Vietnam, North to South (3 weeks)

Activities:

Motorbike Tour - I paid $300 USD for an all-inclusive private tour with Frontier VMT, just my guide and me. I did not want to drive the bike due to the high number of crash stories I’ve heard. One draw of this company was that they start in Hanoi as opposed to Ha Giang. For the experience I got compared with what I wanted, it was well worth the money. The first day we went from Hanoi to Ba Be Lake and stayed at the first homestay.

Second day we started around the same time and loaded up the bike on a boat to cross the lake. This took 45 minutes or so I think, and consisted of beautiful scenery. Between Ba Be Lake and the next stop Meo Vac there are hardly any tourists. Today’s ride was the longest and a bit hard on my body; since it was just us Hoang took the bike down some dirt mountain roads that he can’t drive when other tourists bike. Highlights after the boat crossing included nearly getting the bike stuck in the mud, seeing terraced rice paddies everywhere, crossing a river on a bamboo raft, stunning New Zealand-like scenery between the bamboo raft crossing and village, and running out of daylight right before we arrived, meaning I was freezing. We stayed at a villager’s house that night, a very authentic local accommodation.

The third day was slower paced with more scenery. High mountain passes, including a mini detour on a thin dirt path with a sheer drop on the side. Good thing I wasn’t driving. We made our way up to the northern tip of Vietnam, and walked up to the Vietnam-China border. Locals are allowed to cross the border for trading purposes. We climbed to the top of the Lung Cu Flag Tower, and then settled into our final homestay.

The last day was an easy ride, mostly on main roads, to the town of Ha Giang. The final two days are where the majority of companies take riders on the loop. We passed through a village where a street market had brought hundreds of people out for trading, and enjoyed more scenery. The tour ended with a 6.5 hour night bus back to Hanoi; the bike was loaded underneath the bus! 

Lodging:

Various Ethnic Homestays - Some of the most unique accommodation during my entire 5-month trip. My guide and I stayed at a beautiful lodge on the shores of secluded Ba Be Lake, with one of the guide’s friends in their cozy hand-built house in a village, and in a quiet lodge near the Vietnam-China border.

Eateries:

N/A - Just some local restaurants I never got the names of, and at our homestays! The locals were so kind up there.