Vietnam would have been an epic 2000 km motorbike trip from Hanoi to Saigon between 8 friends but an unfortunate tragedy changed the course of the trip.
THE PLAN
The plan was to start from the historical Vietnamese capital of Hanoi and ride 2000km south until finishing in the bustling metropolis of Saigon. Along the way, we planed to stop at world renowned sites including Hoi An, Phong Nha , Mai Chau and Dalat. Starting on the 15th of November 2022, the trip would have taken approximately 16 days in total and averaging 6 hours of riding per day. Our group consisted of Sven, Juan, Bibi, Aaron, Rasmus Anastasia, Nana and I. As Aaron, Rasmus, Anastasia and Nana had decided set off on their bikes a few days beforehand, we agreed that the 2 groups would meet up along the way. Our vision was for this trip to be a motorbike adventure filled with challenges and beautiful scenery. At the same time, it was an opportunity to bring us all closer together and have the experience of a life time. After all, when do you ever get 8 friends all together on the other side of the world? I must admit that although riding 2000 km across Vietnam sounded very exciting, I had many reservations about safety on the bike. For me, it was primarily about being in Asia with my friends.
HANOI
I had visited Hanoi previously and not much had changed. The streets were still dirty, bikes still crammed the roads and we didn´t do anything out of the ordinary. Having said so, Hanoi has a unique charm that some hate and some love and I happen to be one of the latter.
Sven, Juan, Bibi and I all took different flights but arrived at roughly the same time in the afternoon. When we finally met up, we gave each other big hugs in excitement for the adventures to come. It felt so surreal to see familiar faces on the other side of the world and it was such an thrilling expereince to be part of Juan and Bibi´s first time in Asia. Later on in the evening, we picked up our Honda XR 150 motorbikes, a type of adventure bike that would turn out to met our requirements perfectly. It had enough power to go up hills and light enough to manoeuvre the bike easily. Mine came with a locked box to store our belongings safely and the price was around 400 per bike for 2 weeks more or less.
PU LONG
Pu Long is a quiet agricultural town located around 150 Km South West of Hanoi. It is distinguished by its spectacular mountain views, sincere locals and authentic culture.
Ride to Pu Long
We set off from Hanoi in excitement for the journey and the long awaited reunion with the other group. The ride to Pu Long was somewhat complicated. It took some time to get used to the chaotic traffic of Hanoi and the dangerous driving by the larger vehicles on the interurban roads.
The conventional western traffic rules and etiquette appears to be non existent in Hanoi. Going down the wrong way, people not wearing helmets and riding on the side walk were all common occurrences in the city. Yet, after a short while of riding, motorbiking becomes quite a liberating experience as you are no longer restricted by rules and it felt like as if you had just unlocked a new skill in a video game.
It appeared to be somewhat safe in the city as the slow moving traffic prevented motorbikes from picking up speed but this certainly changed once we left Hanoi. Road conditions generally were pretty good in this country but the lack of respect for traffic rules became a safety hazard on the faster paced inter urban roads. Some say that Vietnamese drivers have a “lack of respect for life” but I disagree. I believe that drivers in Vietnam have their own set of unwritten road etiquette and norms that allows them to operate on the roads relatively safely (I say relatively because ideally, everyone would follow the official traffic rules) . To illustrate, on our ride, it was common for lorries and buses to overtake other slower vehicles and they didnt shy away form the manoeuvre even if there was an oncoming motorbike. The bike would have to either move out of the way or ride on the hard shoulder at lower speeds to begin with. It becomes dangerous when drivers operate under different norms. Motorbikes that ride at higher speeds will have less time and space to move out of the way of a lorry that is assuming that the motorbike will and should yield. For this reason, it is probably more important to follow the unwritten traffic rules than the official ones to stay safe in Vietnam.
However, as we approach Pu Long, conditions started to improve substantially. After riding down this huge mountain, we were suddenly in deep rural Vietnam. All the lorries and cars vanished and riding in these quiet countryside roads with lush green hills on both sides and never ending rice fields actually became an enjoyable experience. Just a few kilometres before Pu Long, there was a stretch of perfectly curvy roads that probably would be any bikers dream road. Bamboo plants and dense trees grew on both sides and the excellent road condition with no other vehicles what so ever allowed us to go at a jollier pace. You could tell that the 4 of us were completely focused on the moment and this was what we were looking for in Vietnam.
Pu Long Home
We arrived at out homestay just before sunset. It had a stunning swimming pool and a breath-taking scenery to some rice fields and mountainous terrain. The lives of the locals were simple and they treated us with sincerity and respect. The surrounding area didn’t have much going on. No restaurants, no shops, no cafes but it compensated with a serene atmosphere that calmed the mind and soul. Until this moment, everything was pretty much perfect.
The Event that Changed Everything
At night, after a great day of riding, we finally had the opportunity to relax and appreciate this dream like moment. The 4 of us were all sat around the pool observing this unreal scenery in front of us and talking about what was to come. Out of the blue, we received a phone call and was told that Nana was involved in a road accident and had passed away. It was an emotional and terrifying moment that caused me to phisically shake.
As rational beings, we understand that absolutely anything can happen in life and that there isn’t such thing as an impossibility. The world can end tomorrow, we can lose all our earthly possessions and people can disappear from our lives. But strangely enough, we convince ourselves to believe some things so profoundly that a change puts us in a state of denial. Hearing about the death of Nana felt like a nightmare. I had the impression that if I went to sleep, then the next day everything would be alright and that the trip would continue as planned. Unfortunately, this wasnt going to happen. Instead, the other group probably experienced the darkest moment in their lives whilst my group could only helplessly wish them the best.
The 4 of us remaining had to decide what to do next and in these difficult times, you often learn a lot about the people around you. In our group, some were more collected, some were extremely emotional and some made bad decisions in the heat of the moment. The morning after, we woke up feeling a little better and calmer, which was a stark contrast to the emotional roller coaster that we had gone through the night before. We wanted to meet up with the other group straight away but it would have taken us on the same dangerous road. Instead, we decided to stay in Pulong for 3 more days to asses the situation and assimilate what had happened. As a team, we agreed that continuing with the bike trip would be the wrong decision and agreed to return the bikes and meet up with the other group in Hanoi.
NINH BINH
As we hadn’t heard anything from the other group, we wanted to take advantage of our time by visiting Ninh Binh instead of being in the chaos of the city. It is a place that is often referred to as the “inland Halong Bay”. Just 100 km South from Hanoi, Ninh Binh is a lesser known travel destination in comparison to Halong bay but equally spectacular. The unique terrain formation of Ninh Bing is characterised by it´s steep mountains scattered around a vast area of flat land and river valleys.
Ride to Ninh Binh
Setting off early in the morning from Pu Long, we gradually made our way to Ninh Binh. Having experienced the events on our first night in Pu Long, we established that we were going to avoid the main roads as much as possible. Except for the occasional drizzle, everything was going well. We whizzed through rural Vietnamese towns, rode into someone’s back garden and most interestingly, chose the muddiest road in the world that felt like it lasted for ever. On Google maps, this road seemed like any other ordinary road in rural Vietnam and for the first few kilometres, it very much was. At one point, the pavement gradually disappeared until eventually it became a mud track. We wrongly assumed that this would only last for a short distance and continued down this road until we had committed too much. It was a fun challenge for the guys that had more experience, but for me, the first 15% of the muddy path had already exhausted all my energy. We travelled at a pace that was probably slower than walking, making the 6 km journey take about 2 to 3 hours. Unsurprisingly, being my first time riding on a mud road, I fell of the bike countless times. However, I never felt fear nor was I worried as I had complete trust in my friends with the situation. At the time, it was a gruelling experience that left me mentally and physically exhausted, but in hindsight, this adventure has given me a great story to tell. We eventually made it to our destination just before sunset feeling like the most badass bikers in Vietnam.
Trang An Riverview Homestay
Trang An Riverview Homestay is a wonderful place to stay in Ninh Binh. Situated beside a mountain base next to the Trang An river, this home stay offers guests little huts made out of bamboo and dried leaves as well as a hostel style beds in a shared room. We chose to stay in the huts which were spacious and equipped with double beds and an en-suite bathroom. In addition, it had a great garden and a small swimming pool for the guest to cool down. It appeared to be a family run business and was able to provide a full range of services from motorbike rentals, to tours and a lot more. The owners were extremely kind and proactively offered to help with whatever little issue we had.
Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh primarily feels like an untouched natural wonder where the visitor can get lost in nature and enjoy the beauty of rural Vietnam. But unlike Pu Long, Ninh Binh has all the necessary infrastructure and services for the visitor to feel comfortable. Small towns such as Tam Coc has a variety of international cuisine that can cater for most of the foreign visitor and convenience stores are strategically placed all over Ninh Binh. Vendors do not use aggressive sales tactics and treat visitors with kindness and sincerity. Overall, commerce in Ninh Binh serves the tourist as an enhancer to their travel experience rather than being an intrusive force.
Like many places in Vietnam, the views of Ninh Binh were out of this world. It didn’t really matter where we were, any corner that we turned could have been an amazing scene straight out of a movie. But to get the best panoramic view of the mountains, the Dragon Mountain View Point is the place to go. During the evening just before sunset, the remaining sunlight reflected on the cloudy skies, creating a warm pinkish glow in the horizon that perfectly complimented the tall mountains in the backdrop. As unbeatable as the Dragon Mountain View point seemed, the most memorable moment was when the 4 of us were riding on a dirt track heading back to our home stay just before sunset. The calm lake reflected the image of the breath-taking evening glow as well as the silhouette of the tall mountains in the distance. We rode in tangent along this path with the gentle breeze hitting our body and once again remembered what the trip was all about.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ufhcpCSfrfE?feature=oembedHeading back to our hostel
HANOI
After a few days in Ninh Binh, we eventually headed back to Hanoi to drop off the bikes. As we got closer to the city, traffic once again became dangerous and much less enjoyable to ride. When we arrived at the shop, the staff was not aware about the accident and when we explained the situation to him, he became visibly upset. His eyes began to water, his voice trembled and he looked at us in disbelief about what had happened. His strong reaction was very touching considering that Nana and us are strangers to him. This showed me that the Vietnamese people are compassionate and caring towards others even if they are foreigners from a distant country. Being back in the chaotic city of Hanoi, the morale of Juan and Bibi decreased substantially. The city is quite overwhelming and unsanitary which was a big contrast to the natural beauty we had experienced for the last week. On top of that, I had food poisoning which wasted 2 days of my vacation. Just before flying to Saigon, Bibi was able to meet up with the other group but unfortunately I had food poisoning and couldn’t join him. On the 5th day after the accident, Aaron, Rasmus and Anastasia returned home accompanied by Nana´s and Rasmus’s parents.
Thus far, the trip had been full of ups and downs. We started of with the excitement of seeing friends on the other side of the world and riding the bikes. Then the news of Nanas death completely changed the course of the trip. Later on, we recovered a little after immersing ourselves in the beauty of the Vietnamese countryside. Returning back to Hanoi, we once again were demoralised by multiple reasons.
SAIGON
Saigon is the largest city in the country and has a unique blend of French, Japanese, Chinese and American culture. It is a vibrant metropolis packed with surprises around every corner and a never ending amount of activities for the visitor to indulge in. Yet, its stark contrast between tall modern sky scrapers and what can only be escribed as slums serves as a reminder of the extreme income inequality of this nation.
Day 1 Barber and Dinner Cruise
We arrived at night and checked in to an Airbnb with a spectacular view of Saigon´s brightly lit sky line and busy roads. As I had done very little research about this place, I had no expectations and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise to see this modern and vibrant city in all its splendour without any preconceptions .
I woke up the next morning to a beautiful blue sky and a great view to the city. My friends decided to sleep in but I was too excited to be in a new place and couldn’t wait to explore. My first destination was Japan Town and not knowing much about this place, I expected it to be a compact area with small businesses and restaurants decorated with flashy neon lights, Japanese lanterns and wooden slide doors just like in Japan. The entrance of Little Tokyo indeed was exactly that but as you walked further in, dozens of women wearing Aodais (traditional Vietnamese dresses) would attempt to convince you to entre their “massage parlours”. Little Tokyo turned out to be the red light district of Saigon. I was pretty uncomfortable being there by myself, but I thought that it would be a fun idea to bring my clueless friends to this place at night. That aside, Japan Town also had a plethora of outstanding Japanese restaurants. Following Google map´s reviews, I chose a ramen restaurant that was delicious. Its rich broth and chewy noodles was deeply satisfying and a side of fried chicken complimented the meal perfectly. After lunch, I met up with the guys and we continued exploring Saigon.
The sun was setting as we rushed to the dock to board our luxurious 2 hours dinner cruise that we booked a few days earlier. The theme of the boat was primarily European and had a brightly lit white coloured dining room with a spotless table set up. Service was excellent and would have satisfied even the most demanding guests. But what stayed with me was the atmosphere and views from the boat. Saigon is a chaotic city filled with distractions that absorbs your attention and this can sometimes be overwhelming. Being on this boat in the calm waters far away from land with relaxing music playing in the back ground felt as if we had been transported to a different world. It was an opportunity to relax and fully embrace the moment. To enhance the experience even further, there was a spectacular sky line few of Saigon from the boat that reminded me of The Bund in Shanghai. The seafront was dominated by classic European buildings constructed by the French colonialists and tall modern skyscrapers lit with eye catching purple lights erected just behind the classical buildings.
Day 2 Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta, Little Tokyo and Bui Vien
The plan for day 2 was to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels first and then the Mekong Delta via a tour company. The Cu Chi Tunnels was where the communist forces fought the Americans and their Vietnamese counterparts during the Vietnam war using guerrilla warfare, a tactic that characterised the conflict. Although the tour was very informative, the site was clearly re constructed for tourism purposes and didn´t provide a feel of authenticity. We then moved on to the Mekong Delta. The Mekong river is a vast river system that starts in China and flows through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and meets the sea in Vietnam. It was of interest to me due to the Golden Triangle, a section of the Mekong river where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. Frequently depicted as a lawless, drug ridden no mans land in classical crime movies from Hong Kong, I believed that it would be an interesting place to visit but I was wrong. The Mekong Delta itself didnt have any distinctive features and the tour overall was not worth our time and money. On the positive side, the comfortable mini van made the 6 hour journey a lot more bearable.
Day 5, 6 and 7 The End
Before we realised, our journey was reaching to an end. We had already seen a lot of what Saigon had to offer so on our last few days we took advantage of the remaining time by doing some gift shopping, gorged ourselves on Vietnamese food and aimlessly explored the city. On day 6, Bibi and I said our farewells to Sven and Juan which were going to continue their adventures in Thailand.
At that point, only Bibi and I remained. We decided to walk down the main pedestrian street in the centre of Saigon on a busy weekend night and I came to the realisation that Vietnam had captured my heart not only because of its splendid nature but also for its vibrant people. A group of youngsters with big smiles on their faces singing, dancing and celebrating life caught my attention. To me, that scene was the perfect incarnation of the spirit of Vietnam and left me with a long lasting impression.
On the very last day, Bibi left in the evening as well and I was the only one remaining. My final activity in Saigon was a motorbike food tour guided by a local university student. She took me to a much more authentic local street food market and a few other little restaurants that I would have never found by myself. The local area had an atmosphere that was a lot more laid back compared to the busy city centre. The food was great and I had the chance to find out more about Vietnam through a locals eyes. My tour guide was an extremely hard working student filled with hope for the future and I was impressed by her morale.
On the next day, with sadness, I reluctantly board the plane heading home. It was the end of my crazy adventure.
SUMMARY
This trip was extremely memorable for good and for bad. On the positive side, it was and incredible trip filled with unexpected adventures. Traveling with friends that have different interests and personalities was highly rewarding as we pushed each other to try different things that we otherwise wouldn’t have tried. Riding the bikes on a mud road and going to a hostess bar are two great examples of experiences that I would have missed. But most importantly, I shared these great memories in Asia with my best friends and will forever remember these moments.
With regards to Vietnam, it has also been a big eye opener. My first time traveling to Vietnam left me we with a bad impression of the country but the people that I crossed path with this time has shown me what true Vietnamese hospitality is. Not only that, but the infectious energy of the Vietnamese youngsters was profoundly inspirational.
On the negative side, the loss of a friend was a terrible tragedy that no one could have imagined. This tragic event should serve us as a reminder that we should appreciate each and every moment in life and the people around us.
