Vietnam forum

Emjay

You're right, there are heaps of 'websites' for the Easy Riders.

Travelfish, has an answer:

http://www.travelfish.org/sights/vietnam/central_highlands/lam_dong/da_lat

Go to the bottom of the page for the link. Note that these 'Easy Riders' congregate at the 'Hang Out' cafe.

Elsewhere, the 'original' Easy Riders are supposed to hang out at the Peace Cafe...

http://www.vietnameasyrider.com/views.aspx?groupid=1&id=1

But, if you go and look at other options, then you'll see that prices vary.

As with everything in Vietnam, what you pay does NOT always mean you get a corresponding product: Vietnamese promise the world and all too often deliver broken dreams!

As for time between Saigon & Dalat, I did it in 7 hours on a Sinh Cafe bus. Anything longer than that means you are taking time - which hopefully is enjoyable.

I hired a motorbike in Dalat and was looking at a noticeboard at Nam Ban on my way to Elephant Falls when some 'easyriders' came past with pax and said 'follow us'. We did, and they invited us to join them to the other destinations. I found them informative and fun. But, which easyriders?

As Lonely Planet writes: not all Easy Riders are good, and many non-Easy Riders are excellent.

Bet that doesn't help...

Cheers

Posted from within Vietnam.

I want to clear this up.

The original Easy Riders are these guys - http://www.dalat-easyrider.com.vn/Websites/English/adventure.aspx

We have just finished a 6 day tour with them - from Dalat to Hoi An. It was incredible! We saw some extraordinary sights and met some brilliant people - not possible from the night bus!

We ate in all these tiny little local places; places you would never go into by yourself - the most delicious food ever, all for 20,000 dong including 2 beers each. We rode the Ho Chi Minh Trail...incredible. Just driving through the mountains for days was pretty incredible.

Our Easy Riders were Jean and Lu'u. They have loads of brilliant stories, their passion and history is inspiring and also full of jokes.

Contact Jean on jeaneasyrider@yahoo.com.vn or via the Dalat Easy Rider website. You can book trips in advance on their site. When we left them in Hoi An, an hour later, they had already procured a 7 day trip back down to Dalat! Their reputation proceeds them. ENJOY!

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for your post - yeah we too have a love/hate relationship with LP. It can be great but so easy to get your head stuck in it.

Our trip was indeed brilliant. I'm sure there are lots of other 'easy riders' who would do a great job. What astonished us was that although they both had been doing this for 15 years, they still loved telling us about Vietnam and everything we saw.

Just for a lack of time, I'll put a short day by day diary entry for our trip. We travelled from between 8am/9am to around 4.30pm/5pm each day, with lots of breaks and stops along the road.

Day 1 - Dalat to Lak Lake.
Visited 'Crazy House' a bit of an architectural monstrosity..you'll love it or hate it... a buddhist temple with some incredible Bonsai's, a pretty flower farm, a silk worm farm and a bamboo farm. The bamboo farm was quite interesting - they were making chopsticks, and everything under the sun you could imagine. A DELICIOUS lunch in the mountains (30,000vnd for tonnes of food), some walks on the mountain roads (to avoid cramps). Stayed at the 'Environment Hotel'... a bit of a random hotel but overlooking Lak Lake. The lake is beautiful.

Day Two - Lak Lake to Buon Ma Thot.
Along the journey, we stopped at a brick making 'factory' (in a field), a granite 'field' and sand 'pit'...lots of hardcore manual labour jobs that would kill a westerner in an hour. Another excellent local lunch. Stayed at the Eden Hotel in Buon Ma Thot City - really nice! We were taken to a local restaurant (where they always sit on plastic furniture made for gnomes) and made our own fresh 'nems' or springrolls. We had at least 8 each with a bottle of Vang Dalat my rider went out and got for us.

Day Three - Buon Ma Thot to Kontum
Lots of driving today.. stopped at a pepper field, cashew nut plantations, had a tasty lunch and stayed at a cheesy hotel (can't remember the name) but again, very nice. Went to another local eaterie and made our own pancake style suppers.

Day Four - Ho Chi Minh Trail
This was my fave day. We followed the trail on the newly built road but in some stunning mountain landscapes. Along the way you could see the original tiny little dirt trail, which we walked along at several points. Incredible to think these paths were used not that long ago.. We were treated to venison and wild boar for dinner. Another food first with the wild boar.

Day Five - Ho Chi Minh Trail to Hoi An
Finished the Trail, stopped at some cinammon tree areas, waterfalls, an incense 'factory'...a small family run business - it was pretty amazing watching them at work and a rice pancake 'factory' - another small family business on the side of the road. Had our first delicious sugar cane and lime juice, the first of many. Dropped off at the hotel of our choice.

Obviously, we saw and did a lot more than this - it was all great and I would recommend anyone to do the same! Some people go off for a couple of days, others do HCMC to Hanoi.. I'd definitely do that next time.

John

I think you're missing the point. In Vietnam, a saleable idea doesn't mean it has to be fact!!

That said, there is no doubt that the tracks used by the VC WITHIN Vietnam were narrow, largely hidden, and prone to all sorts of 'intrusions' by US forces.

To my way of thinking, it's probably likely that there are some well worn tracks across the central highlands area that were then covered by thick forest - but are now 'exposed' by the impacts of in-migration (northerners given land) and deforestation.

Cheers

Madmac,

Yes - the HCMC trail was a MASSIVE network of paths, trails, dirt-tracks, something we learnt along our journey. We followed a tiny, tiny part of it along the main road through the mountains. At various points, you can see the original trail and walk across it, which was pretty awe-inspiring. A bit of imagination and you can feel a small part of what once was...

Bruce - exactly right. Tracks that used to be totally hidden by the jungle, are now right in plain view.

Jules

hi i have toured the same for anyone wanting to ride on good bikes try out www.vietnammotorbiketours.com , we did a 12 day self ride with a guide who had his own bike , it was amazing to say the least, they also take non riders on the bike with them, we met the easy riders and found the bikes just to small for a long trip, we bike we had plenty of room for all our gear. but for anyone thinking of touring Vietnam this is by far the best way.dont do the bus , we have a trip on a bus , with the heat and smell form the locals being sick as they dont travel well and all get car/bus sick, man the air was so thick you could carve it . we found the best part of our trip was the more remote areas of the Central highlands, our tour cost more then the easy riders but i would be happy to pay the same again.

Posted from within Vietnam.

We are off with some Easy Riders from Dalat to Hoi An tomorrow. We are going by car though as we have some luggage and, as he said, we are older! It was totally unplanned but does take care of the problem of getting from Dalat to Hoi An during the Tet period. I was reassured when Jules78 mentioned Luu as he is the one we are going with. It is costing us $75 per day each but we buy our own meals. Maybe some will be included in accommodation, we will see. We will report back after the trip!
Fingers crossed!

Posted from within Vietnam.

Hey,
I have just finished an easyrider tour from Dalat to Hoi An through the Ho Chi Minh trail.
I booked it through:
http://www.vietnameasyrider.com/
And River, the main tour leader, quickly replied and organised everything.

Me and my two friends along with River took 6 days through the central highlands, and by far it was the best part of our tour. We saw the real vietnam, rather then just the tourist strips.

Generally speaking, a tour involves the tourguide, motorbikes, fuel, accommodation and entrance fees to various national parks but food and drink you pay for yourself(but seeing as River took us to all his local restuarants and bars this was cheap).

I really recommend using the website, It makes it so much easier, and it guarantees you get a good price and a friendly, experienced, english speaking tour guide. When you get to Dalat you can often get mobbed by some of the dodgey 'Easy Riders'.

Good luck! And if you are going to Vietnam you definitely have to do a motorbike tour through the highlands(longer tour the better!), its the best experience you will have through Vietnam.

Posted from within Vietnam.

My name is Veronique, Italian, I don't think "The original Easy Riders" are the one you are looking for?!! The following story is my nightmare experience.
I did an easy rider tour from Da Lat to Hoi An with one of the "The original Easy Riders"; his name is Lulu, licence number 22, his real name is Bach Van Hung. I had booked the tour with a real easy rider to be safe but it hasnt been the case, as soon as the trip began, Lulu was hugging me too often and in a way that he could feel my breast, he was always trying to kiss me and I was not feeling good about this, I told him that that was not I was looking for and as soon as I said that, he refused to talk to me (really good to pay 420 dollars to be with a non-speaking guide), when I was trying to talk to him, he was taking it as an invitation and was trying to kiss me again, I had to push him back really badly and he told me that I was strange, that I was not like the other girls, then on the 3rd day, he changed the trip (it was originally going from Dalat to Hoi An) and he take me to Quy Nhon instead of Hoi An (not really the same hey ?) and whey we arrived he asked me for a tip ! Unbelievable ! I'm really not satisfied because I've been afraid for those 6 days and have been harrassed all the time, this man is mental and I'd like you to tell me what you are going to do (compensation for me, a fine for him ?) I dont want the other girls to live the same thing because it was a real nightmare.
Up to now, I didn't have any response nor compensation from those guide,
Do you think they will kind with you and help you?...
Veronique

Hi, since this is a thread a bout the real easyriders and there are different answers to give i'd like to give you mine.
In 2004 i was in vietnam, where me and my wife traveled 4 days with an easyrider. called Do Thao aka paddy . That was such a good experience that i became friends with this special person and decided to dedicate a fan page for the easyiders of dalat where everyone could write down their experience with the easyriders. http://www.harink.com/easyriders
Now, many years later i still have contact with Do thao and he is still being an easyrider, one of the original group that started in this way. Nowerdays there are many easyriders, some good some not so good. I for me can really recommend this guy which you can now find on a website of his own http://www.harink.com/paddytours.

I took a 2-day motorbike tour of the highlands with Mr Phuc, one of the original Easyriders with the blue jackets. He was a fantastic guide: an experienced driver, extremely knowledgeable about so many aspects of Vietnam (culture, geography, agriculture, history), and a genuinely kind and friendly man. I am a 30-year-old woman who was traveling alone, and I felt safe and comfortable with him the entire time we traveled together. I highly recommend contacting Mr Phuc if you want to take a motorcycle tour anywhere around central Vietnam!

Mr. Phuc
091 8249338
phucpt@yahoo.com

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about my experience traveling with Mr Phuc as a guide.

As pointed out the "Easy Riders" name is used pretty much by anyone who wants, and there seem to be at least two organized groups (one with green jackets, one with blue) in the Hoi An area where i took a two day tour in january 2010. In the end the name doesn't matter, and since the prices don't vary that much (60 usd per day, includes everything but food, discounts for larger groups) it all comes down to finding a guide you like. I traveled with Nam Nguyen Quang and can vouch for him. Very reliable and helpful.

Website: http://easyridersadventure.wordpress.com/

That said, don't be discouraged by all the options and the risk of ending up with an unreliable guide, riding a bike is really the best way to move around Vietnam. Unless you pick a guide that other travelers have actively discouraged you should be fine.

Posted from within Vietnam.

Just finished the six day trip from Hoi an to Dalat using the Blue Jacket guys, Dalat Easy Riders (the Website that buzzylizzy links to in Post#17)
I was doing the trip in the opposite direction than usual, so they requested I prepay a deposit through Western Union to pay for the driver to come out and pick me up. I was a bit worried about this at first, but everything turned out great. I kept in contact as I got closer to Hoi An, and was able to meet the driver there the day before to suss him and the bike out.
Turns out their group is a collective of 50+ drivers, you can very easily find them all over Dalat. Are all the drivers created equal? Probably not, but of all the people I met along the way who were using Dalat Easy riders (they put everyone up at the same hotels, and use some of the same restaurants)nobody had anything but great things to say. I can definately reccomend my driver named Chung who has done the trip countless times, has lived all over Vietnam and is a wealth of knowledge and an excellent driver.
Anyway it is a great trip, everything evryone sez it is. If you've got the money and time and dont mind a bit (between a bit and a lot)) of bumpy road, DO IT!
Okay, the rain finally let up in Dalat. Im going to get a Banh My.

I took an easy rider tour with a younger guide, but was lucky to meet the original easy riders, and easy rider founder, at a bar.
here is my video of the experience and my tour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCHKg1-uzcY

Mark

We did a day tour with one of the guys from dalat-easyrider.com called Mr Hung, Just amazing.

So good in fact we have booked a 3 day 2 night trip further into the highlands with him, setting off tomorrow.

Posted from within Vietnam.

Welcome to Vietnam Easy Riders !



About Vietnam Easy Riders

v

Wow, so many first time posters on one thread. Somehow I'm not surprised...

'sheeed

Posted from within Vietnam.

ABOUT VIETNAM EASY-RIDERS
Vietnam is one of the most beautiful andcharming places in the world to visit. Why not join us to discoverand understand more about the culture, traditions and history of ourhomeland. If you come to Vietnamand expect to do something special with a lifetime memory of your trip,the best way is on a motorcycle with one of our tours.
Whychoose us? We always try to offer tourists and travellers the tours inwhich they get to see the most spectacular views of the Central Highland,Mekong Delta, countrysides, Ho Chi Minh trails through Vietnam and all aboutthe local life of people that we meet on the road. This is the only way to getoff the beaten tracks.
Afterworking really hard for a long time, we have been strongly recommended in manydifferent guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, Rough Guide etc.
So please come and visit us about our toursand...DO IT !
Please email us to have more detail information; vietnameasyrider@yahoo.com . ph +84989253394 ; 0989253394

Posted from within Vietnam.

Thank you River for looking after us for two days touring Dalat and Na Trang. We wouldn’t have known where to begin but you showed us all of the interesting and important sites as well as the special places off the usual tourist track....and I’ve never had fresher fish!!You can trust River to organize the type of tour that you want, he’s a wealth of knowledge...and jokes, he will make you feel very comfortable.Thanks River, looking forward to the next trip with you.Steph (older than brother Tom!!!).
Their contact details: www.vietnameasyrider.com
Email: vietnameasyrider@yahoo.com
Ph: 0989253394(RIVER)

Calvin - it's an awesome way to see Vietnam. (I did a 9-day trip). You ride on the back of your driver's bike. They put your pack into plastic bags to keep the rain off, and it's strapped on tightly to the bike behind you.

In my case there were two of us, so we had two drivers. Whenever we stopped to check something out, one driver always stayed with the bike to watch the gear.

You would probably spent 4-6 hours a day on the bike maybe, but it was broken up with lots of stops along the way, usually at least once an hour or so.

...Just a glimpse into a piece of Hochiminh Trails that were used by NVAs during VN War. Including a famous song during vn war on the side of NVAs: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=lLdOf_OmiLc

Just made a video about a tour that I did in July 11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAoF4c3MZN8
If you like what you see then email Gon at myheart502@yahoo.com or call him on 0975245543. It was the best thing I did in Vietnam and they were great guides!

Hope this helps!

Hi charliebrow-n44
Lee was absolutely brilliant! Both myself and my husband, extremely impressed with how Lee handled all matters including ensuring we were looked after while on our trip.
We did 3912 kilometres in 24 days, both being pillions. Due to the length of our trip we opted to invest in AIRHAWK Cushions, knowing we would be doing up to 8 hours a day on the back of the bikes (Bonus 150) per day. The boys were great and very conscious of our comfort, stoping every few hours so we could have a decent walk to stretch our legs.
In regards to payment we paid a 10% deposit on confirmation of our booking, which can be done via PayPal if you don’t mind paying the small amount of surcharge that PayPal charges. As our deposit was a bit larger (for the 24 days) we opted to pay through Western Union, even though a cash transfer to individuals is not recommended by Western Union. Based on all of our interactions with Lee, we felt very comfortable making this cash payment and Lee confirmed straight away once received. The balance was paid in cash (American dollars) half on arrival and half at the end of our trip.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best regards, Alice

Hi,

I know this post has been going for some time now but I wanted to say that my wife and I booked through the original easy riders and spent 10 days travelling with Spencer and Jack. We had an incredible time and since then Spencer has started his own company mainly because he has feels he has more to offer. Better safety, better experience than many of the other drivers and wants to take the time to "show off his country".

He has a website up and running now so if people are interested in doing an amazing tour through Vietnam, have a chat with him (Vietnam easyrider).

Thanks

Charlie

Posted from within Vietnam.

Myself and my husband have just finished a 5 day motorbike tour with Jean and Quy, of the original Dalat Easy rider group (http://www.dalat-easyrider.com.vn) who are the guys with the blue jackets. It was unbelievable! We had never been on a bike before but were made to feel so safe and well looked after. They both had excellent english skills and were so knowledgeable about the history of vietnam and its people, we spent 5 days travelling from the central highlands down to saigon getting completely off the beaten track and truly seeing real vietnam.

I can vouch for these guys that they are scrupulously honest, we paid local prices for masses of amazing food and our accommodation was of really high quality and included in the tour price. They were so funny and friendly and we really didnt want to say goodbye at the end!

I think there are a lot of imitators about and while not all of them are dishonest I think you have to be careful...we saw another tourist on a tour with a guide from a different company get charged 1,500,000 dong (46 pounds) for an elephant ride whereas our guides charged us the real price of 200,000 (around 4 pounds)!!!

You will visit minority villiages and make loads of little stops along the way and learn SO MUCH about the lives of real vietnamese people. At no point did anyone try and sell us anything people just welcomed us like friends as Jean and Quy obviously have a very close relationship with the people they visit along the way.

This is the best thing we have done in 6 months of travel in Asia and I would 100% recommend going with Jean, Quy and the real Dalat Easy Riders as they are amazing! I will put their contact details below as the best way to contact them when they are on the road is phone or personal email. Tell them Katie and Tom say Xin Chao!!!

Jean: jeaneasyrider@yahoo.com.vn 0918 564616

Quy: quyhovan@yahoo.com 0908 620055

Ihave undertaken extensive internet research (travel site reviews, travel blogs)over recent months about the easyrider groups at Da Lat. I have found no lessthan 8 groups operating.

Frommy list No.1 is ‘the original’ easyrider group. No. 2 is a breakaway group fromthe original easyriders. Nos. 3 to 8 are subsequent formed groups.

1.http://dalat-easyrider.com –EasyRider Café,70 Phan Dinh Phung St.
2.www.easyrider-tours.com[color=rgb(44, 44, 44)] , Peace Café-66 Truong Cong Dinh St.[/color]
3.www.dalateasyriders.com – no addresson website, they come and meet with you
4.www.easy-riders.net - info at TheHangout Bar, 71 Truong Cong Dinh St.
5.www.dalat-easyriders.com & www.freelance-rider.com
-Binh Yen Hotel - 7 Hai Thuong St.
6.http://vietnam-motorcycle-easyriders.com/home.html -Tourists Café, 61 Ba Thang Hai St.
7.www.vietnameasyrider.com - Nice Dream Hotel,34B Hai Ba Trung St
8.www.vietnam-easyrider.com - Da LatTravel,34 Hoa Binh Square

Tobe fair to all groups I can say that 99% of the reviews/comments I have readhave been positive. Good advice – meet with your potential easyrider over adrink prior to your trip to see if you will feel comfortable travelling withhim.

Itis not so much which group you book with rather than which group will get yourtourist dollars.

Ifanyone wishes to challenge the information I have provided then please post. Iam more than happy to amend my research notes.