Breakfast in Thai village house before setting off along a spectacularly beautiful river valley towards Hoi Xuan along an undulating tarmac road. The road follows the flow of River Song Ma. This is an old supply route of the HCM Trail that fed the main trail with ammunitions during the American War with Vietnam.. just passing scenes of local village life and rice paddies. ( If time permit we will visit spirit fish stream in Cam Thuy – Thanh hoa province ) .Dinner at the hotel .

An early morning start to beat the heat of the day. The route takes us away from the river and appears to contour through the same range of mountains that stretch from Cam Thuy to Thai Hoa on Ho Chi Minh trails . The road gets more beautiful the closer you ride to Ngoc Lac with looming karst limestone cliffs and lush vegetation. The route is tarmac all the way, but quite hard riding due to the undulating terrain. We ride for the first time on the newly built two lane Ho Chi Minh Highway. It hardly warrants two lanes as there is no traffic! The road makes for smooth fast riding, and for those who prefer there is always the old highway dirt and gravel – that weaves around the new highway allowing for plenty of exploring possibilities along the way. Ride to Muc Son, on the banks of River Song Chu. On the outskirts of this small town are the famous Kan Linh historical relics – a pagoda where the first king of the Ly dynasty, Le Thai To, ruled, in 1428. Continue riding on the trail to Yen Cat. The distance covered today is quite long and there will be the chance to transfer some sections by the back-up vehicle to rest weary legs.There are fewer villages today as the route cuts through forests and jungle. Picnic lunch en route. Overnight Thai Hoa guesthouse. 80+ km.

Continue riding the incredible Ho Chi Minh Trail. Have lunch in Lat town. In Kim Lean visit the famous museum and birthplace of Ho Chi Minh in 1890. This province has a reputation for producing charismatic revolutionary leaders; not only Ho Chi Minh but also Phan Boi Chau – another fervent anti colonialist -was born here. Overnight in Nghe An Town. 100 km.

From Nghe An to Huong Khe the mountains rise and the road winds up, down and along the hillsides. The scenery is spectacular, the road tranquil. Ride up to 80km then transfer the last few km to Phong Nha National Park. The park contains one of the most spectacular caves in Vietnam, It is a true speleological wonder. Visit the cave by boat then wander through the cavern, past the foundations of ancient Cham ruins. Pause to admire the incredible formation of stalactites and stalagmites. Formed approximately 250 million years ago Phong Nha was used as a hospital and ammunition depot during the war, the entrance still showing evidence of fighter aircraft attacks. There are community projects underway with Flora and Fauna International and it may be possible to visit village initiatives and learn more about the forests of the National Park. Overnight at the National Park. 70 km.