Last updated May 2024 | Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle

Tom Divers is the founder and creator of Vietnam Coracle. He’s lived, travelled and worked in Vietnam since 2005. Born in London, he travelled from an early age, visiting over 40 countries (he first visited Vietnam in 1999). Now, whenever he has the opportunity to make a trip, he rarely looks beyond Vietnam’s borders and his trusty motorbike, Stavros. Read more about Tom on the About Page, Vietnam Times and ASE Podcast.

The Western Ho Chi Minh Road twists and turns through jungle-cloaked mountains along the Lao border for a 240km between Khe Sanh and Phong Nha. This is one of the most spectacular rides in Vietnam, but the route is so isolated that there’s hardly any accommodation or gas stations for most of its length. Until quite recently, it was necessary to carry an extra bottle of petrol and, if you wanted to spend the night, a tent. These days things have changed, but riders still need to plan carefully for time and fuel so as not to be caught out. The village of Long Sơn sits in a beautiful limestone valley on the Long Đại River roughly halfway between Khe Sanh and Phong Nha on the Western Ho Chi Minh Road. The village has a good budget hotel and a gas station, making Long Sơn the ideal place to break the journey along the Western Ho Chi Minh Road.

Long Son: Hotel and Gas Station on the Western Ho Chi Minh Road — Trường Thành Hotel is one of the only accommodations on the Western Ho Chi Minh Road

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HOTEL & GAS STATION IN LONG SON

Two Essential Conveniences on One of the Best Riding Roads in Vietnam

A great boon for motorbikers, the hotel and gas station on the Western Ho Chi Minh Road at Long Sơn has changed the dynamic of riding one of Vietnam’s most spectacular roads. In this guide, I’ve included an annotated map of Long Sơn, a description of the village, the hotel and the gas station and some photos. (For more guides about the region, see Related Posts.)

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Long Sơn: Hotel & Gas Station | Western Ho Chi Minh Road

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Long Sơn Village:

Almost halfway between between Khe Sanh and Phong Nha, Long Sơn is a hamlet on a meander in the Long Đại River as it passes through large limestone karsts. The setting is marvelous. Running clear and blue, the Long Đại (Great Dragon) River is ideal for bathing. Watching its turquoise water pass slowly beneath the limestone crags – with water buffalo wading waist deep, wooden fishing sampans floating on the current and children playing on the banks – is an idyllic scene.

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Located 140km north of Khe Sanh and 100 south of Phong Nha (and Khe Gát), Long Sơn (Mountain Dragon) is one of only a few settlements on the entire length on the Western Ho Chi Minh Road, and it is the most beautifully situated. The landscape that the Western Ho Chi MInh Road passes before and after Long Sơn is utterly sublime. In fact, it’s so good that most riders will want to stop dozens of times on the road to admire the views, go on short hikes and bathe in the streams and waterfalls. In addition, the road is extremely mountainous – full of twist and turns, like a knotted ball of string. For these reasons, riding the whole 240km length of the Western Ho Chi Minh Road in one day can take many hours and, although it’s certainly possible to complete the ride in a day, it is much more pleasurable and satisfying to spread it over 2 full days on the road. This is why the hotel and gas station at Long Sơn is such a great asset for motorbikers on the Western Ho Chi MInh Road.

Long Son, Western Ho Chi Minh Road — Long Sơn village is located in this beautiful valley on the Long Đại River

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Hotel & Gas Station:

Located on the west side of the road at the centre of Long Sơn hamlet, Hotel Trường Thành is set back in a concrete courtyard shaded by mango trees. A box-like structure with lots of impressive wooden embellishments, the hotel is run by a friendly family. Inside, it’s immaculately clean, spacious and empty. There are two floors of double and twin rooms equipped with everything you want, need and expect from a classic Vietnamese nhà nghỉ (guest house): the beds are good and firm, linen is bright and clean, there’s a fan, functioning air-con, WiFi, T.V and a window (some have pleasant garden views), and a simple bathroom with hot water and bad plumbing as standard. In short, rooms are simple, spotless, sparsely but adequately furnished, and cheap. At the time of research, room rates were 300,000vnd ($12) per night, but on weekends and public holidays you might find the price goes up a bit. (Rates do not include breakfast.) There is another guest house, Đức Tuấn, on the opposite side of the road to Trường Thành Hotel, but it was closed during my last visit.

You can call ahead (0844 870 151 or 0915 256 892) to make a reservation, but you’ll need to speak some Vietnamese in order to do so (it’s not possible to book online). In general, there shouldn’t be any problem just turning up in the late afternoon and finding a room available. The only time this might not be the case is on weekends or public holidays, when there may be more roadtrippers than usual passing through or perhaps a motorbike tour group staying at the hotel.

Long Sơn only has one or two quite basic rice and noodle eateries (cơm phở) along the main street as well as a few shops selling snacks, drinks and useful items, such as rain jackets and batteries. Walking around the backstreets of Long Sơn village in the evening or early morning is quite pleasant. If the weather’s good, bring your swimwear and have a dip in the Long Đại River at the local bathing spot.

The gas station is on the east side of the road just as you enter town from the south. This is particularly convenient, because it is the only place to fill up with petrol between Khe Sanh and Phong Nha (or Khe Gát), apart from Hướng Phùng. That’s 240km with only two gas stations, either of which could be closed (for lunch or because the petrol has run out), so it’s important to make sure you fill your tank when you get the chance. Long Sơn hamlet also has a couple of motorbike mechanic shops (sửa xe), that could come in handy if you’re having bike problems.

*Disclosure: I never receive payment for anything I write: my content is always free and independent. I’ve written this guide because I want to: I like Long Sơn and I want my readers to know about it. For more details, see my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements and my About Page