Vietnam | Apr 2024 |
Vietnam is a renowned rider paradise and has been on my to-do list for some time. After 6-months of working as a dive instructor in Koh Chang, Thailand, I made a hard decision ("hard" due to stiff competition from the Philippines, India and Indonesia) and started planning my next moto adventure - Vietnam.
Bike Rental
Step 1 of planning was getting a bike. I was aware many riders buy bikes cheaply to tour Vietnam, and then re-sell after the trip (you can work out a guaranteed buy-back from the shop you buy from). But buying seemed impractical given my one-month plan - so I went with a rental. And, gotta say, I was pretty blown away by the state of the Vietnam rental industry online, where you find excellent modern websites and superb fast communication via WhatsApp and email.
After connecting with a few different rental outfits, I went with Rent-a-Bike Vietnam and booked a Honda XR 150 for USD 360 for 30 days ($12/day). This was a bit of a diversion for me, as I have been committed to Yamaha NMax and Aerox scooters in Indo and Thailand, and never saw the need for an enduro-style bike. And I was well aware that pretty much all locals in Vietnam ride "Wave 125" type bikes, no matter what the terrain. And those bikes are half the price of the XR150. Rent-a-Bike offers a one-way option with a moderate return fee, allowing me to drop the bike in a different location than Hanoi, including Da Nang or Saigon.
Route
While I was aware of the Ha Giang Loop and the north of Vietnam offering great riding, I didn't know much else. A couple of info sources helped me craft a basic pre-route plan. By far the best source of Vietnam motorcycle information is the website Vietnam Coracle. The founder Tom and his contributors offer tons of excellent detailed insights into every corner of the country. In fact, he offers so much detail about routes in northern Vietnam that it is a bit overwhelming. The other source I used was Rent-a-Bike, specifically the 12-day northern route they offer as an organised tour. Their map is basically a line, they don't provide specifics.
Travel
Vietnam requires proof of onward travel on entry. But I didn't have a fixed schedule, so a one-way ticket was preferable. I looked at Onward Ticket and similar services, where you can buy a dummy boarding pass cheap, and present that to the airline and immigration if required. I also looked at buying a one-way bus ticket from Saigon to Phnom Penh. I ended up buying a one-way flight with Thai Airways Bangkok-Hanoi, and the bus ticket via Vietnam Bus Ticket [update: neither Thai Airways in Bangkok or Vietnam immigration at Hanoi asked for any proof of my onward travel].