Travelling the Ha Giang Loop in northern Vietnam on a motorcycle, as a pillion passenger, offers an unforgettable adventure through breathtaking landscapes.
Travelling the Ha Giang Loop in northern Vietnam on a motorcycle, as a pillion passenger, offers an unforgettable adventure through breathtaking landscapes.
Have an adventure in southeast Asia by riding in tandem on the back of a motorbike, writes Diana Clement
South East Asia is full of surprises. None more for me than finding myself pillion passenger for four days on a motorcycle, zig-zagging up and down roads that sometimes felt like a scene from the TV show World’s Most Dangerous Roads.
Back in the 1980s I’d vowed I would never ride pillion ever again. I’d been there, done that, and risked my life too many times at the mercy of a male ego.
As I donned my helmet in the town of Ha Giang in remote northern Vietnam, the prospect of zipping up through mountain passes and down into stunning canyons was, I have to admit, laced with visions of impending doom.
It was never the plan. Weeks earlier, however, in southern Vietnam I’d shared a beer with an English woman who convinced me that the four-day Ha Giang Loop high up into the mountainous border regions with China was a must-do.
D-Day came around quickly and after a comfortable but long bus ride from Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, handing over $400 for four days all-inclusive, and excess luggage packed away, 12 of us hit the road.
Instead of a traditional motorcycle, the author was riding a 110cc Honda Dream scooter for four days, highlighting the unconventional charm of local transportation options.
As I walked outside with Cho, my ‘easyrider’, vaguely expecting to see a big motorcycle, there in front of me was a 110cc Honda Dream. I’d somehow signed up to sit for four days on the back of this standard Vietnamese workhorse of a scooter.
Eyebrows coming down to earth, and bags strapped on, we were soon off winding our way up our first limestone mountain range to the Dong Van Karst Plateau, a Unesco Global Geopark. Other highlights of the four days included climbing the Lung Cu Flag Tower, with its views into China, and spending Saturday night at a street party, in Meo Vạc, a small border town, where the next morning we wandered the local market that was too remote for colourfully dressed stall holders to bother hawking to tourists.
Each day was short enough for multiple stops to take in the endlessly eye-popping vistas, and early enough into town to relax and explore the tiny towns we stopped at. Our riders were all from the local hill tribes and one opened his spartan home to us when he stopped to say “hi” to his family as we passed through the village.
Of course, there are hardships of sitting on the back of a scooter for days on end. None of us had gloves as we set off, but had bought some by the end of the day. That same day ended with universally aching sit bones, and the next day came with cold driving rain. The sights and experiences soon overwhelmed any discomfort.
Face masks are a common sight on the roads of Vietnam, providing protection from sun, cold, dust, and pollution.
Despite my catastrophising, our easyriders took few risks, which I’m sure must have been part of their contract. Only once, on the very first day, did my 22-year-old easyrider attempt a blind corner overtake. The wagging of my index finger was enough to halt the manoeuvre, and ensure no repeats.
Accommodation on the Ha Giang Loop was in basic dormitories, or for $30 extra, private rooms, in small towns with few overseas tourists. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were buffet-style local food. Evenings, whether you wanted to or not, involved being press-ganged by locals to sing karaoke, and plied with “happy water”, local rice wine, that was best chucked down fast, rather than savoured.
The vast majority of foreigners who make it to this remote region are young backpackers, and both group and self-ride tours are organised by local hostels.
As the holder of a full motorcycle licence I’m quite capable of riding myself, even zig-zagging up the stomach churning mountainsides of Ha Giang province. The issue that made me go pillion was insurance, which in most cases won’t pay the hospital bills for self-riders because anyone riding in breach of local driving laws, which means without a local Vietnamese licence, is riding uninsured.
Best to check, than find out in the back of the ambulance that you won’t be operated on until $30,000 is deposited in the hospital’s bank account. Search the words ‘motorcycle’ or ‘motorbike accident’ on Givealittle and the picture becomes clear, fast.
Joining online communities like the Cambodia Motorcycle Riders Forum can provide valuable insights and support for travellers planning motorcycle adventures in Southeast Asia.
Some New Zealand travel insurance policies specifically exclude all claims arising from moped or motorcycle accidents, which includes as a pillion passenger. My ASB Platinum Card insurance covered me if I was riding legally, which as a pillion behind a local licence holder, I was. It’s tricky to get a local licence in Vietnam to ride legally unless you’re staying for three months or more.
Plenty of foreigners do self-ride on the Ha Giang Loop, either as part of a larger group, or on their own. Most survive without mishap. We saw a few get ticketed, at $80 a pop as they left Ha Giang town. Most police in Vietnam, however, just ignore foreign riders.
The Ha Giang Loop wasn’t the first and nor would it be the last time I rode or pillioned a motorcycle in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The very first WTH moment came in Ho Chi Minh City when I decided to jump on a Grab bike - a motorcycle equivalent of an Uber. My travelling companion had already taken a few Grab bikes and always returned alive. Even so, it proved a hair-raising adventure in a city of 9 million people, with 8.8 million registered motorcycles and an awful lot of accidents.
The Grab app, which should be downloaded and set up before leaving New Zealand, also includes an option to add insurance automatically to each and every fare, which I did. As an Aussie we met said: if he was unconscious he wanted the hospital to treat him no questions asked.
Virtually every hotel we visited in Vietnam and neighbouring countries offered motorcycle hire - sometimes as cheap as $10 a day. Aware of the risks of riding outside of licence conditions, we only hired them twice in Vietnam: on the island of Cat Ba, and through the rice paddies outside of Tam Coc.
Next stop was Cambodia. Foreigners intending to ride a motorcycle of 125cc or greater need to get a local licence, which allegedly, is available at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport offices. Online postings on the subject suggest that it’s not always easy in practice.
Siem Reap, gateway to the Angkor temples, with its good, flat, roads, is a great place to hire a scooter. You can tootle around town and to the closer temples such as the jewel in the crown, Angkor Wat and Instagrammable Ta Prohm, better known as the Tomb Raider temple.
In Cambodia, tootle around town and visit temples such as Angkor Wat Photo / Getty Images
I left Cambodia by boat from Phnom Penh, down the Mekong River into Vietnam for, unbeknownst to me, my final motorcycle adventure.
The port town of Chau Doc turned out to be too remote to have much in the way of organised tours of local sights. I’d not even arrived at the family run Homestay Khoa Chaudoc when the owner informed me she’d source me a guide to visit the local sites: the Hang Pagoda, Sam Mountain, Tra Su Cajuput Forest, and rice paddies as far as the eye could see. I always shy away from one-on-one guides, having experienced too many lecherous ones in my youth. When I clicked that the guide was “Ms Mai”, not a Mr, and that the transport was by motorcycle, my first words were: “I’m in”.
Even so, anyone heading to South East Asia with the express intention of motorcycling should take the advice of Safe Travel, the New Zealand government’s travel advisory service, and consider bringing your own helmet and protective gear. Southeast Asian helmets lack more than a little in the safety stakes.
Depending on the time of year, a leather jacket and a few warm layers won’t go astray. It might be hot in most of Southeast Asia, but it can get very cold in northern Vietnam and Laos. On the Ha Giang Loop we wore every layer of clothing non-stop for four days, as well as disposable plastic suits and booties, supplied by the Bong Hostel.
The best fun can be had on the back of a motorbike as it weaves and threads its way through the traffic of Ho Chi Minh City. Photo / 123rf
It can be possible to rent a bike for the duration of a Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia trip. But it’s not always easy to find one. Serious motorcycle riders with time on their hands often buy a motorcycle on arrival, re-selling it when they leave. The Vietnam Motorcycle For Sale Facebook group lists many.
Other groups of interest to anyone planning a motorcycle-based trip to South East Asia include the Cambodia Motorcycle Riders Forum on Facebook, and Foreign Motorcycle Riders in Thailand. The hive mind can help with everything from buying a motorcycle locally, crossing borders, and the best routes to and from anywhere in South East Asia.
