9 days motorbike tours from north to south of Vietnam - Nha Trang

Day 1: Hanoi - Mai Chau, 170 km, 5 hr ride.

After breakfast, transfer by car to the starting point at the outskirt of Hanoi, from here you take the bikes and start your first day ride to Mai Chau.

Leaving Hanoi and breaking out of the delta plains, we pass through endless limestone karst scenery as we travel up to the Northwestern region, the extensive farming lands comprising a sea of paddy fields split by tree-lined roads. Arrive in Mai Chau in late afternoon.

There are many small roads that lead into the mountains around Mai Chau, so we'll take the chance to ride out to the isolated H'mong, Dao and Thai villages on an old road built by the French army. Arrive in Mai Chau by 4.00PM. Diner and overnight in a stilt house in Mai Chau.

Day 2: Mai Chau - Tan Ky, 250 km, 6hr ride.

Say goodbye to the family, we ride today on a small, spectacular and paved trail along the Ma river until Cam Thuy town where we stop for lunch. Hit the Ho Chi Minh trail (now a newly built highway) all the way to Tan Ky town where we spend the night in a hotel.

Day 3: Tan Ky - Phong Nha, 280 km, 6 hr ride.
Ride on Ho Chi Minh Highway until Pho Chau where we stop to visit the HCM Trail victory monument.
Ride all the way to Phong Nha - Ke Bang, the biggest and also the most beautiful cave in Vietnam and Indochina and is now a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. The karst formation of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has evolved since the Paleozoic (some 400 million years ago) and so is the oldest major karst area in Asia. Subject to massive tectonic changes, the park's karst landscape is extremely complex with many geographic features of considerable significance. The vast area, extending to the border of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, contains spectacular formations including 65 km of caves and underground rivers. Diner and overnight at hotel.

Day 4: Phong Nha - Khe Sanh, 190 km, 7 hr ride.

We strike south through foothills which were once sprayed heavily by Agent Orange towards the former DMZ. There is still much evidence of bombing on the mountain sides and from time to time we will see remnants of the original Trail. We take in the Vinh Moc tunnel, the famous Hien Luong Bridge (former demarcation line between North and South Vietnam and finally Khe Sanh (former US Marine base). Diner and overnight at hotel in Khe Sanh.

Day 5: Khe Sanh - Hue, 180 km, 7 hr ride.
In the morning we head south over the Da Krong Bridge (built by the Cubans in 1973) into the infamous A Shau valley, an area of intense wartime activity. Passing Hamburger Hill and mountains still barren due to the extended effects of Agent Orange, we arrive at A Luoi, where there are many Bru Van hill tribe people. Then, cruising through green back country down the steep Me Oi Pass, we continue on to the beautiful city of Hue which lies along the banks of the Perfume River. Diner and overnight in Hue.

Day 6: Hue - Hoi An, 150 km, 5 hr ride.

Hue is the former imperial capital of feudal Vietnam and is a perfect place to visit. Take a ride along the Perfume River to visit the tombs of the former Emperors Minh Mang, visit the remains of the Imperial Citadel, which was largely destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968. After lunch in Hue, we depart for Hoi An by Joining the National Highway 1 and head up the Hai Van Pass (Cloudy Pass) before the World Heritage site of Hoi An, a major trading centre in SE Asia in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. Diner and overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 7: Hoi An

Whole morning exploring the old town of Hoi An. Afternoon at the Cua Dai beach, about 6km from the old town.

The former harbour town of the Champa people at the estuary of the Thu Bon river was an important Vietnamese trading centre in the 16^th and 17^th centuries, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled down. During this period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho (Seaside Town) in Vietnamese. During the French colonial period (1883 - 1945), it was called Faifo. Originally Hai Pho was a divided town, because across the "Japanese Bridge", it used to be the Japanese settlement (16^th - 17^th century). The bridge (Chua Cau) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side.

The town is known to the French and Spanish as Faifo, and by similar names in Portuguese and Dutch. A number of theories have been put forth as to the origin of this name. Some scholars have suggested that it comes from the word "Hai pho" meaning "sea town", while others have said that it seems more likely to simply be a shortening of Hoi An pho, "the town of Hoi An", to "Hoi pho" which became "Faifo".

In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15^th to 19^th centuries, whose buildings display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.

Today, Hoi An is still a small city, but it attracts a fair number of tourists, also being a well established place on the backpacker trail. Many visit for the numerous art and craft shops and tailors, who produce made-to-measure clothes for a fraction of the western price. Diner, overnight at hotel in Hoi An.

Day 8: Hoi An - Quy Nhon, 300 km, 8 hr ride.
Join the National Highway 1 and head down the beautiful coastal line of Vietnam until Quy Nhon. Traffic is somewhat easier to handle than the Central Highlands of vietnam. Diner and overnight in a beach front hotel.

Day 9: Quy Nhon - Nha Trang, 200 km, 6 hr ride.
Another day filled up with beautiful coast line views. Ride to the train station of Nha Trang, here we will say goodbye to the bikes and the tour guide, the bikes will be transported by train back to Ha Noi. Motorcycle trip ends.