Vietnamese cities and tourist spots are fun (check out my guide to Hanoi here), but for something really different on your trip it’s best to get out on the open road – and totally possible if you’ve bought or rented a motorbike.
For those new to riding, it’s reasonable to expect that sticking to the main road would be enough of an adventure for one trip. But it’s actually a horrible, polluted, traffic-congested route, which is only getting worse as the country develops at such a rapid rate. It’s actually probably a bit safer to stray off the beaten path a little.
Vietnam is a peaceful country, and the prevalence of bikes along with the resourcefulness of its people mean that there are worse countries to break down in. Also, despite feeling super isolated in its countryside, you’re never really too far from some form of civilisation. And so, it’s actually easier to deviate from the main road than you might think, and I would say, safer in many ways. It’s not so much the other scooter-riders as the massive buses and articulated trucks you need to look out for.
If you’re looking for a break from the dusty highway, some fresh air and off-road adventures, here are five lesser-travelled roads to add to your motorbike trip in Vietnam.
Just remember to bring a poncho and a spare tyre.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang – Khe Sanh (QL14 – Western Ho Chi Minh Road)
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is growing in recognition on the tourist trail, and with good reason, as it features some of the most exciting and out-of-this-world terrain in the country. This is one of those places where you might expect pterodactyls to swoop into view as you gaze at the layer upon layer of dense jungles and conical limestone peaks of the Annamite Mountain Range as they disappear across the hazy border of neighbouring Laos.
Just 50km from Dong Hoi, Phong Nha is a simple detour off the main QL1A north-to-south highway which runs along the coast. For a more interesting mountain excursion take the Western Ho Chi Minh Road along the Laos border to Khe Sanh.
Heading south from Phong Nha on QL14, the concrete slab road twists through densely forested mountains up and up, leaving all traces of civilisation behind. Be warned that there’s no habitation here, bar park ranger stations every 10km or so, which may or may not be manned.
A few hours south of Phong Nha, the village of Lien Son sits in a gorgeous river valley amidst surrounding mountains. This hamlet has the last accommodation and petrol station for quite a while (and little else), so be sure to stock up (an extra La Vie bottle of petrol might be advised also).
The next couple of hours are a wild and untouched ride along river beds, gorges, over and around mountains beyond mountains. The road comes to within a stone’s throw of the Laos border, winding ever further and further into the jungle, and is possibly the most ‘lost’ I’ve ever felt in Vietnam.
There’s virtually no traffic, save for the odd member of mountain-dwelling communities on scooters, or groups harvesting piles of bamboo from the depths of the jungles.
The concrete road spirals eventually around in the mountains before descending and passing through a couple of villages as it reemerges into something resembling the ‘real’ world – a number of single road market villages on the tarmac highway going south-east towards Khe Sanh.
A few kilometres outside of Khe Sanh there’s a beautiful lake before you come to Khe Sanh Combat Base, a worthwhile museum stop which gives an insight into the horrific reality of the American War.
The Phong Nha – Khe Sanh road can be done in a day if your bike is powerful enough and you are up to the distance (at 230km, it’s quite long for one day), so I’d recommend doing as I did and stopping at the Duc Tuan motel in Lien Son, and spending a night in a stunning and untouched river valley, completely cut off from the rest of the world.
Khe Sanh – Hue (QL14 Western Ho Chi Minh Road/ QL49)
This is another long route (around 170km) and can be done as an alternative way of getting from Khe Sanh to Hue, keeping to the Western Ho Chi Minh road and avoiding Highway 1A and the city of Dong Ha. In my opinion it’s worth it.
Form Khe Sanh the road sweeps past a huge hydro-electric dam that stands like a gateway into another level of bike riding. You’ll cruise along the tops of lush mountains before you descend to snake along the river bed. There are villages of simple wooden huts dotted along the road, farmers wash their water buffalo in the river while children frolic naked nearby and rush out to the road to greet you.
Although it’s difficult to find parts of the country as completely isolated as those north of Khe Sanh on the Laos border, this stretch of road still falls into the category of ‘untouched’, and the regular connection with civilisation give the area a more charming feel than the lonesome jungle of the previous section. The area along the Thach Son river between Khe Sanh and the dusty village of A Ngo near the Laos border crossing is particularly
Head east from A Luoi from QL14 onto QL49 for one of the hairier and more unexpected side-roads I came across in this stretch of central Vietnam. The first section should be taken with extreme caution. It’s a narrow, single lane road contorting on ridiculous hairpin bends through the mountain, and neither the surface nor the visibility is great.
The road does straighten out into a newly-paved and wide Alpine-esque highway which slowly brings you back to sea level as you approach the outskirts of Hue. There’s quite a lot of traffic on this road and it is – let’s face it – quite dangerous, but like all roads in Vietnam it should be fine if all precautions are exercised.
It’s worth it for the freewheeling downhill thrill of the wide and well-finished roads, as you soar alongside sheer canyons which appear from nowhere. Back on flat land, the road to Hue is charming and a welcome return to ‘the real world’ after a few days of satisfying detours through the central Vietnam mountains.
Quang Ngai – Buon Ma Thuot (Duong Truong Son)
If, like me, you’re more of a mountain person than a beach person, you might consider taking this road-less-travelled through the Central Highlands to Da Lat.
Along with being less travelled, when I did this trip in August 2017, the road wasn’t even built.
Quang Ngai is a charming and bustling fishing town about 100km south of Hoi An. From here, if you head west up and into the mountains, you’ll reach 2,500 metres from sea level in a matter of hours, following a gentle upward gradient through increasingly gorgeous dusty roads and hills.
The village of Son Tay is the last potential stop for quite some time, so you should make use of the petrol station and whatever food and groceries you can find in this sleepy little place.
From here, the road twists and turns with a couple of bridge crossings over a river that opens out into a bottomless canyon. You’ll reach the crest of the mountain road about an hour and a half’s drive out of Son Tay village, having passed the last of the wooden hut villages and scenically located schools standing over sheer drops into the valley below.
A flat, winding racetrack-style road takes you through forest plantations before descending gently to hills that roll through coffee farms. The town of K’Bang provides a useful and much needed stop and the abundance of coffee growing means you can get as good a glass here as anywhere in the country for around 10,000 VND (€0.40).
From K’Bang you come to Q19 which goes east-west across the country.
- Go east to the coast and beautiful Quy Nhon beach area,
- Go west to Pleiku to re-join the Western Ho Chi Minh Road (AH17), or
- Or continue off the beaten path south on DT622 to Ayun Pa, before joining up with the WHCMR again just north of Buon Ma Thuot.
If you’ve had your fill of beaches in the south of the country, or plan to make use of them further up, it’s worth checking out this lesser-seen part of the country, especially if you’re a fan of Vietamese coffee. The town of Buon Ma Thuot has some interesting history regarding the indigenous local populations, as well as waterfalls and elephant parks an easy day-trip from the city.
Hanoi – Cao Bang – Ba Be – Hanoi (North-Eastern Loop)
[Scenes like this are around every corner in the mountains of Northern Vietnam.]
Escape the lengthy urban sprawl of Hanoi, and continue on to the Choco-Mountain quirkiness of Bac Son in Lang Son province. From here, drive along the Chinese border to Cao Bang city, which can be used as a gateway to several days’ worth of side trips around this province alone, including the famous Ban Gioc waterfalls which stand guard over the border with China, and a cave where Ho Chi Minh patiently meditated before leading the liberation of his country.
Cao Bang city is a surprisingly lively river-side city with many of its own food specialities like Cao Bang sausage, and a rice pudding made with the remnants of rượu (rice wine) and served with breakfast to warm you up on a winter’s morning.
From the city, a life-affirming day’s ride will take you east to Ba Be National Park through mountainous stretches so vast they produce mirages on the horizon, while the roads that twist and wind around them and down through valleys will have you forgetting yourself as you go deeper and deeper into the most obscure corners of Vietnam.
Stay at one of the many homestays in Pac Ngoi or Bo Lu villages on the edge of Ba Be lake, away from the impending mega-resort developments that, for now, are kept outside the protected areas of the national park and away from the lake.
The lake area itself is magical, in a way that thousands of more developed holiday destinations are promised but fail to deliver. Rent a kayak and drift in the water for a few hours to feel for a short while like you’re the only person left alive.
Peel yourself away from the Land Before Time and back to Hanoi via any of the roads away from the park and towards Bac Kan city. The roads in the region have been recently cut through the hills and as such they’re relatively straight, in great condition, and for long stretches have no human settlements, negating the risk of runaway children or stray chickens running out in front of your bike – seasoned bike riders will know that this is a rarity in even the most out-of-the-way reaches of Vietnam.
Bac Kan city is a tiny provincial capital of and is delightfully unhurried in comparison to other provincial cities in the north, with wide streets and little traffic. The road from here on to Thai Nguyen features wide highways carving through gorgeous rolling hills, farmland and tea plantations, a specialty of Thai Nguyen.
From Thai Nguyen back to Hanoi there’s a proper crash back to reality, so take care on the thronged urban belt that takes you back to the capital. By the time you’re back you’ll wonder if you dreamed the last few days.
Ha Giang Loop
[Ha Giang is a biker’s dream – stunning roads through endless streams of mountains and rivers, hills and streams.]
The Ha Giang loop is becoming a well-known destination for motorbike travellers in Vietnam who want to go beyond the standard north-south trip, though its location in the extreme north of the country makes it still difficult to get to.
It’s also becoming an alternative rural mountain destination to neighbouring Lao Cai province and SaPa, which have benefitted hugely but transformed completely from tourism in the last few years.
Compared to some regions of Vietnam, where endless layers of jagged mountain peaks stretch off into the hazy distance – you’ll get that here too, don’t worry – the mountains of Ha Giang have immense character. Each day brings a different adventure and topography, and even the hours can be broken into distinct segments. Such is the stunning diversity of the landscapes in front of you, it’s worth breaking the journey up into smaller chunks just to give your brain a chance to process it all.
The full loop is around 350km in distance, and can be tackled in two or three days if you have a restriction on time, though five days is a preferred limit. As you progress along, endless side-roads and deviations from the plan will catch your eye, so by all means take longer if you wish.
Most travellers are inevitably confused to find their jaws don’t drop quite as much as brochures and guides to any destination would have you believe, but Ha Giang is one of the few places I’ve been to on earth that I’ve yet to see a collection of photos that actually do it justice, never mind enhance it in some over-the-top false and filtered glory.
Due to the growing popularity with tourists, there are more than enough adequate accommodation options at the larger towns and villages along the loop, many of them advertising on Booking.com for your convenience. There is a full range of choices from traditional homestays to more tourist-oriented places and even some luxury options.