The Green Tea Loop
“On a motorcycle, you can't really think about more than where you are. There's a freedom that comes with that - from stress, worry, sweating the small stuff. - Laurence Fishburne
ROAD TRIP DETAILS:
- Total Distance: 144 km
- Duration: 1 day (8.00 am start)
- Route: a mountainous loop south of Sapa, the O Quy Ho Pass and tea plantations of Lai Chau [MAP]
- Road Conditions: Highway 4. Paved roads, some extended dirt track sections, light traffic.
- Travel Style: - Cultural immersion and scenic riding
- Scenery: mountains, rivers, rice terraces, minority villages, tea plantations, hot springs.
Background:
South of Sapa, the high mountainous peaks and forest, give way to rice terraces, fruit trees and green tea plantations. The magnificent highway 4 provides the link between these dramatic landscapes.. Creating a scenic loop, starting and ending in Sapa via the lowland plains of Tan Uyen, this road trip is a great way to explore the great variety of Vietnam's north west region. With emerald green tea plantations provide year round vibrancy, while the magnificent rice terraces change through the seasons.
Weather is always difficult to predict in this region, but spring (March-May) and autumn (September-October) are probably the best months for warmth, light, and colour.
Culture and Landscape:
This trip involves one of the most spectacular mountain passes in all of Vietnam, with a stunning drive through the O Quy Ho Pass and the cloud forests that cover the Hoang Lien Son National park. As we drop down into Lai Chau Province, we travel through a number of villages home to the Black Hmong, Lu and Thai ethnic minority groups. These areas have beautiful rice terraces and spectacular mountain scenery. This route will include some of the most spectacular scenery Northern Vietnam has to offer. You will see a real mix of ethnic groups and see some wonderful natural scenes. It will be your own tour, so you will have plenty of opportunity to stop and take photos whenever you wish.
About this route:
For confident riders who feel at home on Vietnamese roads (and with an early start), the Green Tea loop can be completed in one day. If you’re lucky and the weather is good, then the scenery s both highly varied and spectacular. The grandeur and scale of the mountains and valleys of the northwest is unmatched anywhere in Vietnam. The rice terraces are higher, steeper, more dramatic, and less busy than other areas of Vietnam.
South of Sapa, the high mountainous peaks and forest, give way to rice terraces, fruit trees and green tea plantations. The magnificent highway 4 provides the link between these dramatic landscapes.. Creating a scenic loop, starting and ending in Sapa via the lowland plains of Tan Uyen, this road trip is a great way to explore the great variety of Vietnam's north west region. With emerald green tea plantations provide year round vibrancy, while the magnificent rice terraces change through the seasons.
Weather is always difficult to predict in this region, but spring (March-May) and autumn (September-October) are probably the best months for warmth, light, and colour.
Culture and Landscape:
This trip involves one of the most spectacular mountain passes in all of Vietnam, with a stunning drive through the O Quy Ho Pass and the cloud forests that cover the Hoang Lien Son National park. As we drop down into Lai Chau Province, we travel through a number of villages home to the Black Hmong, Lu and Thai ethnic minority groups. These areas have beautiful rice terraces and spectacular mountain scenery. This route will include some of the most spectacular scenery Northern Vietnam has to offer. You will see a real mix of ethnic groups and see some wonderful natural scenes. It will be your own tour, so you will have plenty of opportunity to stop and take photos whenever you wish.
About this route:
For confident riders who feel at home on Vietnamese roads (and with an early start), the Green Tea loop can be completed in one day. If you’re lucky and the weather is good, then the scenery s both highly varied and spectacular. The grandeur and scale of the mountains and valleys of the northwest is unmatched anywhere in Vietnam. The rice terraces are higher, steeper, more dramatic, and less busy than other areas of Vietnam.
Tour Price:
