I am going to buy a beater bike and ride from Hanoi to Saigon. I will get to Vietnam on Nov 15th. If anyone else is doing a ride during that time and wants to meet up drop me a line! Troy
I agree with peter4d...I did Vietnam over about a month from north to south and it was still pretty fast paced. My favorite time was definitely the 10 days I did in the north. Either way it'll be a friggin' blast, safe travels!
Yeah, I had about 5 weeks there in 2010. My favourite was also up north and northwest, especially around Sapa, but other places that stood out for me were Cuc Phuong (National Park), around Hue and Hoi An and also the coast from Vung Tau up to Nha Trang (via Dalat). I also loved my time on boats in the Mekong delta. I'm sure you'll have a ball - and I hope you get something better to ride than I did (I bought in Saigon and there wasn't anything we could find other than scooters).
I just logged on to post about the VN trip I'm planning for December and to see what advice I met get. I'm definitely interested in hearing what you learn, t-roys.
I spent a month riding around Vietnam on a beater and had a fantastic time. Be mindful of the weather up in the north as it does get pretty cold towards the winter. Also if you decide to head up north of Hanoi be sure to do your research and see when the harvest is happening this year as it changes from year to year. Wouldn't want to get there expecting lush green and gold crops to find it's all gone. On your way down to Saigon from Hanoi you'll want to avoid highway 1 wherever possible. My worst riding experiences in Vietnam were on highway 1 due to the sheer number of trucks and buses constantly running me off the road. While I didn't do it myself, everyone recommends the Ho Chi Minh Highway instead - Less crowded, better scenery, and in better shape since it is newer. 2 weeks from Hanoi to Saigon via this route will feel a little rushed I'm told. 3 weeks is more comfortable as you can spend more time in places along the way. From Dalat to Mui Ne I particularly liked QL20-QL28. From Mui Ne to Saigon definitely take the coastal road for as long as possible. Regarding bikes, I did my month down there on a Honda Win 100 and thought it was perfect for the job. Almost all of them are Chinese copies that will run you about $200 US. I'd recommend paying double that for an original with Japanese parts if you can find one. They are much more reliable and just smoother rides overall. You can most readily tell them apart by the electric start; the Chinese knock offs have them, the originals do not. The great thing about these bikes is that they can be repaired very cheaply and you can find replacement parts anywhere. Riding gear: Bring it from abroad. It's difficult to find decent gear in Vietnam and most of the helmets I saw wouldn't do much for you in a crash. I bought a good ECE rated helmet from abroad and it saved me a lot of grief later on when I finally did come off. I'd be happy to help you guys with any more specific questions about riding in Vietnam if you have any. I had such a blast doing it.
I'll chime in because your post is getting more hits than mine :) I'm headed there to do the same for 5 weeks in March...planning to spend the first two weeks in the north looking for offroad trail riding and adventure. I am bringing my garmin 60 csx and am looking for a good mapset to load into it. Any recommendations?
I just started planning for early Jan. Thinking on using a tour http://motorbiketours-hoian.com/ 8 day tour for around $1200. Would consider date flexibility to team up. I'm thinking tour Vietnam and then cross (Laos) into Thailand, 21 day trip.
I'm heading out to Hanoi on the 5th December . Anyone got any tips on were to look for a bike ? Paperwork ect ? I have 7 weeks so plan to head all the way south then I'd like to see if I can take the bike I buy across the border into Cambodia maybe even Laos if I have time
