NorthWest Vietnam RoadTrip By Minsk (2006)

[senate747]

that will be one hell of a trip to australia.

 

 

anyway bro, very nice pictures. u r really adventurous.

[daishi]

Originally posted by FB666Y@Feb 24 2006, 02:59 PM

Another thing I ought to add:

 

We are lucky enough to be living in South East Asia and our Sing dollar gives us the added advantage.

 

Though the roads may not be what we're used to, its definitely worth looking at all the other countries like Vietnam or Cambodia and Indonesia. So if you dont have the time to get your own bike, you can always rent, and thats half the fun - trying out a bike that you have never ridden before.

 

With the internet you can do a lot of research and plan in advance. Its out there waiting and youre not getting any younger.

 

Teaser -

Instead of riding up to Chiang Mai and doing the MHS Loop, how about shipping the bike to Dumai Indonesia from Melaka and riding through Sumatra into Java and Bali. And those with a bit more time - carry on to Timor and then onwards to Australia?

Teaser -

Instead of riding up to Chiang Mai and doing the MHS Loop, how about shipping the bike to Dumai Indonesia from Melaka and riding through Sumatra into Java and Bali. And those with a bit more time - carry on to Timor and then onwards to Australia?

 

Hey man, firstly kudos for having made this trip, and 2 up even! Respect, dude.

 

Anywho, I'd be really on for a trip like what you described. I'd be game to do a sumatra - java -bali ride I think it would just be awesome.Maybe we can plan this for march next year. Avoid the wet season in java in feb.

 

We can hit cities (since i'm riding a HD sportster and not a african twin or somethin), it'll be great!

[wait4me]

Originally posted by FB666Y@Feb 24 2006, 02:48 PM

Retired?

I wish - Im only 34 and that would mean I still have about 30 more years of work to go before I can retire.

 

As for leave, I spent most of it on road trips. Since I dont weekends, I can take 5 days and be gone for 9 days!

 

To answer a few questions, no i dont speak vietnamese. I have a road map, a lonely planet guide and road markers to help me along the way. Sign language helps to communicate with the locals.

 

Most countries once youre out of the city or town there's usually only one road leading to your destination. Its only in cities when you start getting lost.

bravo

next time i go back vietnam .. i will try a road trip

[poromov]

Ho ho. I was riding Minsk in my childhood, real pain in a$$ as I can remember... Reliability is similar to space shuttles one - 2 major failures out of 100 launches!

Nevertheless, great post, man! I wonder what's gonna be next ))

[Kutrax]

This guy really hardcore..saw him in Bukit tinggi b4..then last april fool day saw him on the road towards mersing..is tat u bro?

U really hardcore tourer..

[belgarathc]

woo! i have been planning to include bike riding in my trip to vietnam next month.

 

FB666Y, your thread really motivated me! hope you dont mind me asking some questions

 

did you rent the bike from cuong?

 

did you convert to a vietnamese license? i understand that foreigners are not officially allowed to rent bikes but they can apply for a local license. the procedures will be easier for those with a valid international license.

[FB666Y]

Kutrax - Yeah, that probably me on the road to Mersing. I did pass one Super 4 that looked lost and a bunch of other Sporean bikes.

 

belgarathc - I didnt get the Minsk from Cuong (see below).

As for licenses an international license would be good but I didnt bother. Applying for a local license can take months. Just wing it - as it was no one asked for my license.

 

Some other have asked questions. Here's what I replied:

 

____________

 

Here goes, I will try to answer your questions as best as I can:

 

1. Where to rent a CHEAP and GOOD bike? Does the bike comes with box for your clothings etc?

 

Cheap and good is subjective. I rented from Flamingo at Hang Tre Street for US$8 per day. You can also from Mr Cuong at 1 Luong Ngoc Quyen street for US$6 a day. You will end up with a Minsk - theyre a cross between a dirtbike and RXK.

 

The Minsk I had had no key, no speedo or meters. The engine off switch was how I turned it off. It kept missing gears, especially on uphills which can be frustating, however no punctures and no engine failure.

 

You will need to premix with 2T every time you fill up - 10% 2T and 90% petrol; but dont worry, the petrol stations will do this automatically.

 

They are easy to troubleshoot should something go wrong, and you get a spark plug, rectifier and alternator. They dont come with a box, though mine had a rack that I strapped my luggage on - so it will be a good idea to bring along some straps.

 

I also brought along a tire patch repair kit I bought from Mustafa for about $2. I realise it was kind of useless considering I didnt have a pump!

 

(Note: I heard that Flamingo has Bajaj 250 dirtbikes. That might be an option)

 

2. Along the way, is it easy to find petrol station? Easy to find food?

 

You will pass a lot of towns and villages. You will be able to find food and petrol very easily. The Minsk I had usually filled up about 120-130K dongs with the 2T in most gas stations. I was getting about 150kmish. Couldnt be sure though without any sort of meters. Plus I was two up and riding full throttle up the mountains

 

3. where to get the local road/street maps? Those i found online does not really help.

 

I used 2 maps, a Periplus map you can get at Times or Borders for about $10-12.

This is what it looks like:

https://peripluspublishinggroup.com/periplu...p?id=0794603866

Unfortunately I cant remember what the other map is. Its lying around somewhere.

 

I carried both maps because one map will miss information but invariably the other map will carry it.

 

 

>> Regarding the book on Motorcycle Routes in Australia, its published by Hema Publishing, and they only carry that range for Oz and New Zealand. I highly doubt if they have such an enlightened book on Vietnam.

This is the link:

http://www.hemamaps.com.au/productlist/lis....asp?prod_cat=6

Very good for Australia and New Zealand. Hema Maps are the way to go for those countries.

 

4. when u are in all the villages, do u stay in inn or at other people's house? Cause i doint think got hotel in the village right?

 

I planned my route such that I stopped at towns instead of villages. The only exception would be Mai Chau, where the two of us stayed and dined for about 200,000 dongs. That including lodgings, the coffees, the milos, the dinner and beers we drank. Its pretty basic - a large room with a view of the paddy fields, toilets are communal and they have hot water. Mai Chau is slightly different in the sense that have live-in for travellers and tourist who want to experience a bit of solitude in amazing surroundings. The stilt houses are basic but the people are friendly even though I dont know what they're talking about most of the time.

 

The other places I stayed over:

 

Son La - Government House - US$18

big hotel, clean and very friendly

 

Lai Chau - US$15

there is only one hotel in Lai Chau, and it was ok

 

Sapa - Baguettes and Chocolat - US$18

very clean and nice and they have very good pastries

 

Yen Bai - $15

cant remember the name of the hotel. It was ok nothing great.

 

Generally speaking most hotels are very clean. Dont know why, must be a Communist thing.

Another things, get US dollars. A lot of hotels charge in US dollars, so its good to have some. Myself I changed $200 into US, got about US$120 or so.

 

You will need the Lonely Planet (or Rough Guide) to Vietnam. It will tell you of all hotels and accomodations and such along your route and makes planning a whole lot easier. Dont buy it (unless you want to - but theyre about $30ish) - borrow it from the library and photocopy the pages you need, or buy it from the streets in Hanoi fro about 120000 dongs.

This is the latest edition:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/174059677...5Fencoding=UTF8

 

5. I am planning to go north-wards, towards the china borders(ping yu, or something like that)

 

My route is thus:

Day 1: Hanoi to Mai Chau

Day 2: Mai Chau to Son La

Day 3: Son La to Lai Chau

Day 4: Lai Chau to Sapa

Day 5: Sapa

Day 6: Sapa to Yen Bai

Day 7: Yen Bai to Hanoi.

 

I made a loop along Highway 4. The most problem you will have is getting out of Hanoi. After that its pretty easy. There's usually just one main road. Every intersection has signs and the roads have tombstones with kilometre markers.

 

My route was pretty easy - not more than 250km per day. Maybe you can do a similar route but go to Dien Bien Phu as well. My day 3 was most strenous: Son La to Tuan Giao to Lai Chau. The Tuan Giao to Lai Chau stretch was very rocky but the views were incredible. Day 4 was the fastest - smooth roads and a lot of corners, and the Tram Tron Pass is beautiful.

 

From Sapa you are about 40 km from Lao Chai which borders with China.

Another suggestion would be to take an overnight train from Sapa to Hanoi with the bike. It would be worth it because Day 6 and Day 7 it was mostly dull roads through a lot of towns and villages. In retrospect I would have gone backwards and gone to the places I didnt go like Dien Bien Phu.

 

All these wont make much sense unless you have a map.

 

There are alo a lot of side routes to towns where the roads and scenery is amazing, however I was pressed for time and couldnt make it.

 

6. In case of veh break down or some other emergency, do u have any number to call? or where to get help?

 

You can get the bike shop number and call if you have any problems. But you probably wont need to. You will pass a lot of villages and most of them have repair shops for this kind of situations. I think your biggest problem will probably be a puncture or a fouled-up spark plug.

 

If youre planning to return to Hanoi it might be a good idea to book your hotel and get their number (preferably someone who can speak some English) in the case of other emergencies.

 

7. Anything else i need to know? Any recommandations?

 

Vietnam drives on the right side of the road. I found myself driving on the left many times. Usually when I got on the bike after a break and I automatically went to the left. Cars and buses and truck drive in the middle of the road and will ignore you. You need to be very defensive and err on the side of caution - if you have driven in Thailand its a bit similar.

 

You need to carry US dollars. Vietnam is more expensive than Thailand because of this. Carry about 200 US is more than enough. Make sure there are in tens and fives and carry about 30 in 1s. Dont carra 50 US note - nobody will be able to change it.

 

Change into dongs at Hanoi airport. DO NOT change in Hanoi. You will get the best rate at the airport. Change about 400 Sing - you should get about 4million dongs. Always use the dongs first. You can bring back the US dollars, but the dongs are useless outside of Vietnam.

 

If you run out of money use the ATMs (make sure your ATM card has a Maestro or Cirrus or Plus sign on the back and look for a corresponding ATM) in the banks - better rate than the money changer. The service charge is about 2 bucks or so.

 

If you can, book your first night from Singapore. This is an ok place:

http://www.hotels-in-vietnam.com/hotels/ha...tars-hotel.html

Get their airport pickup - its a flat US10 to the hotel.

 

Get/Borrow/Photocopy the Lonely Planet - the Hanoi chapter is good and they have very good maps for navigating - especially for the Old Quarter.

 

Take note of the wheather. Even though all roads are sealed tarmac they are sections where the roads are just large roacks. In rain it can be hazardous (but sometimes thats the fun). The Lonely Planet has a wheather section.

 

Travel light. Bring along your bike essentials - helmet, jacket, gloves, rain pants (if you have, if not buy some cheap ones) and rain covers for your shoes if you dont have waterproof riding boots. The rain covers are available in Mustafa for about 12 bucks. It gets pretty cold in the mountains, around 10 degrees or so. You need the weaterproofs regardless - its still mostly a tropical country and there are downpours, and if you ridden in Malaysia or Thailand you know what that means - and shoes take a long time to dry.

 

I brought two pairs of jeans - you can do your laundry at most hotels and they are pretty cheap.

 

Take note of how much time you have. Dont rush it - take it easy. Dont try to do too much and not enjoy the ride.

 

The Lonely Planet has a language section: you can learn to say basic stuff.

There's also a food section so you know what youre talking and dont end up eating dogmeat (unless you want to).

 

Good Resource Guides:

http://www.exploreindochina.com/

http://www.gt-rider.com/

 

If you need more information you will have to buy me coffee.

If you promise to buy me a Highway 4 tshirt from the Highway 4 bar I will LOAN you the maps.

You can have the tire repair kit for free - as long as you give it away for free to the next guy.

You can have the shoe covers as well - but Im wearing XXXL though!

___________________

[Fai]

FB666Y, its nice to see another sg biker doing north vietnam. Hats off to you for doing it alone. I did the loop up to the China border over the Tet Festival over 9 days return Hanoi. BUT with an adventure tour outfit with 4WD backup and all. The most memorable ride of my life especally since I am not a pan-malayan tourer but more like wanderlust struck biker.

 

Endless mountain twisties on and off road, landslides, rocky terrain, mud terrain, broken tarmac, u name it the Vietnamese have it. Stayed mostly in private homestays or village houses with 4 different tribes. The Hmong being the most elsive of the lot, living without water or electricity up in the valleys. PM me if you want to excahnge routes and experiences. I do not have pictures up on a website but there are countless of scenic shots its almost impossible to share it all.

 

And yes, Cuong is really a helpful bloke... but i will never understand why they never upkeep the Minsk considering its dirt cheap to repair.

 

BTW, we can get XR250 in Vietnam without the special license as they have doctored the log book as 175cc bikes. BUT the 250s can only be bought. Not rented. A few crazy French guys own them. Met them at Mai Chau. And the 250s are also allowed into Cambodia and Laos from what i heard.

 

Fai

[belgarathc]

FB666Y, thanks for the detailed writeup. will take note of your tips.

 

thought i will share some resources i have accumulated

 

very informative. there is a map there which i think is similar to the route FB666Y has taken.

- http://www.minskclubvietnam.com/index.html

 

for those who prefer a guided tour

- http://www.voyagevietnam.net/eng/10.php

- http://www.freewheelin-tours.com

- http://www.exploreindochina.com/

- http://www.vietnamrider.com/

- search the net for the easy riders group. they are pretty famous for guided tours on motorbikes.

 

also do a search at lonelyplanet forum, quite a few pple has done similar trips.

[gunshead]

i just came back from ha long bay

drove up

 

LHS drive

 

i had two problems

 

1. must stop at highways at check post and show and give the road tax tickets

their road tax tickets for cars are expensive SDG10

2. THERE IS NO SIGN BOARD

 

every junction / interchange at highways ( 2 lanes) only shows no entry sign board which confuses me

 

freaking mad drivers

 

top speed achieved is 80km/h

 

must use horn + high beam every 2 minutes

 

before go i pumped full battery water.

 

the toyota vios has no airbags and ebd and abs

 

fy666,

 

how did u ask around for the destination ...no sign boards

 

in thailand i never carry any map, the sign boards will do.

 

i drove in thai many times but the worst is vietnam

[Tippy]

Hats off to you FB666 !!! This has to be the single most inspiring trip I have read here:thumb:

[wait4me]

chao

[belgarathc]

Hello, reporting from Hanoi!

 

I just completed the same north west loop. Great experience. Here's a brief summary.

 

Day 1 (Mai Chau):

- Rent a sports Minsky from Cuong in the morning

- Went back to hotel to get my backpack and strapped it onto the bike

- Left at around 1145am

- Lost myself in the streets of Hanoi. Ask around for directions and finally got the correct road out of Hanoi. Advice: Take Cuong's offer of guiding you out of Hanoi.

- Reached Mai Chau at around 4pm. Stayed the night at a White Thai stilt house in Lac village.

 

Day 2 (Dien Bien Phu):

- Left Mai Chau at 630am

- Experience really misty mountain roads in the first 20km, cannot see beyond 20m.

- Ran out of petrol about 28km from Son La. Pushed bike for a kilometer before I found a petrol station.

- The mountain roads from Son La to Thuan Chau are one of my favourites. Not too hard, beautiful views, roads with twists and turns, ups and downs.

- The first half of the riding from Thuan Chau to Tuan Giao is quite difficult, the paths are very muddy. A bus was even caught in the mud and there were some people digging around the tyres.

- Reached Dien Bien Phu at 445pm and stayed at Binh Long Hotel. FB666Y: I don't think you missed much. Dien Bien Phu is a rather sleepy town.

 

Day 3 (Sapa)

- Left Dien Bien Phu at 615am

- Was enjoying the scenery and didn't noticed a rock before me. Fell and a girl on biycle saw it happened and helped me up. Very malu Suffered some scratches but the serious problem was with the bike. The gear pedal got stucked. A helpful villager helped me knocked the pedal back to a working position.

- 2 hours later, one of the leg rest broke. I had to place my left leg on the passenger leg rest instead.

- Road to Sapa was really a cliff hanger. People with vertigo should not attempt. But the view is fantastic.

- Reached Sapa just before 4pm and stayed at Cat Cat hotel.

- Sapa seems like a nice place to stay a day or 2. But might be too touristy to some people. Saw a guy in Sapa wearing SAF sandals. Fellow Singaporean?

 

Day 4 (Hanoi)

- Left Sapa at 6am for a 380km ride back to Hanoi

- As FB666Y has mentioned, the views along Sapa - Lao Cai - Yen Bai - Hanoi aren't as good. But I believe it's still fun enough for anybody who enjoys riding.

- Again, spent quite a bit of time in Hanoi asking for directions to old quarter.

- Returned the bike at 330pm and was asked to pay US$28 (helmet cost US$1 a day) . When I asked about the damages to the bike, they just said "no need".

[Ones_Co]

cool....

[Ones_Co]

cool....

[ganman]

In HCMC, Vietnam now. Rented a Yamaha Nouvo and had a blast riding district1 in HCMC. Have to agree with gunshed. Riding/Driving conditions are as he described. It's chaos but once you get into the flow everything seems alright. It's not a requirement to wear a helmet. But if you are safety conscious and not very familiar with the roads... bring or get yourself one.

 

People seem drive/ride as if walking on pavement. Just drive/ride whatever way you want to. The roads are full of bikes, bikes & more bikes. Horn as much as necessary & keep to the right of the road. Finding a place to park your motorbike is like finding a carparking lot in a shopping centre on a weekend in Singapore but it does not take long. Hand your bike to a chauffer and he places it together with an stash of other motorcycles which will be similar to yours on the pavement. Gives you a ticket to identify your bike.

 

You can get charged per day or by the hour depending on where you park.

 

Riding here is definately not for the faint-hearted or for the inexperienced rider. But I definately enjoyed my ride here. A very unique experience.

[paithorn]

Hello, reporting from Hanoi!

 

I just completed the same north west loop. Great experience. Here's a brief summary.

 

Day 1 (Mai Chau):

- Rent a sports Minsky from Cuong in the morning

- Went back to hotel to get my backpack and strapped it onto the bike

- Left at around 1145am

- Lost myself in the streets of Hanoi. Ask around for directions and finally got the correct road out of Hanoi. Advice: Take Cuong's offer of guiding you out of Hanoi.

- Reached Mai Chau at around 4pm. Stayed the night at a White Thai stilt house in Lac village.

 

Day 2 (Dien Bien Phu):

- Left Mai Chau at 630am

- Experience really misty mountain roads in the first 20km, cannot see beyond 20m.

- Ran out of petrol about 28km from Son La. Pushed bike for a kilometer before I found a petrol station.

- The mountain roads from Son La to Thuan Chau are one of my favourites. Not too hard, beautiful views, roads with twists and turns, ups and downs.

- The first half of the riding from Thuan Chau to Tuan Giao is quite difficult, the paths are very muddy. A bus was even caught in the mud and there were some people digging around the tyres.

- Reached Dien Bien Phu at 445pm and stayed at Binh Long Hotel. FB666Y: I don't think you missed much. Dien Bien Phu is a rather sleepy town.

 

Day 3 (Sapa)

- Left Dien Bien Phu at 615am

- Was enjoying the scenery and didn't noticed a rock before me. Fell and a girl on biycle saw it happened and helped me up. Very malu Suffered some scratches but the serious problem was with the bike. The gear pedal got stucked. A helpful villager helped me knocked the pedal back to a working position.

- 2 hours later, one of the leg rest broke. I had to place my left leg on the passenger leg rest instead.

- Road to Sapa was really a cliff hanger. People with vertigo should not attempt. But the view is fantastic.

- Reached Sapa just before 4pm and stayed at Cat Cat hotel.

- Sapa seems like a nice place to stay a day or 2. But might be too touristy to some people. Saw a guy in Sapa wearing SAF sandals. Fellow Singaporean?

 

Day 4 (Hanoi)

- Left Sapa at 6am for a 380km ride back to Hanoi

- As FB666Y has mentioned, the views along Sapa - Lao Cai - Yen Bai - Hanoi aren't as good. But I believe it's still fun enough for anybody who enjoys riding.

- Again, spent quite a bit of time in Hanoi asking for directions to old quarter.

- Returned the bike at 330pm and was asked to pay US$28 (helmet cost US$1 a day) . When I asked about the damages to the bike, they just said "no need".

 

I'd really love to gon on this trip and have my leave approved from 23rd this month, any bros interested as well. Is it safe for me to proceed alone?

[Guest ah_sing]

Hi pple,

 

I am say you all are great. I am having my holidays and planning for a trip.And I hope to go to a trip something like you all had done.

 

I am planning to go on the trip in 21/07/07.

Any advice?

 

Thank you

[Guest ah_sing]

Kutrax - Yeah, that probably me on the road to Mersing. I did pass one Super 4 that looked lost and a bunch of other Sporean bikes.

 

belgarathc - I didnt get the Minsk from Cuong (see below).

As for licenses an international license would be good but I didnt bother. Applying for a local license can take months. Just wing it - as it was no one asked for my license.

 

Some other have asked questions. Here's what I replied:

 

____________

 

Here goes, I will try to answer your questions as best as I can:

 

1. Where to rent a CHEAP and GOOD bike? Does the bike comes with box for your clothings etc?

 

Cheap and good is subjective. I rented from Flamingo at Hang Tre Street for US$8 per day. You can also from Mr Cuong at 1 Luong Ngoc Quyen street for US$6 a day. You will end up with a Minsk - theyre a cross between a dirtbike and RXK.

 

The Minsk I had had no key, no speedo or meters. The engine off switch was how I turned it off. It kept missing gears, especially on uphills which can be frustating, however no punctures and no engine failure.

 

You will need to premix with 2T every time you fill up - 10% 2T and 90% petrol; but dont worry, the petrol stations will do this automatically.

 

They are easy to troubleshoot should something go wrong, and you get a spark plug, rectifier and alternator. They dont come with a box, though mine had a rack that I strapped my luggage on - so it will be a good idea to bring along some straps.

 

I also brought along a tire patch repair kit I bought from Mustafa for about $2. I realise it was kind of useless considering I didnt have a pump!

 

(Note: I heard that Flamingo has Bajaj 250 dirtbikes. That might be an option)

 

2. Along the way, is it easy to find petrol station? Easy to find food?

 

You will pass a lot of towns and villages. You will be able to find food and petrol very easily. The Minsk I had usually filled up about 120-130K dongs with the 2T in most gas stations. I was getting about 150kmish. Couldnt be sure though without any sort of meters. Plus I was two up and riding full throttle up the mountains

 

3. where to get the local road/street maps? Those i found online does not really help.

 

I used 2 maps, a Periplus map you can get at Times or Borders for about $10-12.

This is what it looks like:

https://peripluspublishinggroup.com/periplu...p?id=0794603866

Unfortunately I cant remember what the other map is. Its lying around somewhere.

 

I carried both maps because one map will miss information but invariably the other map will carry it.

 

 

>> Regarding the book on Motorcycle Routes in Australia, its published by Hema Publishing, and they only carry that range for Oz and New Zealand. I highly doubt if they have such an enlightened book on Vietnam.

This is the link:

http://www.hemamaps.com.au/productlist/lis....asp?prod_cat=6

Very good for Australia and New Zealand. Hema Maps are the way to go for those countries.

 

4. when u are in all the villages, do u stay in inn or at other people's house? Cause i doint think got hotel in the village right?

 

I planned my route such that I stopped at towns instead of villages. The only exception would be Mai Chau, where the two of us stayed and dined for about 200,000 dongs. That including lodgings, the coffees, the milos, the dinner and beers we drank. Its pretty basic - a large room with a view of the paddy fields, toilets are communal and they have hot water. Mai Chau is slightly different in the sense that have live-in for travellers and tourist who want to experience a bit of solitude in amazing surroundings. The stilt houses are basic but the people are friendly even though I dont know what they're talking about most of the time.

 

The other places I stayed over:

 

Son La - Government House - US$18

big hotel, clean and very friendly

 

Lai Chau - US$15

there is only one hotel in Lai Chau, and it was ok

 

Sapa - Baguettes and Chocolat - US$18

very clean and nice and they have very good pastries

 

Yen Bai - $15

cant remember the name of the hotel. It was ok nothing great.

 

Generally speaking most hotels are very clean. Dont know why, must be a Communist thing.

Another things, get US dollars. A lot of hotels charge in US dollars, so its good to have some. Myself I changed $200 into US, got about US$120 or so.

 

You will need the Lonely Planet (or Rough Guide) to Vietnam. It will tell you of all hotels and accomodations and such along your route and makes planning a whole lot easier. Dont buy it (unless you want to - but theyre about $30ish) - borrow it from the library and photocopy the pages you need, or buy it from the streets in Hanoi fro about 120000 dongs.

This is the latest edition:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/174059677...5Fencoding=UTF8

 

5. I am planning to go north-wards, towards the china borders(ping yu, or something like that)

 

My route is thus:

Day 1: Hanoi to Mai Chau

Day 2: Mai Chau to Son La

Day 3: Son La to Lai Chau

Day 4: Lai Chau to Sapa

Day 5: Sapa

Day 6: Sapa to Yen Bai

Day 7: Yen Bai to Hanoi.

 

I made a loop along Highway 4. The most problem you will have is getting out of Hanoi. After that its pretty easy. There's usually just one main road. Every intersection has signs and the roads have tombstones with kilometre markers.

 

My route was pretty easy - not more than 250km per day. Maybe you can do a similar route but go to Dien Bien Phu as well. My day 3 was most strenous: Son La to Tuan Giao to Lai Chau. The Tuan Giao to Lai Chau stretch was very rocky but the views were incredible. Day 4 was the fastest - smooth roads and a lot of corners, and the Tram Tron Pass is beautiful.

 

From Sapa you are about 40 km from Lao Chai which borders with China.

Another suggestion would be to take an overnight train from Sapa to Hanoi with the bike. It would be worth it because Day 6 and Day 7 it was mostly dull roads through a lot of towns and villages. In retrospect I would have gone backwards and gone to the places I didnt go like Dien Bien Phu.

 

All these wont make much sense unless you have a map.

 

There are alo a lot of side routes to towns where the roads and scenery is amazing, however I was pressed for time and couldnt make it.

 

6. In case of veh break down or some other emergency, do u have any number to call? or where to get help?

 

You can get the bike shop number and call if you have any problems. But you probably wont need to. You will pass a lot of villages and most of them have repair shops for this kind of situations. I think your biggest problem will probably be a puncture or a fouled-up spark plug.

 

If youre planning to return to Hanoi it might be a good idea to book your hotel and get their number (preferably someone who can speak some English) in the case of other emergencies.

 

7. Anything else i need to know? Any recommandations?

 

Vietnam drives on the right side of the road. I found myself driving on the left many times. Usually when I got on the bike after a break and I automatically went to the left. Cars and buses and truck drive in the middle of the road and will ignore you. You need to be very defensive and err on the side of caution - if you have driven in Thailand its a bit similar.

 

You need to carry US dollars. Vietnam is more expensive than Thailand because of this. Carry about 200 US is more than enough. Make sure there are in tens and fives and carry about 30 in 1s. Dont carra 50 US note - nobody will be able to change it.

 

Change into dongs at Hanoi airport. DO NOT change in Hanoi. You will get the best rate at the airport. Change about 400 Sing - you should get about 4million dongs. Always use the dongs first. You can bring back the US dollars, but the dongs are useless outside of Vietnam.

 

If you run out of money use the ATMs (make sure your ATM card has a Maestro or Cirrus or Plus sign on the back and look for a corresponding ATM) in the banks - better rate than the money changer. The service charge is about 2 bucks or so.

 

If you can, book your first night from Singapore. This is an ok place:

http://www.hotels-in-vietnam.com/hotels/ha...tars-hotel.html

Get their airport pickup - its a flat US10 to the hotel.

 

Get/Borrow/Photocopy the Lonely Planet - the Hanoi chapter is good and they have very good maps for navigating - especially for the Old Quarter.

 

Take note of the wheather. Even though all roads are sealed tarmac they are sections where the roads are just large roacks. In rain it can be hazardous (but sometimes thats the fun). The Lonely Planet has a wheather section.

 

Travel light. Bring along your bike essentials - helmet, jacket, gloves, rain pants (if you have, if not buy some cheap ones) and rain covers for your shoes if you dont have waterproof riding boots. The rain covers are available in Mustafa for about 12 bucks. It gets pretty cold in the mountains, around 10 degrees or so. You need the weaterproofs regardless - its still mostly a tropical country and there are downpours, and if you ridden in Malaysia or Thailand you know what that means - and shoes take a long time to dry.

 

I brought two pairs of jeans - you can do your laundry at most hotels and they are pretty cheap.

 

Take note of how much time you have. Dont rush it - take it easy. Dont try to do too much and not enjoy the ride.

 

The Lonely Planet has a language section: you can learn to say basic stuff.

There's also a food section so you know what youre talking and dont end up eating dogmeat (unless you want to).

 

Good Resource Guides:

http://www.exploreindochina.com/

http://www.gt-rider.com/

 

If you need more information you will have to buy me coffee.

If you promise to buy me a Highway 4 tshirt from the Highway 4 bar I will LOAN you the maps.

You can have the tire repair kit for free - as long as you give it away for free to the next guy.

You can have the shoe covers as well - but Im wearing XXXL though!

___________________

 

is it possible to travel from hanoi to HCM and return the bike at HCM ,

is there such shops around

Thanks

[belgarathc]

I'd really love to gon on this trip and have my leave approved from 23rd this month, any bros interested as well. Is it safe for me to proceed alone?

 

do take note of the weather. if i am not wrong, it's the raining season right? i did it at around the same time last year and there was quite a bit of rain and mud. maybe you can check out gt-rider.com for the latest news on the roads.

[belgarathc]

is it possible to travel from hanoi to HCM and return the bike at HCM ,

is there such shops around

Thanks

 

yep, try cuong. i heard they even got some new scramblers, XRs or bajas. Hanoi to HCM, now, this is a trip i am interested in doing.

[paithorn]

do take note of the weather. if i am not wrong, it's the raining season right? i did it at around the same time last year and there was quite a bit of rain and mud. maybe you can check out gt-rider.com for the latest news on the roads.

 

okido, thanks bro...

[FB666Y]

Well, Im adding the pics back again - I have changed the linking - unfortunately due to the new four pics per post rule, here are the old pics again:

 

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/FB666Y/vietnam/2pass14.jpg

 

 

Sapa:

 

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/FB666Y/vietnam/sapa1.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/FB666Y/vietnam/sapa2.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/FB666Y/vietnam/sapa3.jpg

[FB666Y]

Cat Cat Village - a tribal village just 3km off Sapa. Walking up and down the ridges is a lot of work:

 

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/FB666Y/vietnam/catcat1.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/FB666Y/vietnam/catcat2.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/FB666Y/vietnam/catcat3.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/FB666Y/vietnam/catcat4.jpg

[FB666Y]

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/FB666Y/vietnam/catcat5.jpg

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m308/FB666Y/vietnam/catcat6.jpg