"Fragrant Valley" Loop - Que Son
South of Da Nang, just over the mountains that cradle the Cham ruins of My Son, lies a beautiful piece of Que Son District separated from the rest of the world by mountains on all sides. This valley is noticeable on maps, and although the Thu Bon River cuts along the side of it, getting in and out takes a bit of time by road. We set out in March 2016 to check out a possible loop from Da Nang, and we found a great road that was mostly in great shape, but with a small section of dirt that was kind of annoying. However, the stretch was overall fairly short, and this did end up making a great day trip, and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a good ride and willing to put up with some minor discomfort.
We started out of Da Nang around 9 am, and made it to Que Phu, where we turned on to Provincial Highway 611 about an hour later. Getting to this area with any sort of expediency means taking Highway 1A, which always sucks. However, the road is in mostly good shape, and it only takes an hour or less on it to reach the turn in Que Phu. Once off the highway, the first portion of the trip is through some classic Vietnam scenery, with small towns alternating between open rice paddies, with ever present dinhs, shrines, tombs, and water buffaloes. The mountains were far away at first, but as we drove along, they began to drift closer, starting to rise over the tops of the houses. This road isn't overly busy and goes fairly quickly, and is for the most part in pretty good shape.
After 20 to 30 minutes of cruising through rural Que Son, you will come to a small town, and just after a turn to the right well marked with a sign to "Suoi Tien". I haven't been there yet, but when we do here soon, I will create a page for it. However, if you go less than 100 meters past that turn there is another turn, this one unmarked, that if taken will lead you to a large and beautiful lake set in the foothills of the Que Son Mountains. This lake is called Ho Giang and is worth a five minute stop if you are in the area or are passing through. It's really quite beautiful!
All shots from Ho Giang.
Back on the 611, just past the turn for Ho Giang, the road starts its climb up into the mountains and on its way to the top of the Deo Le, or Le Pass. The pass is not the highest, but it does climb for several kilometers through the trees, first offering views back over the valley of eastern Que Son. Further up, as you close in on the top the view changes to one more of forest-clad mountains. Near the top there is a small swimming resort called "Nuoc Mat". We didn't have the time to go up and in, but a quick search on the internet shows a large cement and tile swimming pool fed by spring water. There is an entrance fee but I'm sure it's quite small. The views of the peaks are really good toward the top, and the forest closes in nicely. The summit of the pass is a bit anti-climatic; there are no signs or large pullouts or great views, just a travel stop restaurant and the realization you are now going down.
The other side of the pass was a wonderful stretch of road. Trees and forest were thick on both sides, so much so that the rich smell of jungle forest was quite fragrant even whilst driving. Views of the peaks both near to us and also far away came and went as the road wrapped around it's corners. Eventually the road reached the bottom of the valley and came out of the trees into a gorgeous valley full of paddies and ringed fully by mountains on all sides. The peaks that we can see cradling My Son from Da Nang, Nui Mat Rong and Hon Chau, rose dramatically on the north side of the valley. It was a beautiful paradise on earth.
|
The name "Fragrant Valley" comes from the market of the same name that sits very nearly in the middle of the area. Although there are a few different villages in the area, like Thuong Trung, Que Trung and Trung Phuoc, and even larger towns as well like Nong Son, the center of activity in this first, uppermost valley is the Cho Thom. That translates as "good smelling" or "fragrant" market, and really the adjective "fragrant" would work well for the whole valley as well, as it does smell quite good. We had some delicious hu tieu not far from the market, and enjoyed the slow pace of life in the area. This one valley is an amazing place to be. The ring of mountains that separates the outside world from here really do make this place feel quite remote, even though it isn't at all. The massive granite dome of Hon Chau stands like a watchtower over the valley, and it's huge cliffs with greenery clinging to it are spectacular on a clear day.
After lunch we set our sights on getting back to Da Nang. The plan was to go a little bit further west, where we would meet the Thu Bon River, and then follow it for a couple of kilometers, before turning and going over a small pass and eventually ending up back in Duy Xuyen District, close to My Son Ruins. The road, while not looking overly large, seemed to be at least a standard rural Vietnamese concrete path, and I figured since it was the main northern route into Nong Son, that it would be a typical country road. Well, it is the main route in from the north, but it is also in the middle of getting a big update and rebuild, so for now it was nothing but dirt and rock.
The first part along the river wasn't too bad (with the exception of an awful looking and smelling trash dump off the side of the road), as the dirt was mostly soft and there was very little stones. We turned a large corner and passed a couple of very small villages. The river in this area almost seems like an inland sea or a lake than it does a river. Slow moving, flat, and beautiful. However, as we left the river and started toward the pass, things began to get a little rough. The road surface changed to lots of fist-sized stones laid down and packed with dirt. This kind of road is great for big trucks and four-wheeled transportation, but for motorbikes it is slow going. Bouncy and jarring, we had to play the game of driving on the soft dirt of the shoulder on one side for a while, until you had to cross over and ride on the other shoulder. It was obvious along the way that construction is ongoing, and eventually the road should be a fairly nice, higher-speed road down to Nong Son. But until that happens, this road will continue to have a stretch of about 10 kms of rugged stone surface. It's not that bad though, more just annoying, and it shouldn't be enough to prevent a trip through here.
|
The reward for putting up with the crappy road was it took us right along a large reservoir near My Son. This lake, called Ho Thach Ban, was made by damming a number of small drainages radiating out of the mountains, rather than focusing on one narrow pinch. The reservoir was quite pretty, with many treed islands and peninsulas, and a great backdrop of mountains behind it. Hon Chau was again making a great background, it's rounded dome form providing a looming shadow for the far horizon.
All shots from Ho Thach Ban.
Just a couple short kilometers later, we were off the rough and onto the road less than a kilometer from the entrance to My Son Ruins. But My Son wasn't on our agenda time, so we turned norther and headed up to Duy Hoa to catch a ferry across to Ai Nghia. This ferry is a lot of fun and totally typical of the rural bike ferries so common in Vietnam, but sadly this one is destined to be put out of service soon as the bridge they are building here nears completion. This bridge, once finished, will offer a much more direct shot to My Son for tourists coming from Da Nang. But for now it's just a simple ferry, and considering I had never utilized one in 5 years in Vietnam, I was stoked to do it.
After we made the other side, the trip was basically over. Sure, we still had a 30 minute drive from Ai Nghia, but that went so quick it was barely memorable. We sat down and got a coffee before we did that, and we all re-capped about the day's drive. We all agreed it was great to have done it, and despite the kilometers of rough road, was one we would do again. With perhaps more time, one could likely visit Suoi Tien on this loop as well. As well, the rough road will also get finished one day, and the whole loop will be a fantastic, easy adventure. The highlight of the trip was definitely Deo La down into Fragrant Valley, and if you are looking for a great day trip from Da Nang or Hoi An, consider this route. Just about any bike will make it, just make sure your tires are topped off and ready to go before tackling the rough stuff. Otherwise enjoy it!
For those coming and going from Hoi An, a great way to get back is to turn right in Ai Nghia, and take the 609 across through Dien An and over to Vinh Dien, where you can get back to Hoi An without having to go on any highway. This route is nice and rural, and if you have time, consider a stop at Thap Bang An, a great little Cham tower hidden in some trees. It's only one tower, but it only costs 10k to get in, and it's a beautiful little shrine that is still actively used as a worship site as well. Thanks for reading and enjoy.
The Map
All photos copyright Kit Davidson. Maps created with Google MyMaps.