I split this route over three days, and also spent an extra day off the bike in Mai Chau. The rides were not too challenging, with some elevation but also long flatter sections. It was great for exploring the culture of rural vietnam, but the major downside was the considerable air pollution at this time of year.
Ninh Binh - Mu Waterfall (86km)
Initially I was kind of undecided about whether to do all 140km from Ninh Binh to Mai Chau in one day, or to split it up and do two more relaxing rides. In the end, I chose to split the ride and spend a night in a very small Hmong village next to the Mu Waterfall.
The route was mostly flat for the first 60km, followed by a 500m climb and descent to the accommodation. The first part of the route was pleasant, passing through open rice paddies and villages. The scenery was not as spectacular as around Van Long or Ninh Binh, but was still enjoyable. At seemingly random times, dozens of children on motorbikes would suddenly appear and ride alongside me, presumably having just left school, even though it was about 10:30am.
This off-road stretch around the reservoir was pretty bumpy. Most of the route was paved with good, smooth surfaces
A highlight after 34.5km was a small river crossing followed by a bit of single track, before rejoining the paved road. A little while later I joined the busier QL12B road, which was the least enjoyable part of the route. It was not overly busy, and the Vietnamese truck drivers and cars were generally very considerate and left plenty of space, but I hate riding with even light traffic so was keen to get this section over with.
A nice alternative to avoid this section could be riding a more southerly route to Mai Chau, going via the picturesque tow of Pu Luong, known for its rice fields. I had considered this route, but ultimately decided against it because of limited accommodation options on my dates.
A nice shortcut after crossing a stream
After the busier section, and before the main climb, I stopped for a simple but tasty lunch of rice, pork, egg and onions. The climb itself turned out to be really beautiful. The gradients were inconsistent, but very rarely exceeded 8% or 9%, and the scenery changed dramatically from rice paddies to jungle. It was a quiet route, with only a few motorbikes passing, and was a lot of fun to ride. From the top of the climb, it was a fast and steeper descent down to the Mu Waterfall hotel, situated in a very small Hmong village.
The village was very quiet when I arrived, and I was later told that there was a funeral taking place. I offered my condolences and retired to my room, enjoying a restful evening alongside the river.
Pleasant scenery around Mu Waterfall
Mu Waterfall - Mai Chau (81km)
The next day began with banana pancakes and a very strong Vietnamese coffee. I needed all those calories for the first climb of the day, which was the same one I descended yesterday. It was a bit of a grind at times with a loaded bike, but the road surface was generally good and the views were very impressive.
From the top of the climb, I was slightly undecided which route to take. The more challenging option, continued heading left through the villages of Xom Dien and Lung Van, climbing gently (Route here on RidewithGPS). The easier option descended to Lac Son and followed a rolling road, before tackling the Thung Khe pass.
I chose the easier option, which in hindsight I both do and don't regret (and I will explain why a little later). I'm fairly certain that this was the less enjoyable route for cycling and in terms of scenery. If you have strong legs and conditions are good, then I would highly recommend following the parallel route to Lung Van and then taking the DT432A and DT432B into Mai Chau. This route has some steep gradients and some off-road sections, but it is much more beautiful than the route I chose.
Street market in Mai Chau
The route I did was fairly pleasant for the 35km rolling section after the first descent. However, it was not as rural as I expected and was built up most of the way, almost like one very long and very thin village. The best part of the route was from 52km to 56km, where I cut through some narrow roads and trails to get to the start of the climb to Thung Khe pass - this was very beautiful jungle and very quiet.
Lac Village is the touristy part of Mai Chau, built on top of a lake
Everything that the Thung Khe pass was not! I had read good reviews from cyclists who had done this climb, but I didn't really enjoy it. It was quite busy with cars and trucks and, while it didn't feel dangerous, it just wasn't that interesting. The views were not great, largely because of the heavy air pollution, and the road was just a fairly steady 6-7%ish climb without much variation to keep it interesting. Even the top of the pass had very little of note.
The air pollution had become very bad
The descent, as usual, was a lot of fun. The road surface was good and the sweeping bends and moderate gradient meant that it was rarely necessary to brake. The ride also ended with a beautiful 6km route through narrow back roads to arrive in Mai Chau. Here I stayed in the Lac Village, which seemed to be a kind of tourist area built on top of a lake on the edge of the main town. Most hotels are located here and I can highly recommend it. I stayed in Mai Chau Countryside Homestay which was really beautiful, with views looking out over the rice fields. It also had a superb restaurant, with very big and tasty portions!
For me, this was a bitter sweet day. In some ways I wished I had done the harder and more scenic ride, but overall I am happy not to have done so. The problem was the pollution. I have ridden in many parts of the world, but have never experienced air pollution like this. I'm not very sensitive to pollution, but it was so thick at times that even from mountain viewpoints you could barely see more than 2km. I checked the air quality index and Hanoi was listed as the second worst city in the world (behind Lahore in Pakistan); the nearby town of Hoa Binh was just as bad.
The back roads around Mai Chau were a lot of fun
Ultimately I was content with the decision not to have exerted myself more than necessary on a day like this. The air quality was slightly better by the time I arrived in the mountains in Mai Chau, but it still wasn't great. I decided to stay in Mai Chau for a couple of extra nights and re-evaluate my plans.
Mai Chau Villages (40km)
I stayed in Mai Chau for a couple of nights and had fun exploring the area. The highlight was a great 40km circular ride passing through rice fields and small traditional villages, including a bit of fun off-road riding.
View from the room overlooking the rice fields
The route was flat and easy, but it gave an insight into the way of life in the majority Hmong area.
Very quiet lanes between small Hmong villages
Unfortunately the pollution was still really bad. It was visible clinging to the side of the mountains and you could feel it in your throat when riding. I looked at the air quality forecast and it didn't look much better in Moc Chau or other future destinations, so I made the decision to
cut the tour short and head back to Hanoi.
I would have liked to stay longer in Mai Chau, exploring more of the surrounding villages
Mai Chau - Hanoi
The original plan had been to continue north to Moc Chau, Bac Yen, Nghia Lo, Mu Cang Chai, Sa Pa and then into China. I was a bit sad to give up on this, but I was also excited with the alternative plan I made - to return to Hanoi and fly to Lijiang in China and enjoy the mountains there.
I was hoping to at least ride back to Hanoi and had mapped out a nice looking route along the reservoir to Hoa Binh, and then following quietish lanes back into Hanoi. However, when I woke in the morning, the air quality was really bad again, so I opted to take the bus instead.
The Yen Binh bus to Hanoi
Only one bus company that I contacted confirmed that they could take bikes - Din Thai - which operated older and more basic buses. It arrived slightly late to the bus stop outside Mai Chau Lodge Hotel and was already nearly full. The conductor put the bike on the roof, tying it with ropes, and from there it was a seemless three hour journey to the Yen Nhgia bus station on the edge of Hanoi.
The bus ride made me feel even more comfortable in my decision not to ride, as the roads around Hoa Binh and Hanoi were incredibly polluted - it was barely able to see more than two or three kilometres into the distance even from the mountain pass.
I had a 20km ride from the bus station to my hotel in the West Lake area of Hanoi. Like leaving Hanoi, the roads were busy, but it was quick and felt pretty safe riding amongst the motorbikes.
The last three days in Hanoi were spent exploring more of the city, eating delicious food and sourcing a bike box (there are loads of shops in the West Lake area that can provide them). On the fourth day I caught a flight to
Lijiang in China hoping to do some riding in more ideal conditions!
