The Me Pja Pass is also called “the 14-storey mountain pass in Vietnamese (đường đèo 14 tầng). It owes this name to the 14 turns in the road.
You will find this mountain pass in the province of Cao Bang, one of the northern provinces in Vietnam that is better known with the Ban Gioc Waterfall; the largest and most impressive waterfall in the country. The road through the Me Pja pass is about 2.5 km long and is one of the winding roads in northeastern Vietnam. Construction of this road started in 2009 and completed in 2011.
The viewpoint
Unlike other mountain passes in Vietnam, such as the Ma Pi Leng pass in Ha Giang, the Tram Ton Pass at Sapa and the Hai Van pass between Hue and Hoi An, you have to do a little more effort to get to the viewpoint.
A sign on the side of the road on top of the Me Pja pass that is hung by locals indicates the path how to get to the viewpoint. You can park your car or motorbike at the small restaurant opposite of the forest entrance. You can buy a drink and possibly hire a guide here too.
To then get to the majestic panorama viewpoint you have to walk on a forest path. The path leading to the panoramic view of the Mo Pia pass is not that difficult, but can be a bit slippery after raining. The path is well cleared and there are markings on stones showing the route.
Count that the complete hike up takes about 1 hour, but the view is well worth it.
Where is the Me Pja Pass?
The pass is located on Highway 4A connecting Xuan Truong Municipality with the center of Bao Lac in Cao Bang Province.
Location: Google Maps
If you are going to drive over the pass make sure you rent a car with a driver or take a very strong (manual/semi manual) motor, as the road up is very steep.
