Vietnam Coracle: Independent Travel Guides to Vietnam

Posts tagged motorbike

Lonely Planet Experience Vietnam

Lonely Planet Article

For the new Lonely Planet ‘Experience Vietnam’ book, I explore the joys, history & practicality of motorbiking Vietnam…

101 Images to Inspire a Road Trip by Motorbike in Vietnam

101 Images to Inspire a Road Trip by Motorbike in Vietnam

An independent motorbike road trip in Vietnam is one of the most exhilarating & memorable travel experiences available anywhere in the world today…

Ha Giang, Vietnam: A Picture Book

Ha Giang Province | Picture Book

One of the most visually arresting regions in the nation, Ha Giang is Vietnam’s northern-most province. This gallery features 50 images showcasing the beauty of Ha Giang in order to inspire wanderlust…

The New Can Gio-Vung Tau Car Ferry

The Can Gio→Vung Tau Car Ferry

A great boon to travellers, this new ferry connects two of the most popular destinations near Ho Chi Minh City: Can Gio mangrove forest and Vung Tau beach…

Motorbiking Northern Vietnam

Motorbiking Northern Vietnam | 13 Routes

In the north, the mountains are higher, the passes loftier & the scenery is more majestic than anywhere else in Vietnam….

Motorbike Chronicles: Diary, Map & Film of a Vietnam Road Trip

Motorbike Chronicles: Film, Map, Diary

To provide an opportunity for vicarious travel during this time of self-isolation & travel bans, I’ve republished my film, route map & diary of a two-month road trip across Vietnam…

Phong Nha by Motorbike: 5 Routes & Loops

Phong Nha by Motorbike: 5 Routes & Loops

Phong Nha has some of the most sublime landscape in Vietnam. These motorbike routes & loops explore all corners of the area’s extraordinary natural beauty….

Hanoi to Hai Phong by Train: Passengers & Motorbikes

The Hanoi↔Hai Phong train is a brilliant option for travellers with motorbikes looking to get from the capital city to Cat Ba Island (or vice-versa), without having to negotiate the horrible highways….

Hoi An-Danang-Hue by Motorbike

Hoi An→Danang→Hue by Motorbike: 3 Routes & Loops

There are now four different routes between these three cities in Central Vietnam. Each route has something different to offer: choose between The Coast, The River, The Mountains, or The Tunnel…..

Son Tra Peninsular, Danang, Vietnam

Son Tra Peninsula, Danang | Motorbike Guide

A rugged headland at the northern tip of Danang’s municipal beach, Son Tra offers mountains & forests, cliffs & coves, wildlife & centuries-old banyan trees, lofty mountain passes with majestic views & sandy beaches untainted by concrete high-rises….

The Extreme Northwest Motorbike Loop, Lai Chau & Dien Bien, Vietnam

The Extreme Northwest Loop: Motorbike Guide

Straddling the Chinese & Lao borders, the extreme northwest of Vietnam is one of the least travelled & most remote regions of the entire country. Mountain roads carve a circuitous course between Lao Cai, Sapa, and Dien Bien Phu, running perilously close to the infamous Golden Triangle….

Ha Giang-Ba Be Lake-Cao Bang, road trip, Vietnam

High Roads: Ha Giang→Ba Be Lake→Cao Bang | 3 Routes

The roads between the northern provinces of Ha Giang & Cao Bang travel through some of the most spectacular & remote regions of Vietnam. Here are three highly scenic (but not always easy) motorbike routes linking Ha Giang, Ba Be Lake & Cao Bang….

30 Great Motorbiking Roads in Vietnam

30 Great Motorbiking Roads in Vietnam

Vietnam has some of the best, most scenic & enjoyable riding roads in the world…

The Coast Road: Saigon to Hoi An & Dong Hoi

The Coast Road: Saigon to Hoi An & Beyond

Thanks to new coastal roads, it’s now possible to ride from Saigon to Hoi An, and beyond to Dong Hoi, following the coast all the way & avoiding the busy main artery of Highway 1 for the vast majority of the route. This is a salty, sunny, sandy & scenic road trip….

Tomb Rider: Hue to Dong Hoi on Back-Roads by motorbike, Vietnam

Tomb Rider: Hue to Dong Hoi on Back-Roads

Covering nearly 200km of completely empty beach, coastal back-roads lead from the old imperial capital of Hue to the beach city of Dong Hoi. Scattered with thousands of traditional-style tombs, this coastal region is rarely explored by foreign visitors…

Sapa-Y Ty Scenic Motorbike Loop, Vietnam

Sapa-Y Ty Scenic Motorbike Loop

Sapa’s dramatic mountainous landscape continues north of town, via Y Ty Village, all the way to the Chinese border. Several small roads penetrate deep into steep, terraced valleys & climb high above ferocious rivers creating a scenic loop….

The Ocean Road: Saigon to Mui Ne, Vietnam

The Ocean Road: Saigon to Mui Ne

The scenic route between Saigon and Mui Ne, the Ocean Road is an easy, feel-good road trip, with a great balance of off-the-beaten-track experiences & creature comforts. Ride it in a day or linger for a week soaking up all it has to offer…

How to Send a Motorbike on a Train in Vietnam

How to Send a Motorbike on the Train

Put your motorbike on the train & send it from one destination to another. This is a convenient, reliable & efficient service for riders in Vietnam…

The Road East of the Long Mountains (Đường Trường Sơn Đông), Vietnam

The Road East of the Long Mountains (Đường Trường Sơn Đông)

A romp through the Central Highlands, the Truong Son Dong Road is a ride to be savoured. With mystical overtones & military undercurrents, the name in Vietnamese translates as ‘The Road East of the Long Mountains’. It’s one of the best riding roads in Vietnam…

Saigon to Dalat, back roads, Vietnam

Saigon to Dalat: the ‘Back Ways’

There are many ways to ride from Saigon to Dalat, but if you want a relatively direct route that avoids highways, there are several great options. These ‘back ways’ to Dalat utilize new, quiet & scenic roads to make the journey as fun as possible…

Mountains in the Mekong, motorbike road trip, Vietnam

Mountains in the Mekong: Motorbike Loop

Most of the Mekong Delta is as flat as a sheet of rice paper. But my favourite corner of the region, the western edge along the Cambodian border, is blessed with some high ground, in the form of a mini mountain range, which rises from the plains of An Giang Province. These mountains are connected by beautiful back-roads, perfect for a road trip…

Saigon Midnight Motorbike Loop, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Saigon Midnight Motorbike Loop

At night, Saigon is at its best: temperatures are cool, humidity is low, and traffic is light – it’s the perfect time to see the city. The Midnight Loop is an urban motorbike route designed specifically for riding after dark: a night out on two wheels…

My GIVI Bike Box, Vietnam Coracle

My GIVI Bike Box

This is the story of my GIVI bike box, bearer of my baggage on all my road trips. Convenient, secure, durable and stylish, my bike box has allowed me the freedom to go anywhere and see everything, which is what motorbiking is all about….

Saigon to Hanoi by motorbike: 5 Suggested Routes

Saigon to Hanoi by Motorbike: 5 Suggested Routes

Thinking about riding the length of Vietnam by motorbike? Here are 5 great routes between Saigon and Hanoi, each one specifically designed to suit the needs of different travellers, based on scenery and time frame among other things….

Binh Thuan Back-Roads: Inland Loop

Binh Thuan Province is known for its beaches, but inland there’s a rich and varied landscape waiting to be explored. A network of rarely used, rural back-roads takes you on an inland loop – over arid plains, through forests, and across rivers….

River Road: The Cai Valley, Vietnam

River Road: The Cai Valley

A silver seam of glistening water, the Cai River meanders through a beautiful valley between Dalat & Phan Rang. A new road follows the course of the river, from its source in the high, forested hills to its mouth on the eastern seaboard….

The Pine Tree Road, North of Dalat by Motorbike, Vietnam

The Pine Tree Road | Motorbike Guide

North of Dalat, an enticing road plunges deep into the pine forests of the Central Highlands before dead-ending in the beautiful Krông Nô River Valley…

The Tet Classic: Lunar New Year Motorbike Loop

The Tết Classic: Lunar New Year Motorbike Loop

Tết (Lunar New Year) is the biggest festival of them all in Vietnam, but travel can be very difficult at this time of year. That’s why, every year, I take a meandering road trip that bypasses popular tourist spots & makes the most of the dry season weather…

Saigon to Phan Thiet by Train: Passengers & Motorbikes

Saigon to Phan Thiet by Train: Passengers & Motorbikes

The daily, non-stop express train between Saigon & Phan Thiet/Mui Ne is a cheap, easy, fun, fast & efficient way to get from the city to the beach. Put your motorbike on the train with you & let the rails carry your wheels….

The Ninh Thuan Loop, Vietnam

Desert, Sea, Sky: The Ninh Thuan Loop

Located between the two most popular beach towns in Vietnam – Mui Ne and Nha Trang – Ninh Thuan Province boasts coastal scenery to rival its famous neighbours. One of the most sparsely populated, least developed, and driest regions in southern Vietnam, ambitious new roads have opened up access to Ninh Thuan’s captivating scenery…

Camping the Ocean Road: Saigon to Nha Trang

Camping the Ocean Road: Saigon to Nha Trang

Pitch your tent under a coconut palm just metres from the surf & enjoy Vietnam’s south coast sleeping in the open air: This is my guide to camping on the beaches along the Ocean Road from Saigon to Nha Trang….

The Deep South: Riding the Dragon's Tail

The Deep South: Riding the Dragon’s Tail

After 9 years travelling in Vietnam, the last four provinces that I have yet to visit are all in the Mekong Delta. These are the southernmost provinces in the country: the Deep South or, as I like to call it, the Dragon’s Tail. I thought it was about time I made it to all Vietnam’s 63 provinces, so I finally set out to travel as far south as roads go…

Route Map: 2 Months on a Motorbike

ROUTE MAP: Two Month Motorbike Road Trip

During the autumn of 2014, I spent two months travelling over 9,000km by motorbike across Vietnam. This annotated and illustrated map of my road trip is designed as a resource for other riders. On it I’ve included links to relevant motorbike guides for specific regions; all of my overnight stops; and my exact route…

The Burnt Road, Ninh Thuan Province

The Burnt Road: Vietnam’s Desert

A short, easy ride through a big, hot landscape of barren hills and abandoned farmhouses, Highway 27B is the Burnt Road. This road trip takes you inland, through the vast open spaces of Vietnam’s driest province…

The Northeast Motorbike Loop, Vietnam

VIDEO: The Northeast Motorbike Loop

One of my favourite corners of Vietnam, this is my film of riding the Northeast Loop by motorbike…

VIDEO: Two Months on a Motorbike

VIDEO: Two Months on a Motorbike

In September & October of 2014 I made a road trip by motorbike through Vietnam. Travelling over 9,000km & covering much of the nation, I saw many wonderful things, some of which I captured on film. This is the video of my 2 month road trip…

Sapa to Ha Giang by motorbike on borders & back-roads, Vietnam

Borders & Back-Roads: Sapa to Ha Giang by Motorbike

Connecting two of the most mountainous provinces in Vietnam, this motorbike route straddles the Chinese border, passing through some of the remotest parts of the country…

Rice harvest, Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam

The Harvest Route: Mù Cang Chải

Every year, between September & October, the terraced rice fields of Mù Cang Chải, a rural district in northern Vietnam, put on a luminous show of picturesque harvest colours. I spectacular road runs through this region: I call it ‘The Harvest Route’….

Sapa to Sin Ho Scenic Motorbike Loop, Vietnam

Sapa-Sin Ho Scenic Motorbike Loop

Sapa and Sin Ho are two towns high up on the slopes of the Tonkinese Alps. They are connected by lofty mountain passes, offering grand scenery on a scale not seen anywhere else in Vietnam. This is an ideal scenic loop by motorbike…

Cleansed: Saigon bathes in dawn light

Two Months on a Motorbike

In 2014, I embarked on a 9,000km, two-month motorbike road trip through Vietnam. During my time on the road, I kept a full and illustrated diary of my travels, an annotated map of my route, and made a short film of the journey…

My Motorbike, Stavros, 200,000km in Vietnam

My Motorbike, Stavros: 200,000km

A week ago, my motorbike (known affectionately to me as ‘Stavros’) turned 13 years old & the odometer ticked over to 200,000km….

Riding red dirt roads, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

Saigon to Phu Quoc Island Motorbike Loop

Flying to Phu Quoc is easy, but if you want a real adventure, riding there by motorbike is much more fun. This road trip takes you from Vietnam’s biggest city to some its best beaches, via the waterways & back-roads of the Mekong Delta…

Maps for a motorbike road trip in Vietnam

Which Map to Use for a Motorbike Road Trip?

A good map is essential for an independent motorbike road trip in Vietnam, but no map is 100% reliable. However, by cross-referencing certain printed maps, online maps, local knowledge & online advice, you’re sure to find the best roads & routes.

Saigon Escape Loop: motorbike guide

Southeast Loop: Motorbike Guide

If you’re looking for a road trip within reach of Saigon that takes you to beaches & mountains, but stays off busy main roads; this is it. Saigon, Mui Ne, & Dalat are all connected by quiet, scenic back-roads: this motorbike guide shows you how to do it.

The Sand Dune Highway: Mui Ne to Ca Na Coast Road

Sand Dune Highway: Mui Ne to Ca Na Coast Road

A short, scenic, easily navigable & rewarding road trip through desert-like landscape on excellent coast roads between Mũi Né & Cà Ná…

Nui Chua Coast Road

Nui Chua Coast Road | Phan Rang to Cam Ranh

Probably the most scenic coastal route in Vietnam, this is a meandering ocean road skirting the edges of a green & rugged peninsula…

Dragons' Graveyard Coast Road, Cà Ná to Phan Rang, Vietnam

Dragons’ Graveyard Coast Road | Cà Ná to Phan Rang

Chiseled into the cliffside high above the sea, this stunning coast road negotiates a boulder-strewn promontory where people say dragons come to die…

The Limestone Loop, Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

The Limestone Loop: Motorbike Guide

Thanh Hoa is a province of limestone pinnacles, rivers & rice paddies. Quiet roads meander through steep valleys cloaked in bamboo forests, & mountain passes twist skyward toward remote Lao border crossings. This motorbike loop is easily accessible from Hanoi, but travels through remote & beautiful landscapes….