Cuc Phuong National Park is the first of its kind in Vietnam. It is filled with great things to do and see, such as: Primate Rescue Centre, 5km trek, Cave of Prehistoric Man. It is a lesser known and visited wonder of Vietnam.
If you are fortunate enough to be there in Spring you may even see the annual butterfly hatching, which is a breathtaking sight.
Hanoi to Cuc Phuong National Park is about 140km direct. It can be driven by motorbike in around 3.5-4hrs going on the highway (QL) route. The route turns wuite scenic, quite wuickly and there are one or two, but the real highlights are in the park itself.
Our route steers clear of AH13 / QL6 and QL21b because they are heavily trafficked and stressful to drive on.
This route totals around 140km and will take around 4 hrs. You can choose to do this direct if you are in a rush, or take a detour, which we show you below.
Morning: Hanoi to Lac Thuy / 75km 2.5 – 3 hrs
Afternoon: Lac Thuy – Cuc Phuong / 55km 1.5 – 2 hrs
The Hanoi to Cuc Phuong route is a very easy ride along the QL highway. This will get you used to the traffic flow in Vietnam and get you to the park quickly. Once you are more used to the traffic, you might like to take the detour below and wind through the smaller towns along the way.
This route is 50km long and slightly shorter than the direct route, but it will take longer because the road is smaller and you will be going through little towns. It is a little slower and there is more local life to see on the road.
In Cuc Phuong, we like to stay in the park headquarters or in Ho Mac.
There are plenty of other hotels, resorts and homestays in the area, but they are a little way away from the park and the highlights.
From Cuc Phuong, you could be heading back to Hanoi directly or over to Ninh Binh and then Hanoi.
If you are heading further Northwest, you will be going to the Mai Chau, Moc Chau area.
If you are going further South, then you will then go down to Thai Hoa, Tan Ky or even Thanh Chuong.
We would advise you to choose between a manual or a semi automatic bike. These are the best bikes for a long trip like this and also for when you get into the mountains of northern Vietnam. You have more control and they are less prone to overheating or break down. You will also find that they handle the long trips on the highway better than the automatic bikes.
The XR150 is a great budget option that will perform well on the road and on the small tracks, if you choose to find them. The bike is lightweight, even if a little underpowered. There is plenty of room to fit a 40l bag on the rear, which should hold more than enough for a trip. The 12l tank and great fuel economy mean that this bike has a huge range of over 300km on a tank.
If you plan to ride two up, it might be a bit of a squeeze and you will have to pack very lightly or risk overloading the bike and making it quite rear weighted.
The CB500x is a great bike for the highway. It is big enough and powerful enough to overtake trucks on the highway and carry two people with ease. Using a rear box and side panniers will give you plenty of room for gear. The 17l tank means you will have enough range for a day’s ride with ease.
The only concern would be taking some of the smaller tracks off road as our bikes have road tyres and the bike itself is quite big and heavy. However, there are plenty of small, interesting tracks that have concrete and are wide enough for the CB500x.
The Semi Automatic bikes are a much more budget option. We can offer the Honda Wave, Honda Blade or the Honda Future and they are all quite similar. it is really best to ride single on this kind of bike as this will leave room for a backpack and also not overload the bike in the hills. They are very fuel efficient but only have a 4l fuel tank so will need filling more regularly than the manual options.
The direct route can be a little dull, but it does give you the chance to get used to the bike and the traffic in Vietnam. We choose the CT03 route over the QL6 or QL21b because it is a little less crowded and simpler to drive.
Once you are feeling a little more at ease you might take the route through Chi Ne on the smaller road and soak up a little more of the atmosphere.
Tax Code: 0105306316
International Tour Operator License: 01-2010/2022/TCDL-GP LHQT
15a Ng. 12 Đ. Đặng Thai Mai, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
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Engine Type
air-liquid cooled, twin cylinder, DOHC, boxer engine
Displacement
1255 cc
Bore X Stroke
102.5 mm x 76 mm
Ignition
FI
Fuel System
fuel injection
Compression Ratio
12.5:1
Starter
electric
Gearbox
6-speed
Front Suspension
BMW Motorrad Telelever; stanchion diameter 37 mm
Rear Suspension
single-sided swing arm with BMW Motorrad Paralever
Front Brakes
dual disc brake, floating brake discs, diameter 305 mm, 4-piston radial calipers
Rear Brakes
single disc brake, diameter 276 mm, double-piston floating caliper
Front Tyres
120/70 R19
Rear Tyres
170/60 R17
Wheelbase
1514 mm
Seat Height
850 mm
Ground Clearance
790 mm
Kerb Weight
249 kg
Fuel Capacity
20 litres
Dimensions
2207 mm (L) x 952.5mm (W) x 1430 mm (H)
Engine Type
air cooled, OHC, single cylinder
Displacement
149 cc
Bore X Stroke
57.3 mm x 57.8 mm
Ignition
CDI
Fuel System
20 mm piston valve carburettor
Compression Ratio
9.5:1
Starter
electric with kick starter backup
Gearbox
5-speed
Front Suspension
telescopic fork, 180 mm axle travel
Rear Suspension
single shock swing arm, 150 mm axle travel
Front Brakes
dual piston caliper, 240 mm disc
Rear Brakes
mechanical drum
Front Tyres
90/90 19
Rear Tyres
110/90 17
Wheelbase
1362 mm
Seat Height
825 mm
Ground Clearance
243 mm
Kerb Weight
129 kg
Fuel Capacity
12 litres
Dimensions
2091 mm (L) x 811 mm (W) x 1125 mm (H)
Engine Type
liquid cooled parallel-twin four stroke
Displacement
470 cc
Bore X Stroke
67 mm x 66.8 mm
Ignition
PGMI – FI
Fuel System
fuel injection
Compression Ratio
10.7:1
Starter
electric
Gearbox
6-speed
Front Suspension
41 mm SFF-BP USD Forks
Rear Suspension
Prolink Mono with 5 stage pre load adjuster
Front Brakes
dual 296 mm discs with 4 piston calipers; ABS
Rear Brakes
240 mm disc; ABS
Front Tyres
110/80R19M/C (59H)
Rear Tyres
160/60R17M/C
Wheelbase
1445 mm
Seat Height
830 mm
Ground Clearance
180 mm
Kerb Weight
199 kg
Fuel Capacity
17.7 litres
Dimensions
2,155 mm (L) x 830 mm (W) x 1,410 mm (H)
Engine Type
single cylinder, DOHC, liquid cooled
Displacement
286 cc
Bore X Stroke
76 mm x 63 mm
Ignition
Full Transistor Digital
Fuel System
PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Compression Ratio
10.7:1
Starter
electric
Gearbox
5-speed
Front Suspension
43 mm telescopic upside down
Rear Suspension
Prolink Mono with 5 stage pre load adjuster
Front Brakes
Rear Brakes
220 mm disc, single piston caliper
Front Tyres
80/100 21
Rear Tyres
120/80 18
Wheelbase
1455 mm
Seat Height
880 mm
Ground Clearance
285 mm
Kerb Weight
142 kg
Fuel Capacity
7.8 litres
Dimensions
2230 mm (L) x 820 mm (W) x 1200 mm (H)