What could possibly go wrong? The Bike - Hanoi to Laos Border

So I was back in Hanoi thinking of where and when to move to my next location. I had thought about Hue for a long time but it seemed a waste to take a train there and miss ¼ of the country. The only logical solution was a motorbike, I had also had the inspiration from the “Top Gear Vietnam Special”, but with no experience and no license I was very worried…

I had been doing the rounds in Hanoi visiting mechanics and shops, reading online and watching YouTube videos on “idiots guide to riding a motorbike”. I had picked out one I had seen a lot of, and bargained down a sweet deal.

It took me a week to finally decide to do it, and after talking to my parents and getting a “go for it”. I headed back to a bike shop I had found a few days earlier.

Today was the day.

The bike, a Honda Neo 125cc, Full face helmet, Side bags, Custom bag rack (design copied from a French guy), Jacket with padding, New breaks, Chain, Oil and spare tools and spark plug. Not to mention enough plastic bags to start my own convenience store. All for the small sum on $570 USD…  With a deal to buy back the bike if I return to Hanoi with it, for a reasonable amount.

Now with zero driving experience under my belt, I got a crash course from the shop owner, in how to start, stop, change gears, change the oil, unlock the wheels and all the other bobs. Then I took it for a test drive… yeap zero experience and I’m riding a motorbike in Vietnam.

After a overnight tune up at the shop I picked up my bike and gear and it was all mine. I took another 3 days in Hanoi to sort out some "personal things", and also to practice riding.

My test track was the west lake in Hanoi, it was quiet not very many bikes and it had loads of corners, bumps and a small dirt road section. Perfect place to do loops all day and build up confidence.

One morning it was time to leave, I was ready and I picked up my gear, kissed my girlfriend farewell and headed out of town.

So here’s what I learned in my time riding in Hanoi and the outskirts,

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Rules for driving in Vietnam...

1.... forget all the Road rules, they are not even guidelines here.

2. Dont be the one on the outside of the traffic (if someone next to you gets close they move, the person next to them moves, and so forth till the person on the outside hits the parked car.)

3. If you keep moving your safe, if you stop you will not move again... (one way or the other)

4. Indicator is a optional feature. Leaving it on for 3km while you drive is for decoration.

5. Cars will honk at you, it doesn't mean anything just ignore and they will stop... eventually… any time now..... See!

6. If you do nudge someone, just give him or her a nod and continue. If they hit you, expect a nod and ignore it... No one gives 2 cents about a nudge.

7. The police don’t care that its illegal for you to ride on the roads, they are sitting in a ½ beaten up ute and stuck in the traffic. Even if they could catch you (and they carn’t) the language barrier would be not worth there time.

8. Always give way to busses, they are the only exception to all things. They will hoke once then hit you… They have a deadline you know…

9. If a road has potholes go around them, even if it means going on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic at 40km a hour… just beep your horn and they will slow down. Trust me…. J

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I was finally out of Hanoi but it wasn’t so good, it had not rained in Vietnam (for me at least) since my first night when I landed. Today of all days it decided to open up.

It was bucketing down and it didn’t seem to slow the traffic, I was really glad I had taken the time to rap everything up in plastic before I left, the only thing I had forgotten was wet weather gear for my legs and shoes. Oh well… they were dripping.

I had ridden for hours, it sadly wasn’t worth stopping to take pictures as it was far to cloudy and raining. Besides my camera was sitting snug at the bottom of my side bag which I had not thought about when I packed it earlier in the morning.

After lunch I was ½ way up a hill when I was greeted by a cow and a carf. They had stopped in the middle of the road. It wasn’t a uncommon site, to see animals on the road but the carf was having lunch… while trucks narrowly missed the 2.

It was getting on dark and the weather was still cold and raining. I was now shivering and desperate to get off the road. I pulled in at a town called Moc Chau at a hotel. Took a nap and woke up at 8am the next morning… Guess I was tired?

The next morning the weather had semi cleared, and I worked out why it was so cold the evening before… I was up in the clouds. Moc Chau was a small town with a single main street. After breakfast (chicken noodle soup) I set off down the 1 main road. Its not like you can get lost in Vietnam, there is only 1 main road, if you double back it’s the wrong way… My goal was to get to Laos boarder today or close as possible.

The road I was taking was amazing, the weather had really cleared up and the road took me though loads of small villages up and down steep mountain passes and along riverbanks. With the dry weather the road also dried and I was able to get some speed up on my bike. It also meant my shoes were drying ;)

Along the road there seemed to be more and more statues and monuments to the people and the army. These were grand stone statues that would be placed at height and be seen for miles away. They have massive car parks which are deserted but never the less its impressing.

The countryside seemed to change at every corner, rice fields being harvested, villages and towns. It was amazing, I stopped a lot to look but it was painful at best to go digging for the camera. I had rapped everything in layers of plastic encase it rained. The best sights I did stop and take photos but I had to remember I needed to get to a town with a hotel before sunset; I had no intention of riding while dark.

I reached a small town called Tuan Giao just as the sun started to set. Pulled up to the intersection in down up to a jeep and asked the driver for the nearest place to sleep… he had a lovely uniform on, the local copper (police). Oh crap… here we go, I thought. He hopped out of his jeep and took a look and pointed at me, then pointed at himself and then up the road. Guess I should follow him then?

He pulled me up to a very official looking part of the town a big square with a orange building in middle and smaller buildings around the outside. The place we pulled into was a larger building with offices at the front and parking at the rear. Police cars were all parked at the bottom. A lady greeted me, “hello you stay here tonight, 200”. Ummm ok? What happened here? It’s the local police office but its also a hotel. The rooms were right next door. That night I had happy water and drinks with the local police officers. Neither of us knew what each other were saying but didn’t matter.

The next morning I had a early start, 6am… I wanted to get out of town and to the border asap as I was still a bit of a way away. I reached Dien Bien Phu at 10am the last major town before the boarder. 


It was quiet obvious it was the last place before the border as there was loads of police on the road, and in town there was loads of “official” looking buildings.

The road from here on in degraded to nothing more than a dirt track after what seemed like a eternity I finally hit the Vietnam border check point. It was smack on 12’ and the customs officers were on lunch break. 


After a lengthy 1 hour of paper work and bribes, I was through and in no mans land between Laos and Vietnam. The Border stone the only marker of the official middle point.

Next up Laos and the worst/best road ever.

Till next time have fun!

Steffen.