Northern Vietnam, known worldwide for its coffee, noodles, karaoke, rice fields
and beautiful islands. Many travellers come here to
explore the beaches and the bays, but me? I came here for the motorcycle riding.
Northern Vietnam has some of the most epic and rugged mountain riding on this planet
and I recently had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come and visit and discover
a world that in many ways is very different than my own. But in some
ways it's kind of the same, where kids will be kids and parents work hard to provide
for their families and don't hesitate to welcome a stranger in their midst.
Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, was my home base for my motorcycle adventure. I
spent a few days getting used to the city's chaos and having my share of coffee. I heard
about a hybrid motorcycle garage and bar and decided to check it out. Cave Man customs is Hanoi's
answer to London's bike shed where you can watch bikes being built and a live
concert all under one roof. From Hanoi I took a bus up even further north to Ha Giang,
a rural province that is in the northernmost part of Vietnam bordered by China. It's highly
mountainous and one of the least developed regions in the country. The province is home
to over 20 different ethnic minority groups, each with its own unique cultural identity. I am
just about to start my motorcycle adventure. I'm renting this XR 150.
I am here in Dong Van. It's been a really cool trip so far. The riding around here is really
mountainous and the landscapes are incredible. Unfortunately it's very smoggy due to the pollution.
The dust is so bad right now so surgical mask on. You could see crops being burned all over
the place around here so the air quality is not so good but despite that you can see how
beautiful it is around here. Amazing valleys and mountains, it's so nice. Today the plan is to ride
a really famous pass around here. I've seen some pictures and the footage looks phenomenal. It's
really one of the reasons why I decided to come to Vietnam is I had seen some some images of the
riding around here. So today is the day to try it out. I'm excited to see what the day has in store.
It's so cool. You can walk all along this path. Some brave people went on
ahead and rode but I am not that confident in my riding abilities.
That's a personalized children's artwork.
What a ride it was today! So amazing. The views are just spectacular here and that's wit the fog. I had
to stop myself from taking pictures every two minutes or so.
I'm feeling really to have been able to see and experience the things I've seen over the last few days.
Northern Vietnam is absolutely incredible.
Life for many people in Ha Giang is not easy
and many who live here, old and young, work very hard to
make a living.
But while they work hard
they never shy from greeting you with a warm smile or a wave
That's why we even wear gear, because you just never know.
So I guess you could say I ended my trip with a bang
and yeah I got a few extra bruises along the way
but my heart was full of joy from the memories of this very special place.
Thank You, Vietnam for everything.