng Xai - Laos
Follow Ma River then turn left for real mountain windy road to Na Meo border crossing. It takes about an hour and half for existing Vietnam and entering to Laos.
Here we are in Laos with beautiful scenery of limestone karts, rain forest. We will make a stop to visit Vieng Xai, the headquarter of Pha Thet Laos during the 2nd Indochina War.
There are about 480 caves were used by the Pathet Lao during the Second Indochina War to shelter from American bombardment.
Drive to Sam Nua for an over night.
– B,L,D
– Sam Neau 1* hotel
– Highlight : winding road, Vieng Xai – the Pha The Laos’ headquarter
Day 6 : Sam Nua – Plain of Jars - 210km
Nam Neun village - Laos
Beautiful windy road, ride your motorbike with some stops in local hill-tribe villages along route no 6. Lunch in a restaurant in Nam Neun village before heading on another 95 km to Muong Kham, 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.
Then continue another hour to Phonsavan the new capital of Xieng Khoang province.
– B, L, D
– Xieng Khoang 3* Hotel
– windy mountain road, Tham Piew cave
Day 7 : Plain of Jars – Tha Thom - 180km
Motorbiking to the Plain of Jars - Laos
Motorbiking to the Plain of Jars with some stops to visit site 1, 2 and site 3 before we enter to the offroading Laos. No mention, no comment about the road condition, be happy to eat dirt. This is the rules until we end at Bo Y border crossing point back to Vietnam.
– B, L, D
– Plain of Jars,
Day 8 : Tha Thom – Lak Xao - 230km
Lak Xao Motorbike Tour
Back to roll your motorbike again after an early breakfast in a local restaurant. Don’t question why not taking the large Highway 13 but trailing forest, no village, no family, no human living around just bikers who love the adventures of a lifetime.
– B, L, D
– Tha Thom Guesthouse
– offroad, crossing river
Day 9 : Lak Xao – Nong Chan - 170km
Mu Gia Pass
Lak Xao is just 23km direction to Cau Treo border crossing of Vietnam and Laos, the beginning of Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos. The trails are base on Truong Son mountain range, we will ride the one closed to Vietnam border leading Nong Chan for an over night. Nong Chan is a small village just 10km from Mu Gia Pass at the Vietnam border. This is the “death gate” of the Ho Chi Minh trail, the most importance target for the American Bombardments to stop the supply road of Viet Cong (VC) to the South.
– B, L, D
– Local guesthouse
– offroad, crossing rivers, begin on Ho Chi Minh Trail
Day 10 : Nong Chan – Sepon - 190km
Sepon Waterfalls - Laos
We will experienced the most important part of the Ho Chi Minh trail also called “Labyrinthine battle array laid on the eight-sign figure’s pattern through the jungle”, the Legendary Trail. Ride the motorcycle through the jungle, cross rivers, ride on a bamboo bridge…ready to rock and roll in the heaviest bombed area in the World. You will see many bomb craters and American bomber crashed like the F4 Phantom, Jets, T28…
– B, L, D
– Local guesthouse
– offroad, crossing river
Day 11 : Sepon – Sekong - 230km
Sekong Market - Laos
Follow the road No 9 toward Lao Bao (Vietnam border crossing) till Ban Dong (Dong village), here from 8 Feb to 25 Mar 1971 the South Vietnam, Laos Kingdom and the American operated a campaign called “Lam Son Operation 719” to break off the Ho Chi Minh trail. Stop the supply road of People Army of Vietnam (PAVN) to the South Vietnam. The battle in Ban Dong lasted from 8 Feb to 20 Mar, 1971 before the defeat of Lam Son Operation 5 days later.
The road from Dong village is the most challenging for motorcycle riding and you will have many chances for stops along the Ho Chi Minh trail for photograph.
– B, L, D
– Sekong guesthouse
– offroad, river crossing
Day 12 : Sekong – Don Khong - 180km
Champasak - Laos
Easy drive downhill from the plateau on a nice paved road to Tad Fan, enjoy swimming and have lunch in the waterfall. In the afternoon, we ride to Lak for a ferry cross Mekong River to Champasak town then ride to visit Wat Phu the ruined Khmer temple complex in Cahmpasak it was recognized as the World Heritage Culture Site. Ride till the end road south to take a boat to Khong island.
– B, L, D
– Villa Muang Khong
– Wat Phu
Day 13 : Don Khong
Khon Pha Pheng - Laos
Full day cruise on a long tail boat to explore the Si Phan Don (4.000 islands) in Mekong with the spectacular Tad Phan (Phan Waterfall), Khon Pha Pheng, Li Phi, waterfalls. Si Phan Don shares the nature border with Cambodia. The boat trip also give you a chance to visit floating villages, the pakha fresh water dolphin (Irrawaddy dolphin).
– B, L, D
– Villa Muang Khong
– Full day boat trip and sightseeing
Day 14 : Don Khong – Attapeu - 120km
Thang Beng Village - Laos
In the morning, ferry cross Mekong river to continue our motorbike ride up north on road No 13 to Thang Beng village, where we turn right back again on dirt road. The destination from here to Attapeu is only around 120km but it seems to be long for ever with some lovely motorbiking river crossings.
– B, L, D
– Hoang Anh – Atapeu Hotel 4***
– Offroad
Day 15 : Attapeu – Dak Glei - 210km
Attapeu - Laos
From Attapeu is the re-enter to Vietnam of the Ho Chi Minh trail, this is a windy pave road but there will be many historical sites of the Ho Chi Minh trail to see.
It will take about 2 hours to exist Laos and enter to Vietnam.
Here we are back in Vietnam with large Ho Chi Minh highway, we drive north on mountain road to Dak Glei for the night.
– B, L, D
– Dak Glei hotel
– border crossing back to Vietnam
Day 16 : Dak Glei – Hoi An - 190km
My Son Holy Land
Continue Motorbiking the Ho Chi Minh road up north pass by Kham Duc and then turn right on a small road with mainly riding downhill before we turn off for a rocky road run through forest to My Son World Heritage Sites.
After an hour visiting the Holly Land My Son Cham Towers we ride to Hoi An, checking hotel then free walk to visit Hoi An.
– B, L, D
– Thuy Duong III, 3***
– My Son Worl Heritage site, Hoi An
Day 17 : Hoi An – Hue - 130km
Cham Museum - Danang
Drive along the coast with a stop at My Khe beach where the first US Marin landed in Vietnam in 1965. Visit Cham Museum in Da Nang and then ride over Hai Van passes to Hue, end motorcycle riding.
– B, L, D
– Saigon Morin Hotel 4****
– Hoi An ancient town, Hai Van Pass, My Khe beach, Cham Museum in Da Nang
Day 18 : Hue, departure
Tu Duc tombs - Hue
Full day visit Hue with including the Royal Palace, Thien Mu pagoda, Minh Mang and Tu Duc Tombs and a boat trip in Huong river (Perfume river).
Night farewell party hosted by clients to thank the guide and mechanic.
– B, L
– Full day visit Hue by private VAN
