MR. KARL LONG’S REVIEWS OF NORTH-EAST VIETNAM MOTORCYCLE TOUR

(Karl Long reviews of 7 days on Honda dirt bike 125cc, ~1,200 km)

Overall this tour and experience were absolutely amazing, our guide, Thang was a brilliant bloke and was always taking care of things where ever we went. The scenery we drove through and the villages we saw for any westerner could not fail to affect your outlook. The people were so friendly and hospitable, the environments they were living in so rural and tough, it was a really life-changing experience.

One point to note, it was much wetter than expected and we were in rain or heavy cloud for 4 days straight and got very wet, so Gortex boots and plenty of socks and underwear are important.

Tempo of the tour and the stop-over

The pace we set was generally very good and pretty much matched our skill levels. The only issue was we tended to have bike problems in the morning which delayed us getting started so we would often finish the day in the dark which was generally not fun.

Bikes and equipment

We had some bad luck with the bikes, a couple of broken chains, a couple of welding jobs needed doing, a blocked fuel line, and various electrical problems made for some unexpected excursions an adventure, this in some ways added to the trip, but it became tiresome after a while.

Accommodation

Accommodations were generally good with Babe Lake really standing out.

Food

We always had plenty of food, again Babe Lake stood out in this regard, as did dinner with Thang’s family, and lunch on the Halong Bay junk. We always had enough food, and the quality was excellent. The only thing I would try and do is try and add a bit more variety.