To provide an opportunity for vicarious travel during this time of self-isolation & travel bans, I’ve republished my film, route map & diary of a two-month road trip across Vietnam… Continue reading
Motorbike Chronicles: Film, Map, Diary
Tag Archives: road trip
25 of the Greatest Riding Roads in Vietnam
Vietnam has some incredible riding roads: possibly some of the most scenic in the world. Based on my experience of riding around Vietnam for the last decade, I have compiled a list of what I consider some of the greatest riding roads in Vietnam… Continue reading
Sapa-Y Ty Scenic Motorbike Loop
Sapa’s dramatic mountainous landscape continues north of town, via Y Ty Village, all the way to the Chinese border. Several small roads penetrate deep into steep, terraced valleys & climb high above ferocious rivers creating a scenic loop…. Continue reading
VIDEOS: Celebrating 100,000 views
To celebrate this modest milestone, I’ve compiled two video libraries: The 5 most-viewed videos on my channel, and my 5 personal favourite videos on my channel. Together they illustrate the rich diversity of Vietnam as a travel & food destination… Continue reading
The Twin Passes: Cổ Mã & Cả
Historically, four great passes have divided what is now Vietnam. These occur at the four points along the coast where spurs from the Truong Son Mountain Range spread eastwards to the sea. Of these, my favourites are the ‘twin passes’…. Continue reading
The Road East of the Long Mountains (Đường Trường Sơn Đông)
A romp through the Central Highlands, the Truong Son Dong Road is a ride to be savoured. With mystical overtones & military undercurrents, the name in Vietnamese translates as ‘The Road East of the Long Mountains’. It’s one of the best riding roads in Vietnam… Continue reading
Saigon to Dalat: the ‘Back Ways’
There are many ways to ride from Saigon to Dalat, but if you want a relatively direct route that avoids highways, there are several great options. These ‘back ways’ to Dalat utilize new, quiet & scenic roads to make the journey as fun as possible… Continue reading
Saigon to Hanoi by Motorbike: 5 Suggested Routes
Thinking about riding the length of Vietnam by motorbike? Here are 5 great routes between Saigon and Hanoi, each one specifically designed to suit the needs of different travellers, based on scenery and time frame among other things…. Continue reading
The Tết Classic: Lunar New Year Motorbike Loop
Tết (Lunar New Year) is the biggest festival of them all in Vietnam, but travel can be very difficult at this time of year. That’s why, every year, I take a meandering road trip that bypasses popular tourist spots & makes the most of the dry season weather… Continue reading
Desert, Sea, Sky: The Ninh Thuan Loop
Located between the two most popular beach towns in Vietnam – Mui Ne and Nha Trang – Ninh Thuan Province boasts coastal scenery to rival its famous neighbours. One of the most sparsely populated, least developed, and driest regions in southern Vietnam, ambitious new roads have opened up access to Ninh Thuan’s captivating scenery… Continue reading
The Deep South: Riding the Dragon’s Tail
After 9 years travelling in Vietnam, the last four provinces that I have yet to visit are all in the Mekong Delta. These are the southernmost provinces in the country: the Deep South or, as I like to call it, the Dragon’s Tail. I thought it was about time I made it to all Vietnam’s 63 provinces, so I finally set out to travel as far south as roads go… Continue reading
ROUTE MAP: Two Month Motorbike Road Trip
During the autumn of 2014, I spent two months travelling over 9,000km by motorbike across Vietnam. This annotated and illustrated map of my road trip is designed as a resource for other riders. On it I’ve included links to relevant motorbike guides for specific regions; all of my overnight stops; and my exact route… Continue reading
Expenses for a Motorbike Road Trip in Vietnam
When preparing for a motorbike road trip in Vietnam, it’s helpful to know how much to budget for each day on the road. I’ve put together a list of expenses & an estimated daily budget in order to give travellers an idea of how much they can expect to spend… Continue reading
The Burnt Road: Vietnam’s Desert
A short, easy ride through a big, hot landscape of barren hills and abandoned farmhouses, Highway 27B is the Burnt Road. This road trip takes you inland, through the vast open spaces of Vietnam’s driest province… Continue reading
VIDEO: The Northeast Motorbike Loop
One of my favourite corners of Vietnam, this is my film of riding the Northeast Loop by motorbike… Continue reading
VIDEO: Two Months on a Motorbike
In September & October of 2014 I made a road trip by motorbike through Vietnam. Travelling over 9,000km & covering much of the nation, I saw many wonderful things, some of which I captured on film. This is the video of my 2 month road trip… Continue reading
Sapa-Sin Ho Scenic Motorbike Loop
Sapa and Sin Ho are two towns high up on the slopes of the Tonkinese Alps. They are connected by lofty mountain passes, offering grand scenery on a scale not seen anywhere else in Vietnam. This is an ideal scenic loop by motorbike… Continue reading
Two Months on a Motorbike
In 2014, I embarked on a 9,000km, two-month motorbike road trip through Vietnam. During my time on the road, I kept a full and illustrated diary of my travels, an annotated map of my route, and made a short film of the journey… Continue reading
Saigon to Phu Quoc Island Motorbike Loop
Flying to Phu Quoc is easy, but if you want a real adventure, riding there by motorbike is much more fun. This road trip takes you from Vietnam’s biggest city to some its best beaches, via the waterways & back-roads of the Mekong Delta… Continue reading
Which Map to Use for a Motorbike Road Trip?
A good map is essential for an independent motorbike road trip in Vietnam, but no map is 100% reliable. However, by cross-referencing certain printed maps, online maps, local knowledge & online advice, you’re sure to find the best roads & routes. Continue reading
Videos: Saigon to Hanoi by Motorbike
Four films made during our motorbike trip from Saigon to Hanoi. These videos give you a good idea of how fabulous the scenery is, and how much fun a road trip in Vietnam can be. Continue reading
Saigon to Hanoi: The Scenic Route
Vietnam Coracle will be away from August 1-23 on a motorbike trip from Saigon to Hanoi with a best friend. Click this post for an introduction, route map & photos of the road trip. Follow our journey on my Twitter, Facebook & Google+ pages! Continue reading
The Sand Dune Highway: Mui Ne to Ca Na
Get off the beaten track from Mui Ne with this short, scenic, easily navigable and rewarding road trip. Excellent coast roads lead between Mui Ne, Phan Ri Cua, Lien Huong and Ca Na, passing some great coastal scenery… Continue reading
Dragons’ Graveyard Coast Road: Phan Rang to Ca Na
A new coast road has opened access to an arid, wild, windswept, boulder-strewn & cactus-studded section of coastline. People say this is where dragons’ came to die, and the earth scorched itself in grief…. Continue reading
