Ride day 21: Kon Tum Loop
27 June 2016
We start early again for a second day of breakfast with our new friends; meeting up at the local cafe by the pond at 7:30am. There is a light shower of rain in the air, but considerably dryer than the previous day. After a delicious breakfast of banh mi, cakes and coffee, and a few hours of chatting we start off on our days ride.
The plan was to start off following the Kon Tum loop (as documented by Cindy Fan on travel fish – https://www.travelfish.org/sight_profile/vietnam/central_highlands/kon_tum/kon_tum/649) and then modifying it to take us up to the Frontier region between Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The weather is still decidedly wet, but we just accepted that was how it was going to be and set off with our waterproof ponchos on over our motorbike jackets.
Shortly after the turn off on to the TL675 we pass a couple of farmers struggling to get their scooter and heavily laden trailer up a steep muddy path at side of the road, so we stop to lend a hand pushing the trailer up to the flat section… Our good deed for the day.
As the road rises up from the valley floor, the views over the reservoir are spectacular. The rain is fairly heavy at this time and limits visibility a touch, but we can still see a good 5-10km across the reservoir which appears to be relatively low.
We continue along the TL675 up and down past very small hamlets and locals farming the land. Charlie Hill and Rocket Ridge (so called from the war) rises above us on our left hand side as we get towards the town of Dak To. The centre of Dak To is market by a large central island in the road with a couple of Russian tanks and a traditional local Rong House. We take a bit of time to check these out and then grab a strong local milk coffee. Parked up underneath the Rong house was a motorbike with cages on the back full of little chicks chirping away.
Rong house
Inside roof
After our coffee we begin the ride up towards the frontier zone. Along the way we have read there is a disused military air strip. At the site where we were expecting to find it, it’s nowhere to be seen. Then looking out across the thick green crop we can see some Tarmac. I take my bike out across one of the slippery mud tracks and sure enough, there is a full on airstrip. It’s in a relatively bad state of repair, but probably less potholes than the earlier DL675 back road.
From the airstrip it’s a windy gentle climb up towards the frontier zone. The rain eases off for the first time on this section and gives us a clear run to the checkpoint area. Since we didn’t have visas, or indeed passports with us, we opted not to proceed past the checkpoint into the border territory in case we weren’t allowed back in to Vietnam. We venture slightly up the road towards the Cambodia border, but it very quickly turns in to a dirt track. We take a short break at the foot of the track to Skype family back home in the uk, before the rain starts again and we start on our ride back to Kon Tum.
On the way back out of the small town of Lang Lek in the frontier zone we spit some heavily modified local motorbikes. The bikes have been lengthened and equiped with upgraded suspension and brakes as well as wheel chains to cope with the steep muddy tracks of the border zone. A pretty cool sight.
The rain continues as a light shower all the way to Dak To, where we stopped for a delicious lunch of cold noodles and spring rolls at a side of the road stall. As we pull out to leave Dak To and head back to Kon Tum, the rain reaches all new levels. A non stop torrential downpour goes on for nearly an hour of riding. Most of this time we were riding through inch deep water with occasional puddles that were considerably deeper. It’s a slow, steady wet ride back to Kon Tom arriving home to our hotel just before dusk. With the state of the rain and the amount of water on the roads, we opt to stay at the hotel and eat in our room rather than venture out in the downpour again.
Full days route here:
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