MR. ALAN SCOTT’S REVIEWS OF NORTH-EAST VIETNAM MOTORBIKE TOUR

(Alan Scott reviews of 5 days Honda dirt bike 250cc adventure, ~1,000 km + rental)

If this is your first visit to Vietnam take a guide with you, the help you get is invaluable and chances are he’ll save you money when it comes to bartering when you go shopping as well as helping you to get to know the people. Vietnam is a different world, it’s a beautiful country filled with the happiest friendliest most helpful people I have ever come across but it’s different, different in a pleasant way and you’ll need help coping with that difference.

Tempo of the tour and the stop-over

We took a five-day guided tour then kept the bike’s and went our own way for a further two weeks. Although the time on our own was good the first part that was organised by Offroad Vietnam was better by far, they do after all come from Vietnam and have been running a successful business for many years. They know what they are doing. While on the tour we stayed at both hotels and homestays, personally I preferred the homestays for the atmosphere and the people but there was no problem with either.

Bikes and equipment

We opted for the Honda 250 trail bikes although there is a range of others to choose from, we had no breakdowns in 2,000 km and found them to be ideal for the job.

Food

I am a vegetarian and was dreading finding things to eat but it was surprisingly easy largely due to the help I got from our guide, If you eat meat then you’ll have a great time especially if you’ll try anything and I do mean anything.

Guide and organisation

The organisation was flawless. Offroad Vietnam had put in place all that we needed for the trip, all we had to do was get there and ride. Our guide was exceptional, going out of his way to cater to our needs, he was friendly, helpful, and a great source of information about the country. From the start, I considered him a friend more than a guide and I still do.

The price

The price is great especially for the tour, once you start you hardly need to get your money out. Hotels, Homestays, food, petrol are all paid for. It is a professional operation run by friendly, helpful people.