Vietnam Laos Adventure

MOTORBIKES
You ride on a Kawasaki KLX or Honda CRF 150cc. There is a limited option to upgrade to a XR 250cc motorbike.

TOUR LEADER
This trip will be led by our local guide who also is the mechanic, with a small group. This person has been the permanent mechanic on our Vietnam trips for the past 12 years. He knows all the routes, hotels and restaurants well and speaks good English. A multilingual tour leader will lead this tour with a larger group. 

SUPPORT VEHICLE
A support car will accompany this trip starting from 4 participants. This will be driven by our permanent local driver. The support vehicle will transport the luggage, spare parts and tools. There is space in the support car for any companion passengers who do not wish to or cannot double up on a motorcycle.

DIFFICULTY AND OFFROAD
During the trip we neither reach high altitudes nor do we experience extreme weather conditions. The daily routes are not especially long. The only reason which might make the trip physically demanding is the varied off road routes. After heavy rainfall, these routes can become a serious adventurous challenge. Roughly 25% of the time we will drive on unsurfaced roads. These range from good densely-packed gravel roads to narrow traces through the mountains with many fords.

ACCOMMODATION
During this tour, we stay in a mix of accommodation from semi-luxurious to simple homestays.

CLIMATE
The rainy season is from June to late August. It is warm all year round, although much cooler in the mountain areas.

CLOTHING
The following items are mandatory: a helmet, motorcycle jacket with protection, gloves, a good pair of (motorcycle) trousers with protection and solid high (mountain) boots. It can be very warm in the lowland parts of the trip, especially in Spring and Autumn. A protective summer motorcycle jacket is recommended accordingly. In the colder parts of the mountains, one can wear extra clothing under one’s jacket as necessary. Furthermore, a good pair of sunglasses and a helmet with a visor that protects against dust are useful.

INSURANCE
Motorbikes have a standard liability insurance. There is no option to insure damage to the bikes. Damage caused by a rider needs to be paid at the end of the tour.

VISA
For Vietnam, you need a double entry visa, which can be applied for online. For Laos, a visa can be purchased at the border, but it is advised to organize this upfront at the nearest LAO embassy.

DRIVER’s LICENSE
Since the 1st of January 2016, for most nationalities, you can officially ride a motor in Vietnam and Laos, if you have besides your own, national driver’s license, an International Driving Permit (IDP). Your driver's license is not valid without this IDP. Only the IDP model 1968 is accepted in Vietnam.