Welcome to Lacquer Road
Lacquer Road is a professional guide’s journal of adventures in Vietnam and across Asia. Most journeys are by bicycle or on foot, led by Thuận.
Good adventures rarely stay in one lane. Thuận’s experience, and his appetite for the next challenge, also lead to trips and conversations with people who kite-surf, rock-climb, climb mountains and more.
Sanding away the gloss to reveal what was always there.
Like Vietnamese lacquer art, our journeys are built slowly, layer by layer, then sanded back to reveal the true colours beneath. Travel slowly enough to notice how the architecture and the broth change from one river valley to the next.
Pillars of the Journey
Every Lacquer Road journey rests on three things: the people we meet, the roads we choose and the care we take.
Meaningful Local Interaction
We measure a journey by its stops. Each one is a chance to talk, laugh and share in the lives of local people, and to be welcomed with genuine hospitality. We never know quite what waits ahead, only that you won’t find it online or in a book. What you take home is pure emotion and memories that last.
Stories from the road →
Quiet Green Backroads
Nature is the best playground. We work hard to find the backroads that link remarkable places together, so you can travel the finest terrain in each region. That is expertise and local knowledge at work. We guarantee that even locals don’t know some of these places exist.
Route notes in the Journal →
Canadian-Standard Safety
We plan every journey carefully and inspect its safety thoroughly. We never just set off and hope for the best. That would be gambling with your life, and it is a bet we will never make. That is why every journey is led by an experienced leader with wilderness first-aid training, backed by a dedicated support vehicle.
How we plan each journey →Read before you ride.
The Journal is where Thuận writes about the roads, the people and the conversations along the way. Get to know how we travel before you travel with us.
Ready for a Deeper Journey?
When you are ready, browse the journeys or write to Thuận with your questions. There is no pressure to book.