🇻🇳Roads in Vietnam
2 roads found in Vietnam, Asia
Hai Van Pass
🇻🇳 Vietnam
The Hai Van Pass (Pass of the Ocean Clouds) is a 21-kilometer mountain road crossing a spur of the Truong Son mountain range on the border between Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang provinces in central Vietnam. Rising to 496 meters above sea level, the pass separates two distinct climate zones: the cooler, wetter north and the warmer, drier south. It was famously featured on the BBC's Top Gear Vietnam Special in 2008, where Jeremy Clarkson called it "a deserted ribbon of perfection - one of the best coast roads in the world." The road was historically one of the most important strategic locations in Vietnam, controlling the narrow coastal route between the two halves of the country. Remnants of fortifications from the Nguyen Dynasty, French colonial period, and American/South Vietnamese military occupation can still be seen at the summit, including an old French-built bunker that now serves as an informal viewpoint. The pass marked the border between the ancient kingdoms of Champa and Dai Viet and later between South Vietnam and the Viet Cong-controlled north. Since the Hai Van Tunnel opened in 2005, most commercial traffic bypasses the old pass road, leaving it remarkably quiet and perfect for motorbike touring. The road winds through dense tropical forest, past waterfalls and rocky outcrops, with dramatic views of the coastline, Lang Co lagoon to the north, and Da Nang bay to the south. The pass is a highlight of the popular motorbike route between Hue and Hoi An, and most travelers rent motorbikes or book "easy rider" guided tours to experience it. The road is open year-round, though low clouds frequently shroud the summit, living up to the pass's poetic name.
Ho Chi Minh Road (Western Branch)
🇻🇳 Vietnam
The Ho Chi Minh Road is a modern highway that follows much of the route of the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail, the wartime supply network that ran through the jungles and mountains of central Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The western branch of the road stretches roughly 1,200 kilometers from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City through the Truong Son (Annamite) mountain range, far from the busy coastal Highway 1. This route passes through some of Vietnam's most remote and stunning landscapes, including Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park with its enormous cave systems, the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) region, the A Shau Valley, and dense tropical forests that still show bomb craters from the American War. The road sees very little tourist traffic, offering an authentic journey through rural Vietnamese life with minority hill tribe villages, waterfalls, and sweeping mountain vistas. Sections are beautifully smooth tarmac cutting through pristine jungle, while others are rougher and more adventurous.