North Vietnam Motorcycle Trip Mountain Peoples & Halong Bay

Depending on the airline, you will arrive at Hanoi Airport in the morning or afternoon. It is then another half hour drive to the hotel in the center of the old town.

From the bustling capital, we head north. On the first part of the journey, we navigate through the busy traffic until we finally turn onto the narrow paths along the Red Rivers. Here it is pleasantly quiet, and there is quite a bit to see. Nghia Lo is a nice little town where we encounter Dao and Hmong. We also spend the night here. We can eat at the hotel restaurant or at one of the numerous other charming restaurants nearby.

We continue north. The landscape here is very beautiful. On both sides of the road, you can find green rice terraces built against the mountain walls. We are traveling into a higher mountain range and crossing a few high passes. You will meet more people from the (white) Dao tribe. We stop for lunch in Than Uyen. Afterwards, it is another 60 kilometers to Sa Pa. This route features the highest pass of this journey. The views on the way to the famous Sa Pa are fantastic, provided the weather conditions are favorable for us. Sa Pa is the most touristy place we visit on this trip. However, since we are not here on the weekend, the number of tourists is manageable. Sa Pa is situated at an altitude of 1500 meters and has developed into a refuge during the time of French colonization to escape the oppression in the lower parts of the country.

The first 110 kilometers that we will cover today are on a completely paved road. On the way, we stop in Lao Cai to take a look at the Chinese border. The Red River separates the two countries and a railway bridge connects them again. On the other side, you can see the tall buildings of relatively wealthier China. Bac Ha is a typical northern Vietnamese village with colorful ethnic groups in a valley. If we still have time, we take the beautiful inland route over Coc Ly.

In the morning, we walk through Bac Ha. Here we visit some H'mong villages. Alternatively, we can also explore the villages by motorcycle. Around noon, we drive to Xin Man and turn right onto a dirt road just north of Bac Ha. On this route, we don't encounter any tourists. The highlands between the two places create a very special landscape. Passing by rugged rock formations, we drive through villages whose inhabitants are surprised to see us. After a beautiful descent, we reach Xin Man. Here we stop for lunch. Shortly after Xin Man, we cross the bridge and turn right to follow the river to the village of Huang Su Phi. On the way, we pass through many Nung villages and admire the most beautiful rice terraces in Vietnam, which offer a different view at every bend. We have to cover the last part of the route on the main road to reach the provincial capital Ha Giang. We spend the night in a resort by the river, a little outside the center.

After breakfast in the big city, we drive into a particularly beautiful mountain landscape. This is popularly known as 'Dong van - Meo Vac', named after the two largest villages. Immediately after Ha Giang, the road narrows and we ride our motorcycles over a beautiful mountain ridge. In the valley behind is the small town of Yenh Minh. In the Dong Van region, we are the attraction, as the tribes living there do not often receive visits from outsiders. In the remote areas of this province, we still find true communist strongholds. Meo Vac is one such stronghold. All the stone buildings in the town are state-owned and decorated with red banners. To get there, we first have to cross a few high passes. One of the most beautiful routes of this trip where we do not move far from the Chinese border. Overnight stay is in a fairly simple hotel.

We get up early because today an adventurous day awaits us. In the morning we drive from Meo Vac to Bao Lac on a beautiful, quiet route through a hilly landscape with many rice terraces. After lunch, we continue on narrow country roads to the lakes of Ba Be in the eponymous national park. The lakes are surrounded by unique, pointed limestone cliffs. We spend the night in a small village in a very simple accommodation where everyone finds space on the floor in one large room.

It is a long ride back to the capital. In the morning, the streets are still quiet, but after Than Nguyen they become livelier. It is the last ride of the journey, but perhaps also the most special.

Today you will be taken early in the morning to Hanoi Airport for your return flight. If you have booked the extension to Halong Bay, tomorrow you will continue to exactly that.

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to Halong Bay by minibus. This is a journey of about four hours. The towering mountains in Halong Bay make this bay something very special. You will arrive in Halong Bay around noon and board a traditional boat that you will share with other (international) travelers. You will then sail into the bay and spend the night on the boat in a beautiful spot. If there is interest, we will stop at various caves.

In the morning we return to land and get back into the minibus. Between the coast and the capital Hanoi, it is very busy. And the closer you get to Hanoi, the worse it gets. You can use the afternoon to explore the Old Town of Hanoi. You can ride a motorcycle through the city or explore the old center on foot. Depending on the flight, you will go to the airport today or tomorrow morning.

Today you will be taken to the airport by bus from where you will return home.