Driving Tours

Between Hanoi & Mai Chau

The hardest part of the trip is getting out of Hanoi. From the city center, one-way streets actually abut one another and the traffic must disperse in either direction -- it's very strange. The roads out of town going southwest, either Ton That Tung or Tay Son, are a sea of motorbikes; crossing traffic is heavy and unpredictable. If you're going over 30kmph (19 mph), you're going too fast. At the farthest edge of the city, traffic thins out and once you pass the Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum some 14km (8 3/4 miles) south and west on Route 6, you're in the clear. (The museum is a good rest stop after the long road of city traffic.) From here, you're in the boonies and the fun begins. You can drive up to 70kmph (43 mph), but about 50kmph is best.

Before you reach the town of Hoa Binh, you'll pass through an area of towering limestone peaks; the road is lined with cafes that are popular local rest stops to relax and enjoy the mountainous views (in the evening, a kind of "Blueberry Hill" vibe pervades). The town of Hoa Binh is not worth a stop -- it's just a typical Vietnamese city of cement row houses and honking motorbikes -- but it's the dropping-off point for trips on the large Da River, or Song Da, reservoir, which powers the town's large hydroelectric plant. Past Hoa Binh, you'll enter the landscape typical to this region, with large hills cut by streams and lined with terrace rice farms.

Most stunning is the high pass you cross on the way to Mai Chau. The road is chiseled into the mountain's rock face, and the debris that resulted from the blasting forms a wide skirt at the foot of the mountain.

From Mai Chau to Son La

Take a detour near Mai Chau and hop a ride on the Da River Reservoir. In fact, many tours include a long boat ride between Mai Chau and Hoa Binh, but if you just want to catch a glimpse of the water, pull off where the signs indicate just past Mai Chau. The road from Mai Chau to Son La is lined with Montagnard villages and some fine areas of karst limestone outcroppings.

Between Son La & Dien Bien Phu

The road gets more mountainous and curvy as it traces vast river valleys and brings you among more Montagnard groups. In fact, a stop just about anywhere brings you into some National Geographic-like moments. Be sensitive when taking pictures of hilltribe people; some groups have superstitions about photo taking. Be sure to ask first and honor the wishes of anyone who declines to have their photo taken, however front-page worthy. Do not offer money to take someone's photo. The road traces some high ridges, which also means some hard climbing, with jeeps and motorbikes digging down into second gear, but you're rewarded along the way with stunning viewpoints over broad valleys of terraced rice farms.

Route 6 terminates at the town of Tuan Giao, itself just a place for a little coffee or a local lunch of rice or noodles; from here, a right turn takes you some 98km (61 miles) to Lai Chau along a stunning stretch of Route 6, and a left is just 80km (50 miles) to Dien Bien Phu. Most tours take you to Dien Bien Phu, but should you be so lucky/brave/foolish to be on a motorbike, I recommend you skip a visit to Dien Bien Phu, which, short of its historical significance, is just a dusty border outpost, and head over Route 6 to Lai Chau on one of Vietnam's most beautiful roads.

On Route 6 -- Route 6 cuts across a stunning mountainous patch, a narrow ribbon of paved and broken-paved road that is more often just a shelf cut into the rock. Overlooking broad valley scenery, you'll pass through quaint hilltribe villages all along the path. The road terminates in Mai Chau, where you can easily find lodging for the night before pushing on to Sapa. Note: Even if you decide to go to Dien Bien Phu, see if you can find the time to travel the head of this stunning road for at least a few kilometers to get a taste of the stunning scenery (drive up from either Tuan Giao or, on the other side, from Mai Chau).

Between Dien Bien Phu & Lai Chau

Except for some construction spots, the road is in fairly good shape up to Lai Chau. About 300km (186 miles) from Dien Bien Phu to Sapa, many travelers make the trip in 1 day, but it's actually a bit much considering the big climbs and descents along the way. Also, if you go from Dien Bien Phu to Sapa in 1 day, you pass through the Tram Ton pass to Sapa in the evening (assuming you make lunch and photo stops along the way); this pass is one of the highlights of any trip in the north and it's a shame to get there too late in the day, when the towering peaks are in clouds. Stay the night in Lai Chau if you can spare the time, so you'll get to the pass and to Sapa at midday; the little town of Lai Chau is also a good place to do a bit of wandering or day trekking on your own and is thus worth the overnight.

From Lai Chau to Sapa

The road out of Lai Chau follows the Dong Da River Valley as the water widens in broad valleys and narrows to small rapids through precipitous gorges. The road is well paved and not as steep as other spots on the route, but it's not straight.

One possible detour on the route north to Sapa is the village of Sin Ho. Some 30km (19 miles) up a dirt track just east of the main road, Sin Ho is a quiet, isolated Thai village well worth the visit for an amateur ethnologist or an adventurer looking to see what their motorbike can "really do." Warning: This is well off the beaten track, so be sure you have all the requisite gear to fix any flats or major problems because there won't be any helpful strangers wandering down this rugged road. From Sin Ho, there's a "new road" that connects to the north and with the town of Pa So on the way to Sapa, but note that "new road" means "not finished"; it's more or less a rutted track.

Most travelers pass Sin Ho and opt to follow the Dong Da River in a picturesque climb toward Sapa. In this case, you'll pass through Pa So, which has one little riverside hotel run by the same folks as Lan Anh Hotel in Lai Chau, and then hit Tam Duong, a town where you can get your first glimpse of colorful Hmong and Dao people at roadside. There are a few little guesthouses in Tam Duong, but it is so close to Sapa that you might as well press on. From Tam Duong you climb among stunning peaks on one of the most beautiful stretches of road before hitting the massive switchback of the Tram Ton Pass, which brings you up and over to the town of Sapa.

Note: Many travelers who do this route by motorbike opt to ride the short stretch from Sapa to Lao Cai, then put their motorbike on the train for the overnight back to Hanoi. The road from Lao Cai to Hanoi via Yen Bai is rural and quite pretty, but nothing compared with the mountain roads of the highland area. It's worth saving the gas, exhaustion, and hassle to just toss it on the train for little more than $10 (£5.55). In Lao Cai stop in to see the friendly folks at Nha Nhi Restaurant (Nguyen Hue St.; tel. 020/835-901), who can help you out with the details. Important note for Minskers: You have to remove all of the gasoline from your motorbike, so find a local with a Minsk motorbike and make his day by donating your gas to him.