Honda XR150L

Save Cao Bang city for the last day of your trip. Half a day covers the market, riverside, and pagodas, but staying the full day and night lets you catch the walking street, a rooftop drink, and the streets coming alive after dark. It works well as a base before and after the loop, but if you came for the province's real highlights, those sit 30 to 90 km outside the city. The city sits on an island formed where the Hien and Mang rivers merge the Bang Giang, roughly 2 km long and 1 km wide, connected to the mainland by a single strip of land. Nearly everything below is within a 20 minute walk of that island, so you won't need a motorbike to get around during the day, though cruising it slowly in the evening is its own kind of local pastime.

Cao Bang has more overnight options than most travelers expect, spread across the city center, the mountains, and a handful of villages along the loop. Base yourself in Cao Bang city center for full motorbike and loop support, add a camping night at Angel Eye Mountain if your route passes through Tra Linh, and only book near Ban Gioc Waterfall if you want the falls before the first tour bus arrives. A few quieter stops, Phong Nam Valley, the indigo village at Quang Uyen, and Ba Quang Grass Hill, are worth knowing about if you have extra days. This guide breaks down each area by who it actually suits, what a room costs, and what to check before you book. It also covers what loop riders specifically need that a generic hotel review does not: secure motorbike parking, flexible check-in for overnight bus arrivals, and hosts who can tell you if a mountain pass is closed.

Away from Cao Bang’s busier attractions, Ba Quang Grass Hill is a quiet stop for travellers who enjoy open landscapes, short walks and a slower pace. Reaching the hill takes some planning, but the spacious grassland, limited development and option to stay overnight make it a worthwhile detour for those with enough time in their Cao Bang itinerary. This guide provides the practical details needed to plan the visit with realistic expectations.