Mr MARTINI Donald (Solo trip. May 8-13, Northeast loop, Motorbike)

Tempo of the tour and the stop-over: I chose the 6 day, 5 night trip to northeast Vietnam. Each day offered ample riding time, breaks and opportunities to interact with the local village population. Each of the stops was easy to reach and there were alternate routes discussed depending upon the amount of riding time and the roads surfaces you wanted each day.

All of the overnight stops were great but if I had to pick one I would say Quang Uyen in northeastern Vietnam. The people were personable, the terrain was beautiful, the weather was a bit cooler and I got to meet and know some great people.

Transportation: The motorcycle I used was a Minsk 125cc single cylinder, two-stroke motorcycle. The Minsk got the job done. I wished I could have used a newer motorcycle that was a bit more powerful. Unfortunately, Vietnam has some limitations on the type and size of the motorcycles given the import restrictions, limited availability of spare parts and mechanic training. As a result, the Minsk is the most widely used motorcycle in the Vietnam countryside that has available spare parts & can be fixed by most mechanics.

Accommodation: The accommodations were fine and my preference is to stay in private houses. In private houses, I felt really immersed in the culture and was able to experience life as the family does. Each of the families was extremely welcoming, accommodating and made me feel at home.

In my opinion, 3-4 nights in private houses then a night in a hotel is the ideal mix for the trip.

The organization - Guide services: My guide Tuan is a native Vietnamese who speaks fluent English and French. I think Tuan is a perfect guide that speaks the countryside dialect, knows and respects the ethnic culture customs, is well received in the countryside by the local villagers. I found his attitude, abilities and personal philosophy extremely valuable in making the trip something that I will always remember.

The price: I felt that the price of the tour was a great value for the money. When I return home I will not remember the price I paid but I will remember the experience I had. I feel that Voyage Vietnam is very competitive in their pricing and they went beyond what I expected to make the trip enjoyable, accommodating and a valuable experience.

How did you hear about us?: I did a Google search on the internet and found Voyage Vietnam.

Other: I think picking a group to help organize a motorcycle trip in Vietnam is something that is personal based on the numbers of days for the trip, the type of riding and the areas you'd like to visit. I found Voyage Vietnam to be extremely knowledgeable about the North Vietnam area; knowing the terrain, roads, villages and understanding the local customs and language to put together a great trip. I think their trips are designed to get the best opportunity to see the Vietnamese countryside and experience the culture in remote sections of Vietnam. Voyage Vietnam allows the customer to decide the number of travel days and the amount of riding time per day prior to departing. Once established, Voyage Vietnam designs the trip based on those preferences.

Most importantly, I picked Voyage Vietnam because it is run by local Vietnamese that have lived in the areas that you are traveling and they have an intimate knowledge, understanding and respect for their country.

I plan on returning to Vietnam and will do another motorcycle trip to the northwest with Voyage Vietnam.

Full name: MARTINI Donald.
Address: 20 Parker Ave., San Francisco, CA, US.
Click to send email to Mr MARTINI Donald.

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