We leave Hoi An and follow the Thu Bon River upstream through market-gardening villages, rice fields and small forest lanes. Expect quiet backroads and narrow countryside paths, with friendly stops to meet locals.

Lunch is a local favorite: Mi Quang, the signature noodle dish of Quang Nam Province. After lunch, we crest a short, easy pass for panoramic views of the Thu Bon valley, then continue via several ferry crossings.

Where the road ends at a canyon, we take a small boat to reach the far side, an adventurous interlude, before riding the final stretch to a small town for the night in a simple guesthouse.

• Follow the Thu Bon River upstream from Hoi An
• Mi Quang lunch in a local restaurant
• Short, easy mountain pass with valley views
• Multiple ferry crossings and quiet backroads
• Canyon boat passage; overnight in a guesthouse

We follow the Thu Bon River south into low mountain foothills to meet the Ca Dong people. The ride (about 52 km) threads through forests and hamlets with plenty of photo and water stops.

Summer option: when water levels allow, we board a small boat on a mountain lake to reach a wild jungle waterfall. There's a clear pool for a refreshing swim, and we set up a simple BBQ lunch in the forest before continuing toward the so-called "Country of Fairies", where our host village awaits.

We spend the night with a local family in a 150-year-old wooden house , a warm, quiet setting to rest and share stories.

• Encounters with the Ca Dong minority
• Forest hamlets on small roads & dirt paths
• Summer lake boat to a jungle waterfall
• Swim & BBQ in a natural setting
• Overnight in a 150-year-old family house

We roll out through the "Country of Fairies" and drop into a gold-prospectors' village for coffee. The route turns winding and rolling toward the coast, with long views opening between hills and valleys.

Midday, we pull over at a mountain stream (suối) for a refreshing swim and a scenic picnic-style lunch. Then we descend to the shoreline, board a couple of local ferries, and glide across channels where river meets sea.

Tonight's reward: a private villa on a sandy beach on a small fishermen's island. Dinner is a seafood feast, the day's catch - with your feet in the water.

• Coffee stop in a gold-prospectors' village
• Winding, rolling backroads to the coast
• Mountain-stream swim & scenic lunch
• Ferry crossings where river meets sea
• Overnight in a private beachfront villa
• Seafood dinner with feet in the water

After a generous beachside breakfast, we depart the island by local ferry and trace the coastline between beaches and river channels. With low tide, we can ride hard-packed sand for long stretches with optional swim stops. When the tide is higher, we switch to quiet coastal roads and levee paths.

An optional detour leads to wartime tunnels built by Viet Cong fighters. We finish inland through the Thu Bon delta, hopping islands before a final ferry returns us to Hoi An.

• Low-tide beach ride on hard-packed sand with swim stops
• Quiet coastal backroads between beach and river
• Optional visit to Viet Cong wartime tunnels
• Thu Bon delta island-hopping
• Final ferry into Hoi An