Road trip from Hanoi - Sapa; advice needed!

My travel partner and I are planning a road trip from Hanoi to Sapa on a Minsk bike in the first week of March. We need advice on the following points from veterans of motorbike pilgrimages!

-Guide

Are guides essential? How much do they cost on average? Where can we get them?

-Itinerary

We%26#39;ll be following closely to this guy%26#39;s trip - 鈥logspot.com/2005/09/hanoi-to-sapa-by-motor鈥?/a> Any other alternative recommendations?

-Sanitation

We%26#39;re not vaccinated for Hep A, typhoid and so on. Will this be a concern while staying in rural villages? Should we bring medication such as iodine tablets for water purification?

-Road/Traffic Conditions

I only have the basics of riding taught by friends. No regular riding experience. Is this enough?

Other important things to note? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Road trip from Hanoi - Sapa; advice needed!

Guy,

Great idea - you will have a fantastic time.

Guides are worth having and will make for a much better trip only if you have the money but if you are trying to do it cheap and you are adventurous then there is no reason you can%26#39;t do it by yourself.

Itin- be very flexible, give yourself much more time than you need and stay calm. If you break down or something else happens you can easily lose a day or two so you need to have it spare. If you get close to the end of your trip with time up your sleeve you will be glad of a chance to explore side roads and hang out in villages.

You need to carry about 3 lt. of water each with you (and another spare bottle at the bottom of your bag). Bottled water is for sale in small towns and roadside shops - but sometime they are several hours apart. Don%26#39;t worry about vaccines but DO worry about mozzies and make sure you put your repellent on BEFORE sunset.

Once you are away from the city the road conditions are not too bad - the occasional overtaking battle with a truck on mountain bends but nothing really difficult. Just take it easy, give yourself plenty of time and unless you are close to your destination you should start looking for a guesthouse or hotel to stop any time from 3pm. It is much better to stop early and get up and leave early than it is to have to ride in the dark to get to your hotel.

I suggest you take a detailed look at exploreindochina.com . Even if you don%26#39;t book a guided ride with them you will get valuable tips and a sense of what to expect. I think they can organise bikes aand riding gear for you (without guide) also. It is worth checking for the photos alone.

Have a great time,

Martin

Road trip from Hanoi - Sapa; advice needed!

Thanks.

Will there be an issue with licenses as I do not have 1? Seems to me that there are rules but are rarely enforced.

Also, if I ever do get into any trouble with the local authorities such as driving without a required license, what will be the a payoff amount enough to get out of trouble?

Hello guy,

This subject has been discussed extensively on TA and I suggest you read all the posts on the following two threads, which will answer many of your questions and contain information you might not have thought of, such as whether your travel insurance will cover you for motorcycling.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293921-i8432-k251鈥?/a>

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293926-i10089-k24鈥?/a>

As for vaccinations, for anyone planning to stay in rural villages it is advisable to have Hep A and typhoid shots. Should you have an accident and suffer grazes, protection from tetanus is essential; for a more serious accident you should consider the possibility that you might be treated with a reused needle or be given contaminated blood, which would mean you might contract Hep B.

Bottled water should be used not only for drinking but also for cleaning your teeth in places where the purity of tap water is questionable.

Hi again.

Unfortunately, vaccinations are out of control at this point of time as I%26#39;ll be leaving for Viet Nam in 5days.

I%26#39;ve read through the 2 threads provided by you and they were very informative. However, they were inconclusive.

It seems like the road trip is exciting, a once in a lifetime experience yet at the same time silly and extremely dangerous (more so for inexperienced riders).

With a local guide then, and with all the possible preparations made, is it doable? Doable meaning if I travel at relatively safe speeds (50-60), will it still be life threatening? I don%26#39;t wish to get on an adventure that is more worrying than relaxing and I certainly don%26#39;t wish to come back home in a wooden box or with one limb missing..

Inconclusive yes, because ultimately it%26#39;s each individual%26#39;s decision, having weighed up the pros and cons. You sound like a sensible person who would take no risks, but the problem lies in coping with the unexpected and I can%26#39;t stress enough the importance of having comprehensive insurance that will cover you for all eventualities.

I don%26#39;t know how common this is, but it%26#39;s best to be aware of other unexpected things that can happen if you are travelling on your own, although you should be ok with a local guide:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g311304-i9623-k250鈥?/a>

Here are two other companies that do organised tours in the north-west, although time may be too short to join one and they are extremely expensive:

http://www.voyagevietnam.net/eng/33-36.php

http://www.freewheelin-tours.com/

Whatever you decide please let us know (too few people do that), and if you go ahead with the plan it would be great if you could post a trip report after your return as that would be of enormous help to others contemplating a similar journey.

Have a great time, whatever form your holiday takes!

Thanks CreakingBones.

I don%26#39;t think we can do tours as we have a daily budget ceiling of USD40 approx.

You%26#39;re right, the gist of the dilemma lies with coping with the unexpected. And when the unexpected happens, insurance will probably be a lifesaver. The problem is insurance wouldn%26#39;t cover those without valid motorcycle license... and I%26#39;m back to my dilemma. :(

I might just do the trip, but with a guide.

Any answers to my second post about licenses and getting into trouble with the authorities? Opinions on alternative travel routes?

Hello again.

Although it is dated 2007 and doesn%26#39;t offer advice on trouble with the authorities, the post by deepcdiver in the following link might be helpful:

鈥ootsnall.com/vietnam-by-motorcycle-t20889.鈥?/a>

As for alternative routes, have a look at the itineraries offered by motorcycle tour companies (try Google for companies not listed above) and draw on those which interest you.

Cheers

Thanks!