TUAN MOTORBIKE RENTAL: HOW TO DRIVE TO LAOS FROM VIETNAM BY MOTORBIKE?
- Name
- Binh Nguyen
Traveling by motorbike is an experience that brings participants a full range of different emotions and feelings; adventure, excitement, the feeling of conquering nature, anxiety, excitement, etc. Not only that, exploring roads on a motorbike also gives you freedom without having to use any method or means of transportation when traveling.
Prepare before the trip
- Motorbike: Choose for yourself a companion you can trust during your trip. Carefully check the motorbike before starting the trip: oil, brake lever, wheels, engine, ...
If you are a tourist coming to Vietnam and want to make this journey but your own motorbike is not available in this country, it's okay, it's not a big problem, you can find a shop that rents reputable motorbikes and use their vehicles.
Tuan Motorbike Rental will be one of the places you can stop by and learn about. We have many years of experience in the motorbike rental field and we especially have a "one-way motorbike rental" service. Stop by the store and check out our vehicles, finding your best partner. We are based in different cities in Central Vietnam (Hue - Da Nang - Hoi An). You can choose to depart from any location where we have an office and is most convenient for your journey.
Tuan Motorbike Rental in Da Nang (location: 4 Luong The Vinh)
- Necessary items: Clothes, personal belongings, documents for motorbike (in case you go through the border gate between Vietnam - Laos and need it), motorbike accessories (inner tubes, basic motorbike repair tools basic,…)
- Schedule: Prepare yourself a simple schedule in advance, you can change it during the trip but preparing in advance will help you reduce some anxiety during your trip. You can prepare it yourself or the staff at your destination motorbike rental shop can help you with it (if you are a tourist).
- Prepare yourself in good health and spirit before the trip begins.
Vietnam - Laos travel itinerary by motorbike with Tuan Motorbike Rental
The location chosen to start Tuan Motorbike Rental's Vietnam - Laos travel journey with its loyal customers is in the center of the S-shaped land, Tuan Motorbike Rental's headquarters - Da Nang . Starting from Da Nang, we planned to travel to Hanoi (if you want, you also can start your journey from Hoi An, Tuan Motorbike Rental also have store there). We did not choose the usual route like before. This time we chose to go from Da Nang to visit Laos and return to Vietnam in Hanoi . The journey is about 3400 km long and takes about 80 hours of actual driving. This journey takes about 40 days, but if everything goes well and smoothly you only need about 25 - 28 days for this long-term trip.
We chose to test on all the clutch bikes we had at various times: Honda CB500x, Yamaha WR155cc, Honda XR150L; They all worked well on this leg of the journey. There are many accessories for motorbikes, even tires, that you will not find in Laos. There is only one place that has accessories for motorbikes: Fuark motorbikes in Vientiane Laos + 856 2022009358 (the phone number displayed in Google you will not be able to contact because it does not work).
Our friend ~David Ayotte was encouraged to create some summary material for this itinerary, which would be helpful to travelers wanting to do a similar itinerary. Please consider border and road conditions before you gone. Some routes are chosen to be the shortest and skip some places. We recommend starting your journey from DA NANG through LAOS and ending it in HANOI. As the route that runs along North Vietnam becomes more and more beautiful, you will discover many new things on this road. “He would be really disappointed if he did the opposite,” David said. Please wear full protective gear, helmet, long-sleeved jacket, gloves, long pants, knee pads and shoes at all times.” This gives you safety when driving on the road. During this journey you don't know what will happen later, so prepare everything well right from the start of an adventurous trip.
On this long-term exploration trip, you need to pay attention to road conditions. During a journey, road conditions will be different, in some places the road is quite smooth and gentle, in others there are large potholes along the routes, be careful and prepare everything in advance. situations that may arise. Having a backup plan helps you be more confident and reduce anxiety during your adventure travel trip.
ENTRY ACROSS THE BORDER
Prepare all documents and verify all information before entering the country. Remember to bring the D53 form with you (you will need to get it when entering the Laos border) to make the exit process go more smoothly when the trip ends. Some documents about what you need are included at the end of the article (prepare what you can in advance). We had a bit of trouble when we wanted to leave Laos but then everything was resolved smoothly. Before starting your motorbike and hitting the road, take some time to read reviews on google maps about all the border crossings you plan to pass by, there is a lot of useful information in it. These reviews you can refer to and have your own preparation plan.
Some notes about border gates:
Lao Bao allows visa issuance at the border, this is where companies will take you to complete visa procedures. You will need to apply for a visa more than a week in advance in Vietnam to make this journey so you can return to Vietnam immediately. Otherwise, you will have to go to Laos, apply for a visa and wait 3-5 days for approval and then return. The problem with this border crossing (according to reviews) has not been allowing entry by motorbike since last year.
La Lay does not issue visas upon entry but allows entry by motorbike. According to Laos' eVisa website, eVisa will not allow entry. Luckily, you can go to the Laos consulate in Da Nang and get a 30-day Visa to enter all Laos borders. This is a very easy and simple process and you should do this for all the borders to see how fast it goes. You will have to spend a little money for this (about $50).
Bo Y border also allows motorbikes to enter the country but without a visa upon entry. We just heard about this and haven't actually tested it, you can find out information in google reviews, this will be better for you.
La Lay is the border crossing we choose for all our trips and our friend David also chooses this location. He said: "When you enter La Lay border gate, you will be taken to the Vietnam immigration office. You will need your passport and e-visa documents. I was able to pull it up on my phone. The process was very simple and I did not have to pay any bribes or fees when leaving Vietnam".
JOURNEYS
Da Nang to La Lay border.
Google maps time estimates were very accurate in all routes. This is the shortest route to La Lay border from Da Nang. Don't make this mistake of trying to follow the 2 toll roads, which are for cars and not scooters/motorbikes. Take the scenic highway to the Hai Van Pass Dinh Deo viewpoint.
Da Nang to Hue: This route is quite crowded and takes several hours. You will pass a famous pass with majestic beauty - Hai Van Pass; Don't miss this place when you come to Da Nang, the comfortable atmosphere and the magnificence of the pass will make you fall in love with this place and not want to return. Explore the wonderful mystery here. After the journey to explore this famous pass, you can also stop at Lang Co beach, Elephant stream or Mo stream - explore the natural atmosphere of this place and continue your journey straight to Hue.
Hue to La Lay: This is a very beautiful route. The road is very nice, not too many potholes. Truck traffic is average but watch out for random herds of cattle in the middle of the road. You never know what might happen when you drive, so be careful at all times when you're riding on the road by motorbike.
About 6 km before the border station, before going on National Highway 14 North, be careful with this road, there are many potholes and traffic jams. If you don't want to get stuck, you need to find a way to get ahead and get out of that road as quickly as possible. You can get a unitel sim card in Achiang.
La Lay to Achiang Laos: About 13 km from La Lay is the next town with accommodation. It will take about 30 minutes by motorbike to get here, it can show on the map as LAVANA, you can't miss it. There are two guest houses for $5 without air conditioning, but it wasn't very hot in my room. ATMs sometimes won't work and you can exchange dollars near the border (but the exchange rate isn't too good). It can rain on this part of the road, even in the dry season, the total trip takes 8 hours with a long lunch break and many stops. From Achiang to Savannakhat there is no English and google translate is meaningless and they only serve pork pho unless you are lucky enough to find someone who serves you eggs and rice. If coming directly from Hue or Da Nang, stay in Achiang. There is not much to do in Chiang other than finding the waterfall, to do this you need the help of the locals otherwise it will be almost impossible to find the waterfall here.
Achiang to Thakhek
Achiang to Savannakhet: The road from Achiang to Mouang Toulman has below average road conditions but continues to improve as you approach Mouang Toulman. You will need to watch out for potholes, trucks and animals along this route. Once you pass Mouang Toulman, the road becomes excellent all the way to the Ban Xenouan intersection. Always be careful before and after bridges because some bridges have potholes. Arrive at Xebanghiang, where the guesthouses become much nicer. Once you reach the Ban Xenouan intersection, the traffic will be heavier and there will be more people along the highway all the way to Savannakhet.
Savannakhet to Thakhek: This route takes about 2.5 hours and follows major roads. There is another route following the Mekong River that may be better for tourists, because trucks do not pass through this route. Try experimenting with this route if you have the chance, it will take a little more time because it is a bit longer but there will be many interesting things here.
Thakhek to Vieng Kham
Thakhek Ring: Thakhek Road is very famous, following National Highway 12 and ending on the Mekong River in Vieng Kham. We would highly recommend this route, many of the caves are famous and there are really nice roads after the first hour. It is very beautiful and the trip will take about 7 hours if you go to Konglor cave. Some sections before you turn onto the highway to Kong Lor are full of landslides and roadworks. During the rainy season, I wouldn't be surprised if this highway is frequently washed out. It gets better but is still full of occasional potholes but still very nice. When you leave Thakhek, take some time to visit a few caves and maybe you'll stay at Lake Nakay Neus overnight. You can then make the trip to Kong Lor for the night.
Vieng Kham to Vientiane
Vieng Kham to Vientiane: This is a 4-5 hour journey. If you take the highway north through the middle of Laos, the route you have to take will be longer and you will have to backtrack several hours to reach Vang Vieng. If you're okay with missing Vientiane and okay with the extra days of travel, then choose the alternative route.
Vientiane to Luang Prabang
Vientiane to Vang Vieng: This journey takes about 2 hours. Fortunately, along with China's new train, a toll highway has been built through this route. You will need a motorbike with an engine >350cc or more to be allowed on this road. The road is quite good in the first half but then you will encounter many potholes and will not be able to travel more than 30-40 km/h in the second section. The second part has beautiful scenery, narrow roads but not many trucks due to the highway. If you need any spare tires, come to Fuark Motorcycle Repair. He also does much better maintenance than anywhere else in Laos (store information is attached at the top of the article).
Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang: This was another long day of cycling, taking about 5 hours. The first stretch isn't the best, maybe a 5/10 until the highway splits off the new highway 4 and the old truck highway 13. Trucks cannot travel on Highway 4 because it is too steep. You will climb 3000 meters on Highway 4. Luckily once you have left Vientiane, the scenery continues to get better and the road is very nice with few potholes.
Luang Prabang to Muang Khua
Luang Prabang to Muang Khua: This is a 7-hour trip, you can also take a boat at Nong Khiaw and float during the day to Muang Khua. Many people do this, but double check that you can bring your motorbike. It could have been an interesting trip but the drive from Luang Prabang to Muang Khua was amazing and the best journey of the whole journey from the start of the border crossing to this place with the Extremely good quality roads and beautiful scenery. Muang Khua is a spectacular town and so is Nong Khiaw.
Muang Khua to Tay Trang/Dien Bien Phu Border (Viet Nam): Make sure you have a visa before leaving Muang Khua as you do not want to spend the night in Muang Mai. The road is very nice until after the border, where it becomes rocky and dusty. There are also many trucks moving along this road. It takes about an hour from Muang Khua to the border and a few more hours from the border to
Dien Bien Phu to SaPa to Ha Giang round to Hanoi
Dien Bien Phu to SaPa to Ha Giang round to Hanoi: The document initially talked about road quality rather than routes. If you are doing this loop right, you will forget how much more beautiful the highways are in Vietnam. It is recommended that you continue towards Sa Pa then Ha Giang then on to Hanoi or wherever you choose. After leaving Dien Bien Phu in the morning, it will take about 8 days to reach Hanoi and 2 days in Sa Pa, probably about 3 or 4 of which include 5 hours of cycling. Most of the roads are better and you won't have to concentrate for long, but google maps says 1130 km in 28 hours. There are many routes to take, but this is the shortest route if you want to see SaPa and Ha Giang.
Find yourself companions and go on this trip together, it will be much better for you and will reduce loneliness. Traveling alone is okay, you have the companionship of a motorbike warrior./
Vietnam Border documents are attached below
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