Top Gear Vietnam Special – Part 1 Failed At The Beginning

• International driven license
• Buy or rent or book a tour will be best for this par
• What did Top Gear miss in South Vietnam

International driver license

On 20 August 2014, Viet Nam officially became a Convention on Road Traffic member. Thus Vietnam started accepting IAA or IDP for foreign travelers who love riding. This paper is essential for those who would love to ride abroad.

Let’s make a legal journey for your safe riding.

Buying or Renting a bike or Book the tour that will be best

This part depends on you. Buying, Renting or Booking a tour all have their advantages.

Buying a motorbike: If there is a low budget, around 300 – 500$, Minsk is the best. That bike is easy to ride, fix, and sell back with a half or third quarter of the price after a trip. But we highly recommend that the second-hand XR 150 or any scooter or semi-automobile is best for the journey exploring The South. Click on the link for the blog How to buy motorbike Vietnam and Vietnam Travel Tips. Maybe it’s useful for you. And come back here to know more about the routes for your trip.

Renting a motorbike in Vietnam: Nowadays, motorbike shop rental appears everywhere in Vietnam, making the rental price so competitive. Around 15$, you can have XR 150 per day, excluding fuel and accommodation.

Self-Guided Tour

Two both options above will face the biggest question for your riding trip.

• How about Vietnam Motorbike Routes?
• How about I solve a mechanical problem if it happens and the local doesn’t speak English?
• And how would I like to do a one-way ride?
• Do I miss the exciting tourist spot and its information or cultures without translation?
• What food should I eat? Do there have any ingredients that are not good for me, or Where should I sleep?

Those questions above are just a few typical ones to challenge you to make a trip on your own. So BM Travel Motorcycle Tourswill answer those questions for you. We designed The Self-Guided Tour at an affordable price for travelers who love to ride Vietnam without limit. And that can answer and solve every problem you face on your trip.

Vietnam Motorcycle Tour

If your budget allows, there’s no reason not to take a fully guided motorbike tour. This is the best way to explore Vietnam. With this, you are only enjoying your riding. Our local experts have many years of motorcycle tourism. They know your safety is at the top, even though they always enhance your journey better than expected. Also, their mechanical skills are so good to solve any problem with your bike quickly.

• North Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Halong Bay – 10 days
• Off-road Vietnam Dirt Bike Tour from Hanoi to Lang Son – 16 Days

Top Gear Vietnam Special missed in South Vietnam.

I have already mentioned the issues you need to consider before we get into the main part. Before making a Vietnam riding trip, I will show you Top Gear Vietnam Special skip details and information you would love to know.

Mekong Delta 

The Mekong River’s length is 4350 km and is the world’s twelfth longest river and the seventh in Asia and then across Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. And Vietnam was the last, and this river forms the Mekong Delta. It brings a massive amount of rich beneficial silt to make the Mekong Delta fertile. Over two-thirds of the region’s land is used for agriculture, and almost all are for rice cultivation. That also includes activities related to fishing, tropical fruit plantation, diverse religions, making handicrafts, and floating lives. Every province has its separate colors.

Mekong Delta Tour and what bike for it:

An adventure bike, scooter, or automatic mobile will be best for this flat rural region. The terrains are not tricky, and there are some gravel roads, muddy roads, and village pathways. The best will be XR 150, CRF 250, and CB 500x. This part shows you the best way to Phu Quoc Island on a motorbike.

• South Vietnam Motorcycle Tour from Saigon to Chau Doc
• South Vietnam Motorcycle Tour from Saigon to Chau Doc

CAN THO

Can Tho is the largest city in the Mekong Delta. It is famous for floating markets, rice paper-making villages, and picturesque rural canals. Can Tho be considered a Ho Chi Minh City model in the Mekong Delta? River life here is so colorful.

How to get there?

• From Sai Gon to My Tho city Tien Giang Province:

From your place, let’s search on map DT 826. Hit this way until you meet the Long Sơn Ferry crossing Vam Co Dong River. After the ferry, The Areca King Tân Trụ Street, you should pay a visit. Not only Areca but also dragon fruit farms, kumquat farms, and paddy fields will surprise you. There is a coffee shop; let’s take a break to learn more about local people. Tan Tru Ferry is next to cross a river. Take DT879D, and DT 827B, then find Nguyen Quan street. GG map will help you reach this crossroad (10.376644, 106.343969). Now you ride straight on Highway 60 to Rach Mieu Bridge. And Ben Tre is there for you. Let’s arrive at Ben Tre Market and book a boat trip for 2 – 3 hours, including lunch.

• From My Tho to Can Tho city: 

After visiting Ben Tre, let’s find a way to ride over Ham Luong Bridge. And Dinh Khao Ferry will be next. After the ferry, there is Vinh Long Province. Take Highway 57 a few kilometers, then turn onto Highway 53. Heading on it until you see DT909 on the map. Turn right for it; along with DT 909, it has similar ways to make your trip more fun. There is a crossroad between DT 909 and DT 905. Keep moving on DT 909 and ride to Phù Ly bridge. Now you almost arrived in Can Tho. Riding over Can Tho Bridge and enjoying sundown. Now you follow which way to come to your accommodation in Can Tho.

What to do?

• In Ben Tre Province, the Coconut Kingdom has a boat for tourists taking you around some islands. Then you can learn more about villages here, local life, and how they do for a living, such as weaving mat workshops, tuk-tuk, Coconut candy workshops, and brick kilns.
• In Can Tho City: when you arrive, a dinner cruise for dinner on the Mekong Delta will make you relax. Then walking the street is near for you to learn about Can Tho nightlife. The next day, you must visit Cai Rang Floating Market, the symbol of the Mekong Delta, in the early morning. Have coffee there and enjoy local life and the sunrise. Noodles workshop and some ancient French architecture houses may be exciting for you.

CHAU DOC

A big province is alongside the Upper River, and the Bassac River runs through Chau Doc. So it’s crisscrossed by many canals and small rivers. There is home to many people from Viet Nam’s ethnic minority, such as Cham and Khmer. They live harmoniously, so the culture is mixed between their lifestyles, religions, routines, and clothes.

On both sides of the way leading to Cambodthe, the border is long paddy fields and ten huge mountains nearby.

How to get there?

Riding to Chau Doc will be along the Mekong Lower River. From your accommodation in Can Tho, let’s find the way to Con Khuong Ferry and hit highway 54. Let’s ride safely on this route until you see the Vam Cong ferry. Sticking on DT946 to Long Kien Bridge, let’s ride along the river on your left, heading to My Hoi Dong Ferry. After crossing the river, DT 951 will be the next. You ride this route until the end and turn left to meet Chau Giang Ferry. After the ferry, Chau Doc is there for you.

What to do

Chau Doc is named the Land of Seven Mountains. So many legend stories linking to those mountains may be exciting to you in any way. A Giang’s geographical location gives it a cultural melting pot, with ethnic Khmer, Chinese, Cham, and Vietnamese minorities coexisting amicably. Besides that, you should visit a floating house farming fish, a pagoda or Islam Church, and Tra Su Forest.

PHU QUOC ISLAND

The largest island is a simple native fishing village. Phu Quoc is famous for its two traditional products: fish sauce and black pepper. The rich fishing grounds offshore provide the anchovy catch from which the prized sauce is made. A pepper is cultivated everywhere on the island. Romantic and clean beaches will relax you after a long riding trip.

How to get there?

The way heading to Ha Tien Ferry Terminal is easy. Let’s hit highway N1 for it. N1 runs along the Cambodia border, and it will give the paddy fields running endlessly. Then turn left on highway 80 to meet the ferry. You can ask them to carry your bike to the island too. The speed boat will take around 3 hours to reach Phu Quoc.

What to do?

Phu Quoc is the heaven on earth. Anything for relaxation you need; this island has all. Night Market, Walking street, fishing village or water sports are there for you. More than half of this tropical island is still protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you may spend a whole day observing unusual wildlife, hiking, camping, photography, and bird-watching.

How about the other provinces in Mekong Delta

***

SAIGON

In this part, we would like to show you an exciting place not far away from Saigon. That will give you other views about Vietnam.

Adventure trip: 

Around Saigon is a flat area, so Road Trips or Off-road Trips are both fun. An adventure Motorcycle Tours, scooter, or automatic mobile will be best for this.

CU CHI TUNNELS 

Although Cu Chi is one of the districts within Saigon, from the Post Office to the Cu Chi Tunnel is around 60 kilometers. The Cu Chi Tunnels are massive linking tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City and are part of a much more extensive network of tunnels beneath. Several military campaigns took place in the Cu Chi tunnels throughout the Vietnam War, and the Viet Cong used them as a base for the war with the USA.

How to get there?

Start Sai gon Motorbike tours ride from your hotel in Saigon to An Suong round abound, then take the Parallel Highway 22. In this way, you can learn about local life. Riding until the end of this way and turning right, Provincial Highway 15 is the next. Getting through Tan Thanh Dong Ward, there are some off-road for your trip. Finally, heading to Ben Duoc Tunnel is less tourist than Ben Dinh Tunnel.

What to do?

Following the routes I show you above. On both sides of parallel Highway 22, there are many breakfast restaurants, coffee shops, etc. That is the best way you experience the local life living in outskirt Saigon.

On the way to Cu Chi Tunnel, the rice paper workshop and temple memorial are exciting places you should visit. After visiting Cu Chi Tunnel, maybe this late for lunch, you should find Nguyen Thi Ranh street. On this route, it has some restaurants. BBQ veal, a specialty food in Cu Chi, and some cold beers will be best for lunch.

VUNG TAU

Because of its natural beauty, Vung Tau has long been regarded as a desirable tourist destination. There are several stunning beaches along the 20-kilometer shoreline, and they’re all great for sunbathing, swimming, and relaxing. Vung Tau City, located on the Vung Tau Peninsula, is one of the few sites on the mainland where you may see a stunning sunrise or sunset over the sea.

How to get there?

First, you catch up on the Binh Khanh ferry from Saigon. Let’s take the one crossing river to Vung Tau city. And then, you are riding on DT 19 – Hung Vuong Street – HL 12 to turn right on Highway 51 (If you want to avoid the highway, turn left at Bau Can street and enjoy some off-road leads to Long Tan Cross. The relic site for Aussie pays respect to soldiers (KIA or MIA, then ride down to a beach). It’s around 30km to ride on Highway 51 for the next turn. You turn right at Hoang Sa Street, leading to Long Son Island. And then turn right at Highway 51 again. From now, it’s around 30m to get to the center of Vung Tau city.

What to do?

We have to say that Vung Tau is not a sleeping city. Bars and beer clubs along the beach are there for you all night lNot only that, outdoor activities are a lot for tourists. Board surfing, snorkeling, para surfing, and camping to luxury hotels and restaurants in Vung tau for your holiday. But do not forget the specialty such as Banh Khot, Ray fish (skate fish) hot pot …

• South Vietnam Motorcycle Tour via Mekong Delta – 6 days

Top Gear Vietnam Special Itinerary – From Saigon to Dalat

This part will base on Top Gear Vietnam Special Itinerary to make it the best for all travelers. Our experts will advice you, and you can plan your motorbike riding trip more easily.

What bike for this trip:

From Saigon riding up North, we highly recommend XR 150 at least. CRF 250 or DRZ 400 and CB 500x is the ideal bike.

Nam Cat Tien National Park – Day 1:

Nam Cat Tien National Park is a vast lowland tropical forest and biosphere reserve in southern Vietnam. Century-old trees, botanical gardens, and recreational pathways are here. The Nam Cat Tien archaeological site contains ancient temples and artifacts outside the park on the ng Nai river. The way to the national park is also so much fun. Especially in the rainy season, this trip will be a mud bath.

How to get there?

It takes around 2 hours to get out of the city from Saigon. On the GG map, let’s find the way to Buu Long Tourist Area to stay far away from Highway 20, which Top Gear took. You will keep riding to Tri An Lake. And then the D war zone on DT 761 will be next. Phu Ly Market is a place you should stop for lunch and get your total energy back. After this, 761 street will be offroad for 20 km, and maybe 4G 5G doesn’t work here. When you get out of this, search for Nam Cat Tien National Park by Tà Lài bridge. We recommend Green Bamboo Lodge for you to spend one night. This route is not for beginner riders who do not know how to navigate directions without a map.

What to do?

Booking a riverside room will be the best. You can book a trekking or cycling tour to explore the National Park. Visit the Bear and Wildlife Rescue station, interact with the local villagers, paddle along the crystal clear waters of Dong Nai River, and bask in its natural picturesque views.

• Southern Enduro Vietnam Motorbike Tours 7 days Sai Gon to Da Lat
• Southern Enduro Vietnam Motorbike Tours 9 days Sai Gon to Nha Trang

Da Lat – Day 2:

Dalat is the capital of Vietnam’s Lam Dong Province, which has some interesting tourist sites. Dalat is a location for sightseeing and taking the most exciting activities of your life, with well-preserved French-style houses, Buddhist pagodas, lakes, waterfalls, and much more!

How to get there?

The routes heading to Da Lat are pretty easy. From your hotel, find DT 725, and then hit it until you meet Da Lat. Top Gear’s journey took Highway 20, so dangerous, and you can see that from their videos. Instead, DT 725 gathers many things such as fantastic views, fewer big vehicles, and Elephant Waterfall on this way for you to visit.

What to do?

This romantic city has all things to please the most challenging tourist. The weather is fantastic year-round, and the French Quarter, which is not distant from the city center, has many well-preserved French homes and chalets. Minority towns in Dalat are a must-see for anybody interested in seeing the ‘real’ Vietnam, as the villagers have mostly maintained their traditional ways of life. Besides that, the thousand flower city combines with a climate that gives you unforgettable experiences.

Those information BM Travel’s Experts would like to give you to have the best experience in Vietnam. In this blog, we only mention the Mekong Delta and around the South. And we will try to support your plan for the Vietnam riding trip as the Top Gear Vietnam Special. What to do – What to eat at each destination; we also put the link there.

*By Binh Phi from BM Travel Expert Team. It’s my pleasure to share with you my country, especially The South and Mekong Delta. I hope this information is helpful for your trip.