HCM City – Mui Ne – 4 Day Loop

Route Summary:

Duration: 4 days - 770 kms

If you want shorter ride days this one is a good choice. Day two the biggest distance wise but open country roads so you make good time. Opting for the inland option Muine – Vung Tau adds 125km but so worth it if you’re up for it

Click for Route details:

Day 1: HCM City - Cat Tien - 165 kms

HCM City - Cat Tien via River

Distance - 165 Kms

Over a decade based in Saigon there mustn’t be a route out to the North I haven’t tried. This is one of two favourites and between the two makes the Cat Tien National Park a great weekend escape.

The Park covers an area of 750 km² in the provinces of Dong Nai, Bình Phuoc and Lam Dong and preserves one of the largest areas of lowland tropical forests left in Vietnam. Easy to spend some time there if natural beauty in peace and quiet appeals as a nice change of pace.

(A) Is a nice tourist development nicely located for an interesting rest stop with coffee and food available.

(B) A coffee shop more a a way point to keep you off the main arterial. Keep at and enjoy the next stop.

(C, D and E) are view points to the Tri An Lake. (C) the better of the lunch options in the area.

(F) Just a short, unavoidable stretch on the main road crossing the Dong Nai river. The fisherman live in these shanty dwellings and store their catch live in nets ready for their time at the market.

Some great concrete back roads through the farmland. Just the odd local tending to their rice paddies otherwise you have the place to yourself.

(G) is this great photo stop just shy of the night destination. This shot is many years ago. Looks a bit different these days.

(H) One of many accommodation options. I use this one mostly for its proximity to the National Park if having a day off to explore. The cabins on the river bank are basic but comfortable and affordable. The restaurant food, mostly Vietnamese is also good and reasonably priced.

The park is a great day out with your partner or children. Lots to see and do. The accommodation has bicycles to hire as motorcycles are not allowed to be taken across the river ferry into the park.

Log in below to view full route maps, accommodation and food information.
These are supplied to all our touring bike customers.
(Excluded from the above itinerary)

Premium Rentals

Day 2: Cat Tien - Mui Ne - 260 kms

Cat Tien - Mui Ne

Distance: 260 kms

You’ve done the beauty of the National Park. Are you ready for some beach time? Whilst MuiNe is one of the least attractive beach towns in the South this ride to it and the restaurants listed in the food options are exceptional. Opt for a hotel on the beach side of the road if you want beach time, access to it otherwise is limited.

(A) The bridge to this way point gets you immediately out of town and into farmland.

(B) A good photo stop overlooking Da Teh Lake

(C) Dambri Falls is quite an established attraction and at times quite crowded. The 200k entry is probably worth it only if you have the time to spend on the activities there.

(D) A good lunch stop I have been using for over a decade. The Chicken Shop, not it’s real name but what its known as in the riding community.

(E) Is a detour 10km each way to a dam wall and really worth doing if you have the time. Some great photo stops around a very picturesque lake system.

(F) The second lake is worth the short detour but the road into the dam wall is sometimes closed of late.

(G) Is a way point to take you away from traffic and police getting into town.

(H) & (I) Two of many accommodation options in town.

Mui Ne is a fishing village with a population of around 25,000 people. With plenty of beachside hotels and resorts it is a popular holiday destination with locals and Kite Surfers particularly.

Log in below to view full route maps, accommodation and food information.
These are supplied to all our touring bike customers.
(Excluded from the above itinerary)

Premium Rentals

Day 3: Mui Ne - Vung Tau - 195 kms

Mui Ne - Vung Tau via Coast

Distance: 195 kms

As is my habit, a morning swim in any beach town is a great start to the day. Mui Ne though is not the beach paradise of the last few days if you’ve been coming down the coast.

Some areas are decent but unless staying at the adjoining beachside resort most are inaccessible to the public. In most of the town there simply is no beach at all.

All accommodation options have a good pool to fix this problem and we have a great time here regardless. A big breakfast and we get out of town on the coast.

This is a simple and relaxing relatively short day to Vietnam’s Southernmost beach town on the mainland.

(A) Is a viewpoint to keep you off the A1.

(B) At 64 metres high and built by the French in 1899 the oldest and highest lighthouse in Vietnam. A great first stop to have a walk and check out the area.

(C) One of two recommended lunch stops. Good VIetnamese menu right on the beach so a swim opportunity also.

(D) If a seafood lunch appeals this is the best of many great restaurants in the area.

(E & F) Takes you through a fishing village.

(G & H) Píns to keep you on the coast to our preferred accommodation options.

(I) Twisted Throttle Tavern for a few cold beers and great pub food.

Vung Tau, the city I choose to base myself, has over 500,000 residents but doesn’t feel that big. A clean city with a good year around climate and a lot to offer visitors. To date not particularly well marketed but I feel that will change with the development of the beach areas in progress and planned for the near future.

Log in below to view full route maps, accommodation and food information.
These are supplied to all our touring bike customers.
(Excluded from the above itinerary)

Premium Rentals

Day 4: Vung Tau - Cat Lai Ferry - 150 kms

Vung Tau - Cat Lai Ferry via Lakes

Distance: 150 Kms

One of many inaccuracies I hear from foreigners here is that the ride to and from Saigon and Vung Tau is terrible. On the arterials yes, but this diverse farmland ride through rubber, corn, banana, pepper, sweet potato and cassava is relaxed and interesting.

If you’re on a loop I likely had you on the river tracks down as it gets you out of the city traffic the quickest but this lakes run is my favourite. Be aware in wet season the trails through the rubber plantations are very slippery.

Plenty of great deviations off this map too so if you have time, follow it loosely and enjoy some exploring. Many of the trails aren’t on maps but it doesn’t matter you’ll pick it up again later.

(A) is a popular photo stop. Usually a lady set up there for a morning coffee too.

(B) takes you on the beach road through a fishing village and marks where you turn inland to the rubber plantations

(C) is a memorial cross in memory of the 18 Australian and 245 Vietnamese soldiers killed In the August 1966 Battle of Long Tan.

(D) and (E) gets you to the next lake though casava and pepper crops.

(F) A chocolate factory is your lunch stop on another lovely lake. Orders take a while but the food is good and the portion sizes very generous.

(G) takes you past two more lakes and is the point we turn left on some trails. Nothing technical but easy to map around it if necessary.

(H) is a random coffee shop marked only to take you around a favourite police haunt for their coffee indulgence.

(I) on the ferry and if returning to our D2 shop just 13km dealing with most riders daily reality here.

Log in below to view full route maps, accommodation and food information.
These are supplied to all our touring bike customers.
(Excluded from the above itinerary)

Premium Rentals

Log in below to view full route maps, accommodation and food information.
These are supplied to all our touring bike customers and excluded from the above itinerary.