chrissables

July 28, 2018

Day 12. 26 April

Nha Trang to Ninh Hoa and back, 101 Km

A vey hot ride up QL1 today to look at the headland north east of Ninh Hoa, there are plenty of prawn farms here on the coast side with dry and brown rice paddies on the opposite side waiting for the rains and the planting season.

I rode out to the sea on the top of a paddy field bund, to take a few photos, then I returned to Nha Trang.

July 28, 2018

The rickety toll bridge!

July 28, 2018

Day 11. 25 April

Dalat to Nha Trang 382 km, 11 ½ hrs

I started “The Road East of the Long Mountains” today. The map and more information can be found here…..

http://vietnamcoracle.com/the-road-east-of-the-long-mountains/

This is a long and convoluted route, the run down to Nha Trang I added at the end because I like the city and good cheap food and beer is everywhere!

From Dalat I headed south on DT725 until QL27 where I turned west the north towards Buon Ma Thout. North of Lake Lak I turned east onto TL12, this is a slow road through great scenery. Unfortunately I took a wrong turn at Yang Mao which took me to a dead end where the road was still being built to meet up with the dead end road of yesterday.

I met a group of kids here who were delightful in their Vietnamese greeting of “Hello, <deleted> you”! Cheeky scrote’s hahaha

One of them took me down the mountain to the correct turning which was a very potholed road leading a rickety toll bridge. From there the road improved and I continued west and south to Nha Trang.

July 28, 2018

Off roading Vietnamese style!

July 28, 2018

Day 9. 23 April 43km

I stayed local today, more so than planned. I intended to ride to the view point near the top of Lang Biang Mountain, but they had decided that independent riding to the top was now not allowed and you must pay to go up in one of their trucks! Reminds me of another country!

As it happens they did me a favour, I just arrived back at the hotel when the sky’s opened, this carried on for 4 plus hours and on a mountain track would have been treacherous.

Day 10. 24 April

Dalat up the Pine Tree Road 137 km

The route and more information can be found here….

http://vietnamcoracle.com/the-pine-tree-road/

This is a great ride north from Dalat through (as the title says) pine trees. The road is in good condition and winds its way up the mountains up to the hill tribe village of Dung K’no. I filled up at the local shop here as I was going to follow the newly built road as far as possible. Due to being a dead end it was very quiet riding through beautiful scenery until I arrived at the road building site.

July 28, 2018

Loc Bao to to Dalat. 328km

Off bright and early this morning, the weather was like a spring day in the UK, wonderful riding weather.
I backtracked to continue my back roads loop to Dalat. South of Loc Bao I stopped at a war memorial before trying to find the turning to Da Teh, this took a few wrong turns before getting on the correct road, then the wrong turns and un signposted roads took over. To cut a long story short 220km and 7 hours later I was back at my start point, due to a bad storm and the small road I was on being under construction and a mud bath,

I decided to count my loses and take the main road to Dalat.

July 28, 2018

Day 7. 21 April

Vung Tau to Bao Loc. 284km

I started early as it was a convoluted route and I knew I would be delayed by taking wrong turns etc. It was worse than I thought and I was continually getting lost, and extremely pissed off. The map I had seemed to show the opposite of the phone map, which was again different to what the locals were telling me! Three hours after leaving a found a huge lake that turned out to be the sea, I had done a complete loop!

I decided to stop after 9 hours at Bao Loc because I was taking a back road through the mountains to Dalat and would have run out of light before finishing.

I did find some nice views and hopefully tomorrow I will find better.

July 28, 2018

Day 6. April 20, 38km

I stayed local today and went to the Christ of Vung Tau, 847 steps in the scorching sun, but worth it for the views. I also popped into another Catholic religious sight, but don’t recall the name. What was interesting was watching beer be delivered to the restaurant on site!

July 28, 2018

Day 4. 18 April 123km

A ride down to Vung Tau today required a ride through the tunnel under the Saigon river and a ferry ride from Cat Lai Port over the Nha Be river.

The road QL51 was extremely dusty, dirty and busy. Not a pleasant ride at all.

Day 5. April 19. 108km

A day trip from Vung Tau to Nui Minh Mountain and Chua Hang Mai Temple today.

It started off very frustrating due to differing directions from everyone, but once I found the turning off of QL51 it was easy to find.

The road was extremely rough, rutted and steep in places, had it been wet impossible to ride, but well worth the effort.

July 28, 2018

Day 2. Monday 16 April

I collected the bike from Tigit Motorbikes, panniers and top box fitted and ready for the start of the tour Wednesday.

I had a night on the town and got totally smashed drinking vodka with a guy from Finland, this is not recommended! I fell flat on my face trying to find a taxi back to my room. It’s not often I get smashed like that.

Day 3. Tuesday 17 April

Recovering and wandering around Saigon. I found a sex shop near Walking Street, when I asked how much I was asked to leave!

July 28, 2018

Another long ride around Vietnam on a motorbike. Originally i was going to Cambodia but decided on a repeat trip, trying new roads to me.

Day 1. Sunday 15 April.

I arrived at Saigon early afternoon, checked in at the hotel and went beer drinking.

July 26, 2018

Google GT Rider, they have up to date information there.

Vietnam you can't take a Thai registered bike into unless on an organised tour. Better to fly to Saigon and rent. I just did 3 months riding there, great roads and Views.

Malaysia, you need to have a sticker made up with the Thai number plate translated. You can buy insurance at the border. Again check before going. Also translate the green book at the transport office.

Laos may not require the translation, but i would do it just in case. They are refusing motorbikes crossing a lot at the moment, so check at GT Rider.

July 26, 2018

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Did you ever try "any other bike"?

Because if you did then you should know there is a night and day difference.

I never tried one of those bathtubs. But I was on motorcycle taxis with them. Waiting in the traffic behind all those other cars. Except the cars have aircon and a roof.

You are thinking of the PCX bigger cousin, looks like a jetski. The PCX is the best fun bike i ever had, great in town, i have ridden it up to north Laos and the Chinese border too.

You ask "did you try any other bike"? But then add you have not tried a PCX, if you have not tried, how can you comment? ?

July 26, 2018

2 hours ago, Aachen said:

NEVER! Alcohol in public is forbidden. (And nobody can tell, whether you brought "from outside" or not.)

"they will serve it for you" -- The coffee-cup serving is illegal too.

Is it not illegal to buy, perfectly legal to drink.

June 12, 2018

19 hours ago, jimmyyy said:

I had thought of Riding from Sarahkam to Pattaya, then i said lets try a smaller trip like to Korat, my butt started hurting half way and i turned around, never again. i was on a PCX 150 2017 model.

I modified the seat on my PCX and rode from Pattaya to Nong Khai in a day no issues. If you are not comfortable riding is not much fun.

I also rode up to Phongsali in north Laos and back on the PCX, great fun.

May 11, 2018

On 5/10/2018 at 3:42 PM, darksidedog said:

Stories like this really piss me off. If you are in a taxi and it has an accident, his insurance should cover any medical expenses, especially if you do not have your own. On that note though, I am continuously shocked how many stupid people, (and if you come somewhere dangerous like Thailand without insurance, you are stupid), either have no insurance or do not bother to check their coverage. Maybe time for the Government to force people entering the country to show proof of adequate coverage, or for them to be forced to buy a package at the point of entry to cover them.

Maybe time for the government to make the people responsible for an accident pay for the medical treatment.
It seems the majority of accidents are caused by Thais, make them pay through compulsory insurance.
Who would ever think of taking out insurance for riding in a taxi in the real world? Nobody I'm sure.

April 12, 2018

2 hours ago, Slip said:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/10/russian-influence-brexit-vote-detailed-us-senate-report

Very funny and ill thought out by the re-moaners newspaper. Farage has been anti EU for 20 odd years, it's no secret, it's why he went into politics.

April 11, 2018

8 hours ago, Slip said:

I'm ambivalent. In my heart I guess I am a 'remoaner' as you guys like to call them, but I don't know the future any more than the rest of you. We will have to wait and see. What strikes me is the nature of those who championed leave- the tories, UKIP, that slug Boris and the Putin aligned traitor Farage. Nothing those people believe in is for the good of the average Brit man on the street.

Putin aligned traitor Farage

In what way do you think he is aligned with Putin? Please find some evidence and explain you ill thought out presumptions.

April 11, 2018

14 hours ago, leeneeds said:

Shoddy investigations no doubt, it happens all over, the world,

Insurance , is never given a thought and if it is , then so easily dismissed,

insurance to travel should be the law the world over, death coverage being part of such insurance,

Insurance against death? Well thought out!

April 10, 2018

13 hours ago, elviajero said:

There is little wrong with calling anything stamped in your passport giving permission to enter and/or stay in a country as a visa, because that’s what it is.

‘Visa’ is the generic term recognised and used the world over to describe anything giving a foreigner permission to enter/stay in a foreign country.

My wife applied for a visa to stay in the UK by competing forms etc. all referring to a ‘visa’. She has never received anything in her passport called a ‘visa’, and yet she entered the country and has permission to stay for 2.5 years.

Who is wrong, the 99% or the 1% and the TVF pedants.

When advising on Thai visa/permit issues we just need to ascertain whether the question is about entry visas or permits to stay.

I have seen may time a retirement visa is not a retirement visa, but something else, permission to stay for example. But in my passport it is stamped "retirement"!

April 8, 2018

4 hours ago, Mario666 said:

Thanks mate....you guys have helped immensely.....I know Vietnam is a large and diversified country and as such I didn't know where to start.....now I know I will do a month in the South on this trip and then look in central and North next time.

Just as a matter of interest did you get any negatives from the North....as in hangover from the War?....I am English, but they won't know that!

No problems anywhere regarding the war, i went to a few of the places that had bad things happen and nothing but smiles and politeness. Including Hue, My Lai, Khe Sanh, hamburger hill etc.

April 8, 2018

1 hour ago, Mario666 said:

Hi Chrissables,

Thank you for your recommendations.

From the other responses I have received I think I will probably go for a 1 month tourist visa now because it looks so nice.

I think I will have to limit myself to the Southern destinations for my first visit for time purposes.

It looks a lot cleaner than Thailand..is that so?

Many thanks.

M

Yes it is cleaner, especially in the countryside. No dog crap everywhere, for a good reason!

You need to get a visa before you go when over two weeks. Or arrive with a visa free entry and extend it.

I have ridden my motorbike from Saigon to the Chinese border and back, for me the north is better but the mountains od Dalat are near Saigon, lots to see everywhere.

I'm off soon for a 3 month ride around the countryside :)

April 8, 2018

Hanoi is nice to walk around, near the French quarter and the lake. Cat Ba Island is similar to Ha Long Bay but quieter.

If you want to get away from the tourist traps Ban Gioc waterfall in the far north on the Chinese border, also Pac Bo at the same time. (Google them)

Sa Pa is nice and has the highest point in Indo China, Fanispan, a great trip up in a cable car.

South of Hanoi Tam Coc where they use there feet to row the boats.

Mai Chau for some stunning mountain scenery.

Hue, Hoi An and Da Nang all near each other and worth a visit.

Dalat is not far from Saigon and the town of Mui Ne and its sands is a nice tourist place.

April 7, 2018

You can only do through a tour company, not to ride independently. Link below.

I'm off for 3 month in a weeks time, it would be great if we could ride there!

https://www.facebook.com/AsiaSensesTravel/

April 6, 2018

6 hours ago, ronaldo0 said:

I will check that out but I am sure I actually had a med certificate saying I had no health problems etc when I went to renew the 5 year one .

This is not a normal health certificate, its a full eyesight medical at an International hospital. I failed at the test center for my licence, they told me if the doctor will sign the full check, no problem. I have renewed 5 year licences two times this way.

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