Adventure Vacation Trip » Vietnam

Sapa (Northwest Vietnam Loop) – 6. Resources

atticus — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 15:34:31 +0000

Lonely Planet Vietnam is a comprehensive travel guide that provides all the basic information a traveler would need for traveling in Vietnam. Be it information on the history, lodgings, transport, food or places of interest, you can find it in the book. Of course, other Vietnam travel guides are just as good. It is just a personal preference that I stick to Lonely Planet.

For information on motorcycling in Vietnam and the Russian Minsk motorcycle, you can refer to the very excellent website MinskClub Vietnam. You can even find a soft copy of the Minsk manual on their site.

For the latest news on Vietnam, check out the online edition of Thanh Nien News. If you need up-to-date information on the roads, you can try asking in GT-Rider forum (requires registration).

Map Vietnam provides an accurate travel map of Vietnam. You should be able to find it at most book stores in Vietnam. Travelers who wish to get hold of a Vietnam travel map in their home countries may want to check out the Vietnam travel maps from Amazon.com.

Map Vietnam (2006 Edition)

If you need some help packing for your trip, head over to Motorcycle Trip Packing Checklist.

To prepare yourself for the trip, I also recommend reading and watching some related literature. Not only does it provides greater insight into the country, it also helps to get you into the ‘mood’. Here are a few recommended books and videos:

Books

An excerpt from Catfish and Mandala:

“Touring solo on a bicycle, I discover, is an act of stupidity or an act of divine belief. It is intense stretches of isolation punctuated with flashes of pure terror and indelible moments of friendship. Mostly, it is dirty work particularly suitable for the stubborn masochist. I was suckered into the adventure, the elegant simplicity of its execution, and, yes, even the glory of its agony.”

Videos

If you don’t feel comfortable renting a motorcycle and traveling without experienced guides, you can consider joining a motorcycle group tour at one of the travel outfits in Vietnam.

Sapa (Northwest Vietnam Loop) – 5. Journey, Day 3-4

atticus — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 14:29:03 +0000

Day 3 (Dien Bien Phu – Sapa)

I left Dien Bien Phu early at 615am. I was enjoying the scenery and did not notice some fallen debris on the roads. I was unable to stop in time and fell. A girl on bicycle witnessed my misfortune and helped me up. I was embarrassed. Other than some superficial scratches, I was alright. However, the same cannot be said of the motorcycle. The gear pedal was stuck. I rode at first gear to a nearby village and found a helpful villager. Together, we managed to knock the pedal back into position. I thanked him, posed a photo together, took down his address and left with a promise to mail him the photo.

After the accident, I rode carefully, determined to reach Sapa in one piece. The roads to Sapa were beautiful, offering sweeping panoramas of green mountains enveloped by white clouds. I reached Sapa just before 4pm and stayed at Cat Cat Hotel. With its rice terraces, hill-tribe people, cool weather and hiking opportunities, Sapa definitely deserves a stay of a few days. Unfortunately, I was alone and did not really wish to join day tours with other travellers. However, if opportunity permits, I would like to invite some friends and revisit Sapa in the future.

Enjoying the view..

Oops, hit a rock and fell. The gear pedal was stuck.

Riding through the villages

Friendly village kids

Beautiful scenery en route to Sapa

Fancy a stay among the clouds? A guesthouse in Sapa.

Day 4 (Sapa – Hanoi)

As usual, I woke up early and left Sapa at 6am for a 380km ride back to Hanoi. The return journey was uneventful and the roads were mostly straight and flat. Back in Hanoi, it again took some asking for directions before I found Old Quarters. I returned the motorcycle to Cuong at 330pm and paid US$28.

While it was a very satisfying trip that left me with a great sense of accomplishment, I can’t help feeling a little disappointed that the motorcycle adventure vacation had came to an end. Well, at least I can say that the seed of adventure riding has been planted. I am sure there will be other rides.

Sapa (Northwest Vietnam Loop) – 4. Journey, Day 1-2

atticus — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 12:56:27 +0000

Day 1 (Hanoi – Mai Chau)

After a quick run-through of the Minsk, a filling up demonstration at a nearby petrol station and buying of a set of poncho, Cuong decided I was ready to go. Knowing Hanoi’s notorious traffic, he offered to guide me out of Hanoi. I rejected his kind offer and quickly lost myself in the streets of Hanoi. It did not help that it started drizzling.

I finally made it out of Hanoi at 1pm. The roads near Mai Chau were twisty but fun. It was good introduction to the mountain roads at Sapa.

Near Mai Chau, I stopped at a viewpoint for some photo taking. I met two friendly locals who were also admiring the scenery. Realizing that I was going to spend the night in Mai Chau, they took upon the task of leading me to Lac Village. I reached Lac village at 4pm and stayed in a White Thai stilt house (Guesthouse 19). The dinner provided by the host was excellent.

Roads to Mai Chau

Friendly locals posing for a photo. Mai Chau town is in the background.

Lac village (White Thai minority)

Day 2 (Mai Chau – Dien Bien Phu)

I woke up early and moved off at 630am. For the first 20km out of Mai Chau, it was very misty and visibility was bad. I could not see beyond 20m.

I soon encountered my first problem 28km from Son La. My motorcycle ran out of petrol and I had to push the motorcycle for 1km before I found a petrol station. I wonder if the passing locals were laughing at this inexperienced rider.

After the fun mountain roads from Son La to Thuan Chau, I found myself riding on muddy paths. It was a messy affair. I reached Dien Bien Phu at 430pm and stayed at Binh Long Hotel.

Roads to Dien Bien Phu, troublesome ride.

Sapa (Northwest Vietnam Loop) – 3. Motorcycle

atticus — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 05:56:58 +0000

The best and most reliable Minsk rental in Hanoi is Cuong’s Motorbike Adventure. They are conveniently located at 1 Pho luong Ngoc Quyen (about 300m north of Hoan Kiem Lake). For the exact location on the map, check the Old Quarter map in your Lonely Planet Vietnam. Their contact numbers are 04.9261534 (shop) and 0913518772 (mobile). Alternatively, you can reach them at their email address cuongminsk@yahoo.com. Cuong and his staffs speak excellent English.

Update July 2010: Looks like Cuong’s website is up!

Cuong’s Motorbike Adventure

Cuong has a fleet of Russian Minsk motorcycles. The Minsk is a two-stroked motorcycle and requires mixing of 2T oil with petrol. Petrol kiosks attendants will know what to do with your Minsk, but just bear in mind that they should mix around 500ml of oil for every 10litre of petrol. The motorcycle does not comes with an electronic start, so you should be adept at kick-starting the motorcycle. The solid suspension and tractive tires of the Minsk make it suitable for the Northwest mountain roads. Its popularity in the mountain areas also makes it easier to find mechanics should you meet with any bike problems.

There are two models of Minsk in Cuong’s fleet. The differences between the classic Minsk and the sports Minsk are that the latter comes with a larger petrol tank, a higher seat, a higher front suspension and a larger engine block. Cuong rents out both models at US$6 per day. Should you require a helmet, you need to pay an additional US$1 per day. Luggage bag is available for rental at another US$1 per day. Cuong also provides the following with any Minsk rental:

Lock and keys
Papers on road advice, driving tips and Minsk maintenance
Minsk repair manual
A set of basic tools
Rubber hooks for tying your backpack to the back seat

Russian Sport Minsk

As a deposit, Cuong requires your passport. When you get back from your trip, he will return you the passport and you pay up. This is the standard procedures for most motorbike rental companies in South-East Asia. If you want to leave cash in place of your passport, the amount is usually the price of the motorbike.

Regarding the requirement of a motorcycle license, Minsk Club Vietnam reported that an international driving permit is not sufficient and law enforcers have a right to fine you for riding without carrying a valid local license. That being said, rental shops will still rent you their bikes even if you don’t have a local license. Many tourists have rode without a license. If law enforcers do stop you on the roads, I am sure you would not be able to understand their language and have no choice but to walk away.

Besides Cuong, there are other motorbike rental companies in Hanoi. Here’s one I found from searching the internet: Offroad Vietnam

Sapa (Northwest Vietnam Loop) – 2. Route

atticus — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:22:09 +0000

The Northwest Vietnam loop takes us from Hanoi to Mai Chau, followed by Son La, Dien Bien Phu, Sapa, Lao Cai and Yen Bai before bringing us back to Hanoi. It is best to plan five to six days for the trip, so that you can ride at a reasonable pace with adequate time for sightseeing. The minimum number of days required for the trip would be three days. Personally, I spent four days for the trip.

Map of North Vietnam and route taken

Northwest Vietnam route distances (Image from MinskClub Vietnam)

The route is pretty straight forward and there are road signs and kilometer stones to guide the rider. If you do lose your way, Vietnamese will gladly point you out to the right direction. Majority of the roads are paved. The exception I can recall is the muddy stretch near Dien Bien Phu. For the whole journey, I averaged around 40km/h to 50km/h on my motorcycle. The total distance I traveled was around 1000km. Vietnamese guesthouses are available at major towns and villages along the route. Similarly for petrol, you can find them at every town and village. However, do note that distances between towns and villages can be far and it would be wise to top up whenever you can. Besides petrol stations, you should also watch out for grocery stores that sell bottled petrols.

Such sign posts can be found at most major road junctions in Vietnam.

Kilometer stones are located every kilometer and indicate the distance to the next town.

Sapa (Northwest Vietnam Loop) – 1. Introduction

atticus — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:19:30 +0000

As Lonely Planet Vietnam puts it, “Northwest Vietnam is a land of looming mountains, a mosaic of ethnic minorities, a region of overwhelming beauty – very much a world unto itself. Hit the Road by 4WD or motorcycle for an adventure more than a holiday – an experience that will stay with you forever.”

Indeed, the far northwest ride is the classic northern Vietnam trip, passing through wildly different landscapes, ranging from Hanoi’s flat land to Sapa’s mountain roads. The ride definitely ranks as one of my most favourites. Truth to be told, I did not prepare in advance for the ride. I arrived in Hanoi after crossing the China-Vietnam border at Pingxiang, halfway through my 6-week China and Southeast Asia vacation. My footwears were a pair of sandals and a pair of flip-flops. A light jacket was all I had for the highlands. It was approaching the raining season and I did not have any proper rain gear. Not forgetting to mention, I had never rode a motorcycle in a foreign country before.

It is times like this that I need some motivation, something to spur me on. A poem by Nadine Stair comes to mind.

If I had my life to live over, I’d dare to make more mistakes next time. I’d relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I’m one of those people who lived sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.

And so begins my first motorcycle adventure vacation.

The Sapa (Northwest Vietnam Loop) trip report is divided into six parts:

Disclaimer: This trip was taken in May 2006. The information is provided ‘as is’ with no warranties and confers no rights. Please feel free to post a comment.