Sapa North-West Motorbike Tour to Dien Bien Phu – Son La – Mai Chau

Itinerary:

Day 1: Sapa North-West Motorcycle Tours to Dien Bien Phu – Son La – Mai Chau: Sapa Motorbike Tours to Heavens Gate – Binh Lu – Tam Duong (Meals: L, D)

Summary:

Day 2: Sapa North-West Motorcycle Tours to Dien Bien Phu – Son La – Mai Chau: Tam Duong Motorcycle Tours to Phong Tho & Paso (Meals: B, L, D)

Day 3: Sapa North-West Motorcycle Tours to Dien Bien Phu – Son La – Mai Chau: Paso Motorbike Tours to Sin Ho – Lai Chau (Meals: B, L, D)

After having breakfast at guesthouse, we’ll keep riding our motorbikes on pumpy zigzag roads through the picturesque Na river valley past small villages of red and white Hmong, Kho Mu and White Thai ethnic minorities. Take a short ride through the small town to experience the peaceful daily life here then if possible, you can soak up yourself in the river, or just relax with a cup of coffee of beer to enjoy a sunset over the top of mountains.
Overnight at hotel in Lai Chau.

Day 4: Sapa North-West Motorcycle Tours to Dien Bien Phu – Son La – Mai Chau: Lai Chau Motorbike Tours to Dien Bien Phu (Meals: B, L, D)

Day 5: Sapa North-West Motorcycle Tours to Dien Bien Phu – Son La – Mai Chau: Dien Bien Phu motorcycle tour to Son La (Meals: B, L, D)

Day 6: Sapa North-West Motorcycle Tours to Dien Bien Phu – Son La – Mai Chau: Son La City Motorcycle Tours to Phu Yen (Meals: B, L, D)

In this morning, after having breakfast at hotel, we’ll start our motorbike tour by visits to The Old French Prison & Museum. It was once the site of a French penal colony where anti-colonial revolutionaries were incarcerated. It was destroyed by the infamous “off-loading” of unused ammunition by US warplanes that were returning to their bases after bombing raids, but it has been partially restored. Rebuilt turrets and watch towers stand guard over the remains of cells, inner walls and a famous lone surviving peach tree. The tree, which blooms with traditional “Tet flowers”, was planted in the compound by To Hieu, a former inmate from the 1940s. To Hieu has subsequently been immortalised. with various landmarks now named after him.

After having lunch, we’ll continue our motorbike tour on the almost empty Road 37 we enter mountains heavily populated with Black Thai people, who work on large terraced rice fields. The winding road passes through many Thai villages and fields and provides a great opportunity to watch country life passing by. We continue through rolling hills before rising up to the sugar cane growing areas.
Finally, we’ll reach to Phu Yen peaceful town located on a flat valley & surrounded by high moutain ranges.
Overnight in Phu Yen Town.
 
Summary:
Distance: 160 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 7: Sapa North-West Motorcycle Tours to Dien Bien Phu – Son La – Mai Chau: Phu Yen (Son La) Motorcycle Tours to Mai Chau (Meals: B, L, D)

After having breakfast at hotel, we’ll say goodbye to the friendly people here to keep on riding our motorbikes on the less travelled Road 43 leading to the Da River, crossing the reservoir of Da river at Van Yen ferry, then ride on a beautiful winding secondary road to Moc Chau where we have lunch. This highland town produces some of Vietnam’s best tea and is a good place to stock up. The surrounding area is also home to several ethnic minorities, including Green H’mong, Dzao, Thai and Muong. Moc Chau boasts a pioneering dairy industry that started in the late 1970s with Australian (and, later, UN) assistance. The dairy provides Hanoi with such delectable iuxur us as fresh milk, sweetened condensed milk and little tooth-rotting bars called “Banh sua”.

After lunch, we’ll continue our motorbike trip to Mai Chau where is one of the closest places to Hanoi where you can experience a ‘real’ Montagnard village. In the morning we take a short walk around village to discover local life. Life in the countryside starts early so by sunrise there is a wealth of activity. The Thai women are masterful weavers who ensure that there is plenty of traditional-styleclothing to buy in the village centre. You will see women weaving on looms under or inside their houses in the village We can buy some handmade traditional-style clothing, knife or cross-bow.

After dinner we join performance, where you can dance and share a range of special liquors (rice wine) with the locals. Overnight in a house-on-stilts of the Thai people.
 
Summary:
Distance: 140 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Guest-house

Day 8: Sapa North-West Motorcycle Tours to Dien Bien Phu – Son La – Mai Chau: Mai Chau (Hoa Binh) Motorcycle Tours to Hanoi (Meals: B, L/-)

In this morning, we’ll take an easy walking tour or motorbike tour to hang around peaceful & beautiful villages located around the valley to experience the daily life of the locals – the White Thai Hilltribe working on the farms.

After having an early lunch, we’ll start riding our motorbikes back to Hanoi. Along the way, we cross Thung Khe, one of the most beautiful mountain passes in North Vietnam  and from here, we can take photos of Mai Chau valley and then We will ride on Highway 6 passing extensive farming lands comprising a sea of paddy fields split by tree-lined roads punctuated by limestone karst scenery to Hoa Binh town and here we will have a coffee break before riding back to Hanoi on dyke roads to avoid the heavy traffic.
At around 16:00, we’ll get to Hanoi and end the trip.

Summary:
Distance: 160 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch