Lao Cai, an ideal destination to ride to

Lao Cai is a Northwestern mountainous province of Vietnam. In September of 2015, the number of tourists coming to Lao Cai is much higher than in the same period of the last year 2014. The total number of tourists visiting Lao Cai in September 2015 is 1.6 millions of arrivals, increase 42,2% in comparison with that of the last year. The revenue increase 43,5% and reach 3,529 billion VND.

Tourists riding Vietnam Motorcycle tours to Lao Cai mainly to have a vacation and visit some famous landscapes such as Sapa, Bac Ha, Lao Cai city, in which, Sapa area attracts more than 1 million tourists.
Together with Shang Hai (China), Lincoln palace (England)…Sapa (Vietnam) is recognized by famous international magazines as one of the 9 ideal destinations for Vietnam motorcycle travel.
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Here are the most amazing places that you should visit when riding Vietnam Motorbike Tours to Lao Cai:

Sapa market:
Location: Sapa town, Lao Cai province
Brief introduction:  It is the market of the H’Mong and the Red Dao which open on every Saturday evening.

Bac Ha market:
Location: Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province which is about 60km from Lao Cai city.
Brief introduction: It is the biggest market in the border mountainous region.

Ta Phin brocade village:
Location: Sapa district, Lao Cai province, 17km from Sapa town.
Brief introduction: This village is very beautiful and rich with traditional culture via many unique festivals. Ta Phin is very well-known for fantastic brocades of different designs.

Coc San grotto:
Location: Coc San grotto belongs to Coc San commune, Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province.
Brief introduction: Coc San is a system of waterfalls, different small and big caves; therefore, Coc San is so called Coc San grotto or Coc San waterfall. The road leading to Coc San is very winding, dark and stony. The beauty of Coc San is very natural and pristine.

Muong Hum market:
Location: Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province, 44km from Lao Cai city.
Brief introduction: What a pity if you come to Lao Cai but do not visit Muong Hum market. The market is opened on every Sunday and you should choose to start your Vietnam motorbike rides on a suitable day to take part in this market.

Cat Cat village:
Location: Sapa district, Lao Cai province, 2km from Sapa town.
Brief introduction: Cat Cat village is a long-lasting village of the Mong people. This village is still preserved many traditional customs.

Red Dao ethnic is the second largest group in Sapa

Red Dao ethnic is the second largest group in Sapa, only after H’Mông group. Their origin is from Yunnan Province, China. Red Dao people migrated to Vietnam starting from 13th century and they live mainly in Tả Phìn, Thanh Kim, Suối Thầu, Trung Chải communes.You can visit this place in your Vietnam dirt bike tours.

According to the researchers, the Red Dao has a close relationship with the Hmong. Previously these two groups are believed to have the same origin but each group has a distinctive character. Now, if you ride Vietnam Motorbike Tours to Sapa, you can easily recognize the difference in appearance, costume, way of living of these 2 ethnic groups but they still live in a community.

If H’Mong people choose high mountains to settle down, Red Dao people choose valley or mountain slope to grow maize, rice and cardamom. Traders come to Red Dao houses to buy agricultural products and then sell them for Chinese so the life of the Red Dao people improved quickly. Many families can afford to buy motorbikes, televisions, and even cars and tractors used in agriculture.    

Riding Vietnam Motorbike Tours up North, you will see that The Dao ethnic minority is divided into many different groups in which the Red Dao accounts for the major. The Red Dao often wear red hats, indigo long blouse over trousers with many red and white decorations at the collar, lap. The costume of the Red Dao is considered as the most beautiful costume in any Sapa market. Red Dao women also have a custom of shaving eyebrows and the upper part of the forehead to make them more beautiful. Red Dao people also have their own script based on ancient Chinese language word called “Nom” but only the elderly people can read, understand and write.

Dao people have a belief that dogs are their ancestors so they always respect dogs. In addition, they also have many special traditions such as if any family cook wine, this family has to put a leaf in front of house, to prevent strangers from coming into the house because they think that if a stranger come in, the wine will be burnt. And in a family, if a woman gives birth, they also put a leaf in front of house, to prevent strangers because they are afraid that the new born child will cry a lot. Boys and girls should not take picture together before marriage.  

Red Dao people organize many special festivals on the first month of lunar year such as Fire dancing festival on the first and second day of the first month of lunar year, singing contest in Ta Phin, a small village of the Red Dao and H’Mong people, 12km from Sapa town. This village is famous for unique style of brocades made by skillful hand of H’mong and Red Dao women.

Joining Vietnam Motorcyle Tours to Sapa, you can try traditional medicinal herb bath at a Dao village that can help you relax and recover quickly after long days on Vietnam motorcycle travel.

Northwest and Northeast - you may compare and consider which one is the best

If you traveled through our website before contact us, you can see most of our Vietnam motorcycle tours are all about explore Northwest and Northeast - you may compare and consider which one is the best, however, from our experience they are both as great and rewarding as each other.

With any rider who want to join our motorbike tours Vietnam, the question to ask is: which one best suits you ? The Northwest with high mountain ranges and colorful traditional dressed of local hill tribes? The Northeast areas with Ha Giang are more for experienced bikers with high "Rock and Roll" skills. For a long time, Ha Giang province seems to fell into un-waked sleep. People only tell separate stories and amazement of its magnificent nature. Ha Giang is a remarkable destination with limestone karts and especially a "rocky plateau" which can not be compared to anywhere in the world.

And now, with Vietnam dirtbike travel; you - all the travelers can explore the whole story by yourselves. Any Vietnam motorbike tour to the north of Vietnam will take you deeply into this region and bring you a great adventure of lifetime.

Several reasons to visit Sapa

With its mist-covered mountains, colorful local tribes-people and the faint but undeniable feel of a French Alpine town – albeit one with rice terraces – it’s pretty easy to find reasons to visit Sapa. If you are truly travelers, just join our Vietnam motorcycle tours to ride away from Hanoi, passing several places before you reach Sapa. Here are our several reasons to visit Sapa:

1. Sapa’s Picturesque Setting

The town of Sapa has a picture-postcard setting, located in a valley with a small lake and surrounded by majestic mountains often enchantingly blanketed in mist. A room with a view is a must here so you can take in the changes to the vistas, especially how the clouds mesmerize with their continual flow into the valley and over the hills. When the clouds and mist decide to clear off, the views of the surrounding mountains are simply jaw dropping.

2. Sapa’s Hill Tribe Culture

There are some eight different hill tribes that live in mountain settlements and villages around Sapa. The Black H’mong is the most common of the ethnic minorities that you’ll see, the women easily identified by their black skirts and leg warmers, accented by flashes of silver from their jewelry. Many tribeswomen trek daily into Sapa to sell their handicrafts to tourists and each wears a different costume so you’ll soon be able to distinguish the difference between the Black H’mong, Red Dao, the Giay (‘Zay’), Xa Pho, White H’mong, and Flower H’mong.

3. Sapa’s Hill Tribe Village ride

Depending on how long you stay, you can start daily Vietnam motorbike tours to some village staying overnight in village homestays. Part of the 30,000-hectare Hoang Lien National Park, the scenery, almost as soon as you head out of town, is bucolic. Rice terraces are carved into impossibly steep mountains, including Vietnam’s highest peak, Mount Fasipan. You’ll get much more out of the experience by going with a local guide and getting the chance to meet families in villages and gaining a glimpse into local life.

4. Sapa Markets

The local Sapa markets are a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Fresh produce, just plucked or picked that day, is in abundance while steam rises off giant pots of stock from which vendors ladle out endless bowls of soup. The market is also the place to buy souvenirs, with an array of colorful textiles, costumes and crafts to choose from, often being made right at the stall while the ladies wait for customers. It’s one of our favorite markets in Southeast Asia.

5. Eating and Drinking in Sapa

In Sapa, there are a plenty of tourist restaurants, but the local eateries, hole-in-the-walls, and food stalls offer far more delicious food. Expect to find full-flavored ‘trekking chickens’ (free-range chickens that have their run of the hills), succulent pork (also farmed in the mountains), and freshwater fish (from surrounding lakes, streams, and farms). Dig in! Just go easy on the rice wine…

6. Sapa’s Fascinating French History

One thing that makes Sapa fascinating is its French colonial history. On a day when the mist encircles the steppe of the Sapa church, just off the main square, you could be forgiven for thinking that you’re in the French Alps. It’s this atmosphere that attracted the French here in the first place, thinking it would make a great summer retreat and a European style ‘wellness’ center. By 1924, the road from Lao Cai was completed, making a link from Hanoi possible overnight. By the 1930s the town had over 200 French buildings, running water, a sewage system, telephone and telegraph lines, and electricity. The complex history of the French presence here saw them eventually leave in 1949 – and bomb the town in 1952, resulting in many of the fine French villas being destroyed.

Now, you know why Sapa becomes a very popular destination in our motorbike tours Vietnam?

Riding to the North of Vietnam, you will be attracted by the beauty of the colorful costumes of the Black H'mong

Riding Vietnam motorcycle tours with Vietnam Dirtbike travel to the North of Vietnam, you will be attracted by the beauty of the colorful costumes of the different hill tribes here. Sapa is always one of the best destinations in our motorcycle tours Vietnam. When you visit Sapa, you will see a lot of Back H’mong girls and you are easy to recognize them by their costume.

For the H'mong, in fact, clothes do make the man or woman, in this case. H’mong girls should have skilful hand. They have to learn weaving, embroidering, and sewing at seven or eight. The more they good at weaving, embroidering, and sewing, the more easier they can find good husbands. For ages, the H'mong women always the people who make clothes for her husband and children by hand. "You are beautiful but bad at weaving means you are still unattractive," H'mong mothers often teach their daughters. At the ages from 15 to 18, the H’mong girls should have had at least 10 beautiful dresses that made by herself and take them with her to the husband’s family. She will continue to weave and embroider for the rest of her life.

H'mong women do their jobs and very busy with a roll of linen fiber even when walking to the market, selling things or sitting or talking with friends. Flax makes a great contribution to the beauty of the Black H’mong custumes. So, the Black H’mong always said “"We grow flax for our clothes". To make a skirt or a jacket involves a lot of steps.

Normally, it takes about 3 months from growing to harvesting the flax plants. After harvesting the flax plants, the Black H’mong will dry the plants and take the fibers from their stem. Then, they crush the stem and boil and tear it into thin strips. After that, they will have the white fibers for weaving.

The H'mong normally use as indigo, saffron, and betel to make up the color of their costumes. The process to create the color requires patience and experience. The Black H'mong in Sapa District in Lao Cai Province always get their name because they are dressed in dark clothes that are dyed in indigo. Many skillful designs of flower are embroidered. A suit includes a pleated skirt, a jacket, a long waistcoat, leggings, and a pillbox hat. Besides all the colors and patterns, the H'mong also like to decorate their clothes with metal coins that are carefully attached to waistbands, leggings, hats with colorful strings.

Come ride with our Vietnam motorbike tours to learn more about the Black H’mong in Sapa.

Vietnam is a beautiful lush country offering a rich variety of historical sites, sounds, cultural traditions

Vietnam Dirtbike travel offer rides Vietnam motorbike tours to all over the northern mountains of Vietnam, down the Ho Chi Minh Trail with powerful dirt bike for all level: novice, intermediate and expert.

All our customers for motorcycle tours Vietnam agree that Vietnam is a beautiful lush country offering a rich variety of historical sites, sounds, cultural traditions and friendly people for its visitors. From the French Colonial architecture to the intriguing scent of the Perfume River, from to the hustle and bustle of the markets in Saigon to the war memorials, Vietnam has much to be discovered. As you know, Vietnam is a just small country in the Southeast Asia but owns a lot of World Heritage Sites. Vietnam is a country of tourism. From the North to the South, any province has its own advantages to attract visitors.

Today, we would like to introduce you the list of World Heritage Sites from the North to the South of Vietnam as follows:

1.    Dong Van Karst Plateau Geo-park.
2.    Buddhist Sutra Woodblocks of Truc Lam Zen
3.    Xoan singing
4.    Worship of Hung King.
5.    Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs.
6.    Ha Long bay
7.    Trang An landscape complex.
8.    Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Hanoi.
9.    Stone stele records of royal examinations of the Le and Mac Dynasties.
10.    Giong Festival at Phu Dong and Soc temples.
11.    Ca tru singing.
12.    Imperial Records of Nguyen Dynasty.
13.    Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park.
14.    Complex of Hue Monuments.
15.    Nha Nhac, Vietnamese Court music.
16.    Hoi An Ancient Town.
17.    Mỹ Son Sanctuary.

18.    The Space of Gong Culture in Central Highlands.
19.    Woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty.
20.    Don Ca Tai Tu.

Please come and travel with us for one of the most Vietnam motorcycle tours in your life. Sure, with our beautiful landscapes especially of the World Heritage Sites, you will have a good deep impression of our country.

Nho Que river is also a noteworthy destination for tourists

Traveling with us to Ha Giang (northeast Vietnam) for Vietnam Motorbike Tours, tourists shall be amazed by a river like a silky fillet in fog as it brings them a pleasant feeling of a naturally romantic masterpiece. That river is called Nho Que.

The Nho Quế River is a river of Vietnam and China. It flows through Hà Giang Province, Cao Bằng Province and China for 192 kilometres. It flows from Nghiem Son Mountain at the height of 1,500 meters and flows through Tu San canyon and Ma Pi Leng Pass of Meo Vac District, about 15 kilometers from Lung Cu Peak. With its upstream stretching more than five kilometers and running through rugged rocks, it creates a waterfall in the middle of the valley.The river is not only an attraction, but is also a source of economic value for locals because it provides them with potable water and supports agriculture.

Although the long and winding trails from Dong Van to Tu San’s western ravine with a limestone mountain on one side and deep valleys on the other side together with narrow path and rugged rocks scares most people who pass through this trail, tourists will enjoy a splendid view of terraced rice fields on the mountainside, ethnic villages scattered in the valleys and Nho Que River. The river is also a noteworthy destination for tourists.

The best time for Vietnam motorcycle tours to Ha Giang to visit Nho Que river is from September to next April. So contact us via email: dirtbiketravel@gmail.com to book the tour as soon as possible.