Vietnam on the Side

Almost every traveller to Vietnam knows that the country’s magnificent landscapes – from the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the Hai Van Pass to the Ha Giang loop, and everywhere in between – is best accessed by motorcycle. Check your insurance coverage, download your Google map, rent a motorcycle – or drive your own – and off you go. Freedom and fun, guaranteed.

Unless, of course, you don’t drive a motorcycle – and I don’t.

Some people are born to drive motorcycles in Vietnam – or anywhere in Asia, for that matter. I admit that I am not one of those people. While I’m good at sitting on the back of a motorcycle – I take motorcycle taxis often and also ride with friends – I decided early on that the challenges of driving in the chaos of Hanoi’s traffic was not a skill I needed to develop. It’s a skill that is necessary, however, to see the best of Vietnam’s mountain region in the north of the country.

Finding a Ride

After living in Hanoi