Should You Motorbike Vietnam?
That certainly is the question.
My simple answer is yes.
Absolutely definitely yes.
The experience will blow you away.
Owning a motorbike gives you true freedom to explore a country at your leisure. Visiting the places you most want to see, in any order, you choose following your own truly flexible schedule.
You can get off the tourism conveyor belt.
You get to see true Vietnam.
That means seeing some truly epic Vietnamese scenery.
Seeing the truly quintessential Vietnamese hangouts, think eateries, roadside billiards halls, and bustling remote market towns.
And meeting some truly lovely Vietnamese people.
All experiences I think you struggle to have without the freedom that having your own wheels enables.
The journey becomes part of the adventure and what an adventure it becomes.
Plus you never have to sit on a bus.
However …
Motorbiking is not without risks and challenges. Here are a few that we faced along our 10-week journey.
The Weather
If you are biking Vietnam you will undoubtedly experience the full spectrum of weather. From searing heat to torrential downpours, to the freezing mountains.
The heat isn’t so bad just suncream up and enjoy rocking the riders tan.
The cold is bearable, just be sure to have a couple of warm layers. I bought a fake North Face in Sapa which sorted me out although the ride up to Sapa was not pleasant.
The rain can be tough.
Across Vietnam, there are around 4 different periods in different areas of Vietnam where it is the rainy season. You are bound to hit at least one.
Our worst spell started on arrival in Phong Nha.
Over a week of continuous rain.
Over a week before we felt the warmth of the sunshine again.
Over a week till our shoes were dry.
It can get a bit demoralizing. Especially putting on damp, or often soaking wet, stinking shoes every day.
My advice is to get a decent poncho and suck it up. Some people even get bags for their feet which isn’t a bad idea.
Don’t let a bit or even quite a lot of rain stop you doing what you want to.
The Terrain
Actually, throughout Vietnam, the roads were in pretty sweet condition. One in particular that stands out is Mui Ne’s deserted 5 lane highway. Worth a visit just to unleash your motorbike on there a few times.
But there are times when the roads get shit.
Potholed. Muddy. Waterlogged. Sandy.
Roads like this are mostly around North Vietnam where the Vietnamese battle against the relentless mud and rockslides. As if the mountains are trying to reclaim the territory taken from them.
Just take these nice and slow. If you’re driving a manual kick it down to second or even first gear.
And never, ever brake with only your front wheel. That’s when you skid and crash and no one wants that.
Breakdowns
These are inevitable.
We probably had more than most. And they do provide an interesting interaction with the locals. Especially in the smaller towns where you come to understand the Vietnamese as people with honor and big hearts.
However overall breaking down is an unpleasant, expensive and frustrating experience. In the more popular tourist towns, their big hearts are often overlooked in favor of big profits.
My best advice is to buy a good bike. Spend around $400 on your bike and you will likely only have minor breakdowns. Plus your bike will retain its value far better. Unlike mine.
Although, if you do decide to take the shit bike challenge you just have to accept the breakdowns. They are part of the experience. You chose to be a cheapskate so enjoy it.
I don’t regret taking my shit bike. A bike that has undoubtedly taken many a traveler up and down the wonderful country of Vietnam. It was an honor to take it on one more leg. I am sure it has many more in it.
Dangerous
This is the big one. Riding a motorbike is NOT safe.
If you get in a serious crash you are going to get seriously injured or worse.
What makes this scarier is that no matter how good a rider you are you still can’t guarentee your saftey.
Things can happen that are completely out of your control.
This was brought into sharp focus during a day biking to Ninh Binh along highway 1.
A woman on a scooter pulled a U-turn without so much as a glance across two lanes of oncoming highway traffic.
It just so happened that the oncoming traffic was me.
Fortunately, I reacted before I could even register the seriousness of the situation.
Slamming on the brakes and swerving to the side just in time.
I was inches away from catching the back of her bike.
Inches away from game over for me, her and probably a few other people that day.
It was worse for Doug who witnesses the whole thing. Whereas I didn’t have time to process what was happening I just reacted and the stupid woman was, I think, oblivious to the whole thing.
We took a timeout after that.
This is one bad story, a bad experience. I am telling you so you will be careful. Be prepared for the unexpected. Don’t assume anything about the other drivers on the road.
Overall though I found driving in Vietnam to be safe, relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable. Just avoid highway 1 at all costs and you will be a lot safer.
Also as a more long term danger. Riding on highway 1 can leave you looking like this.
While I promise you motorbiking Vietnam is worth it, you have to accept that it comes with risks.
Like everything in life, the best things aren’t good for you.
Be safe :)
