Our most comprehensive tour, giving you a real insight into the culture and a proper adventure of a lifetime.
Day 1: Countryside riding:
Hoi An to Ba Hom
Setting off from Hoi An this morning on your Hoi An Motorbike tour, it is quickly apparent that this is going to be a journey like none other. The Vietnam countryside comes alive in a whole new way as you pass through the fields and villages of Hoi An on a motorbike.
The route takes us away from the coast and into the hills, an area often inaccessible by normal car. As we wind into the mountains we’ll come across ancient Cham ruins and famous American war sites, hopping of our bikes to snap photos and explore the tourist-free areas. At midday we’ll reach Ba Hom, where our Co Tu hosts will welcome us to their village. Lunch will be served in the village and then we’ll venture further into the mountains with a light trek. The route crosses over the original Ho Chi Minh Trail and leads us to a therapeutic hot spring where we can swim and relax in the healing waters.
This evening our hosts prepare a traditional Co Tu feast. Dining in the village on the local cuisine and sleeping in their stilted houses gives us the rare chance to experience firsthand the traditions of Vietnam’s ethnic minority people. This is a true taste of authentic hilltribe culture- an experience that is increasingly difficult to find. (110km)
(Accommodation: Private bungalows)
(Meals: Lunch, Dinner)
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh Trail:
Ba Hon to Khe Sanh via A Luoi
Rise and shine for day two of our Hoi An Motorbike Adventure. After breakfast in the village, we say goodbye to our hosts and resume our bike ride to Khe Sanh. Today’s journey traverses the historic Ho Chi Minh Highway through lush rainforests and over magnificent mountain passes.Take a refreshing dip in a mountain waterfall at midday, where we’ll break for a picnic lunch.
We begins the afternoon, winding through the A Shau Valley, a ruggedly beautiful valley that became famous during the American War as the site of many battles, the most famous being Khe Sanh, where we stay for the night. Before we check into the hotel we visit the Museum and former combat base, which was under siege for 67 days. (235km)
(Accommodation: Hotel ***)
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 3: Hill tribe country:
Khe Sanh to Phong Nha/Ke Bang National Park
Today’s ride is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Obtaining special military permission, we are able to drive the remote western branch of the Ho Chi Minh Highway through majestic limestone karst and spectacular old-growth jungle. Be amazed at the tenacity of the Vietnamese people during the US war, as this road follows the original HCM Trail through some of the most rugged terrain on Earth. (240km)
(Accommodation: Hotel ***)
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4: Explore the National Park
Phong Nha/Ke Bang National Park
Awake to the sounds of rural Vietnam. With a day free to explore Phong Nha National Park, we take a morning motorbike ride to the Paradise limestone cave, Asia's longest limestone cave. After a traditional Vietnamese lunch at the National Park's restaurant, you can wander around the grotto systems. In the afternoon we travel to Dong Hoi for some 5 star luxury, resting those biker bones.
(All day activities at Phong Nha are included in the tour price but participation is optional.)
(120km)
(Accommodation: Hotel *****)
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 5: Tunnels and trails:
Dong Hoi to Hue
Driving along HCM highway east, we arrive at the Vinh Moc tunnels, where an entire village went underground in the 1960s to survive the bombing. After exploring the tunnels, we head to a local beach where you can cool off with a swim.
After lunch we cross the 17th parallel the former North/south divide then drive along the coastline arriving in Hue late afternoon. (200km)
(Accommodation: hotel ***+)
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 6: Culture & Sights:
Hue countryside & city tour
On day three we do a comprehensive motorbike tour of Hue. The tour visits the citadel, royal tombs while snaking through the back streets of Hue. A delicious vegetarian lunch prepared by Buddhist nuns is served at a local pagoda. After lunch we experience the rural surrounds of Hue, stopping to see traditional handicrafts being made, as well as visiting some US war sites. (40km)
Day 7: The coast road: Hue to Hoi An
Rise and shine, it’s time to set off on the final day of our Motorbike Adventure. Today’s bike journey takes us back to Hoi An by a different route, trading in the mountains for Vietnam’s gorgeous coastline. We head east from Hue and then travel parallel to the sea, passing through fishing villages and along pristine sandy beaches for the first part of the drive. The salty air and refreshing sea breezes are a dramatic contrast to the mountain air from the previous days. We’ll stop often to dip our toes in the sea, chat with fishermen and to take photos. At the half way point of our drive we climb to Highway 1’s highest point, Hai Van Pass, where panoramic views of the coast are all around. The road then winds down toward Hoi An, passing through Danang city and the famed China Beach. (190km)
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
Optional Abseiling at Marble Mountain on day 7:
We
walk up Marble Mountain into the rappelling area, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
The first rappel is a short walk from the practice area and enjoys a fantastic view of the ocean. This 22 meter line has great exposure, fantastic scenery and makes you feel like you are much higher than you actually are.
Then we do our final rappel; a monster 50 meter drop into a gaping hole so deep and dark that you can’t see the bottom. This fantastic cave rappel drops right out of the jungle down into a temple chamber. Get ready for a full on Tomb Raider experience! |
Highlights of the tour
* Ethnic minority villages
* Hai Van pass
* Local cuisine
* Old-growth rainforest
* Mountain waterfalls
* Ho Chi Minh Trail
* Hamburger Hill
* Khe Sanh combat base
* Khe Sanh museum
* Crossing the 17th parallel
* Historic Vinh Moc tunnels
* World Heritage sites
* Sight-seeing tour in Hue
* Phong Nha National Park
* Paradise Cave
|
|
|
