Stunning Saigon to Danang Motorbike Tour via Central Highlands

In this morning, we will start our ride straight to Cat Tien National Park.This trip is not so long but is a big day as traffic is very crazy when we get out of city. At noon, we ride to Cat Tien National Park. This forest area used to be the head quarter of Vietnamese army during the war.

The park suffered historically during the Vietnam War when it was extensively sprayed with herbicides like the defoliant Agent Orange. To this day these areas have extensive bamboo and grassland cover and trees have not yet grown back.

Right here, you will have a chance to experience off-road rides through jungles with dirty roads to explore the diversity of fauna & flora of National Park

Summary

Distance:  190 km

Accommodation: Guest House in Nam Cat Tien

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

In this morning, after having breakfast at guesthouse in Cat Tien National park, we will set off our funny motorcycle trip by a long ride down on road 20 to Da Lat known as an “internal spring city” located on Central Highland. 

En route, we’ll get by so many mountains & valleys cum the local villages so that you sometimes have chances to enjoy the off-road ridings via forests or plantations or stop by to get communications with friendly locals.

Dalat is known as “The City of Love” and is a favorite holiday resort for Vietnamese as well as the French. With evergreen forests, waterfalls, beautiful lakes, the country’s best flower gardens, and delicious fresh produce, Dalat has always provided a welcome respite from the heat of the lowlands. We can spend the day riding to visit the highlights of Dalat with gardens, cathedral, waterfalls, market, university and key pagodas.

Summary

Distance:  200 km

Accommodation: Hotel in Da Lat

Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight in Da Lat.

We continue our day by turning on the locals’ off-road ride that leads us to West of Dalat- Lang Biang Mountain.  This road is really challenging your driving skills as we traverse through the muddy tracks, narrow paths, sharp descents and ascents.

We get to the waterfall where you’ll admire its natural beauty and the fresh streams below. It’s just perfect to cool your body off after several hours of riding. Our tasty lunch will be prepared next to the waterfall. The feeling of being in nature with the sounds of waterfall, birds or wild animals is incomparable…

Our afternoon ride is no less interesting and adventurous as we ride through lush green coniferous-pine forests with long climbs, a wooden bridge over the river. We take delight in the magnificent landscape from the peak of the mountain. We resume back on our bike and ride to the remote villages of hill tribes where you’ll explore their unique culture and natural hospitality.

Summary

Distance: 100 km

Accommodation: Hotel in Da Lat

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning, after having breakfast we’ll continue riding onward to Buon Ma Thuot.  The road is narrow, winding, but not busy.  We have three passes to cross – Krong No, Chuoi,  and Phu Son. The drive itself is quite beautiful and lined with dense forests

After having lunch in Lak Lake, we’ll take an offroad motor-ride to Lak Lake on Road 27, a small paved road with poor surfacing and quite busy. Here we can have a break for refreshment and troll around the by the lake. There are said to be about 31 different ethnic groups in Dac Lac, each with their own traditional dress and customs.  Some of the villages are known for elephant hunting and taming, some for weaving and other arts. Finally, we’ll ride back to Buon Ma Thuot city for an overnight

Summary

Distance:  200 km

Accommodation: Hotel in Buon Ma Thuot

Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After having breakfast at hotel, we need a time to stop by a coffee shop or bar to drink a cup of the best coffee in Vietnam before setting off another ride to Pleiku because Buon Ma Thuot is so well-known as a Kingdom of coffee not only in Vietnam but also in the world.

We then will follow the Highway 14 to ride straight to Kon Tum via Pleiku. Along the road, we’ll keep on viewing endless coffee plantations on the Central Highland with peaceful villages located on the roadsides.

Lunch at Pleiku, From here, we ride along the Tun River and up over a pass to Kon Tum. Along the way are coffee plantations and the stilt houses of the Central Highland’s largest ethnic group of the Gia Rai.

In Kon Tum we can visit the Catholic church and the orphanage, based behind the Catholic Church in town and run by a group of French nuns. If time permits, you can also visit a beautiful Bahnar village near town.

Summary

Distance:  240 km

Accommodation: Hotel in Kon Tum

Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast in local restaurant we continue riding north on Highway 14 today on a bit of a bumpy section of the road to Kham Duc.

We will then go along the Ho Chi Minh trail visit pineapple plantations and enjoy it, then stopping for swimming and relaxing in the waterfall.

Then continue into the highlands to visit the ethnic minority village. Then continue into the highlands where you can learn about the Civil War of Vietnam before 1975 as well as enjoy the breath-taking nature of the area

The Battle of Kham Duc was a major battle of the Vietnam War. The event occurred in Khâm Đức, now district capital of Khâm Đức District, then in Quảng Tín Province (now part of Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam), from 10–12 May 1968. During the Tet Offensive of 1968, the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 2nd Division tried to capture Đà Nẵng, but they were defeated in the Battle of Lo Giang by elements of the U.S. 1st Marine Division and the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal Division). PAVN General Chu Huy Mân disengaged from the fight on the outskirts of the city, and pulled the 2nd Division into the mountains to rest, rebuild, and prepare for the next major operation. The US and allied defenders of the Special Forces camp at Khâm Đức, a small district in the north of Quảng Tín, were chosen as the next target for the 2nd Division.

Summary

Distance:  180 km

Accommodation: Hotel in Kon Tum

Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is really a day to visit different minority villages. We will ride over Lo Xo Pass, making lots of stops along the way to meet De and Trieng minorities, who live along the Dak Po Ko river. Along the river are many amazing hanging bridges, built by the local people to cross to the opposite shore.  Lunch will be in Tan Canh, and we can visit a village of Se Dang

After having lunch, we’ll keep on rolling on the highway to Hoi An and on the way, we’ll stop by to visit My Son, a world heritage site that is the Cham version of Angkor Wat. Most of the temples are dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva, considered by the Cham as the founder and protector of their dynasties.My Son Sanctuary is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, approximately 69 kilometers southwest of Danang in Quang Nam Province. My Son was the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom, a civilization that thrived from the 4th to the 13th centuries. You can explore the various temple groups, each with its own unique characteristics. The site provides insights into the Cham people’s religious practices and architectural achievements.

We then get to hotel in Danang or Hoi An for a check-in

Summary

Distance:  160 km

Accommodation: None

Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch

End of the trip