How to ride the Hai Van Pass #vietnamtravel #haivan #motorcycling #ocean

The Hai Van pass my number one pass in Vietnam. I never get bored of it. My name is Mihai, I'm a foreigner living in Vietnam and I love  motorcycling. In this video I'll tell you everything you need to know about it. How to  get on the pass, where to stop and what to do, what to be careful about when to go and all  that. If you like it, please subscribe. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to  answer. I know everything about the Hai Van pass. Let's go! The Hai Van pass, in Vietnamese, Đèo Hả

i Vân, which  means "Ocean and Clouds" pass is an approximately 20 km long mountain pass on National Highway 1A, in  Vietnam. It traverses a spur of the larger Annamite range that juts into the East Sea or Biển Đông,  on the border of Da Nang City to the south and to Thua Thien Hue Province to the north. Its name refers  to the mists that rise from the sea, reducing visibility. It cuts across the Bạch Mã mountain range, part of the great Trường Sơn range, running close to the sea. The twisting

road on the pass has long been  a challenge for drivers traveling between the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Since the completion of  Hai Van Tunnel, traffic flow and safety have improved. However, as I am always concerned about safety, do  not take this for granted and stay on the right side in tight curves, as you may go face to face  with another vehicle cutting the corner wrong, coming from the opposite direction. It's happened  to me on multiple occasions but luckily the speed was not too high

, so I'm still here to tell the  the story. The Hai Van pass crosses over a spur of the Trường Sơn or Annamite range that emerges from  the west and juts into the East sea of Vietnam. Forming the Hai Van peninsula. The pass is a boundary  between the climates of northern and southern Vietnam. sheltering the city of Da Nang from the  so-called Chinese winds that blow in from the northeast, North of the pass you have four  seasons whereas south of the pass you have two. During the colder months No

vember to  March for instance, weather on the north side of the past might be wet and cold  while the south side might be warm and dry. The pass is crossed by three main transport  routes: Vietnam's main north-south highway, National Highway 1A, the north-south Railway and the  Hai Van pass. The newer branch of Highway 1A uses the Hai Van tunnel, the longest tunnel in  Southeast Asia, while the railway hugs the coastline, passing through a series of tunnels  along the way. Since motorcycles are

forbidden to enter the tunne,l you're left with one  option: the older branch of Highway 1A or "in other wooords... the Haaai Van paaaass..." as Frank Sinatra  used to sing. Now, in this video I'll cover all three ways to go, but let's get straight into the  real experience: the motorcycle route. I'd like to say that although I have done the Hai Van pass  more than a dozen times, I will probably never get bored of it. I think you'll hear me saying  this again during this video. I can't say it en

ough. On Google Maps you'll see the Old  National Highway 1A or Quốc lộ 1A or QL1A, for short, as it will appear on the map,  crossing over the mountain more or less directly, climbing to an elevation of about  500 m, and passing south of the Hai Van Peak. All you have to do is follow National  Highway 1A coming from either side north or south. If you are coming from the north make sure you don't enter the lane for the  tunnel where motorcycles are not allowed. If you do so you'll be stopped  an

d sent back, you could even get a fine. If you're coming from the south, so from Da Nang City,  following National Highway 1A will probably be easier. That's exactly what I'm doing in this video, but as as you will see  later, I actually recommend starting from the north. You'll see why in a little bit. I personally take about two or three  hours one way, only because of its beauty, which makes me stop 3 or 4 times  for pictures and another 2 or 3 times for coffee. In Top Gear series 12 - Vietna

m Special, Jeremy Clarkson called this route one of the best coast roads in  the world. Well, I can't disagree. The Hai Van pass is basically 20 km of mild  to tight curves which are pure pleasure for a motorcyclist. There are 5 very tight curves  of which 1 curve is right at the top and 2 other curves of more than 360°, believe it or  not, at about the same distance from the top, on either side of the pass. There are about a  dozen cafes along the path and each of them offers a different view o

f the mountain range and the ocean. Maybe now you understand why I stop for coffee so often. At the top of the pass there are another 10 cafes, eateries andsouvenirs shops. I personally prefer to stop at some of  the cafes along the path, not at the top, since the views are better, it's much more peaceful  and less crowded. These cafes are located on the southern side of the pass, so between the  top of the pass and Da Nang, to the south. The other side of the pass, so between the top of the  pa

ss and Hue, lacks service such as food and drink. I should say again that this video was recorded  coming from Da Nang towards Hue and this is not the best way to do the Hai Van pass, if you want to see  the stunning views while riding. This is because from Da Nang to the top you're going uphill, so you'll have the mountains on the left side, but you'll see less of the ocean, which is on the  right side of the road. Then, after the top, going downhill, theoretically you could easily see both  th

e mountains on the left and the ocean on the right, but because of the trees you'll only get  some good ocean views. If you go from Hue towards Da Nang, however, it's the exact opposite: the first  half you'll see mountains and perhaps some of the ocean, but then after you reach the top, you'll  be going downhill and have the mountains on your right and you'll see plenty of amazing ocean  views on your left and in front and on clear days you could even see the actual city of Da Nang  and Cham is

lands in the distance. If you want to watch me and my friends on the pass going from  Hue to Da Nang, let's say, doing the Hai Van pass "the right way" please go to Da Nang playlist, where  I have uploaded several YouTube shorts riding on the pass towards Da Nang, on a sunny day. Whichever way you go there is one thing to know on the southern half of the pass, so between  Da Nang and the top: the quality of the road is much better and the road is a little wider than the  northern half of the pas

s, between the top and Hue City. This is another reason why I would personally  start from the north, coming from Hue. We all like to leave what's best for the end, don't we? And  remember, the cafes are also situated on this southern half of the pass, so I think we all like  to ride a little and then make a stop for a coffee, right? And then you'll get to the  top. Hai Van is also called May pass, because the top of the pass is often  covered with clouds. "Mây" means "cloud" in Vietnamese. When

you get there you also see some  ruines which give the Hai Van pass another name: Ai Van pass, because of this very gate at the top  of the pass. Let's do a bit of history, shall we: in the early 19th century the Nguyen Dynasty chose  Hue city as its capital, and Hai Van Quan, where the ruins are, became the gateway to this Capital. Under King Minh Mang's reign, the road through the pass was built and paved, especially a cluster  of buildings was built at the top of the past, to form a solid mi

litary fortress called Hai Van Quan. The side looking towards Thua Thien Hue Province or north has three words hian whereas the side looking  down on Quang Nam Province or south has the words "the most majestic gate in the world".  Legend has it that King Le Thanh Tong stopped his troops here in the Year of the Dragon. During  the Nguyen Dynasty Hai Van pass was still the border between Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam province, south of  and next to Danang. To the north of the foot of the mountain,

adjacent to the sea there  is Bat Cave. Legend has it that in the past there was a tsunami and boats passing through  capsized and sank, so the proverb has the saying: "On the road fear the Hai Van, on the water fear  the tsunami of Bat Cave. Today, at the top of Hai Van pass, there are still ruins of the gate. In  1876, before the French colonization, geographer Jules-Léon Dutreuil de Rhins, traveling by road from Da Nang  to Hue, noted that there were 50 guards at the gate. Now, an idea for a

unique experience: the  actual peak of the Hai Van pass is about 2 km riding up from Hai Van Quan, or those ruins. You  can check this related video to see the whole recording. How to get there? Well, looking  at the gate you'll see a concrete road to its right. The barrier might be down, but if  it's up, maybe you want to try a memorable experience. You'll get to see Lang Co beach and  you'll basically see the coastline very far away if the weather does you right. However, you  need to be very

careful, especially downhill, when you get back. If the road is even a little wet,  such as in the morning or late afternoon, or simply on a rainy day, there is a big chance  you won't be able to stop the bike. Staying in your 1st or 2nd gear would help but will  not guarantee you won't slide. If your bike is heavy, even going up might be risky cause if you  have to suddenly stop it may be very difficult not to slide back down. My friends and I have  been there and one of them was on a 200-kg R

oyal Enfield and he said it was a little risky. If you don't feel comfortable or don't have enough experience, better don't do it at all. You can  also walk up there or even skip it all together. In the past people could go through Hai Van by three paths: the upper path, the middle path  and the lower path. The lower path is the sea route while the upper path and  middle path are the paths through the mountains. After occupying Central Vietnam,  the Commander in Chief of the French army, General

De Courcy ordered the Urgent opening  of a strategic road through the Hai Van pass to connect Hue with Da Nang, and at the same,  time be able to quickly mobilize troops when needed. The French forced the people of  the two provinces to build a road in 1886. This road section is 20-km long  and has undergone more than a century of repair, expansion and upgrading, but  the road still follows its original path. Decades ago, during the war, because of the risk of  traffic accidents on the narrow r

oad travel on the pass was managed by placing three checkpoints:  1 at Lang Co, 1 at the top of the pass and 1 at Lien Chieu, in order to restrict vehicles from  traveling in groups going up or down the pass together, to reduce accidents where vehicles  colide on the wrong side of the road. Vehicles from Lang Co or Lien Chieu had to wait to form a group and  then start climbing the pass at the same time. At the top of the pass, the convoy stopped at  the checkpoint and then went down the pass at

the same time until they passed the checkpoint at  the foot of the pass Hai Van pass has been of major strategic importance in the history of Vietnam  and for a long time represented a major barrier to any land army that attempted to move between  the northern and central regions of the country. There is much more information coming soon in this  video, but as a reminder, if you like this video and my channel, please subscribe, as this would help  me build it better. Also, this is definitely no

t my last video on the topic of the Hai Van pass. There  are others to come. Thank you! Now let's continue: in 2000 a groundbreaking ceremony was held to  open the construction of a road tunnel through the Hai Van pass, 6,274 m long, shortening the  pass to a third and more importantly, improving safety, since vehicles did not have to cross the  pass anymore. Because of the tunnel, they now can avoid the winding steep sections full of risks  and uncertainties which the pass offers. This is the l

argest and most modern tunnel in Southeast  Asia. In 2005 the road tunnel through the Hai Van pass was finally put into use, further facilitating  travel. However the hien pass is still a fence which partially prevents the climate between the  two regions. The route is still considered the main road for some vehicles such as, like I said,  motorcycles, but also rudimentary vehicles and some chemical cargo vehicles, because these vehicles  are not allowed to go through the road tunnel. Although t

oday there is this road tunnel through  the pass and the terrain of the pass is still somewhat dangerous, many tourists still like to go  on this road, to enjoy the curves and the views. On clear days you can see quite clearly a part  of Da Nang City, Tien Sa Port, Son Tra Peninsula and Cham Islands and long golden sand beaches  embracing the vast blue water surface of the see. I went through the tunnel once by bus  and I also went on the pass by car once but the greatest way to enjoy it will al

ways be  on two wheels. Hai Van mountain, or Hải Vân Sơn in Vietnamese, is the name of the last mountain  of a mountain range that runs horizontally into the sea, the largest of the majestic  Truong Son range, whose highest peak is 1,450 m. Seemingly reaching to the blue  sky, the mountain peak is mixed in the clouds, while the foot of the  mountain is submerged in immense seawater. In the 18th century, talking  about the majesty of Hai Van mountain, Ngo Thi Chi wrote: "This mountain overwhelms

the  Ngan River, so it swallows the coast, the rolling rocks are difficult to hold, the  trees are lush and shady, the waves are crashing." Rolling like thunder, the stream flowed  like water pouring down from halfway up the sky. Only people who cross the pass on foot,  following the Thien Ly Road at that time could have such a feeling, but traveling by car, train or motorcycle  today will give you a completely different feeling. And now let's talk a little  bit about the railway: in the early 2

0th century the railway through the pass  at an altitude of 100 m above sea level was built. 21 km long running along the mountain  side through seven tunnels. The seven tunnels have a total length of 3,290 m of which  the longest one is more than 500 m long. No matter how big of a fan of motorcycles  I am, I strongly recommend the train ride over the Hai Van pass because of the different  landscapes and views of the ocean which it offers. The main advantage is that the railway  goes much, much

closer to the coastline. At some points, if you look out the window and  down you'll see the ocean right below you. You can simply take a train from Hue to Da Nang in order to do that. Remember, if you're going from Hue to Da Nang make sure you  book a seat on the left side of the train. If you go from Da Nang to Hue make sure that you  book a seat on the right side of the train. This way you can make sure you get stunning  views of the ocean. The only disadvantage of the train ride is that you

cannot stop wherever  you want. I did it three times by train and I will do it again, because as a passenger on  a train I can simply let go and look at the ocean. The Hai Van pass is not only one  of the most majestic landscapes in Vietnam but also a place to witness many  heroic achievements in the nation's work of building and defending the country in  the past, especially victories during the two resistance wars against the French  and the Americans, between 1946 and 1975. Presenter Jeremy C

larkson, then  host of the BBC motoring program "Top Gear" featured the pass during the  show's 2008 Vietnam Special calling the road "a deserted ribbon of perfection -  one of the best coast roads in the world". The Hai Van mountain is also a  geographical and geological boundary in the nature of Vietnam. North of Hai Van there are karstic limestone landscapes with interesting caves and tropical monsoon  forests. South of Hai Van there is a tropical forest. At the top of the pass sometimes the 

weather acts like there are for seasons in one day: early morning is autumn, noon is summer,  late afternoon is spring and late at night is winter. With its position as the north  south boundary line, the Hai Van mountain is a wonder of the country - the  most majestic pass on the nation's path north to south and it is a key  strategic location on the North - South Route. If you care about the weather, the  best time of the day to do it would be early morning, say 8:00 or 9:00, so it's not very

  sunny and hot. However, if you also care about traffic, meaning that you don't want to  see too much of it, 6:00 in the morning would be the best - then you can almost feel like  you have the Hai Van pass for yourself. Many centuries ago these wall-like mountains were  overcome by humans despite dense forest, high slopes, deep abysses filled with tigers and other  wild animals. The fearful impression of pass is still imprinted in the lyrics of a folk song  which says: "If you walk you will be

afraid of Hai Van". Don't be afraid of the Hai Van, pass just  be careful and don't let your attention get stolen by the amazing views. Simply stop whenever  you feel like and wherever you like what you see. In this video you can see me slowing down and  staying on my right when there is a curve to the right instead of going on the left side  of my lane and leaning into it. If you watch motorcycle races you'll see those professional  riders do the exact opposite: you lean into the curve and the

curve and bike will sort of take  you there smoothly, it's just physics. But this is a public road with real traffic coming from  the other side, it's not a one-way circuit. I often see other vehicles such as cars and trucks  coming from the opposite direction recklessly in a curve like this. They often go half on  their side of the road and half on yours, or wrong way. Nobody wants to end up under  the wheels of a truck, so let's stay on the right. I do appreciate you watching this video  until

the end and please ask me absolutely any questions in your comments - I will personally  answer them. Also please subscribe to enjoy other motorcycle trips and tips around this amazingly  beautiful country and again, check my other video about the Hai Van pass going from Hue to Da Nang,  for better views and also my other YouTube Shorts in the Da Nang playlist. Thank you and I  hope we'll sort of travel together again soon!