Hi everyone!
Looking for some input here and I think Ozbargain is the only place that comes to my mind for unbiased opinions haha!
Travelling to Vietnam to do the Ha Giang Loop in the North of Vietnam.
Also planning to do a 2 day 1 night cruise in the Ha Long bay but finding it very to understand pricing and what are the exclusions/inclusions.
Anyone with some experience? How much should I expect to pay to have a decent stay? WHat was your experience like?
Thank you!
Jayden
Not sure how you paid so much for your motorcycle rental; when I visited last year the going rate was around $6USD per day for a larger motorcycle option
This just for rental only but organised rides were not that much more
Why did everyone excluding you fall at leat once during the 4 day trip? Is there anything unusually dangerous about the trip?
I guess it depends on how you define danger. The roads on the loop are shared between cars, motorbikes, trucks, and cattle, and quite often there are areas where there is gravel, dirt, and potholes. I'm an experienced dirt bike rider of 15+ years so quite used to uneven terrain, however my fellow travellers were no quite as experienced in these kind of conditions. In my opinion its not dangerous, however there was one accident I witnessed where a poor bloke lost his front teeth after hitting another bike on a bend.
I BOUGHT a fake Honda Win for $120USD and wound up selling it for that much in Ho Chi Minh City. It broke down a few times, but maybe $40USD total in labour + parts, including a leaky tank.
They certainly are a lot of fun, owned two of them over a period of a month. I guess breaking down is all part of the experience. Certainly the best option if you are on a tight budget and have a decent time frame. I guess that's why there's a bike repair shop at regular intervals along the route.
Thank you so much for such a detailed rundown.
I am an avid Motorcycle rider and travel around heaps doing trip. Usually solo.
However, my girlfriend wants to come along and Ha Long bay has been on her list for a long time.
The cruise we are looking at is 2 days 1 night. I have found a few but the pricing vary and all the boats look so different. Ranging from 100 USD to like 500 USD.
Not sure if I should book while I am there or online. If it's better to book a big cruise ship or intimate small ones. Want a good balance between luxury and value for money.
Thank you for your input. Jayden
Book when you get there mate. I'm sure you'll find it more cost effective.
Cool! That's what i paid in most parts of Asia. How was the rest of your trip? How was your experience? Did you also do Hi Giang?
I recommend the Vietnam coracle blog:
This guy has some really good guides for bike tours, routes and places to visit.
I spent a month on a bike between Hoi An and Hanoi. A lot of tourists are idiots on motorcycles in Vietnam, take your time, do the right speed for the conditions and you should be okay. Especially if you are experienced.
If you own a good helmet in Australia I would recommend taking your own, finding a helmet built to a standard is hard.
I would recommend hiring a motorcycle for such a short time as you don't want to lose part of your holiday trying to sell it at the end. I'm not sure of one way rentals from Ha Long but do some research.
The ride through the mountains into ha giang is amazing! Well worth it.. The rode out of ha long is boring but it gets better
Ohh on a side note you bet not be covered by travel insurance on a motorbike in Vietnam unless you have a local license, even if you have an Australian motorbike license. I believe that Vietnam hasn't signed up to the international drivers permit convention which is what causes this issue. Unless this has changed recently. Worth looking into
This is true, Vietnam is not part of international drivers permit convention so you have to get a local licence (the test is conducted in Vietnamese I believe). Although some of the organised tours seem to get around this issue.
That said checks are very rare although I did hear about one spot near Mui Ne where there is a constant police roadblock that target tourists.
For me though I don't like the idea of having no travel insurance when riding. You wouldn't do it at home so why would you do it in a foreign country where you are much more likely to have an accident.
If you want to ride in a country where you can be covered by insurance try the Mae Hong Son loop in Northern Thailand.
Hi Jayden,
Really happy to hear of your choice to travel to Vietnam, it's definitely one of my favourite countries in Asia, I stayed there for an entire month
Firstly I would just like to ask what kind of travel you would be doing, will you be backpacking, or staying in Hotels?
If you would like to do it on a tight budget (like I did in November last year) there is a small, and cheap hostel called Jasmine Hostel based in Ha Giang, it is $8.59 per night for a bed in a shared dorm. As a social single traveller I found it really easy to meet people there, and ended up riding with a group of around 5 others who I met at the hostel. It's totally your choice, however I would recommend wearing protective gear. Of all the travellers I met on the loop, every one, excluding myself, fell off at least once on the trip, which is ok, nothing but bruised egos, and a few Vietnamese tattoo's.
They also rent motorbikes there. I rode a Suzuki GS 150cc (I think) and it cost around $100-$150AUD to hire for the three night/four day trip through the loop. From my experience I would recommend renting over buying for a short trip, as prior to this I purchased a terrible motorbike (Fake Honda Win) for around $250USD and it broke down every day, and cost me loads to fix it up all the time.
You can easily find cheap hotels/hostels on your trip through the loop, for around $10AUD/Night
As for Ha-Long Bay, there are also heaps of cheap hostels to choose from, again around $10-$15 night for a shared dorm. I would recommend one in the city centre, as there are lots of markets, restaurants, and local areas to explore.
EDIT: What in particular are you finding difficult to understand with the pricing? They do quite often use the USD as well as the local currency, dong. 100,000 Dong is approximately $6AUD. As for inclusions, can you give me an example of what you mean, it really depends on where you will be, what you are doing, and where you are staying.
Cheers,
Let me know if you need any more info