Vietnam on two wheels!
Seen the Top Gear special or heard friends tales of biking up/down this beautiful country? Wondered how easy/safe/expensive or doable is it? Well, the good news is there are challenges for novices, or to satisfy the most adventurous & accomplished riders!
Most people’s trip in Vietnam either takes them North to South, or Vice Versa, between the main cities of Hanoi in the North and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the South. The country’s elongated geography stretching over 1,600km between these vastly different cities, lends itself to a pretty clear route up or down the country with many established tourist interest sites along the way. Some of the main locations (N/S) being: Ha Long Bay/Cat Ba island, Sapa, Phong Nha national park, Hue, Hoi an, Na Trang and Da lat.
It is very easy & cheap (3 GBP per day!) to rent bikes in each location you visit and is often the best way to explore the region. The ultimate challenge is of course to do the length of the country on your very own bike, which you can either buy (then sell at the end) or rent one for the duration of your stay! Travelling in this way is very common, so finding a bike is very easy as there is a huge market for buying and selling in all major cities, you can expect to pay between $200-300 for a 125-150cc engine Honda Wind or similar. Although by law you ‘technically’ need an international motorbike licence to drive one, rental agencies, or indeed police in most places, never seem to check/ask for proof of this, so many people without the ‘official’ qualification still participate.
My own adventure started in the Northern City of Hanoi and I’d like to share a top tip that I’m sure will be one of the best things you will do while in Vietnam, and will likely feature as a highlight of any trip you have taken to date, the ‘Ha Giang loop’! Although I had expected to head south after visiting the stunning Ha long bay, instead I found myself heading north in search a recommendation that kept being echoed to me from fellow travelers since landing a few days before. Although not something that I had come across in guide books or travel research, it sounded like an ideal adventure not to be missed. A 350 km loop in Vietnam’s most northerly province, bordering China and taking between 3-5 days to complete (depending on your personal pace), it provides some of Vietnam’s most stunning and varied scenery, all seen from the seat of your very own motorcycle!
I realise this can sound like a daunting challenge, especially for someone who is not experienced on a scooter or motorbike, I myself had only rented scooters in a few Asian countries previously. However, from my experience in completing it the route is very achievable as a confident novice rider as the roads are generally is pretty good condition and traffic for the most part is light as the region isn’t densely populated. As you can see from the title image, the roads and views are well worth the effort! I would say however that it is advisable to undertake the trip with at least one other person and purchase a local sim card (around $20 for a month and provides 2GB of data a day) in case of beak downs. I can promise you, the experience will be unforgettable!
However you choose to travel this beautiful country though, you are sure to have a great time with the friendly people, soaking in the rich (and of course at times troubled) history of the region. Enjoy!
