12 day Highlands Adventure Ride

Welcome to the 12 Days Highlands Adventure Ride. Our 12 days on the road will take us through some of Vietnam’s wildest, least-trodden highland areas.

Winding roads thread our course over jungled mountains, along deep gorges and through isolated wooden villages where little has changed for hundreds of years. Local farmers, hill-tribes and excited children will wave us on our way as we ride deep into Vietnam’s rural, mountainous heart. Many of the roads we ride are almost empty of traffic, and we’ll be seeing a part of Vietnam that very few other travellers encounter. There’s nothing quite like the sense of freedom and adventure that comes from riding these spectacular roads and meeting the exceptionally hospitable locals along the way. We travel at a relaxed pace with plenty of time for random stops by the road in order to take everything in and get the most out of this unique experience. The tour itinerary below gives you a flavour of what you’ll experience on this amazing ride. For more information regarding tour inclusions and price see the additional details listed at the end of this itinerary outline.

Tour price: $3,960.00 AUD

TOUR ITINERARY OUTLINE:

DAY 1:
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) Tour:
We begin our adventure in and around Saigon, the lovably chaotic commercial centre of Vietnam. A leisurely tour along the muddy waters of the Mekong River is followed by a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels; a labyrinthine network of underground channels and chambers, where Vietcong and villagers sheltered and planned attacks during the ‘American War’. Stretching over 250km (even passing beneath an American base), the tunnels are an engineering marvel. At the end there’s the chance to fire off some rounds on an AK47 at the shooting range. Back in Saigon we’ll get more perspective on the war at the War Remnants Museum and the former Presidential Palace. We finish our first day with a welcome dinner and drinks – this will be a tasty introduction to the delights of the justly famous Vietnamese cuisine, of which they’ll be plenty more opportunities to enjoy during our trip. OVERNIGHT: Saigon

DAY 2:
Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang (by air):
We catch an early morning flight for the short hop up the coast to the beach town of Nha Trang. With its sweeping white sand beach and blue waters, this is Vietnam’s premier beach destination. Since the 2008 Miss Universe was hosted here, Nha Trang has moved upmarket. But, although the palm-fringed beachfront is now lined with 5 star hotels, there’s still lots of local life in Nha Trang, such as great seafood restaurants and small fishing communities. We’ll spend the night near the ocean and have plenty of time to soak up the sun, sea and sand, before dining at the tropical-chic Sailing Club, right on the beach. OVERNIGHT: Nha Trang

DAY 3:
Nha Trang: 80km
We meet at 9am for a riders’ briefing before doing what we came here to do: hitting the road. Today is a gentle introduction to riding in Vietnam. We stay clear of the traffic chaos in major cities and main roads, by sticking to little-known country lanes leading through local fishing villages, where families make their living from the sea, as they have for hundreds of years. Riding along a spectacular cliff-top ocean road we’ll visit Long Beach for a dip in the sea and a BBQ lunch. Slated for huge development in the coming years, we’ll have the opportunity to enjoy this superb stretch of sand before the hotels and crowds arrive. OVERNIGHT: Nha Trang 

DAY 4:
Nha Trang to Dalat: 160km
Our first full day of riding is one of the most spectacular in southern Vietnam. A lofty 40km mountain pass takes us up to 1,600ft above sea-level. Waterfalls burst from the mountainsides, pouring down cliffs, flowing under the road, and plunging deep into the valley below. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to stop and admire the views from this epic pass. Once we reach the top, we’ve entered the Central Highlands. It can get cold up here, and suddenly the hot beaches of Nha Trang seem a world away. Hill-tribe villages of wooden houses dot the landscape, and coffee and tea plantations scent the highland air. The road is in excellent condition as it snakes under the slopes of Lang Bian Mountain, the area’s highest peak at close to 8,000ft. We spend the night in Dalat, a former French colonial hill station where century-old European-style villas still stand among the pine-forested hills. OVERNIGHT: Dalat 

DAY 5:
Dalat to Lake Lak: 155km
The next morning more scenic winding roads take us through dense tropical jungle and over a twisting mountain pass to Lake Lak. This natural body of water sits in a fertile valley of shimmering rice fields surrounded by forested peaks. Once famed as a rich hunting ground – even Vietnam’s last emperor built himself a hunting lodge here – this area is well off the beaten path. There’s a thrilling sense of isolation around Lake Lak. Locals are not used to seeing foreign travelers and a crowd will often gather each time you stop for gas or pull over to take a photo. We stay at a mid-range resort overlooking the peaceful lake, where a beer at sunset caps off a great day on the road. OVERNIGHT: Lake Lak

DAY 6: Lake Lak to Buon Ma Thuot: 110km
In the morning we get the opportunity to visit a local minority village. Ethnic minorities in this area live in long wooden houses built on stilts, originally intended to keep the occupants off the ground from wild animals, such as tigers and bears. Vietnam has over 50 hill-tribes, many of whom still live a semi-nomadic life. Despite the obvious hardships they face, people are exceptionally friendly and open to foreigners – it gives us all pause for thought and puts our ‘modern’ lives back home into perspective. There’s an optional one hour elephant trek around the lake before we hit the road again. Ploughing on through a rural landscape blanketed in coffee plants, we make our way to Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam’s coffee capital. Vietnam is the world’s second largest producer and we’ll have plenty of chances to taste the bitter-sweet, caffeine-strong Vietnamese cuppa here. OVERNIGHT: Buon Ma Thuot

DAY 7:
Buon Ma Thuot to Kon Tum (on the Ho Chi Minh Road): 230km
Today we join the Ho Chi Minh Road, perhaps the best riding route in all Vietnam. A motorbiker’s dream, this fantastic ribbon of tarmac runs over 2,000km; all the way from the north to the south of Vietnam. The road is quiet, sparsely populated and passes through some of the country’s most outstanding scenery. At times the Ho Chi Minh Road follows the course of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which was the military supply line between north and south Vietnam during the ‘American War’. Today’s ride – the first leg of almost 800km we’ll spend on this incredible road - slices through acres of rubber plantations and forest, but many areas are still left bare from the defoliants dropped during the war. The road is dead-straight and you can see it stretching out dozens of kilometres ahead of you over rolling hills. This is one of the best rides in Asia, yet you’ll have it almost all to yourself. OVERNIGHT: Kon Tum

DAY 8:
Kon Tum to Kham Duc: 180km
This part of the highlands is one of the most scenic areas in Vietnam, but it’s also one of the poorest. In Kon Tum we visit a local orphanage run by nuns, who are doing excellent work caring for the children. A small donation goes a long way and would be much appreciated; it’s a great way to leave something behind from your trip to Vietnam. Back in the saddle the Ho Chi Minh Road takes us into misty mountains clad in twisted jungle, with rivers roaring far below. Waterfalls cascade off the mountains and spray our bikes. This remote area along the Lao border was once the scene of fierce battles between the Americans and the Vietcong, especially around Dak To, where an old US air base is still visible from the road; the runway now covered in cassava plants. Traffic is so light in this region that we share the road not with cars but with lumbering cattle, who wade across the tarmac, herded by friendly old farmers. Children wave excitedly as we pass by tiny rural hamlets – it’s a good idea to carry candy with you to give to these adorable kids, most of whom love having their photo taken, and arrange themselves into funny poses for the camera. We spend the night at Kham Duc, a small town in the mountains. OVERNIGHT: Kham Duc

DAY 9:
Kham Duc to A Luoi: 200km
One of the best day’s riding in Vietnam lies ahead of you. This long, awesome stretch of the Ho Chi Minh Road glides along fertile valleys before taking off into soaring mountains with countless thrilling switchbacks and hairpin bends for you and your motorbike to negotiate. A hypnotic rhythm sets in as you lean left then right, riding ever higher, into ever denser jungle. This section of road is so rarely used that you can count the number of vehicles you see on one hand. The scenery just keeps on getting better and better as you leave the ‘real world’ far behind and enter the remote Lao border area, where rare animals, such as the saola (also known as the Asian Unicorn and never seen in the wild by a westerner), still roam. Riding this amazing road produces a feeling of freedom and escape that most people can only dream about, or experience vicariously through road trip documentaries: but here we are, doing the real thing. The small, friendly town of A Luoi – where local old men are fond of smoking ‘Lao tobacco’ from bamboo pipes – is our night stop. OVERNIGHT: A Luoi  

DAY 10:
A Luoi to Hue: 170km
Today we say our fond farewells to the Ho Chi Minh Road and head down from the mountains on a pretty pass through eucalyptus forests, to the ancient imperial capital of Hue. Nestled on the banks of the Perfume River, this is an elegant city filled with history. After a few days in the remote mountains, it comes as a shock to see so many people and so much traffic again. But Hue is a seductive place with a fine local cuisine, often considered the tastiest and most sophisticated in Vietnam. We’ll have the chance to ‘refuel’ with plenty of good Hue food. OVERNIGHT: Hue

DAY 11:
Rest day & Explore Hue:
A day of rest and/or sightseeing in and around Hue city. The imperial architecture of Hue dates mainly from the 19th century and is famous throughout Vietnam. Citadels, palaces, pagodas and royal tombs fill the city and dot the surrounding countryside. In the evening we’ll host an awards night for our road trip group, and celebrate having almost completed our highlands adventure. OVERNIGHT: Hue

DAY 12:
Hue to Danang (via the Hai Van Pass): 50km
The final day of our epic ride takes us from Hue to Danang city, via the famous Hai Van Pass. Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson couldn’t help but be amazed by this meandering mountain road, with incredible views over the beaches and ocean. ‘Hai Van’ means ‘ocean mist’, but if we’re lucky the weather will stay clear and we’ll be able to enjoy the fantastic views. This rollercoaster pass is a fitting end to our Highlands Ride. In Danang we say our goodbyes to bikes, tour members and crew before boarding our prearranged flights back to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. Our beloved bikes are then loaded onto trucks and taken back to Nha Trang, where they will receive plenty of love and care in order to be ready for the next adventure!

TOUR PRICE & INCLUSIONS:
Date: Jan 10th-21st,
Special Events Tour: 12 Days Highlands Adventure Ride
Tour Code: 12DNA-15
Tour price: $3,960.00 AUD

To book this tour: email us at info@vietnammotorbiketours.com or call our bookings line on +61 3 5975 6333
Our tours are perfect for riders who want to discover amazing riding routes away from mainstream tourism, and meet like-minded riders in the process. We travel at a relaxed pace with plenty of time for random stops by the road in order to take everything in and for you to get the most out of this unique experience. We recommend you arrive at least one day before the tour begins.
Our special event tour prices cover all accommodation costs (including pre-tour nights) in comfortable twin-share rooms in quality mid-range hotels or guesthouses with private bathrooms.
All meals (breakfast, lunch) are included, as well as an esky filled with cold drinks, fruit and snacks when on the road. Our meals are set menus (including options for vegetarians) that showcase the very best of Vietnamese cuisine, which is justly famous as one of the most sophisticated in the world.
All our tours include a support van and driver, guides and a support crew. Our guides and crew have excellent English skills and are passionate about Vietnam and motorbiking.
We provide each rider with a detailed touring map of Vietnam, so you can follow the route while on the road, and retrace your adventure when back home. Also included is your very own Vietnam Motorbike Tours T-shirt. See below for a full list of tour inclusions and exclusions.
Prices includes:
•    Airport pick up and transfers. Private VIP car/mini van
•    Domestic flights transfers on Vietnam Airlines. Flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang and returning to HCMC or Hanoi from tour destination.
•    1 night pre tour accommodation. at our selected hotel .
•    Pre Tour rider briefing. evening before the tour start 6pm . meet the team of tour group . discuss the incredible ride and things to know .
•    Full motorcycle rental from our fleet of 25 Lifan motorcycle for the duration of the tour.
•    Motorcycle damage cover and limited 3rd party insurance .
•    Entrance tickets and permits.
•    Helmets – clean open-face with drop down screens "limited sizes" riders with xxxl or xxxsmall should consider to bring their own helmet – wet weather gear.
•    Quality mid-range, clean and friendly accommodation many would rank 4 star back home."Aust" All with WIFI, private bathrooms and air-con.
•    Twin-share basis: (single room supplement is an additional $45.00 per night). Limited single rooms in remote areas so let us know early.
•    Meals . Breakfast & Lunch. endless supply of bottled water and soft drinks, snacks & fresh fruits through-out the tour . Dinners not included. We find our riders prefer to arrange and select their own evening meals. allow around $10-$15.00 each for your evening meals. Vietnam is famous for great foods . restaurants are close to our overnight stays .
•    24hr back to base support. Medicines and first-aid kit . all guides carry working mobile phones .
•    All fuel costs, VMT Motorcycle service & maintenance throughout the tour .
•    9-seater minibus support vehicle and driver for luggage transport and assistance.
•    VMT motorcycle guides and support crew. VMT crew are highly experienced dedicated team. our much loved team are just one of the many highlights while touring Vietnam
•    Detailed touring map of Vietnam. Vietnam Motorbike T-shirt. VMT will select at least one night of "DRINKS ON US"
•    Pillion and passenger prices are 50% of the standard rate.

PRICE EXCLUDES.
•    Airfares to and from Vietnam (HCMC) approximately $1,750.00 AUD.
•    Travel Insurance policy covering the use of a motorbike (mandatory).
•    Personal expenses, such as shopping, souvenirs, laundry, all extra drinks.
•    Tips for staff at tour completion. Vietnam Motorbike Tour guides are well-paid so tips are optional but always appreciated. Aim for between $37.00 AUD - $62.00 AUD.
•    Medical examination and vaccinations before departure.
•    Tourist Visa. Your local travel agent can arrange visas for you or you can book online. You must make visa arrangements before entering Vietnam.