After spending 7 long weeks in Vietnam on motorbikes we both loved at hated this country! We had had the best and the worst of times here, some amazing adventures and some hard and gruelling days. Before leaving there was time for just one last exploration. We were in two minds whether to bother with […]
Vietnam
Hanoi: Not love at first sight, but city that grew on us over time to eventually feel like home!
After reading so many glowing reports on Hanoi we were looking forward to hitting the city after an almost 2000 miles journey from the chaos of Saigon on our bikes. Finally completing our original challenge of riding through Vietnam from one major city to the other it felt like a strange mixture of emotions rolling […]
Riding around the amazing Phong Nha National Park: Exploring the worlds largest caves and the jungle lined Ho Chi Minh Trail.
After the busyness of the cities in Vietnam and the heat of the costal roads we set off on our bikes for a two day ride along the Laos border in some of the most remote and beautiful terrain the country has to offer. Riding for hours along the jungle lined Ho Chi Minh trail […]
Exploring the often overlooked karst landscape of Ninh Binh, A short ride from Hanoi but a world away from the city!
Sitting just 90km south of Hanoi the beautiful Karst region of Ninh Binh Vietnam is often described as Ha Long Bay without the water. Being so close to both the capital and the famous bay itself it often gets over looked by travellers either keen to make more ground up on the first leg of […]
Twisting and turning around the Hai Van Pass: The perfect coastal road that clings to a mountain!
When we originally made plans for South East Asia one of the things we wanted to do was motorbike around Vietnam. After watching that famous Top Gear episode we knew just how much the country had to offer and how much riding a bike would allow us to see. Having finally, and somewhat miraculously, gotten […]
Visiting the My Son ruins, the ancient Champa temples that narrowly survived the Vietnamese war
By now everyone knows about the Angkor Wat ruins of Cambodia, the highlight of the ancient world in South East Asia. But it must come as no surprise that they are not the only UNESCO listed historic sites in the region. My Son ruins, of Champa origin, might not have the grand scale of Angkor, but […]
A guide to Hoi An, Vietnam. The lovely town that tourism spoilt!
Hoi An Vietnam was one of those places that whilst travelling through Vietnam kept coming up time and time again, each person we spoke to seemed to come to the same conclusion, a nice place but actually quite horrible in many ways. Knowing how frustrated we get at being constantly shouted at to buy things, called […]
Ganh Da Dia: The Giants Causeway of Vietnam (Only without the hordes and with added sun!)
When we set off riding from Saigon to Hanoi (and on to Sapa) on motorbikes there was a few obscure stops along the way we wanted to make. Having your own transport gives you the complete freedom to stop off at the places others just breeze passed in their uncomfortable sleeper buses. Ganh Da Dia […]
Exploring Vietnam’s Central Highlands on a Motorbike and Discovering the Amazing Dalat Waterfalls!
Heading up to DaLat from Mui Ne the real adventure on our motorbikes was to begin, after being underwhelmed with the touristy coastal town we were ready for a real look into what makes Vietnam so special. Taking the winding mountain roads across lush green landscapes, riding through tiny villages and of course enjoying the beautiful […]
Discovering the real Vietnam with Jack Tran tours. An insight into the lives of the Fishermen, Rice farmers and War veterans on an unforgettable day!
One of the things we love to do whilst travelling is interacting with local people, hearing their stories and getting to know their way of life. Sometimes though it can feel hard to break down the barriers of culture, language and suspicion that can prevent us from really getting below the surface of a country […]
Leaping 36ft into a narrow cavern, ziplining over a turquoise lake and abseiling 100ft over a waterfall: Canyoning in Dalat, Vietnam!
In truth one of the main reasons we were excited to come to Vietnam was for the canyoning, mentioned by almost everyone who has visited as some of the best in the world. We made a beeline on our bikes into the central Highlands of Vietnam and towards the beautiful mountain town of Dalat to […]