Press Release And Guide Book Featuring Off Road Vietnam Tours

BikePoint, 2011

Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, 2010

Motorcycle Trader, June 2010

Viet Nam News, May 2010

twowheels, September 2009

Lonely Planet Vietnam, July 2009

Men's Journal, May 2009

ForbesTraveler.com's Top Motorcycle Trips Worldwide, September 2008

MAGAZINES

1

BikePoint, January 2011 issue (Australia).

Words - Matt Brogan
Photos - John Wilson
Video - David Mottola

A week on dirt bikes in Vietnam is certainly the best way to see this magic country.

As motoring writers you’d think the last thing we wanted to do with our holidays was spend even more time on two wheels. But as anyone who owns a bike well knows sacrificing the saddle is not something we riders take lightly. So when a group of mates suggested we spend a week on dirt bikes touring Vietnam, research began as to who we’d trust with our hard earned – and our skin.

There are an ever growing number of so-called organised tour groups popping up in Vietnam as the country seeks to cash in on it burgeoning tourist industry. Finding a reputable organisation in this motley mix can therefore be a little hit and miss, and given the state of the country’s infrastructure, tourists unaccustomed to such conditions don’t really need the added pressure of shonky operators hell-bent on extracting their every last penny.

Our research, as it turns out, was well worth the effort with Hanoi-based Offroad Vietnam providing not only an awesome experience, but everything they promised.

HONK IF YOU'RE IN HANOI
If you’ve never experienced the level of chaos that is Vietnamese traffic then brace yourself – this is madness. On average, 40 people a day die on Vietnam’s roads and after witnessing a fatal accident less than an hour after touching down it’s not hard to see why. As our tour operator later put it: “The traffic here is like a river, you just have to go with the flow.” If you don’t, you’re asking for trouble. He also reminded us that anything is fair game and that both sides of the road are yours for the taking.

Add to this excessive use of the horn. As Vietnam’s capital for just over 1000 years, Hanoi is bustling with people making it a pretty noisy holiday destination. Hanoi’s eight million-odd residents continually sound the horn to let fellow road users know they’re alongside, wish to pass or intend running the red light. It’s a strange system but, somehow, it works.

ENTER THE DRAGON
Eventually finding Offroad Vietnam’s office the day prior to setting off (the operator keen to adjust the bikes’ suspension to our various heights and weights), it wasn’t until the following morning we met our tour guide, Long. Long was keen to impress that the English translation of his name is ‘Dragon’. He jokingly cautioned that abbreviating his native name to Lon meant ‘Pussy’ in Vietnamese, at that he was in no way a See You Next Tuesday.

We strapped our plastic wrapped packs to the bikes and like tearing off a band-aid set off balls and all into Hanoi’s rush hour traffic (which in reality is hard to distinguish from any other time of day) making our way north along the Red River Delta for the farmlands of Phuong Linh.

It wasn’t long into the trip that the weather turned sour. A steady persistent drizzle made the muddy clay roads speedway slick. By the time we’d commenced our ascent into the mountains for our home stay with the local tribes people (there are more than 50 different tribal groups and dozens of subgroups in Vietnam) we were all a pale damp shade of tan, and the bikes barely recognisable. Thankfully a small open fire in our host’s longhouse helped dry us out as the landlord toasted our health over some ‘happy water’. They should just call it rocket fuel.

SPRAWLING TEA FIELDS FOREVER
It might have been the residual blood in our happy water systems, the slippery roads or a combination of the two, but not five minutes after successfully clearing the slippery clay climb from our overnight stay, the first kiss of the tarmac occurred. A little dazed but otherwise uninjured, our two-wheeled teammate was quickly motoring again as we passed through sprawling tea fields and clusters of tiny villages for the hills of Yen Nhuan. Not before encountering some rugged terrain and confounding antics along the way.

Roads that were almost impassable, or for that matter recognisable, were frequented by scooters that in any other place on earth would have long been sent to the wrecker’s yard. Decrepit dump trucks struggling with near-vertical inclines blocked the road as drivers waited patiently for tortured engines to cool while two brave souls on dilapidated Russian Minsks cruised cigarette in mouth lugging massive loads of timber set like aircraft wings atop their aged bikes (check out the photo, it’s quite impressive).

This shale covered, clay-based pass also saw a number of riders take tumbles – myself almost included.

Winding down through many pitiable villages, school kids rushed on to the road keen to high five us on the way through. Bikes like the XR250 are regarded by Vietnamese kids in much the same way Aussie schoolboys would gawk at a Lamborghini.

It brings a grin to your face, but at the same time makes for tricky negotiation as any number of dogs and chickens follow suit.

By the end of a now dry day we’d managed to crush one of each – a dog and chicken that is.

I GOT YOU BA BE
After a couple of pretty hard days in the saddle, and covering impressive distances for dirt bikes, we cruised a comfortable 60km on proper road to Lake Ba Be. Passing through colourful street markets that literally occupy the entire road we eventually made it to a tiny village on the side of Vietnam’s most picturesque lake. Set in a national park, Ba Be is a beautiful fresh water lake flanked by limestone karsts and punctuated with gnarled trees clinging to petite rocky islets.

Despite it being the Vietnamese winter, we decided the water was warm enough for a swim before continuing downstream of the lake’s river to Dong Puong waterfalls and one of the best lunches of our trip.

The people here are warmly welcoming, genuinely delighted to see tourists (I hope this never changes) and put on an impressive spread of fish, vegetables and rice – and of course more happy water. The food on this tour is as amazing as the ride itself, you’ve only got to read the dozens of testimonials on the tour's website.

Hand-cranking the boat’s engine to life a slow throb lulls our sleepy horde drift quietly back to the village. Across the serene waters we photograph some delicately silhouetted landscapes as the sun sets in a hazy sky, the result of rice husks being burnt further upstream. The tranquil setting also sees us capture some epic shots of the local folk hard at work balancing on slim canoes with nets cast for the evening’s catch.

KARSTS AWAY
The surrounding landscape of Lake Ba Be is a magical karstic maze of limestone monoliths, caves and dense forests made all the more spectacular by a wispy early morning fog. As we snake our way toward Cao Bang we encounter mountain passes that seem to never end, and were it not for their sketchy surface, would be a nirvana for sportsbike riders.

The views here are spectacular, postcard perfect at every turn, but you’ll need to keep your wits about you. The traffic is heavy with semi-trailers from time-to-time (they seem to travel in threes or fours) and remembering that both sides of the road are fair game, blind corners can be perilous.

Reaching our next home stay purposefully early, we deposit our luggage and head for the Chinese border via Chi Vien to the scenic vistas of Ban Gioc waterfall. It’s recommended you swim only on the Vietnamese side of the lake here and carry your passport at all times. Political disorder aside, the scenery is quite cathartic with crystal clear water tinged a pale turquoise from the surrounding limestone cliffs.

We head back via a different route crossing yet another precipitous mountain range. Once reaching the valley floor archetypal rural Vietnamese scenery stretches serenely between enormous karsts of white limestone which are occasionally stained red as if from blood by deposits of iron ore within the rock. At one stage, a cave through a sheer hill is utilised as a tunnel by the road making for a striking picture frame to the vista beyond.

Another mountain range sees us climb and then just as quickly descend back to our overnight stay, but not before recent road works claim another kiss of the ground -- the combination of loose gravel on a downhill hairpin whilst riding into the setting sun an obviously bad combination.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN
Roads in deplorable conditions hug cliffs as we share the trek to Lang Son with busses and semi trailers that more often than not allowed no room for us to pass, let alone a vehicle coming the other way.

It’s like a shipping lane up here in that whoever has the most tonnage has right away – unless of course you on two wheels and feeling brave. A few scrapes (literally) with the passing traffic eventually saw us pass through tiny and quaint villages with houses constructed with everything from brick to bamboo. You barely cover 200m without seeing another person in Vietnam such is the density of its population.

Leaving mountain roads with potholes large enough to lose a lorry we found ourselves cruising along a flat ribbon of relatively well made road through an open and amazingly quiet valley. Pulling over for a Jimmy Riddle the enormity of the silence here was quite confounding. No animal noises, no farm machinery and just the occasional plane passing overhead. It’s one of those golden moments you take the time to cherish after being subjected to the rattle and hum of exhaust noise for a week.

Arriving in Lang Son at dusk the activity in town is quite demanding and comes as a rude reminder that tomorrow we’ll be back in Hanoi. The quiet times are over as car horns and engines fill our ears for what seems like weeks, the riding skills soon adapting back to the chaos of a larger city.

Enjoying dinner and a few pints (yes, they actually served locally brewed pints here – pretty good ones too) we enjoy the view over the lake. Lang Son is surrounded by some pretty spectacular scenery and if you get a chance, it’s highly recommended you visit the nearby Tam Tranh cave.

PRECIS MEMORIES
If we thought the roads to date were bad – and they were – then the main north-south highway linking the two ends of the country was by far the most insane.

Vaguely resembling an Australian B road, this heavily trafficked highway is made all the more interesting by intersections without signals, locals drying corn or selling bread by the road side and overtaking manoeuvres that have to be experience to be believed. This is our route back to base.

The pace isn’t quite as quick as in Australia, Vietnam having an 80km/h speed limit, but given the sheer volume of traffic and erratic driving, the pace seems very fast indeed.

Today’s ride saw us approach Hanoi in the late morning with a distinct and heavy brown haze recognisable almost an hour out of the busy city. A short roadside break saw us have a bit of sustenance before gathering our thoughts and again tackling the gauntlet into Hanoi.

Picking our way through the chaos we find ourselves crossing what I can only assume was the footpath of a rail bridge as our guide seeks to avoid the heaviest parts of Hanoi’s north. It’s an entertaining way to arrive and it seems the locals are on to it. The narrow crossing shared with countless numbers of pedestrians, scooters and hard drawn carriages.

Before we knew it, the scenery was familiar once more as we found ourselves landing quite abruptly at Offroad Vietnam’s front door, and just like that, it was over.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but switching off the engine for the last time left me a little hollow. “It’s over,” I said to myself in disbelief. Minh and the crew started servicing the bikes again almost immediately as we gathered for one last photo together in that narrow Hanoi alley.

If a picture paints a thousand words our thousand k’ tour of north-east Vietnam and its postcard-a-minute vistas was nothing short of amazing. Two wheels is undoubtedly the best way to see any country, and with terrain such as we experienced, dirt bikes are almost the only feasible option here.

As one of the cheapest adventure holidays you could possibly wish for, seeing Vietnam on the back of a bike is an awesome way to appreciate the landscape, and with home stays putting you in touch with local culture, this tour group will have visitors not only leave with a helmet full of happy memories but a yen to return again and again.

Offroad Vietnam provides set motorcycle tours as well as a range of adventure packages and rental vehicles. Of the motorcycle tours available, guides will customise a route and pace as required catering to rider ability, geographic preference and prevailing conditions. Prices are inclusive of food, petrol, a guide and bike hire with drinks the only added extra (allow between $5 and $10 per day). Gear rental is available, though given the quality of the local product it’s highly recommended you bring your own.

2

twowheels, September 2009 issue (Australia). Click on the link to see a scan page. September 2009 cover

BORN TO LEAD

In enterprise of martial kind, when there was any flighting, Groff led his regiment from behind. He found it less exciting.

"...leadership sometimes requires difficult decisions. Doing nothing isn't easy as it looks..."

I fluked the presidency of the SR500 Club for one year. I didn't accept the nomination the following year to avoid the embarrassment of being voted out of the office. I wasn't a particularly bad president but I am not a natural leader. I was replaced by a gruff truck-driver named Andy who clearly is no graduate of charm school. He's so popular, though, he's been the president two years running. I think the difference between us is he's comfortable with responsibility.

Reclining on the upper deck of a Chinese junk in the middle of Halong Bay in Vietnam was a strange place to be thinking about this but an email from ex-Streetbike columnist, Ned Shaw, was pushing me into the spotlight of leadership again. As usual, it was my fault: I'd circulated an electronic postcard telling everyone what a great time I was having. The intention of this was to demonstrate that my life was better than theirs and to encourage jealousy and resentment, but Shaw read it as a suggestion that the Lemmings MC and friend organise a similar trip and share my pleasure.

Vietnam, at the moment is a pretty amazing place. It didn't really open itself up to tourism until the mid-'90s and it still has the natural freshness that Bali is said to have had in the 1960s. Outside of the city, the locals are genuinely pleased to see you and the relationships are uncorrupted by commerce. I discovered this on a motorcycle trip organised by Offroad Vietnam. There were just three of us with a guide. We loafed around the countryside on Honda trail bikes and stayed with families in small villages. This was in the north-eastern region which is heavily populated by ethnic minority tribes. The scenery was eye-watering and the cultures fascinating. There aren't any straights in rural Vietnam - just a succession of corners joined by smaller bends. Around 70 per cent of vehicles on the roads are motorcycles, the rest being giant trucks and buses driven by drug-crazed, sleep-deprived opium addicts who long ago lost the will to live. If overtaking on blind corners was an Olympics sport, Vietnam would be gold medalists.

It means you tend to ride slowly and great caution but this is good because it gives you the chance to enjoy the environment. A typical six-hours in the saddle might only take you 180 kilometres. Every roadside stall sells beer, there are no booze buses and the police ignore westerners anyway as hardly anyone outside Hanoi speaks English. Besides, the police have enough on their hands with the local population. Helmets became compulsory two years ago but not everyone has the message yet. The villages are poor but everyone is busy. The kids, in particular, look happy and healthy. It was a trip full of bliss.

I didn't need to, of course, but I probably talked it up a little in the reports I dispatched, generating enough interest for a gang of others to desire a similar experience. Who would organise this? Who was the only one who had some direct knowledge? Why is everyone staring at me?

Anh from Offroad came up with a seven-day itinerary which included sections along the mountainous border with China. Outstanding. I circulated it along with the following note in an attempt to discourage participation.
"It's important that everyone understands this is a motorcycle adventure in a developing country. The hire bikes are mechanically good but a long way from new condition. The accommodation will often be in stilt houses belonging to locals. This will involve in sleeping on mattresses (usually very hard) on a wooden floor in a shared environment. Think sleepover in a country church hall. Mostly, there will be no alternate accommodation, meaning if you're uncomfortable, you just have to put up with it. The food is good and there's plenty of it but, again, mostly, you won't have any option to whatever is being served. As your parents probably used to say, "it it or go without". The trip will be worthwhile but only if you've adapted your expectations to local conditions and you're physically capable of some discomfort."

It didn't work. By the time I got back to Melbourne, Guy Allen had collected a list with around 25 names on it. I'd told Offroad maybe five or six. I contacted them again to find out what the limits were.
"We've only got 15 bikes left for January - 10 Honda 160 roadies and five XL125s - and I can't guarantee they'll be available unless you book quickly."

I looked at the list again. Jesus - Snag wants to take his kids. Who are Sandy and Phil? Oh, the owners of the restaurant we go to in Little Vietnam every week. At least they speak Vietnamese. I couldn't even find anyone I didn't like and could cull on that basis. Allen wasn't much help.

"How, exactly, are you going to decide who can't come and how are you going to tell them?"
"What about Steve? He's going to hate sleeping on wooden floor."
"So he can't come because he's too rich?"
"I've slept with half these women - there's going to be trouble."
"That would be an interesting line in the supplementary regs - trip only available to women Groff haven't slept with yet."
"What am I going to do?"
"Why didn't you think about this in advance?"

I good leader would have done that, I suppose. It wouldn't be a problem for Andy from the SR500 Club: he'd just tell the truth. That's out of the question for me - I have a reputation to protect. The one glimmer of hope is that Blackbourn and Robin have already dropped out and natural attrition might get the numbers down to manageable level. It's not until January.

Allen was scathing. "That's your solution? You're just going to do nothing and hope the problems go away?" It's fine for him but he doesn't understand that leadership sometimes requires difficult decisions. Doing nothing isn't easy as it looks.

Blackbourn wrote a very gracious email explaining why they couldn't come but the pleasure it gave me undermined somewhat by the post-script: "We're both still very committed to loM for 2011." Geeze, I'd forgotten about that...tw

3

Men's Journal, May 2009 issue (U.S.A.). Click on the link to see a scan page.

Special Edition
Extreme Adventures for Regular Guys
10 Trip You Can Train for and Take in Six Weeks or Less

#9 Motorcycle the Ho Chi Minh Trail

THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY's official history of the Vietnam Way designates the Ho Chi Minh Trail "as one of the 20th century’s great achievements of military engineering."

The 18-foot-wide supply line – built to circumnavigate a U.S. Nay presence in the Gulf of Tonkin – was started in 1959 and ultimately starched 1,800 miles though triple canopy jungle to fronts in South Vietnam. By the late ‘60s the network was moving supplies for hundreds of thousands of North Vietnamese troops, essentially turning the tide of the war.

Today segments of the infamous route can still be pieced together in what amounts to one of the greatest motorcycle tours in the world. Winding paved roads, river crossings, tight mountain passes, and hardly any traffic create a kind of grand prix of motorcycle touring through the Truong Son Mountains, the Red River Delta, and the Ashau Valley of western and central Vietnam.

A Belarusian 125cc Minsk – with its bomber suspension and steering for bad roads – is the classic ride on the old communist thoroughfare, and after landing in Hanoi you can pick up a used one for less than $400 (though a rented Honda is probably more reliable).

Swarms of mopeds vanish in the rear-view as you flog it along two-lane Route 32 into the tea plantations and the old growth forests of the Truong Son Mountains. Ease back on the throttle over the switch backs near Bau Pass, then drop down into Phu Yen for fried rau muong (spinach). Pass through Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park – a UNESCO Heritage Site, in which the Vietcong hid from U.S. bombers in 40 miles of spectacular caves and under ground rivers – and then into primitive rain forests once stripped by Agent Orange, and Khe Sanh, and the labyrinthine Vinh Moc tunnels.

Reconstruct your former self after the final 90-mile leg in the seaside hamlet of Hoi An, where world-class tailors on ran Hung Dao Road will stitch you a suit for $50.

Start today. Ride your bicycle.

Motorcycle touring takes strength and flexibility. Ride a real or stationary bike to build muscle and work your core. BRUSH UP ON YOUR RIDING SKILLS Check out the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Rider Course or DirtBike School (msf-usa.org)

Info & Outfitters

Offroad Vietnam offers nine days trip ($1,260; offroadvietnam.com). It doesn't pay commissions to hotels or restaurants, saving you money and needless detours to tourist traps - PORTER FOX.

4

ForbesTraveler.com's Top Motorcycle Trips Worldwide, September 2008 (U.S.A.) http://www.forbestraveler.com/adventure/motorcycle-adventures-story.html

... “I’d always been curious about Vietnam and its people,” says Charles Drummond, a 68-year-old retired marketing executive from Walla Walla, WA, who toured North Vietnam in late 2007 with Offroad Vietnam, a motorcycle tour company in Hanoi.

During the ten-day trip, Drummond departed Hanoi with a small group of riders and headed north, close to the Chinese border, on a circuitous route that led up steep mountain passes terraced with ride paddies. "The trip was a challenge as far as my riding skills, but I survived," Drummond says. "It was delightfully grueling… We rode for four to five hours a day and there were mountain passes of ten and 12,000 feet. Homestays along the way made the trip even more rewarding."

The mix of challenging riding terrain and cultural wonderment of motorcycle adventure in Vietnam makes for quite a cocktail. "Adventure riders like North Vietnam a lot," says Anh Wu, co-owner of Offroad Vietnam, "The roads go all around the mountains with many blind curves, and it can take 20 kilometers to complete one mountain or hill because it winds around so much."

What makes the experience even more special are the locals. "The Hmong people who live in the countryside, they cheat nobody and they are friendly,” he says. “If they see a foreigner, they consider it will bring good luck to them, and they welcome them like a god."

...

5

Viet Nam News' Off-road tours offer rocky path, May 2010 (Vietnam) http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Travel/199306/Off-road-tours-offer-rocky-path-.html

The northern mountainous region is one of the country's most beloved destinations for local and international travellers, but if you want real adventure, you should visit the area on an off-road motorbike tour.

The offroadvietnam travel company, the only of it's kind in the north of Viet Nam, has been operating since last year, offering it's services to experienced riders from mainly Australia, England, the US and Canada.

Over 500 bikers have taken in 130 rocky road voyages in the mountainous provinces of Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Cao Bang, Bac Can, Tuyen Quang and Lang Son – covering some of the most challenging roads in the country.

"Northern mountainous provinces are well-known destinations on the travel map of Viet Nam, which can be accessed by bus or train in just a few hours. But we want to provide another angle on landscapes in the rocky region by using offroad vehicles with more stop-offs," said offroadvietnam manager, Anh Wu.

"We are the only travel agency in the north supplying advanced motorbike tours," the 37-year-old manager says.

"We don't experience many problems on our tours, flat tyres are probably the main one. We prefer Hondas because they are the most commonly used and travellers can find garages everywhere or repair the bikes themselves," said tour guide Hoang Ngoc Minh.

"The company has 60 motorbikes from 100-250cc, but Baja XR 250 and GL150 are the favourite choice for offroad tours. Of course, we have conducted detailed surveys to offer the best and safest vehicles and accommodation."

Minh, who has 10 years experience in two-wheel travel, says tourists prefer home-stays, which help them learn more about the lives of ethnic groups such as Mong, Tay, Dao and Nung in the typical northwestern provinces.

First stop

After a 220km, seven hour ride from Ha Noi, travellers arrive in Vu Linh Village, Yen Binh District where they spend their first night with the Dao people.

The village, which has welcomed 400 foreign tourists since the start of this year, offers breathtaking views from a footpath that snakes around a 200sq.km lake.

"I'm sure that you are invited to drink at any house. Hosts in the rustic village warmly welcome all guests," said the guide.

"Travellers love to stay in stilted houses with palm roofs and fresh air off the lake. Visitors find a quite country life where they are offered traditional Dao food including grilled fish, beef, chicken and the most favourite – tofu."

Touring Ha Giang

Ha Giang is best seen by motorcycle, featuring roads that zigzag up and down hills 1,000m above sea level but the company has more than 150 itineraries to offer riders in Viet Nam.

As Minh suggests, the 10-day and 9 night route from Ha Noi that winds through the gemstone of Luc Yen District, Yen Bai and Ha Giang provinces before crossing the forest road into Hoang Su Phi District and on to Bac Ha town in Lao Cai Province.

"It's the most interesting journey in the north because you have many stops with ethnic groups along the way. The route requires different vehicles such as motorbikes, boats and rafts," Minh says.

"You will cover the most beautiful sites in the northwestern area including the rocky plateau of Dong Van District in Ha Giang."

Motorcyclists will ride 150km on the second day along roads dotted with green palm trees, from Luc Yen to Ha Giang.

A night stay in Ha Giang town will refresh weary riders before they wind from the town of Quan Ba to Cong Troi (Heaven's Gate).

The next three days are the most tiring as adventurers ride for 270km from Quan Ba, through Yen Minh, Meo Vac valley and Dong Van town and back to Quan Ba again, due to a lack of connecting roads.

There are plans for the karst landscape of over 2,350sq.km ranging across the districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac and Dong Van expected to be recognised as a UNESCO Geopark soon.

The seventh and eighth days see trippers back to Ha Giang and through the forests of Hoang Su Phi and Xin Man districts to Bac Ha, which is home to 50,000 Mong people.

Bac Ha is also well known as the land of Tam Hoa plums harvested every April, with thang co (horse meat soup) and maize wine.

Day nine and ten – the last days of the tour – are easier as riders take the main road for the final 360km journey from Bac Ha back to Ha Noi.

To offer even more flexibility and extensions to your tour, offroadvietnam connects tours with Sinhbalo Adventures who offer biking and cycling trips, Motorbike Thailand for touring on modern road bikes, Dancing Roads for motocross adventures and James Barbush in Laos.

Offroadvietnam travel manager Anh Wu reminds trippers who want to experience this adventure that they should be proficient riders and reserve at least US$300-500 to pay for the tour.

"We will provide trans-Viet Nam or other specified options on motorbikes such as the Ho Chi Minh Trail and mountainous area. You can discover anywhere you want in Viet Nam," said Anh Wu.

...

6

Motorcycle Trader magazine, June 2010 issue (Australia).

By Guy Allen of Motorcycle Trader Australia magazine (article and photos)

It's a country that famously saw off our military in the 1970s, but is now welcoming peaceful motorcyclists with open arms. GUY ALLEN reports on the ride of a lifetime… [ more ]

GUIDE BOOKS

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Lonely Planet Vietnam, July 2009 (Australia)

Page 119:

...

If you plan to tour the north by bike, you'll find several tour operators in Hanoi which offer well-maintained bikes, and who can help you with itinerary planning (and guides). Check out p507 for more details.

For a reliable Honda trail (starting from US$20 daily) and road bikes (US$15) or a moped (US$5 to US$8), as well as great advice, head to Offroad Vietnam (map p92; 39263433; www.offroadvietnam.com; 36 P Nguyen Huu Huan)...

Page 189:

TAKING THE HIGH ROAD

With spectacular scenery, little traffic and improved roads, more and more travellers are choosing to take a motorbike around the northwest loop from Hanoi up to Lao Cai, over to Dien Bien Phu and back to the capital.

Hanoi, where you'll find several specialist motorbike-tour operators, is the place to start making arrangements. Consider joining a tour (p507) or hiring a guide, who will know the roads and can help with any mechanical and linguistic difficulties. Be sure to get acquainted with your bike first and check road conditions and routes.

Most motorbikes in Vietnam are small capacity (under 250cc). For years the sturdy Minsk, built in Belarus, was the bike of choice for travellers and it still has many devoted aficionados. For the full story consult www.minskclubvietnam.com, which even has a free PDF breakdown manual to download. Minsks are quirky bikes, not known for their reliability (though they will deal with rutted, rough roads well). They were common in northern Vietnam for years, and many mechanics know how to fix them. But today numbers have dwindled as mopeds and Chinese road bikes have proliferated.

Honda road bikes (such as the Honda GL160) and trail bikes are other good choices. These bikes have a good reputation for reliability and have decent shock absorbers. Some folk bike it around Vietnam on mopeds (like the 100cc Honda Wave), which tend to be reliable and their automatic gears make things easier for inexperienced riders. However you'll find bumps tough on your butt.

Rental agencies will help with checklists but some essentials include a good helmet, local mobile phone for emergencies, rain gear, a spare parts and repair kit (including spark plugs, spanners, inner tube and tyre levers), air pump and decent maps. Knee and elbow pads and gloves are also a good idea.

Highways can be hell in Vietnam, so it's wise to let the train take the strain on the long route north to Lao Cai. Load your bike into a good carriage (180,000d) while you sleep in a berth. You'll have to (almost) drain it of petrol. Then in Lao Cai, pick it up, fill up, fire it up and off you go.

Take it slowly, particularly in the rain: smooth paved roads turn into muddy tracks in no time, after heavy rain. Do not ride during or immediately after heavy rain storms as this is the time a landslide might occur (many mountain roads are quite new and the cliff embankments can be unstable). Expect to average about 35km per hour. Only use safe hotel parking. Fill up from petrol stations where the gas is less likely to have been watered down.

And if you’re running short on time or energy remember that many bus companies will let you put your bike on the roof of a bus (around 500,000d from Son La to Hanoi), but get permission first from your bike rental company.

Recommended motorbike specialists in Hanoi include Cuong's Motorbike Adventure (p119) and Off Road Vietnam (p119).

Page 507:

Motorbike Tours

Specialised motorbike tours through Vietnam are growing in popularity. It is a great way to get off the trail and explore the mountainous regions of the north and centre of the country - two-wheel can reach the parts that four-wheel sometimes can't, by traversing small trails and traffic free back roads. A little experience helps, but many of leading companies also offer tuition for first-timers. Mounting a Minsk to take on the peaks of the north is one of Vietnam's defining moments and should not be missed.

Foreign guides charge considerably more than the local Vietnamese guides. Based on the group of four people, you can expect to pay around US$100 per person per day for an all-inclusive tour that provides motorbike rental, petrol, guide, food and accommodation. Some of the best companies running trips in the north include the following:
...
Offroad Vietnam (04-3904-5049; www.offroadvietnam.com) This is a Vietnamese-run company, and these guides generate really good feedback from their guests. Honda bikes from 125cc to 250cc. Tours from US$100 per day.
...

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Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring, 2010 (Australia)

Page 867:

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Offroad Vietnam (04-3904 5049; www.offroadvietnam.com) A Vietnamese-run company, these guys generate really good feedback from their guests.

...

Note:

- Our updated telephone numbers are 0913 047509 / 0982 050225 (domestic) or +84 913 047509 / +84 982 050225 (international).
- Prices listed are for 2009 touring season or before, click to get current guided tour or bike rental costs.