Ep5: Get Me Out of Ha Giang! PLUS LUNG CU TOWER- Ultimate North VIETNAM MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE

In this series I travel Northern Vietnam by motorbike on a Honda XR150 over 14 days from Hanoi to the far East in Ban Gioc , via the Ha Giang Loop and to the Far West in Son La Vietnam. This is the ultimate motorcycle trip in North Vietnam and for the true motorcycle adventurer. In this episode we make our way towards a secret cave in the mountain of Son La. This is all about. exploring the most epic places in North Vietnam by motorcycle.
I ride my motorcycle from Hanoi up to Ba Be Lake and explore the far East at Ban Gioc Waterfall, to west of Son La (just before Sapa) passing through the busy Ha Giang Loop.
This series is for the true motorcycle adventurer, those that want to pack a bag, jump on a motorbike and hit the open road and escape the western tourist trap. Here's all the places I visited on my 14 Days exploring the extreme north of Vietnam and why I quickly learnt to avoid the Ha Giang Loop!
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[@BriKinsella]

Hi again Toni, I know you must be busy but I have another question for you: Despite the 'pain in the a***' easy rider groups, would you still recommend the 'Loop'? Also, I checked through your previous videos and I saw that I HAD actually watched them all 😆 but then I've watched about 40 KZbinrs on the 'Loop' so probably forgot or missed some details in yours, I'll check again, thanks 🤗

[@ToniReviews]

Hi Brian . Re the loop I’m sure there’s some beautiful places to visit on the loop. I’ve seen some amazing things on KZbin myself. For me I wanted an adventure and coming from the east we saw no other tourists. As soon as we hit the loop it was full of these scooter tours and for me personally it tainted the experience. We were in some beautiful places but they simply became over run. So it really depends on what you are looking for from your adventure. If you’re happy or willing to put up with the crowds then ha Giang has a lotto offer. There’s still plenty of things I’d like to see in ha Giang but I just don’t know if handling the crowds and vibe it brings are worth it for me (personally). The best parts of Vietnam for me were when we were the only foreigners, the roads were empty and we had no idea what lies ahead ahead. That was the most rewarding riding for me. Once it became busy I just felt like I wasn’t exploring anymore, like everyone was doing the same thing, so I really wanted the adventure and I found that once I left the loop. Hope this long winded answer gives you a little more insight.?

[@ToniReviews]

Ps. There will be 9 episodes in the adventure series so keep your eyes peeled as we’re currently only on episode 5, so lots more adventures to come 👍

[@BriKinsella]

@@ToniReviews Excellent 🤗

[@BriKinsella]

@@ToniReviews Thanks again Toni for taking the time to reply. I went through all your videos again this afternoon and they confirmed that there's so much more to northern Vietnam than the Loop, but being in that part of the country it has to be done. I'm sure I'll feel the same as you about it though. I have loads of places highlighted in the north, some you have visited and maybe some you won't but it's a vast area and you can't see everything. Thanks again for your help 🤗

[@ToniReviews]

no probs, realy hope this helps@@BriKinsella

[@BriKinsella]

It would do my head in all those big groups so I get why you got sick of it but it's the only way to see that amazing part of the country. Now as the experienced biker you are I have a question for you. I'm planning to come over in September and include the 'loop' in my tour of northern Vietnam. As a fellow experienced biker I will be renting a bike and doing it solo, so my question is this: Do you reckon the Honda XR150 is a good choice, possibly the best? Other options include the 450 Himalayan and the Honda 500X. As a 6'4" tall biker do you think the XR would be best? Thanks

[@ToniReviews]

Hi Brian. Re ‘the loop’. Have a watch of my other episodes on this Vietnam trip. You will get to see how we left Hanoi and headed north then east first before hitting the top of the ha giant loop. We travelled in mid November so not the touristy season, yet once we hit ha giant it’s just full of kids on the back of these organised scooter tours and it’s really hard to escape the crows. You’ll see in this series how we managed to dodge the crowds and when we went on our trip (basically travelling east to as far west then south towards son La and back into Hanoi over 2 weeks. The episodes in this series are short but give a good insight into what to expect and some good places to visit. In terms of the bikes, a 150 yes they’re pretty low powered, but the roads in Vietnam were a real mix. You’d be hitting beautiful tarmac, and then all of a sudden big patches of gravel, or clay or days of riding just pure red dust (which when wet becomes clay). What was good about the xr150 s was that they were so nimble and light. Easy to chuck around, but also not to heavy if you had to squeeze through somewhere or up a skinny little ridge etc. even though top speed and getting some good speed out of them was a bit lack lustre, your on terrain that didn’t really allow for speed. If leaving somewhere like Hanoi the smaller the bike the better too. Overall;l if I was to do it again the 150 was a good bike for the terrain. I think a 450 Himalayan would also be a good choice as they’re pretty lightweight and low powered also. The Honda 500x a bit too big for the skinnier twisties. My friend will on the trip is 6’3”. He loved the bike. I think we both felt they were underpowered but ideal in so many other ways. If and when I do it again a 150 is fine as a cheap and nimble option and I’d go for it again in a heartbeat (despite the lack of power). It’s an easy and forgiving ride. If they had a 450 that would’ve been lovely. I think we had 450s in Cambodia but that was all off road and not many twisty mountain passes. The other good thing about the 150 is that apparently it had the same clutch as the scooters out there, so if the clutch goes a replacement is easy sourced by the mechanics as are many other parts. Hope this helps. A little bit of a mixed answer but hope it gives a bit of an insight.

[@billyerwin4622]

Locally an engine of 150cc or below will only require an entry driving license (A1 level). Above 150cc will require an A2 level. Local police pays more attention to those driving a high capacity motocycle.

[@billyerwin4622]

Also it seems Toni covered only one of 4 famous pases: Mã Phì Lèng. The other three are Ô Quy HỒ, Pha Đin, Khau Phạ.@@ToniReviews

[@BriKinsella]

@@ToniReviews Thanks for that Toni, brilliant reply and very useful in helping me plan. I have briefly seen some of your videos but will dig deeper. It's rare to find a proper biker doing videos of the Ha Giang Loop as most are young tourists who know nothing about riding bikes. 👍🏼

[@BriKinsella]

@@billyerwin4622 Thanks for that Billy, I have an IDP and am prepared for police stops 👍🏼