The week in Hanoi is coming to an end, see part II: One week in Hanoi and Sapa 2025. This is Part III:
11-02 The long journey to Lũng Cú 496.8 km
In the morning I can finally meet with Markus at a Cafe. We’re both in Vietnam since 2016, but never actually met. With the exeption of a coincidence in Quy Nhon in August 2025. Hanoi and Saigon are far away and we have limited time to visit each others cities.
Minh’s family is still in Hanoi, but leaving for Nha Trang from the airport at 2:00 PM. With a better helmet I pick her up at her sisters house, and we start the journey to Hà Giang. With leaving 2:00 pm from the airport we might be in Lũng Cú at 11:00 pm, if there are no stops, good streets etc. Well, it will take significantly longer, but we’ll make it safe.
One hour in hour journey and out of Hà Nội the rain finally stops. It get’s dark at 5:30, and we continue until 9:00 PM. Some 150 kilometers are still to go to and continue to
Should we stop for a little Pho or Com? No, we continue into the mountains. Refill the gasoline one last time, since the stations will close at 10:00 PM and we still have a long way to go.
Since it is dark, foggy, unknown meandering mountain roads up to 1400 meters and no one else on the road it takes a little longer, but we arrive save at 3:00 AM in Lũng Cú. Nhung is awake and makes us a Ginger tea to welcome us. I get a new name: Thiên Sứ, since we did not eat or drink anything for 12 hours!
11-03 Monday, Phố Cổ, Đồng Văn 39.1 km
Trip to the flag pole. 54 square meteres (6x9 meters) represents the 54 local minorities and etnicities in Vietnam.
The afternoon we travel to the historic market in Đồng Văn. It has some great photo spots again.
11-04 Cốc Pảng and Du Gia Panorama Ecolodge 114.9 km
On the way to Cốc Pảng Minh and I hike to a little overhanging rock next to the road for nice pictures, that other tourists took as well. See Meo Vac.
The afternoon is for pictures in the gorge of Cốc Pảng. Ngoc and Cuong get some impressive wedding pictures taken.
The story of their photographer is not less impressive. One includes a bicycle journey to China for a week and the return with a black inflatable boat over the river. Of course picked up at the factory in China itself, giving a tour of the facilities. Connected prior to this journey with Aliexpress.
11-05 Leaving the mountains, Hà Giang to Vinh 614.8 km
Sunrice pictures of the valley in front of the Du Gia Panorama Ecolodge, and having good and bad roads to breakfast Banh Cuon, where I have to leave for the road. The others will catch a plane later the day.
11-06 Approaching Typhoon Kalmaegi, stopping in Quảng Ngãi 636.1 km
The warning of the Tyhoon pops up in Google Maps, and from Hue on it starts to rain, never to stop. Some streets in Danang are already flooded. At about 8:00 PM the gas stations are closed near Quảng Ngãi. All shops are closed, the streets are empty and deserted. Many hotels are closed as well, storefronts are packed for storm and rain. I have to stop a little earlier, but its probably better and safer.
11-07 Journey through storm damage territory, back to Saigon 822.4 km
At 6:00 AM the streets are busy again, the sun is slowly rising and with no rain will dry my soaked clothes in just 30 minutes on the road.
Yet some streets have fallen trees from left to right. For hours it is a journey through storm damage territory. Roofs are missing, advertisement boards are toppled over, power lines and telephone lines. Some streets have all planted trees lying on the street. Near Quy Nhon it is damage whereever one looks. They are out of water for a day, and electricity in parts of the city will need another 3 days.
At almost midnight I arrive back in district 7. It’s been 5275.5 kilometers!
11-08 Circuit assembly on Saturday
I made it back in time, so I can attend the English circuit assembly on the weekend. Yay!
In a Google sheet I noted the distance traveled with my bike each day since leaving Saigon on October 24. The first day was already a record day with over 600 kilometer on the motorbike on a single day! And November 7th is probably at the limit of what’s possible with over 800 kilometers. I started shortly after sunrise and arrived shortly before midnight. For trips in a group even half of that is an achievement!
| date | night at | kilometers | day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-24 | Mang Den | 624.1 | 1 |
| 10-25 | Huế | 420.4 | 2 |
| 10-26 | Hanoi | 650.4 | 3 |
| 10-27 | Hanoi | 30.1 | 4 |
| 10-28 | Sapa | 369.9 | 5 |
| 10-29 | Fansipan | 21.1 | 6 |
| 10-30 | Hanoi | 385.4 | 7 |
| 10-31 | Wedding | 0.0 | 8 |
| 11-01 | Hanoi | 49.7 | 9 |
| 11-02 | Lung Cu | 496.8 | 10 |
| 11-03 | Phố Cổ, Đồng Văn | 39.1 | 11 |
| 11-04 | Cốc Pảng Du Gia Panorama Ecolodge | 114.9 | 12 |
| 11-05 | Vinh | 614.8 | 13 |
| 11-06 | Quảng Ngãi | 636.1 | 14 |
| 11-07 | Ho Chi Minh | 822.4 | 15 |
This was the first table integrated in my notes like that. Maybe I can find more for other journeys? Just for documentation, and later reference. The total journey was 5275.5 kilometers! That’s on average much more than the 189 kilometers per day from Two weeks road trip Saigon-Hue 2025 from earlier in 2025. In fact, This time the whole trip is 5275.5/15 = 351.7 kilometers per day (1.86x).
References
- Motorbike in Vietnam
- Part I: 2025-10-24 to 10-27: Three day journey to Hanoi 2025, 1695 km
- Part II: 2025-10-28 to 11-01: One week in Hanoi and Sapa 2025, 1507 km
- Part III: 2025-11-02 to 11-07: This page, Ha Giang loop a second time in 2025, 2073 km