Some rugged mountain passes on the journey to Mu Cang Chai

Khau Pha, Khe, and Ach passes are the passes that you will ride through during your Vietnam motorcycle tours from Hanoi, follow the National road No.32 to Mu Cang Chai in Yen Bai. Each pass is a majestic picture of nature with the human power over the years.

Khe pass – the natural boundary between Phu Tho province and Yen Bai province: 

Khe pass connects Phu Tho province and Yen Bai province. Doing Vietnam motorcycle tours to Thu Cuc, the National road No.32 is divided into 2 branches: which are 32 (pass Lung Lo pass) and 32B (pass Khe pass). The track leading to Yen Bai will go through National road No.32 with majestic scenery of mountains and forests of Van Chan district and Tan Son district. You can contemplate the rice fields located inside the vast palm forests of Phu Tho or tea hill stretching till horizon.

Khe pass had been a big scare to any riders or drivers, especially when they have to ride there at night because landslide could happen at any time that made all means of transportation get stuck. However, in the recent years, Khe Pass has been repaired to become the main route for people joining Vietnam motorcycle trip to Mu Cang Chai, instead of longer run from Yen Bai City, through Van Chan and up Nghia Lo.

Ach pass, the starting point of Ngoi Pha stream 

Located in Van Chan district, Ach is a grandiose pass of Yen Bai beside Lung Lo and Khau Pha passes. Ach pass is famous for its steep roads and multiple bends. Sudden rain of the mountains bring thin mist obscuring the rider's vision that makes visitors often feel anxious when going through this only a few kilometers pass.

Although motorcycle tour in north Vietnam through the pass still not bring you to the ideal altitude to admire the magnificent scenery of the Northwest, the road through the Ach pass provides you fresh air and rustic beauty of the village of Van Chan. Ngoi Lao river running through the Ach pass foot to the streams bring life to these fields on the crop.

Khau Pha pass, the haven gate leading to Northwest region 

Known as one of the four King of passes, the name Khau Pha reminds people about a very dangerous pass of more than 30km between Van Chan district and Mu Cang Chai district. The pass is famous for winding roads and sharp bends, one side is valleys and another side is high mountain cliffs. The pass makes all riders doing our Vietnam motorbike tours feel overwhelmed. Khau Pha is also the main road connecting Yen Bai with Lai Chau and Lao Cai provinces.

Vietnam motorcycle travel to Khau Pha, you will find yourself being lost in the world of mountains, rivers and terraced rice fields. From the pass, you will see the Lim Mong field and Cao Pha valley below.

The pass from Tu Le to Nghia Lo

Although does not have any name, the pass from Nghia Lo to Tu Le still makes many riders who do Vietnam dirt bike tours feel scared because of many sudden consecutive bends. With the total length of 45km, there is no steep slope or high cliff mountain, but many bends.

Kho Muong is an untouched valley near Pu Luong natural reserve

Kho Muong is an untouched valley near Pu Luong natural reserve in Thanh Son commune, Ba Thuoc district, Thanh Hoa province, nearly 150km from Thanh Hoa city. Riding Vietnam motorcycle tours to Kho Muong in a beautiful morning, through paved road from La Han to the T-junction of Thanh Lam, turn to the road leading to Thanh Son to start the journey through forests and mountains.

Lying at the pristine natural area, Kho Muong cave the people coming here have the feeling that this is a sleeping place, an abandoned mysterious cave. The road leading to Kho Muong is long, winding with one side of mountain cliffs and one side of lush green terraced rice fields or rolling hills and mountains. The stunning scenery together with difficult and dangerous roads make this routs become attractive to any riders who wish to do motorcycle tour in Vietnam.

Vietnam motorcycle travel through slippery and challenge rocks, visitors will be more ecstatic and overwhelmed by the imposing limestone blocks, perhaps their age up to millions of years in Kho Muong cave. More than 2.5 km wide cave, with lots of nooks deep into the ground. Groping in the darkness, drowning in cold air emanating from the stones, listening to the stalactites dripping, tourists will be even more excited with the motorbike tours in Vietnam.

Seen from above, Kho Muong appears with a simple and idyllic beauty of house on stilts village lying near the mountain foot. Most of the houses here have straw or palm leaf roof. Cattle barn stay at the bottom and people live upstair. There are many terraced rice field in front of the house. The valley is surrounded by old primary forests.

Kho Muong is endowed a lot by Nature with favourable weather, so it is very cool in summer and warm in winter. Kho Muong is the village of White Thai people, and it is still preserved many tradition cultural features. Vietnam motorcycle trip to this land, tourists will learn more about the life of the local. There are several houses in the village provide home-stay service. The houses on stilt look always clean, neat and beautiful to welcome tourists in all 4 seasons.

The owners of the houses on stilt are very friendly and helpful and treat tourists like their family members. In the house, kitchen is tidy to cook, blanket is fold neatly, clean pots and pans are hanging in rows along the porch.  Riding Vietnam motorbike tours to Kho Muong, the host will invite you to taste the best local dishes such as Lam rice, wild banana flower salad, corn wine, steamed sticky rice, grilled chicken and boiled duck meat.

On Thursday and Sunday, Pho Doan market is opened and you will find a lot of local bring their brocades, wide vegetable, fresh fruit, local wine, insect to sell or exchange goods. Besides, tourists will know more about the culture of the White Thai people when enjoy the performance of many beautiful girls. This market will make your Vietnam motorcycle tours become more fantastic.

Vietnam motorbike tour to Cua Lo, Nghe An

Not near and also not far from Hanoi, Cua Lo in Nghe An province is a good choice for a Vietnam motorcycle trip in this summer because this destination is very peaceful and pristine. If you love yellow sunlight, blue sea and white sand beach, but do not have much time to ride to Nha Trang, Da Nang...where have the best beaches in Vietnam, you can do tour to Cua Lo instead. Two or three days is enough for this tour.

Nearly 300km from Hanoi, you can have Vietnam motorcycle travel  to Cua Lo by train (just 200,000 to 400,000vnd to have a comfortable seat or bed on the train) to Vinh city in Nghe An, then catch the bus to Cua Lo, or you can do Vietnam motorcycle tours to ride straight to this landscape.

There are many cheap to expensive hotels and restaurants in Cua Lo, so tourists who do Vietnam motorbike rides will have so many choices about where to eat and to sleep.

Cua Lo is a township of Nghe An province, 15km from Vinh city with a coastline has been planned to meet the needs of tourism development.

Although Cua Lo has been famous for a long time and it also attracts a lot of investors. The authorities has plan to develop Cua Lo to become a sea town…However, Cua Lo still make tourists feel peaceful and relaxed when coming here.

The hotels are located along the coastline and all have very great views straight to the sea. There are several playground areas with games for children, and also for adults who are looking for relaxation with relatively cheap price compared with Hanoi.

If you lazy in walking, you can do a Vietnam motorbike trip around the township or pay 20,000 for a seat on electric car. There are so many electric cars to serve tourists; therefore, sometimes, they create traffic jam at the center area.

It is very convenient and comfortable to organize Vietnam motorbike tours to the seafood market, Cua Lo port, or Cua Hoi beach, and some famous places outside the township such as Kim Lien in Nam Dan, Ho Chi Minh square in Vinh city, Pu Mat primary forest in Con Cuong… Seafood here is very rich with more than 200 kinds of fish, various specialties such as shrimp, squid, crab, sea snakes...

Every year, on the 1st of May, the International Labor Day, is also the opening day of Cua Lo Water festival to launch cruise season. The festival has many unique activities as the traditional games, very exciting boat racing and a fireworks display. The tourist season ends in late September. You can choose this time for your Vietnam motorcycle tours to this landscape to take part in this festival.

Tips for traveling to Pu Luong in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam

Pu Luong is a quite new place for traveling; however, to any riders, who have a chance to riding Vietnam motorbike tours to Pu Luong, they are all impressed with the scenery, untouched beauty, especially the terraced rice fields and primary forests. Besides, Pu Luong is also near many famous tourist places such as Lac village in Mai Chau, Ca Than spring (in Cam Luong, Cam Thuy, Thanh Hoa), Cuc Phuong national park (Ninh Binh), Citadel of the Ho Dynasty (Thanh Hoa),…So, tourists will have many fantastic experiences when take time to combine a lot of famous places in only one trip.

Some tips for traveling to Pu Luong in harvest season:
There are 2 best times for riding Vietnam motorcycle tours to Pu Luong:
- At the end of May and in the early of June: This is the time Pu Luong starting a new crop; therefore, all the terraced rice fields will be covered with the green color which look so beautiful and peaceful. Although in summer, but the weather in Pu Luong is very cool and comfortable, very suitable for a Vietnam motorbike tour.

-       In September and October: It is the harvest time in Pu Luong, all terraced rice fields on the hill sides will turn to yellow. And it is also the peak season in Pu Luong.

Best way to travel in Pu Luong
The best way to travel in Pu Luong is by motorbikes because most of the roads in Pu Luong are pass roads and red earth roads.

If you do Vietnam motorbike tours from Hanoi, the green road leading to Pu Luong is the National road No.15c. If you depart from Hanoi or some provinces in North of Vietnam, you should ride to Lac village in Mai Chau, and then head to Co Luong, Dong Dieng, finally, turn into the road No.15c along the Ma river to Pu Luong Natural reserve.

If you start your Vietnam motorcycle trip from Thanh Hoa and provinces in the Middle and the South of Vietnam, you should ride up to the Northwest, along the Ho Chi Minh trail, and turn to Cam Thuy, ride straight to Canh Nang town, turn to the road 15c, ride more 10km to reach Pu Luong.

Because Pu Luong is a Natural reserve and important primary rainforest in Vietnam, so just few companies organize tours to Pu Luong; therefore, Pu Luong has no hotels, only home-stay and small rest houses.

To have a nice home-stay during your motorbike tour in North Vietnam, you can choose to overnight in Kho Muong village, Nua village, Kit 1 village. The price per person is only 50,000vnd/night, cheaper than the other areas.

Best places to visit:
– Conquering Pu Luong peak: Pu Luong peak is 1,700m above the sea level. It is quite hard to conquer it bit it is really fantastic experience for anyone who loves adventure. Once you climb up to the peak, you will see very nice scenery around you. It is so amazing.

– Trekking across Pu Luong: Starting from Kho Muong village, you will trek through 4 villages: Pon, Thanh Cong, Cao Hoong, Kit to discover the life, culture, customs and habits of the local. Or trek along the trail Kho Muong – Uoi – Pho Doan to reach Quan villge to see the peaceful, and rustic life here.

– Ban Hieu waterfall, terraced rice fields, primary forest, Pu Luong Natural Reserve are the best places to visit in your Vietnam motorcycle travel to Pu Luong.

– Pho Don market: The market opens on Thursday and Sunday. It is the places where you can buy see more about the local life, to buy souvenir, and to enjoy special dishes of the land.

You can spend 1 day or 2 day Vietnam motorbike trip to Pu Luong if you do not have much time but still want to have an Off-road tour to the countryside in Vietnam.

Mu Cang Chai and a journey to find peace in your mind

If you find your life so tired, so boring and so stressful, please do a Vietnam Motorbike trip to one of the best places in the North of Vietnam to quit yourself from hustle and bustle of the city: Mu Cang Chai.

Mu Cang Chai is a western district of Yen Bai province, Vietnam. In recent years, Mu Cang Chai has become the favourite destination of backpacking riders. Mu Cang Chai wins the hearts of visitors because of its fantastic scenery. Riding Vietnam Motorcycle Tours to Mu Cang Chai, you will feel yourself so small among the spacious sky and earth. You will be sunk in the beauty and peace of mountains and forests in Northwest of Vietnam and forget your sadness and stress of your everyday life.

It is lucky that Mu Cang Chai has not been changed so much because of the development of tourism. Perhaps, it is the main reason that make tourists who want to discover Vietnam by joining Vietnam motorcycle travel love this destination very much. You will find the local people here are very honest, friendly and helpful. Even when you pitch your tent along the way to sleep, the local are willing to invite you to their houses to sleep. Or if you ask the children playing on the road for the way, they also are willing to take you to the place you want.

You will find from your Vietnam dirt bike tours that the life of the children here has no high technology toys such as Iphone, Ipad…The lack of material of the children here will make you feel that you are so lucky. The children also have limited study condition but they are very obedient and help their parents a lot in life.

Mu Cang Chai looks beautiful in all seasons, but most beautiful in the harvest season. In the late September and early October, if you ride Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Mu cang Chai in this period of time, you will be so surprised with the beauty of Nature, of the fruits of labor made by the hands of local people. The terraced rice fields with yellow color of ripe rice stretching till the end of horizon. The smell of new rice will make you feel very relaxed. The sound of mountains and forests together with the sound of laugh of the women bending their backs to harvest rice make all tourists think about very simple happiness which is hard to find in the urban.

Mu Cang Chai in pour water season (May and June) appears so fantastic in the photos of photographers although the number of pictures taken in this season is lower than that of the harvest season. Riding Vietnam Motorcycle Trip to Mu Cang Chai in this season, you will find many big mirrors on the fields.

The most popular rout for Vietnam Motorcycle Tours from Hanoi to Mu Cang Chai is following the National Road No.32, then pass Nghia Lo, Tu Le, overcome Khau Pha pass, one of the 4 Kings of passes in Vietnam to reach Mu Cang Chai.

Riding Vietnam Motorbike Tours to Mu Cang Chai at least 1 time in your life to know more how attractive this destination is, especially to photographers inside and outside the country.

The most amazing salt fields in Vietnam

The beauty of salts fields are always a big inspiration to so many photographers. A Vietnam Motorbike Tour to these salt fields, you can also observe a working day of the salt workers.

Vietnam has a lot of salt fields. Motorcycle tour in Vietnam to these fields, you will have more new experience, learn more about the daily life of salt workers. And more important is that you can take so many fantastic pictures because the scenery in these areas look always sparkling.

Sa Huynh in Quang Ngai

Sa Huynh salt field belongs to Pho Thach commune, Duc Pho district, Quang Ngai province founded in 19th century. Up to now, this famous salt field is the very important place to provide salt in the Middle of Vietnam. Motorcycle Tour in North Vietnam to Sa Huynh from March to August, you will see the salt workers here are very busy because it is the best time to make salt.

Sa Huynh salt field has been invested to build 6 dyke routs with the length of 5km for the purpose of improvement and development. The salt workers here have not been working on the earth ground since 2011, but on the cement ground. It will help the salt reduce the impurities in it and get much better price.

Ca Na in Ninh Thuan
When you ride Vietnam Motorbike Tours out of Phan Rang Thap Cham city about 30km, you will reach Ca Na, a small fishing village near the provincial border of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan. The life here is very peaceful when fishermen go to the sea to catch fish and salt workers go to the salt fields to rake salt. With salt fields of more than 1000ha along the sea coastline, Ca Na is known as the biggest store of salt in Vietnam.

According to expert evaluation, Ca Na salt has the best quality in Southeast Asia. Ca Na is also an ideal tourist destination with pristine beaches, clear blue water and charming scenery.

Phuong Cuu in Ninh Thuan 
Phuong Cuu is one of the biggest salt fields in the Middle of Vietnam, and you just do Vietnam motorcycle travel of 15km from Phan Rang city in Ninh Hai district, Ninh Thuan province. The white color of salt standing out of the blue color of sky and the brown color of the fields create the unique feature of the land of wind and sun.

Diem Dien in Thai Binh
Diem Dien in Thai Thuy, Thai Binh, an adventure of 110km from Hanoi. It is a traditional village of salt making for many generations.  From April to July, especially from April to June, it is very hot and it is also the biggest harvest season of salt. Salt workers in Diem Dan wake up and go to the fields very early in the morning, it takes time and many processes to have salt packed bags.

Vietnam Motorcycle Tours to Diem Dien, beside contemplating white salt fields, you can enjoy many special and unique dishes of this land, for example: Mam Cay, Sua Chua and visit the mangrove swamp Thuy Truong, the temple An Co, and Nguyen Duc Canh memorial house.

Adv Vietnam Motorcycle Tours will organize tours based on your request, please visit our website for more information: www.dirtbiketravel.com or http://advmotorcycletours.com

Tips for traveling to Phu Yen

Phu Yen is located in the middle of Vietnam and it is 1,160km from Hanoi and 560km from Ho Chi Minh city.

Best time to Phu Yen
Phu Yen has 2 distinctive seasons: Rain season from September to December. Therefore, to be comfortable to travel, you should book Vietnam Motorcycle Tours to Phu Yen in dry season from January to August. Or come here in the occasion of festivals.

How to get to Phu Yen
You can get to Phu Yen by train, plane, bus or do Vietnam motorcycle travel.
Bus: From Hanoi or any province in Vietnam, you can catch the bus to Phu Yen.
Train: From Hanoi, you can go to Phu Yen by train SE3 which departs from Hanoi at 22:00, and arrives in Phu Yen at 20:30 next day.
From Ho Chi Minh city, you can get the trains SE2 and SE4 to Phu Yen.
Plane: You can take a flight from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city to Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen. The airport is 10km from the center of the city.
Motorbike: You can have yourself a motorcycle tour in Vietnam or contact Adv Vietnam Motorbike Tours to design motorbike tour for you and your friends.

Best places to visit in Phu Yen
Vung Ro bay
Vung Ro bay is a small bay in Hoa Xuan Nam commune, Dong Hoa district, Phu Yen province and near Deo Ca mountain range. The bay is also the natural sea border between Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces. The most ideal time to have motorbike tours in Vietnam to visit Vung Ro bay is in summer because it is the time of fish, shrimp, and sunlight and you can enjoy the pristine beauty of the bay.

Van Hoa highland
Van Hoa highland is known as “Da Lat in Phu Yen”, the highland is located in Son Hoa commune. Lying at the height of 400m above the sea level, the highland is full of sunlight, wind, and even fog. It is very interesting that in autumn, the temperature in Van Hoa is always lower than in Tuy Hoa, in early morning, you will see fog everywhere that make you have the feeling that you were as if in Da Lat. Van Hoa highland is also famous for pineapple, and jackfruit. It is great to travel Vietnam Motorbike Tours in the cool weather like that even in summer.

Da Dia Reef
The most famous landscape that nowhere else has in Phu Yen is Da Dia Reef. From a distance, Da Dia Reef look like a gigantic beehive of about 50 meters wide, 200 meters long with prismatic rocks stretching out to the sea. The reef with thousands and thousands of rocks in mysterious black color stands out of blue sea water and white surf.

Nhan tower
Nhan tower is a Cham tower on Nhan mountain. The tower was built by the Cham people in 12th century. It has quadrangle shape with 4 floors, the upper the smaller. The tower is about 23,5m in height. The tower is located on the Nhan mountain and together with Da Rang river to create a beautiful dreamy picture of Nham Mountain and Da Rang river.

O Loan Lagoon
Lying at the foot of Quan Cau pass, near the National road No.1, O Loan Lagoon looks like a phoenix raising her wings to fly. This is an ideal place to contemplate the beauty of sunrise; therefore, in the early morning, you should wake up early to ride a Vietnam motorcycle trip to enjoy the fantastic moment. You can see the whole view of the lagoon if climbing to the peak of Quan Cau pass. You will be much impressed with a big lake with small waves and the green hills together with sugarcane fields.

Nua Island
Nua Island lies right at the foot of Ca pass which is near the border between Phu Yen and Khánh Hoa provinces. The peak of Hon Nua is 105m above the sea level, riding Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Hon Nua, you should go there in group to go camping, overnight here for a campfire and enjoy grilled seafood, and live in the air of quiet calm sea.