After breakfast, we motorcycle along the Thac Ba lake on a small road lined by palm trees and scenic mountain views to join the main Road 2, heading up to Ha Giang where we stop for the night and apply for a permit. Summary: Distance: 180 km Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Hotel

Ride on a zig-zag track until reaching Vuong Family’s Residence, 14 kms before Dong Van. Vuong Family was considered the King of the Hmong People in Dong Van, Ha Giang. Their residence was built in the scenic valley of Sa Phin with Chinese architecture. The whole house was built out of wood and rock only. The rocks for the buildings were imported from China. Vuong Family Residence is a masterpiece of man work in the valley of heavenly beauty of Sa Phin. This is a remote area and we can meet the hard-working local people here. It is inspiring to see how they survive as they manage live in the rocks.When we reach Dong Van Town we will have some extra time to wonder the ancient streets lined with H’mong homes of clay bricks and tiles roofs built centuries ago.

The road is still under construction and tracks what make the ride relatively long in spite of few kilometres. The landscape is among the most beautiful of Vietnam, and the slow tempo is only more appreciable. We cross the wild regions of the mythical province of Ha Giang, Meo Vac is included. It shares the border with Dong Van District of Ha Giang Province and Bao Lam District of Cao Bang Province. Meo Vac has most of the terrain in the Rock Plateau of Dong Van and above 1000m above sea level. Meo Vac has a harsh climate in the winter which is from November to April with dry and freezing cold weather. It is inhabited by different ethnic minorities including the H’mong, the King, Tay, Dzao…Most ethnic groups have maintained their culture untouched from the outside world. Beautiful motor ride down to Bac Kan Province in the afternoon. Take a local boat-ride on the reservoir of Na Hang Hydro Power Factory to village near by Dau Dang waterfall in Ba Be National Park for home-stay.

Note: This is a very big day, we should start early and ride back carefully on Road 3 .After breakfast, take an other boat-ride on Ba Be lake to other side, before jumping on our motorbikes to Cho Ra, head up to main Road 3. Ba Be National Park is an abundant bioreserve area containing the world’s only fresh-water karst lake and several rare species of fauna and flora. Ba Be lake in VietnamThe biodiverse 10,048 ha park – home to 1,268 species of flora and fauna, a series of caves and a gigantic fresh water lake – was established in 1992 by the Vietnamese Government to preserve forest ecosystems in the northeast. Ba Be is home to over 3,000 people from the ethnic minorities of Tay, Nung, Dao and Mong, who live in 13 villages =within the park. The Tay people have inhabited Ba Be area for centuries and make up 58 per cent of the population within the park’s boundaries. On Road 3, the way back to Hanoi, traffic is getting worst and worst, so we should be back before rush hour