Enchanting Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Ta Xua , Mu Cang Chai, Y Ty, Sapa

Start our motorbike tour by leaving Hanoi on dyke roads to avoid the heavy traffic around 9.am, we ride our motorcycles west to Mai Chau, an area of beautiful landscape and home to the Thai ethnic minority. We will motorcycle on Highway 6 passing extensive farming lands comprising a sea of paddy fields split by tree-lined roads punctuated by limestone karst scenery.

After a light lunch in Hoa Binh Province, we cross Thung Khe, one of the most beautiful mountain passes in North Vietnam then descent to the mountain valley settlement of Mai Chau. After dinner we join performance, where you can dance and share a range of special liquors (rice wine) with the locals. Overnight in a house-on-stilts of the Thai people.

Summary :

Distance: 160 km

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Home-stay in village

In the morning, we take a short walk around village to discover local life. Life in the countryside starts early so by sunrise there is a wealth of activity. The Thai women are masterful weavers who ensure that there is plenty of traditional-style clothing to buy in the village centre.

You will see women weaving on looms under or inside their houses in the village We can buy some handmade traditional-style clothing, knife or cross-bow. After breakfast in home-stay, we say goodbye to villagers and leave Mai Chau around 10 am. We ride from Mai Chau to the direction of Moc Chau, where we have lunch. This highland town produces some of Vietnam’s best tea and is a good place to stock up.

The surrounding area is also home to several ethnic minorities, including Green H’mong, Dzao, Thai and Muong. Moc Chau boasts a pioneering dairy industry that started in the late 1970s with Australian (and, later, UN) assistance. The dairy provides Hanoi with such delectable iuxur us as fresh milk, sweetened condensed milk and little tooth-rotting bars called “Banh sua”.

After lunch, we turn to the less travelled Road 43 leading to the Da River, crossing the reservoir of Da river at Van Yen ferry, then ride on a beautiful winding secondary road until Bac Yen where we stay in a basic guest-house.

Summary:

Distance: 160 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Guest-house

In this morning, after having breakfast you’ll be jumping up the iron horse again to get over zigzag & curving spiral roads with wild beautiful flowers such as Do Queen & Tao Men to reach Ta Xua peak which is located at the height of 2.600m above the sea level. We then will ride on the narrow backbone of dinosaur to view cloud flying beneath our feet.

In the morning, we keep motorbiking across Lung Lo pass before head up on Road 32 . During the First Indochina War, the 15km-long Lung Lo Pass, used by the Vietnamese resistance force to transport weapons, goods and food during the Dien Bien Phu campaign of 1954, was heavily bombed by the French in order to sever the front lines from the rear.

Lung Lo Pass, situated in the northern province of Yen Bai, was also recognized as a national heritage by the ministry. After lunch, we ride through the Mu Cang Chai massif, almost as high as the Fansipan. From the top, it offers one of the most beautiful views of North Vietnam. The ride is challenging but very rewarding.

Overnight in a hotel.

Summary:

Distance: 180 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

In this morning, We’ll keep motorbiking straight toward the main Fansipan Mountain range via Than Uyen town of Lai Chau. There is also the option for a very challenging back route which takes us through several river crossings. The massive mountain range dominates the road until finally we must make a splendid climb up from Binh Lu and up to the top of the highest road pass in Vietnam (Tram Ton Pass).

Y Ty, one of the poorest communes in Lao Cai Province’s Bat Xat District, has become an attractive tourism destination in recent years due to its natural beauty. Y Ty is still a strange name to many Vietnamese people. Nestled against 2,700m Nhi Cu San mountain, the commune rarely sees the sun and is often covered by dense white clouds. This lovely land is a must-see destination for photographers and nature lovers who dont want to be in the crowd of Sapa.

Terraced fields beautifully make up the place in which tourists themselves can witness the transplanting of seedlings called “pouring water season” every May and seeing the whole area turn to green after. The sight is so astonishing that it has become a favorite shooting destination for both amateur and professional photographers.

Y Ty has become famous for its unique terraced fields made by the ethnic minority group Ha Nhi. The fields have varying terrain, but the Ha Nhi people manage to make wide and beautiful fields that amazingly fit the valley curves and high mountain slopes.

Another special feature of Y Ty is its earthen houses whose architectural design is simple yet one-of-a-kind. It is mushroom-shaped especially when viewed from atop. There is only one door and a small arched window but enough to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Though the design is basic, it takes one month to build an earthen house.

Overnight at Y Ty homestay

WE keep riding from Y Ty to Sapa via Lung Po and Muong Hum Crossing into Lao Cai Province at over 2,000m the views looks out over the main range for miles and miles, before we descend to the mountainous Sa Pa valley. Sa Pa is located in Lao Cai Province, north-west Vietnam, and 350 km north-west of Hanoi, close to the border with China. Sapa is famous both for its fine, rugged scenery and for its rich cultural diversity.

French used to consider Sapa as Summer Capital of Northern Vietnam in the early decades of the 20th century. Its naturally gifted beauty keeps attracting more and more people to spend their vacation there since then. Particularly, the place is the foremost choice for honeymoon couples!

Overnight in Hotel.

Summary:

Distance: 160 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Take our motorbikes down from Sapa to Lao Cai City and then have a coffee-stop on the bank of Nam Thi river, which is Vietnam – China border. Enjoy your coffee while taking the view to China.

Head to Road 70 before turning via Luc Yen on Road 152 with palm forests and lots of high mountains, deep valleys to Vu Linh village of Dzao ethnic minority located on the side of Thac Ba reservoir which is the biggest man-made lake in Vietnam. This artificial lake has an area of 23,400 ha and 1,331 islands and hills with diverse ecological environments.

The water in the lake is blue and clear, and imprinted with the reflections of the surrounding ancient forest. The thousands of hills and islands feature caves such as the Hum, Cau Cuoi and Bach Xa. After lunch, we take the boat ride, stop by an island for swimming and discover the particularities of this area: the way villagers paddle their boats, the exotic and odd animals living around, the quiet and peaceful beauty of this huge lake, the lifestyle of the Dao among the thousands of islets.

We will have an unforgettable dinner with the hosts, whose are really big drinkers and they party every day. The welcome is exceptional and we hope you will survive.

Summary:

Distance: 220 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Home-stay

After breakfast we ride southeast on Highway 2 and then branch off to the sleepy town of Phu Tho. We follow the edge of the Red River along the dyke, almost to the point where it merges with the Black River after which they flow together to Hanoi.

By now we are very much in the lowlands of the delta plains and the north’s main agricultural areas. Harvest time here is a sea of activity. Crossing the Black River by bridge, we pass through Son Tay and then return to Hanoi on the highway. We should be back to Hanoi before rush-hour (4 pm) because traffic’s getting busier and busier.

Summary:

Distance: 180 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

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