Inspiring North Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Ta Xua, Tuan Giao, Mu Cang Chai – 5 Days

Start our motorbike tour by leaving Hanoi on a weaving dyke-road running along the Red river to Trung Ha Bridge to avoid the heavy traffic on the main roads, then we’ll follow the National Highway 32 passing extensive farming lands comprising a sea of paddy fields split by tree-lined roads punctuated by limestone karst scenery till we reach Thanh Son for lunch.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we’ll head to Phu Yen town via some nice dirt tracks through spectacular tea hills. When we get to Phu Yen, the true challenge begins. We’ll embark on a vertical mountain trek with our bikes, a tough feat even on dry and sunny days, the track can be from 8 to 18 kilometers long (depending on your demand) with chilling and breathtaking scenery pushing us forwards all the way. We’ll get to our destination at a clearing right beside the “dinosaur backbone”.

Ta Xua is a mountain range in the Bac Yen district in Son La province. At the highest point of 2865 meters, the Ta Xua peak is the tenth highest peak in Vietnam. The three most important peaks form a line that looks like the backbone of a dinosaur. It is a real off the beaten track destination for adventure travelers

If time permits, we also try some dirt-track experiences to get deeper into remote villages around to see how the locals live & work otherwise it’s our time for beer, and relaxation amid this remote and pristine nature’s playground amid the clouds.

We overnight in a house-on-stilts of the H’Mong people.(homestay in the village)

Summary:
Distance: 210 km
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Homestay

We begin riding today at about 9 o’clock, passing through Bac Yen town, we reach the picturesque Chen Pass which located at an altitude of nearly 1500m above sea level for a spectacular view down to a valley of corn farms, it’s photo time!

When we reach Son La city, if time permits we might pay a visit to Sơn La prison, a historic relic of the Indochina war era where the French colonizers imprisoned Vietnamese patriots who fought against them. After having lunch here, we take an offroad detour through Ban Tham cave to a small local village, there are coffee farms near the village, this is a unique thing because coffee is not widely grown in the North of Vietnam unlike in the Central highland. Rice fields and mountains lie everywhere on the way today.

In the afternoon, we will ride to the historic Pha Din pass, In local language, Pha Din means “heaven and earth”, also a reference to the height of its. There is a story that to decide where the border between Son La and Dien Bien should lie, a horse race was organized. Two horses and riders started from opposite sides at the bottom of the pass and raced to the top. The border demarcation is said to be where they met at the top. Whether the story is true or not the border is actually quite very close highest point although Son La province does have a larger portion of the pass. This pass witnessed extraordinary efforts and achievements of Vietnamese military at the time of the famous Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

We spend the night in a hotel tonight in Tuan Giao, a peaceful small town.

Summary:
Distance: 190 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Homestay

Breakfast will be served at 8 today, our ride will start at about 8’45. After spending some time doing offroad and backroad around fascinating rice terraces, we follow National road 279 to Quynh Nhai town. From Quynh Nhai we slowly roam through the stunning Pa Uon bridge, one of the most beautiful bridge in North Vietnam, this spot gives us a spectacular view to the mighty Quynh Nhai reservoir. Formed after the construction of Son La hydropower plant, this lake spans 10,000 ha, surrounded by karst mountains and forests. The water ofs Da River fills every corner of the place, turning it into an area of inland islands. On sunny days the jade-green water of the Da River and the clouds surrounding the majestic limestone mountains create a charming and quaint picture.

In the afternoon, alongside Da river we head to Nation road 32 to Mu Cang Chai, there are numerous of spectacular landscapes waiting for us. Many dirt tracks lie there for you to challenge yourself and explore the lovely remote villages along the way.

Mu Cang Chai is home to some of Asia’s most magnificent cultivated topography. Rice terraces coil in ribbons around the hills to spectacular effect, luring photographers, hikers, and avid motorbikers. Mu Cang Chai is mainly populated by the Black Hmong, a subgroup of one of Vietnam’s largest ethnicities. Pretty Hmong villages are dotted around the district. Each one offers a glimpse into a rich culture.

We overnight in a small Hotel.

Summary:
Distance: 150 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Homestay

We depart a little earlier today since it’s a long ride and there are many interesting things to explore on the way. In the morning, we take a hilly backroad to La Pan Tan village via Mam Xoi Hill, this place is super famous for its fascinating rice terraces. Sculpted over centuries of small-scale cultivation, rice terraces here bring different charms during different seasons.

During the summer, the terraces bulge with ripening rice stems that blanket the hills in a vibrant green. By early autumn, the rice plants have turned a bewitching golden yellow, ready for the harvest. In wintertime, the lonely terraces fill with water, creating cascading rows of reflective infinity pools. Once spring comes, the terraces transform into anthills of activity, as the farmers plant a new crop.

Leave the poetry hills of La Pan Tan behind, we keep riding 20 kilometers more to Khau Pha Pass – the next highlight of the day, this is one of the four great passes in North Vietnam which connects Mu Cang Chai district and Van Chan district. Riding on the pass, either by motorbike or car, you will have the chance to see the magnificent sceneries of nature. The peak of the pass is 1,200m high above sea level and it is covered in fog most of the time. A climb up to the pass offers a perfect place for beautiful views and the most striking moments are found when the rice terraces are flooded for the coming rice crop and when the rice ripens.

From the top of Khau Pha Pass we move downhill to Tu Le commune, which is famous for producing one of the best sticky rice strains in Vietnam. FYI, sticky rice plays an important part in Vietnam’s agri-based culture, it appears in almost every family’s meals on our traditional holidays. Steamed sticky rice, salt,…are common offerings that we Vietnamese dedicate to our ancestors following our belief in veneration of the dead.

Keep riding for 50 kilometers more then we stop for lunch in Nghia Lo, a lovely place which is well-known for the charming Xoe Thai dance, from Nghia Lo, we head straight to our homestay in Vu Linh village. When we hit our homestay, let’s have a cold beer to cool down and then we take a boat ride in Thac Ba lake, 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, who are really big drinkers, the hospitality here is just unbelievable!

Summary:
Distance: 220 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Homestay

After breakfast we cruise 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 Da River by bridge, we pass through Son Tay and then return to Hanoi on the highway.

Distance: 160km
Duration: 6 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

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Note: The itinerary above is very brief, and motorcycle tours are always flexible, therefore, depending on your riding experience, your demands and weather conditions, your tour guide will choose the most suitable roads for you.