Frequently Asked Questions:

This is the question everyone seems to get wrong, they tell you how great they are, but the actual question is ‘Why choose us over other bike tour companies in Vietnam’, So: 

Firstly, I’m a biker myself and our team guides and mechanics are all professional and experienced Vietnamese tourers and some of the best guides and mechanics in Vietnam.   

I grew up in the Isle of Man surrounded by bikes and bikers and have experience of touring and taking tours for over 35 years around the world.  I’ve taken those experiences and used them to build tours you’ll enjoy so much you’ll come back.  Over 80% of our customers are repeat business or referrals. 

MAV has been a central part of Motorbike Touring in Vietnam for over a decade now, we are Bikers providing tours for Bikers with a wealth of experience behind us, infrastructure in place and a network of people all over Vietnam should we need their support.

Our website is designed to cut through the huge amount of different tour options, pricing structures, items included/not included, more rider price reductions etc etc which makes making a tour choice a headache.  

Our prices are simple and clear, our tours ARE fully inclusive except for alcohol and all you need to do is get in touch, we’ll listen to what you’d like and take it from there, building a personalised tour for you based on what we’ve spoken about and advising you on all aspects of coming to Vietnam.

You will have a guide that speaks both English and Vietnamese, so you will be able to understand where you are, what you are eating, the history of the area we are in, be able ask questions and to interact with the locals, which is always a great part of the experience.  

I also understand the standards of accommodation and food you’ll expect and all our homestays, hotels and resorts meet high standards albeit some of the Vietnamese homestays are more rustic, but that’s all part of the experience and they still have charge points, western bathrooms etc.  

Riding around Vietnam with the freedom we have is a privilege and we have built great relationships with local people over the years, who have become friends and in some cases feel like family.

Note:

One thing to remember is that, the Companies offering the cheap Tours are supplying cheap tours.   

Also in Vietnam websites will advertise that they provide everything, but when you ask where is it on your tour, they will just say ‘Oh that’s just marketing’.  It’s not seen as misleading here, just a way to get your business.

We provide:

• Open face helmets. 
  • IMPORTANT NOTE: Helmets in Vietnam are small, we have M, L & XL Helmets, the XL Helmet is 60cm.  If you are larger than that you’ll need to bring your own, you’ll be wearing it all day, every day, so it’s important to be comfortable.
• All season HWK/MVK water resistant, breathable Jackets made of 600d Condura fabric with liners for the cooler seasons.  (Note: Most seasons in Temperate Northern Vietnam are humid, so these jackets coats are often to hot to wear, so we suggest you bring a light rain jacket and if you prefer to ride with body armour then bring that too.  Try to chose everything that is light and breathable).
• Large waterproof bags to put yours in, in case yours isn’t Monsoon proof and also bungees/straps.
• Water proof trousers you can throw on quickly over your own during any down pours.  These are really best used as wind breaks if it’s cold as putting them on makes you sweat more than if you’d left them off.

What to Bring:

• Firstly, you should dress as you feel comfortable, some people prefer full body armour, others are comfortable in a t-shirt.
• Boots: I have Mongrel zip ups for most seasons, so something similar will do, zip ups are great to take your boots off here, to jump in a river, enter temples or houses.  During our short winter I have Forma ADV Dry boots as they are warmer and comfortable to walk in when we’re visiting places. 
• My list for all seasons except winter in the North (Late Dec, Jan – Feb) would be full cover for the sun and light weight and breatheable.
• People often bring a small bag for their back, however it’s often humid here and I prefer not to have a bag sweating on my back all day, so I opt for a tool belt/bag for easy access essentials.
• A 40L Dry Bag: anything but dry bags won’t stay dry in the Monsoon/Tropical rains we get here.  If you don’t have one, we have large strong clear plastic bags to put your bag in.
• For electrical items, you should bring additional zip dry bags.  
• You should try to pack light, you’ll be carrying everything on your bike, unless you’ve booked a support truck.
• On Tours of 8 days or more there will be an opportunity to have your clothes washed, so you really only need to pack for half of the duration of the tour.
• A few of my must have items are:
  • Sunglasses and clear glasses for overcast days, plus goggles as if it’s dry it can get dusty.
  • A neckerchief to protect the back of your neck from the sun, to use as a mask if it’s dusty and also great to dip in cold waterfalls and rivers to cool off.
  • Gloves not only for the obvious but also to protect the back of your hands from the sun.

Clean and modern toilets are now common throughout Vietnam.  Our hotels and homestays have good bathroom facilities.  Even in remote regions most petrol stations have modern bathrooms and toilets.

Mosquito nets are provided in accommodation where they are required, so you won’t need to bring your own.

You don’t need to bring a large sum of money as the tour is fully inclusive and now there are ATM’s throughout Vietnam.  On the tour you’ll only need cash for alcohol or purchases.  If you’d like to have some cash wait until you arrive and just withdraw Vietnamese dong from an ATM.  If you bring US dollars, everything will be rounded up so you’ll pay more.

Yes we do, the cost of course is going to be higher, the best thing to do, is contact us and we can discuss what you have in mind and provide you with a quote.

We’ve had several vegetarians on our tours and they’ve loved the food and felt there was a lot of choice in Vietnam.

Depending on what you want to see, the kind of riding you want to do, where you want to ride and where you are from, there are numerous answers to this question.  It’s best to contact us and we can discuss all the options available.  Vietnam has all year round riding somewhere.

Not at all, you can leave items with your hotel in Hanoi, even if you aren’t staying there when you return or we can arrange for them to be forwarded to our final destination.

Many groups like to bring gifts for people and children in the less advantaged villages and communities we pass through along the way.  We find that great gifts are coloured chalk to draw with which washes away, school supplies such as text books or stationery or small toys from your country that are enjoyable and have an educational side to them.  Many Australians for example bring small Koala bears, which shows them a new animal and we can tell them where it’s from. 

Please don’t bring candy or sweets as the arrival of such things in the ethnic communities and tribes in the mountains has had a terrible effect on dental health, there is a candy stall right outside every school now.  Also, anything that has a plastic wrapper creates litter as it will just be thrown on the floor.  Vietnam has changed very rapidly in recent years and education is still catching up with that progress.  

Thank you

Yes, anywhere else you’d like to visit or see outside of our tour we can point you in the right direction of trusted partners.  Whether that be other tours, transport, accommodation or simply local opinions on places you are considering visiting.

If you are confused by the large number of different motorbike tour companies in Vietnam, it’s no surprise.  Numerous new companies have started up in recent years, many of which are copies of copies offering cheaper tours which are still ‘fully inclusive’, but aren’t, this is typical in South East Asia and unsurprisingly they also have 1,000 great Trip Adviser reviews.  Many aren’t experienced tour operators and don’t have the knowledge or experience to make your tour special or be able to explain where you are, what you are eating or the history and culture along the way.  

Motorbike Tours in Vietnam are great value, so a warning signal is if they are one of the cheapest, it means that they don’t have a customer base who reommend them so need to buy tours.  Taking a Motorbike Tour in Vietnam is the experience of a life time, so why risk a below par tour for a few dollars.

Many of these companies, especially the ‘Travel Companies’ that don’t focus solely on Motorbike Tours don’t have the infrastructure in place, local contacts and services to ensure a great tour and that any problems are resolved without any fuss.  Many websites will tell you that you will stay in nice accommodation but it’s all just a sales pitch and here it isn’t seen as misleading to then not provide what was promised.  A good indicator is if the website you are looking at has poor grammar or translated English descriptions.