
If you want to get out of town for a day or two, then Uncle Ty’s Farmstay is the perfect place for you. Having been there 3 times, I think I can safely say it’s one of my favorite getaways from Hanoi and it isn’t as far as the now overcrowded Mai Chau.
You can rent a bike from us to take the trip! It is only 80km from Hanoi or about 1 ½ hrs motorbike, so it is easy to get to and you also pass through some of Ba Vi district’s most beautiful places. Bloom Microventures set up the Uncle Ty’s Farmstay project and we at Rentabike are really happy to support them because it is a good project and because it’s a great place.
For a complex map of routes, interesting locations, and notes, see this map. For only route information, look at the map below. There are several routes to get there and this means you can choose to spend more or less time on the road, make a loop, or take a detour to some interesting locations on the way.
Take a look at the map below to see what is possible before planning your route. For those who want to chill and get out of the smog of Hanoi, I would suggest a simple out and back. This also gives enough time to stop on the way to practice Vietnamese with locals.
For more detail concerning just the route take a look at the map above and choose which layer you think will suit you. Remember your average speed is likely to be slow, some 40km an hour, once you allow for drink stops and maybe photos. A brief outline of some possibilities is given below.
This is the most direct and quickest way to get to Uncle Ty’s farm stay. If you want to just get there and chill then, this is the route for you. We’ve started from Big C as it is basically the beginning of the Hoa Lac Highway (CT08). How you choose to get there from your location in town depends….
So, it really is quite simple, follow the Hoa Lac Highway (stay on the side road, which is for motorbikes). You can keep going straight and then turn left onto the new Hoa Lac – Hoa Binh Highway or take the short detour south on Highway 21a before turning onto the DT 446 (good idea), or head a little further towards Ba Vi before turning and ending up on that same road.
If you prefer to take a loop so that you don’t drive on the same roads too much(some is inevitable) then look at these options.
The longest route to get out to Uncle Ty’s Farmstay. This route takes you along the Red River and through the town of Son Tay, where you can stop for lunch and maybe look at the old citadel. After that, you can choose to skirt Ba Vi National Park [click to see our blog on that] and take a small road along the Ma River down to the Farmstay. Two shorter routes would be to take either the QL21a or the DT87 South and then get on the Hoa Lac Hoa Binh Highway for the last part of the trip.
It is possible to take the DT 445 South to Ky Son and the junction with Highway 6 and then just follow the 6 back into Hanoi. You will meet quite a lot of traffic after Xuan Mai and then end up on some of the busiest roads that Hanoi has to offer (Tay Son, Ton Duc Thang….) This is a shorter route but the stress of the drive might not be worth it.
This is the longest route to get back from the farm stay. However, it is on good road so not necessarily much slower and you get to hang out at the dam. In all my years here I have only once seen the gates open. It is a great sight but it does not happen often.
To avoid driving on highway 6 to and from the dam you should hunt down the ferry crossing and take the road on the opposite bank of the river. This road is quieter and more pleasant to drive on, so it is worthwhile doing so. Then it simply follows the road, with the river on your left, down to the dam.
When at the dam, you can take a tour of the power station, visit the museum, take refreshments, buy some souvenirs, drive THROUGH the dam and then also visit the huge Uncle Ho statue on the hillside. On the side with the power plant, there are several shops selling gifts and ice creams but on the other side, there are many roadside vendors who will welcome your VND.
From then on, it is back on Highway 6 directly to Hanoi unless you choose to take DT 446, the H21 back to Hoa Lac or the cut-through to Quoc Oai (TL 412b) and then on to Hanoi. My personal favorite is to take the Quoc Oai route.
For all of the above routes, it is a good idea to mix and match and choose the route that suits you, your companions, driving styles and the weather conditions. This makes the whole thing so much more of an independent thing.
When you are at Uncle Ty’s Farmstay, you can choose to while away the day under the stilt house relaxing in a hammock. However, if you have more energy or need to entertain kids, there are a whole bunch of things to do. You can swim or go boating in the dam lake, take a trek through the countryside or around the village, catch a fish or duck, or even set the kids to some handicraft like egg painting or basket weaving. There really is something for everyone and the rooms and toilet facilities are uber clean and the food is absolutely fantastic. It’s totally worth a visit.
Uncle Ty’s is a community project and is based on a micro-finance model combined with a community development model. So, the family that hosts you benefit from loans and skills training and the community benefit from part of the profit being used for village projects to upgrade infrastructure and schooling amongst other areas. This is seven more reasons to visit and put your cash directly into the hands of the locals.
I prefer to drive the bike out but if you don’t wish to do so, or you have group members that wish to take a car, Uncle Ty’s Farmstay themselves offer a weekend package and you can find more details on their Facebook page.
86B Đ. Trần Phú, Phường 4, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam (appointment only)
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
© 2025 Rentabike Vietnam. This site is subject to copyright. No unauthorised reproduction is permitted.
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)