Vietnam Xmas 2024
- Thread starter TLSgazza
- Start date
Fantastic read , I did 10 day tour of Vietnam about 10 years ago, we had a guide and paid a bit more than you 
.
Its a fantastic scenic and friendly country.
Looking at doing the Himalayas , early in the planning stage the now. Will be self guided unless we get a cheap guide.
.Its a fantastic scenic and friendly country.
Looking at doing the Himalayas , early in the planning stage the now. Will be self guided unless we get a cheap guide.
Hard to beat a good bat cave !!!!
I decided this morning that I'd head south for a bit. Then decided I'll head to the coast to get a look at the south china sea.
I ended up riding for about 7 hours and covered about 325 Kms.
I started off on the lovely mountain road down from the homestay, lovely tarmac and super twisty. I guess this was for about 30 Kms.
Then to get some distance I hit the main roads. It was mostly as always, a fair amount of trucks but it was quite fast by Vietnamese standards. It was a little featureless running between the mountains on both sides. There was a lot of farmland along a lot of it. Plenty of corn and other produce being grown which made a change from
rice, tea and coffee.
I was due another oil change.
As stated before they like it done every 1,500-2,000 Kms.
I diverted off to one of the bike shops suggested mechanics and got it done. Despite telling him the oil would shoot out backwards he just dropped the sump plug and it went everywhere. The same as the previous mechanic did.
He did adjust the chain and stuck a bit of oil on it too.
The mud all over the bike didn't help matters.
I rode through a big town after this and it's amazing how many have a road through it that is 6 or 8 lanes wide. Crazy .
After this I headed east towards the coast. Finally got to an area that on Google maps had loads of hotels and resorts so I thought it would be ok to stay around there.
There were indeed many resorts etc but the area was deserted. No one anywhere.
There are many places in Vietnam like this, so many tourists related places built that are empty. Maybe they are busier in the summer.
I did see the sea though and it was well rough.
There was some light rain in the area too so I decided to retrace my steps about 25 Kms back to vihn which is quite a large city.
Found a hotel, it only 2* but it has un underground carpark and is close to restaurants. I think it may have been quite posh back in it's day.
It'll do though as the room was only £10.50 again.
Didn't take many photos today.
And if rain is forecast I may just head north west again instead of going further south.
I'll decide in the morning.
I ended up riding for about 7 hours and covered about 325 Kms.
I started off on the lovely mountain road down from the homestay, lovely tarmac and super twisty. I guess this was for about 30 Kms.
Then to get some distance I hit the main roads. It was mostly as always, a fair amount of trucks but it was quite fast by Vietnamese standards. It was a little featureless running between the mountains on both sides. There was a lot of farmland along a lot of it. Plenty of corn and other produce being grown which made a change from
rice, tea and coffee.
I was due another oil change.
As stated before they like it done every 1,500-2,000 Kms.
I diverted off to one of the bike shops suggested mechanics and got it done. Despite telling him the oil would shoot out backwards he just dropped the sump plug and it went everywhere. The same as the previous mechanic did.
He did adjust the chain and stuck a bit of oil on it too.
The mud all over the bike didn't help matters.
I rode through a big town after this and it's amazing how many have a road through it that is 6 or 8 lanes wide. Crazy .
After this I headed east towards the coast. Finally got to an area that on Google maps had loads of hotels and resorts so I thought it would be ok to stay around there.
There were indeed many resorts etc but the area was deserted. No one anywhere.
There are many places in Vietnam like this, so many tourists related places built that are empty. Maybe they are busier in the summer.
I did see the sea though and it was well rough.
There was some light rain in the area too so I decided to retrace my steps about 25 Kms back to vihn which is quite a large city.
Found a hotel, it only 2* but it has un underground carpark and is close to restaurants. I think it may have been quite posh back in it's day.
It'll do though as the room was only £10.50 again.
Didn't take many photos today.
And if rain is forecast I may just head north west again instead of going further south.
I'll decide in the morning.
The weather radar is showing a lot of rain from this area all the way down south. I rode in the same area last year in torrential rain for 3 days heading south, so I'm going to head back up north instead of doing another day further south. It makes more sense as I've only got
5 days until I have to get the bike back to Hanoi. 320 Kms yesterday to get here as well.
I had a wander in the city last night. Massive statue of Ho Chi Minh.
5 days until I have to get the bike back to Hanoi. 320 Kms yesterday to get here as well.
I had a wander in the city last night. Massive statue of Ho Chi Minh.
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What a great Christmas and I love those waterwheels. Again a great write up.
I rode about 300 Kms today, about 7.5 hours riding.
I Set off in light rain so I waterproofed up for the first time in ages.
By the time I got out of the city. The light drizzle had mostly stopped with wet roads for the next 50kms or so, it was pretty good going though on fairly good tarmac.
Plenty of beautifully manicured tea plantations and corn fields amongst others.
I stopped to buy water and a couple of snacks so took off the waterproofs as it was now dry but very hazy with low clouds.
I then decided to get in a long loop off towards Laos to get into some mountains again. The route out was on good tarmac and I was back into the beautiful limestone mountains again.
It would have been nice to have seen them better at this point but the air quality here was bad.
I saw a large factory at one point that was processing the limestone. It looked like they were literally dismantling 2 of the mountains. Quite unbelievable. I didn't manage to get a pic though.
The road followed a massive river with a few dams for hydro power. It was quite spectacular.
Talking of lorries I came across one crashed off the side of the road on a twisty pass.
It was a bit of a mess and I stopped because no one was around. I couldn't tell if there was anyone still in the truck. A few more vehicles passed and none stopped so I took a few pics and carried on.
Many small towns and villages along the way. What seemed like hundreds of kids knocking off for the day along the road on their Peds. It was mayhem. and this was at 11am, no idea what the school hours are but this seems common all over.
The return route was up into the mountains on smaller roads away from the main route. The sun was almost out at the start and the views were considerably better. Quite a few mountain passes along the way. Some in the clouds a little but the visibility was ok.
Very twisty roads with the odd bit of roadworks and rough roads.
Many many cows and chickens and cow dung to dodge all the way along. Not to mention the dogs everywhere. But it was nice to be in the hills again.
it was a long journey back and away from the tourist routes so not many hotels etc. I had to wait until I was quite a way east and a biggish town before I could find a hotel. The first one was posh and expensive but they also did 2 hourly rates.
I declined and moved on. Found a little back street motel. Very basic but cheap. It'll do for the night.
I Set off in light rain so I waterproofed up for the first time in ages.
By the time I got out of the city. The light drizzle had mostly stopped with wet roads for the next 50kms or so, it was pretty good going though on fairly good tarmac.
Plenty of beautifully manicured tea plantations and corn fields amongst others.
I stopped to buy water and a couple of snacks so took off the waterproofs as it was now dry but very hazy with low clouds.
I then decided to get in a long loop off towards Laos to get into some mountains again. The route out was on good tarmac and I was back into the beautiful limestone mountains again.
It would have been nice to have seen them better at this point but the air quality here was bad.
I saw a large factory at one point that was processing the limestone. It looked like they were literally dismantling 2 of the mountains. Quite unbelievable. I didn't manage to get a pic though.
The road followed a massive river with a few dams for hydro power. It was quite spectacular.
Talking of lorries I came across one crashed off the side of the road on a twisty pass.
It was a bit of a mess and I stopped because no one was around. I couldn't tell if there was anyone still in the truck. A few more vehicles passed and none stopped so I took a few pics and carried on.
Many small towns and villages along the way. What seemed like hundreds of kids knocking off for the day along the road on their Peds. It was mayhem. and this was at 11am, no idea what the school hours are but this seems common all over.
The return route was up into the mountains on smaller roads away from the main route. The sun was almost out at the start and the views were considerably better. Quite a few mountain passes along the way. Some in the clouds a little but the visibility was ok.
Very twisty roads with the odd bit of roadworks and rough roads.
Many many cows and chickens and cow dung to dodge all the way along. Not to mention the dogs everywhere. But it was nice to be in the hills again.
it was a long journey back and away from the tourist routes so not many hotels etc. I had to wait until I was quite a way east and a biggish town before I could find a hotel. The first one was posh and expensive but they also did 2 hourly rates.
I declined and moved on. Found a little back street motel. Very basic but cheap. It'll do for the night.
We went to Vietnam several years and hired 125/150 scooters at various places, anything bigger non Vietnamese were supposed to take a test before hiring bigger bikes or do guided group tours, we would like to do an unguided tour on a bigger bike, so has this this changed or don’t people bother?
Al.
Al.
Go to the post office with a passport photo, get yourself an international drivers licence. I think it was about £7.00 or so. That'll do with your normal licence. It lasts for a couple of years too.
That's all the bike shop required and its acceptable on a roadside stop by the police here too.
240kms and 6 hours on the road today.
It started off on wet roads but wasn't raining at least. I headed north for the first 100 kms or so on main roads. The usual traffic, loads of trucks again. Came across a long line of traffic and I filtered to the front. There was a big crash on a corner.
Two artics pretty much head on. They were pretty busted up. Wheels missing and one was jacknifed into a field after the impact. Plenty of police around and recovery vehicles and they were letting the traffic through.
I'm surprised I've not seen more of it to be honest. They do have a habit of just pulling out and overtaking everywhere. Flashing their lights and sounding horns fully expecting everyone to move out of their way.
The amount of skid marks on the road on most of the busy twisty roads are a bit of a clue too
I got off the main roads and they were nice and dry now. There was even a hint of sunshine coming through. Some nice rural roads from now on. Still a fair few trucks but not too bad. It was nice to be back in the mountains again as well. There were some nice towns and villages along the way.
I think my 600 Kms trip south was a slight mistake but it wasn't all bad. I made the most of it.
A bit further along and the sun did come out. I wasn't sure how far I was going to go today but upon checking the map I noticed another waterfall not far off my route that looked interesting, so I headed there. It was down a narrow lane for about 10 Kms but was worth it. Then I realised it was very close to a large lake and further down this lane were a resort and some home stays. That'll do for today then as the weather was actually pretty nice.
It's actually pretty beautiful here. A very basic but cheap homestay. I could have stayed in a dorm room for £3.50 but decided to splash out and spend £7.00 on a little private room. No ensuite this time but the lady is very nice and she says she'll do me some food later too. Amazing views of the lake and the mountains from right outside the room on a large balcony, lots of boats and fishing down below.
Sitting here drinking a coffee and it's so quiet except for a crowing cockerel just below the deck
Time to relax
It started off on wet roads but wasn't raining at least. I headed north for the first 100 kms or so on main roads. The usual traffic, loads of trucks again. Came across a long line of traffic and I filtered to the front. There was a big crash on a corner.
Two artics pretty much head on. They were pretty busted up. Wheels missing and one was jacknifed into a field after the impact. Plenty of police around and recovery vehicles and they were letting the traffic through.
I'm surprised I've not seen more of it to be honest. They do have a habit of just pulling out and overtaking everywhere. Flashing their lights and sounding horns fully expecting everyone to move out of their way.
The amount of skid marks on the road on most of the busy twisty roads are a bit of a clue too
I got off the main roads and they were nice and dry now. There was even a hint of sunshine coming through. Some nice rural roads from now on. Still a fair few trucks but not too bad. It was nice to be back in the mountains again as well. There were some nice towns and villages along the way.
I think my 600 Kms trip south was a slight mistake but it wasn't all bad. I made the most of it.
A bit further along and the sun did come out. I wasn't sure how far I was going to go today but upon checking the map I noticed another waterfall not far off my route that looked interesting, so I headed there. It was down a narrow lane for about 10 Kms but was worth it. Then I realised it was very close to a large lake and further down this lane were a resort and some home stays. That'll do for today then as the weather was actually pretty nice.
It's actually pretty beautiful here. A very basic but cheap homestay. I could have stayed in a dorm room for £3.50 but decided to splash out and spend £7.00 on a little private room. No ensuite this time but the lady is very nice and she says she'll do me some food later too. Amazing views of the lake and the mountains from right outside the room on a large balcony, lots of boats and fishing down below.
Sitting here drinking a coffee and it's so quiet except for a crowing cockerel just below the deck
Time to relax
The lake Where I am today is further along from the ferry I crossed 2 weeks ago. I'm very tempted to do the same route north again on that road as the first time I was in clouds and drizzle for the first half and couldn't see a thing. It was a lovely twisty back road and if I go that way I may take a look at the dinosaurs spine, A classic trail along the top of the mountains. Though I don't fancy riding it all on the CB if I'm fully loaded.
Bearing in mind that the bit I'm looking at is just in front of the blue dot at the left side of the map. The right hand end by the dam is about 70 Kms away, that's like Wellingborough to Peterborough.
Let alone the tributaries from when they flooded the valley.
The Da river in total is 910 Kms long.it's massive. 
Let alone the tributaries from when they flooded the valley.
The Da river in total is 910 Kms long.
it's massive.
Thanks, done that for Thailand & Sri Lanka but thought Vietnam was different, if it hasn’t changed already the Post is not not going to issue the International licence any more, changing to businesses/ shop that has Paypoint.Go to the post office with a passport photo, get yourself an international drivers licence. I think it was about £7.00 or so. That'll do with your normal licence. It lasts for a couple of years too.
That's all the bike shop required and its acceptable on a roadside stop by the police here too.
Enjoy the rest of your trip.
Al.
Only about 190 Kms today but 7 hours on the bike.
I plotted a backroads route today to get to the road I rode on Friday 13th of Dec. As the weather is lovely today I was hoping to see more of the mountains that I missed in the rain and clouds last time.
It didn't fail to disappoint. The little back road rose higher and higher into jungle covered mountains again. It was truly remarkable.
As I got higher there were many tea plantations again and a lot of corn fields. There were a few landslides evident again but most had been cleared along here.
Onto the other road and without the thick slippery mud that was on there last time it was a lovely road. It was still high up above the valleys and the views were beautiful.
I carried on to the little ferry. They were using smaller ones today to only take bikes across. I think the guy robbed me today as he charged more than twice as much as last time. About £1.80.
I carried on and intended heading up to the dragons spine later on. Got to the busy town where I turn off to go up the mountain and plugged the route in.
Hmmmm
1hr 15 mins to do 26 Kms.
This could be interesting.
I headed up the twistiest, steepest and narrow mountain pass I've even ridden. Rough road too on a lot of it and gravel, some parts with no guard rail and a very long way down.
It went higher and higher.
There were many busses and quite a lot of tipper trucks and lots of cars too. It would seem I picked Sunday by mistake to head up there. I got to a very large tourist area.
It was quite crowded.
Quite a few Vietnamese ladies had some traditional dress on which was interesting.
The views were like nothing I've ever seen. Phenomenal.
Just jaw dropping. And I was still 35 mins from the dinosaurs spine.
It is somewhere way off in far distance in a couple of the photos of the massive valleys.
I rode a little higher and considered staying up there somewhere but it was quite cold that high up. In the end I decided I wouldn't go along the next part of the route as it was already 2.30 and I also thought if the clouds come in by the morning it'll be hard work riding back down again. So I rode back down to the town and found a splendid little homestay. I have a bamboo hut for tonight, it is so lovely. It's on the edge of town, so it's a little quieter.
What a lovely day.
I plotted a backroads route today to get to the road I rode on Friday 13th of Dec. As the weather is lovely today I was hoping to see more of the mountains that I missed in the rain and clouds last time.
It didn't fail to disappoint. The little back road rose higher and higher into jungle covered mountains again. It was truly remarkable.
As I got higher there were many tea plantations again and a lot of corn fields. There were a few landslides evident again but most had been cleared along here.
Onto the other road and without the thick slippery mud that was on there last time it was a lovely road. It was still high up above the valleys and the views were beautiful.
I carried on to the little ferry. They were using smaller ones today to only take bikes across. I think the guy robbed me today as he charged more than twice as much as last time. About £1.80.
I carried on and intended heading up to the dragons spine later on. Got to the busy town where I turn off to go up the mountain and plugged the route in.
Hmmmm
1hr 15 mins to do 26 Kms.
This could be interesting.
I headed up the twistiest, steepest and narrow mountain pass I've even ridden. Rough road too on a lot of it and gravel, some parts with no guard rail and a very long way down.
It went higher and higher.
There were many busses and quite a lot of tipper trucks and lots of cars too. It would seem I picked Sunday by mistake to head up there. I got to a very large tourist area.
It was quite crowded.
Quite a few Vietnamese ladies had some traditional dress on which was interesting.
The views were like nothing I've ever seen. Phenomenal.
Just jaw dropping. And I was still 35 mins from the dinosaurs spine.
It is somewhere way off in far distance in a couple of the photos of the massive valleys.
I rode a little higher and considered staying up there somewhere but it was quite cold that high up. In the end I decided I wouldn't go along the next part of the route as it was already 2.30 and I also thought if the clouds come in by the morning it'll be hard work riding back down again. So I rode back down to the town and found a splendid little homestay. I have a bamboo hut for tonight, it is so lovely. It's on the edge of town, so it's a little quieter.
What a lovely day.
