Seen a few mentions on the forum about taking motorcycle tours in Vietnam but not any threads about it, so thought I would break down my experiences of riding Hanoi to Saigon on a 100cc scooter earlier this year.
I was hanging out in a bar in Beijing the night before my flight to Hanoi at the start of a six week SE Asia trip when another traveler mentioned they were were heading there and planned to ride a motorbike from Hanoi to Saigon. I had never ridden a motorbike before, but was planning on getting one in China when I got back from my trip, and it seemed like the perfect thing to do on my travels.
I didn’t know that Top Gear had recently done an episode where they did this trip, it turns out a lot of people are doing this journey now.
For someone who has scant knowledge of how motorbikes work (like myself), Vietnam is a great place to do a tour like this. The country is densely populated and as an educated guess 90% of its logistics is based on motorbikes, so you can find parts and mechanics everywhere.
Highlights
Seeing Vietnam as the Vietnamese see it, on two wheels. Experiencing the countryside. Doing what you want and going where you want everyday. Getting invited to eat food with villagers on numerous occasions. Spending a night with teachers in a rural school. Riding through jungle covered karst mountains, barely seeing another vehicle all day. Getting shown how to kick start by an eight year old boy. Riding through miles and miles of villages built in traditional architecture with Chinese graveyards scattered throughout. Stopping for a smoke outside a rural school and the whole place runs out to see you and shout hello. Getting lost or running out of snacks or low on fuel and the relief felt at finding your way/supplies again. Getting to your destination after hours and hours on the road. Seeing the mugs on the tour buses and feeling a smug sense of self satisfaction. Finally arriving in Saigon.
I think I’ve forgotten more of the great things than I can remember. Whole trip was such a great experience, just wish I had been able to spend more time doing it.
Recommended bikes
I would recommend getting a Honda, as you can find spare parts anywhere. One day I went over a bridge to fast, when I came down I messed up the sprockets. I pushed the bike to the nearest house, the people there helped me get to the nearest mechanic (around 1km away), an hour later I had a new set on and ready to go, for around $12.
I would not buy a Minsk as the Vietnamese don’t seem to use them anymore, and the parts are hard to come by. Met one guy who gave up half way through the route because his bike kept breaking down and he couldn’t find spares.
Real bikes (as opposed to Chinese clones) are easier to sell. Motorbikes are easier to sell than scooters. More powerful bikes are easier to sell than less powerful. The biggest you will be riding is 125cc anyway.
Buying your bike
I bought mine from The New Hanoian's classified section. Craigslist is also an option, or there are a number of dealers around town. Your hotel can help you find these, but expect to pay over the odds. You can also go to the backpacker areas to find people selling their bikes on the street. When I searched on Google I found a company that sells in Hanoi and will buy back from you in Saigon, don’t know anyone who has used this (or if they still operate), but if so would be good for ease of use.
Accessories
Good helmets are more or less impossible to find. Bring one with you if you plan to do this trip. The cap like helmets that are popular in ‘nam are more or less useless. A guy I met claimed to have seen a women who had face planted on the road, her brains where everywhere, the cap helmet was on the ground next to her intact.
Buy good waterproofs. I had trouble finding these in Hanoi but other people didn’t. Ask in a hostel if you have trouble. The weather in Vietnam is very changeable, and being soaking wet on the road miles from the nearest hotel is not a fun position to be in. I only got properly wet one day fortunately.
Sun cream. You will not notice you are getting burnt as you are riding and it will hurt later.
A bike lock is a good option, but every hotel I stayed in bar one allowed you to take the bikes inside at night.
Time frame
I would recommend three weeks as a minimum for the whole trip. I did it in 16 days with 4 days off and it was way to fast. I didn’t have time to check out the places I was in and party at full capacity as I was real tired from all the riding. A month would be a good length of time to spend doing it.
Budget
One great thing about this trip is that is can be done on the cheap if you have no major problems/breakdowns (of course you should budget for this). I was spending $20-$25 per day when I was just driving and not partying. Hotels in Vietnam are really cheap, usually around $7 a night outside of the cities. Even in the lager, more touristy cities they are not to expensive. Right in the centre of Saigon I got a nicely decorated/furnished pad with air con for $15/night.
Recommended routes
Avoid Highway 1 as much as you can. The traffic is crazy, the dust chokes up your lungs, and you will be to focused on not getting killed to enjoy the ride.
Ho Chi Minh Highway is where is at for most of the route. As the name suggests it follows roughly the route of the Ho Chi Minh trail (although much of that was in Laos – accounting for why that country is the most bombed in history) which the Viet Cong used to smuggle supplies down the guerrilla fighters in the south. The road is pristine, your rocking though jungle covered mountains and villages that rarely see Vietemese from out of the area, let alone foreigners. My best times in Vietnam where had in these places.
Be careful that although a road might be marked as a highway on the map, it may actually be a dirt road in places. Road infrastructure is underdeveloped in Vietnam, especially in the interior. If its been raining this can be a nightmare. I found myself on steep dirt tracks after a downpour surrounded by overloaded logging trucks, that was a pretty hair raising ride.
Safety
Its big boy rules, larger vehicles will come onto your side of the road and its up to you to get out the way. Highway 1 is a nightmare and to be avoided if possible, I had a couple of near misses on it. The less busy roads are pretty safe with regards to other vehicles, just watch out for animals on the road. I never felt danger regarding other people, but normal travel rules apply.
Starting in Hanoi or Saigon?
I am glad I started in Hanoi. I found I enjoyed the things the places I visited more and more as I went South. As I went in winter is was great how the weather got better and better. Also, between Hanoi and Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park there wasn’t anything I felt was unmissable, and you pretty much have to take Highway 1 for a lot of it. it would be a shame to have the last 300km or so of your trip being below par.
If anyone has questions about parts of the trip ask away. I wasn't gaming and spent so little time in the different cities I went to I can't really give solid answers about those areas.
I was hanging out in a bar in Beijing the night before my flight to Hanoi at the start of a six week SE Asia trip when another traveler mentioned they were were heading there and planned to ride a motorbike from Hanoi to Saigon. I had never ridden a motorbike before, but was planning on getting one in China when I got back from my trip, and it seemed like the perfect thing to do on my travels.
I didn’t know that Top Gear had recently done an episode where they did this trip, it turns out a lot of people are doing this journey now.
For someone who has scant knowledge of how motorbikes work (like myself), Vietnam is a great place to do a tour like this. The country is densely populated and as an educated guess 90% of its logistics is based on motorbikes, so you can find parts and mechanics everywhere.
Highlights
Seeing Vietnam as the Vietnamese see it, on two wheels. Experiencing the countryside. Doing what you want and going where you want everyday. Getting invited to eat food with villagers on numerous occasions. Spending a night with teachers in a rural school. Riding through jungle covered karst mountains, barely seeing another vehicle all day. Getting shown how to kick start by an eight year old boy. Riding through miles and miles of villages built in traditional architecture with Chinese graveyards scattered throughout. Stopping for a smoke outside a rural school and the whole place runs out to see you and shout hello. Getting lost or running out of snacks or low on fuel and the relief felt at finding your way/supplies again. Getting to your destination after hours and hours on the road. Seeing the mugs on the tour buses and feeling a smug sense of self satisfaction. Finally arriving in Saigon.
I think I’ve forgotten more of the great things than I can remember. Whole trip was such a great experience, just wish I had been able to spend more time doing it.
Recommended bikes
I would recommend getting a Honda, as you can find spare parts anywhere. One day I went over a bridge to fast, when I came down I messed up the sprockets. I pushed the bike to the nearest house, the people there helped me get to the nearest mechanic (around 1km away), an hour later I had a new set on and ready to go, for around $12.
I would not buy a Minsk as the Vietnamese don’t seem to use them anymore, and the parts are hard to come by. Met one guy who gave up half way through the route because his bike kept breaking down and he couldn’t find spares.
Real bikes (as opposed to Chinese clones) are easier to sell. Motorbikes are easier to sell than scooters. More powerful bikes are easier to sell than less powerful. The biggest you will be riding is 125cc anyway.
Buying your bike
I bought mine from The New Hanoian's classified section. Craigslist is also an option, or there are a number of dealers around town. Your hotel can help you find these, but expect to pay over the odds. You can also go to the backpacker areas to find people selling their bikes on the street. When I searched on Google I found a company that sells in Hanoi and will buy back from you in Saigon, don’t know anyone who has used this (or if they still operate), but if so would be good for ease of use.
Accessories
Good helmets are more or less impossible to find. Bring one with you if you plan to do this trip. The cap like helmets that are popular in ‘nam are more or less useless. A guy I met claimed to have seen a women who had face planted on the road, her brains where everywhere, the cap helmet was on the ground next to her intact.
Buy good waterproofs. I had trouble finding these in Hanoi but other people didn’t. Ask in a hostel if you have trouble. The weather in Vietnam is very changeable, and being soaking wet on the road miles from the nearest hotel is not a fun position to be in. I only got properly wet one day fortunately.
Sun cream. You will not notice you are getting burnt as you are riding and it will hurt later.
A bike lock is a good option, but every hotel I stayed in bar one allowed you to take the bikes inside at night.
Time frame
I would recommend three weeks as a minimum for the whole trip. I did it in 16 days with 4 days off and it was way to fast. I didn’t have time to check out the places I was in and party at full capacity as I was real tired from all the riding. A month would be a good length of time to spend doing it.
Budget
One great thing about this trip is that is can be done on the cheap if you have no major problems/breakdowns (of course you should budget for this). I was spending $20-$25 per day when I was just driving and not partying. Hotels in Vietnam are really cheap, usually around $7 a night outside of the cities. Even in the lager, more touristy cities they are not to expensive. Right in the centre of Saigon I got a nicely decorated/furnished pad with air con for $15/night.
Recommended routes
Avoid Highway 1 as much as you can. The traffic is crazy, the dust chokes up your lungs, and you will be to focused on not getting killed to enjoy the ride.
Ho Chi Minh Highway is where is at for most of the route. As the name suggests it follows roughly the route of the Ho Chi Minh trail (although much of that was in Laos – accounting for why that country is the most bombed in history) which the Viet Cong used to smuggle supplies down the guerrilla fighters in the south. The road is pristine, your rocking though jungle covered mountains and villages that rarely see Vietemese from out of the area, let alone foreigners. My best times in Vietnam where had in these places.
Be careful that although a road might be marked as a highway on the map, it may actually be a dirt road in places. Road infrastructure is underdeveloped in Vietnam, especially in the interior. If its been raining this can be a nightmare. I found myself on steep dirt tracks after a downpour surrounded by overloaded logging trucks, that was a pretty hair raising ride.
Safety
Its big boy rules, larger vehicles will come onto your side of the road and its up to you to get out the way. Highway 1 is a nightmare and to be avoided if possible, I had a couple of near misses on it. The less busy roads are pretty safe with regards to other vehicles, just watch out for animals on the road. I never felt danger regarding other people, but normal travel rules apply.
Starting in Hanoi or Saigon?
I am glad I started in Hanoi. I found I enjoyed the things the places I visited more and more as I went South. As I went in winter is was great how the weather got better and better. Also, between Hanoi and Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park there wasn’t anything I felt was unmissable, and you pretty much have to take Highway 1 for a lot of it. it would be a shame to have the last 300km or so of your trip being below par.
If anyone has questions about parts of the trip ask away. I wasn't gaming and spent so little time in the different cities I went to I can't really give solid answers about those areas.