This is written for someone about to do their first motorbike trip in the northern highlands. Not a packing list copied from elsewhere, but the things we watch travellers get wrong, misunderstand, or discover too late — halfway up a pass.
Paperwork — where most people get it wrong
The international driving permit. Vietnam recognises an IDP issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention. The kind issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention — common in the United States, the UK, Australia and Japan — is not recognised. This is the single most frequent mistake, and it only surfaces when something goes wrong: your insurer will ask about your licence before anything else.
The permit must cover the engine size you intend to ride. Plenty of people hold a car licence but no motorcycle entitlement — on paper, that is no licence at all.
Passport and border-area permits. Many of the places worth seeing in Ha Giang, Cao Bang and Lai Chau lie inside the border belt and need advance registration. We handle that for the group, but we need passport scans early — not on the morning of departure.
Insurance — read the exclusions
A great many ordinary travel policies exclude motorcycle accidents, or cover you only below a certain engine size, or only if you hold a valid licence for that machine. Search the exclusions for the word “motorcycle” before you buy, and take an add-on if you need one.
We do not sell insurance and gain nothing from saying this. We say it because we have seen how it ends.
Choosing a bike — the counter-intuitive rule
Take a smaller machine than you think you need. These roads do not reward power; they reward manoeuvrability. On a two-metre-wide slope of loose rock, a light 150cc gets you through far more easily than a 250-kilo adventure bike — and if you drop it, you can pick it up yourself.
If you have never ridden a manual clutch, say so. Learning one on the Ma Pi Leng pass is a poor plan. We have automatics and manuals, and we also carry passengers behind our own riders — there is nothing embarrassing about choosing that.
Gear
- Helmet. Full-face, or three-quarter with a visor. The thin half-shell sold at markets does not count as equipment.
- Gloves. The cheapest item on this list, and the first thing that saves your hands in a fall.
- Armour and boots. Elbows, knees, back. Boots that cover the ankle — trainers and sandals do not.
- A two-piece rain suit, not a poncho. A poncho going into the rear wheel is a real accident, not a scare story.
- Layers. A December morning on the plateau can be under 5°C, and the same day can be sunny at noon. Several thin layers beat one thick coat.
- A dry bag for phone and documents. Every season a few phones stay behind somewhere.
Fitness, and what you should tell us
A day of mountain roads is more tiring than the distance suggests. Eighty kilometres in Ha Giang costs more than two hundred on the flat.
If you have a chronic condition, take regular medication, or have had recent surgery, tell us before the trip. Not so we can turn you away — so your guide knows what to watch for and what to carry. On several sections the nearest hospital is two hours away.
Weather, and the things that cannot be scheduled
The dry season from October to April is the best time to ride. The rains from June to August bring landslides, and landslides give no notice. Fog on the high passes can close in within fifteen minutes.
That is why our itineraries carry slack, and why the guide has the authority to change the route or stop early. If you need an itinerary that holds to the hour, a monsoon trip in the mountains is not the right choice.
Money, signal and power
Bring cash. Many kitchens, homestays and small fuel stations do not take cards, and transfer apps need a signal — which is not everywhere. Coverage disappears entirely on some border sections. Bring a power bank; do not count on charging from the bike.
A few notes on conduct
Ask before photographing people, children above all. Do not give money or sweets to children along the road — it builds a habit of asking, and it is the village teachers who deal with the consequences. Declining the maize spirit politely is entirely acceptable, and if you still have to ride that day it is our rule, not your choice.
Questions worth asking before you book any tour
Not only with us — ask every operator you are considering:
- Does the guide hold a first-aid certificate?
- Is there a support vehicle, and what can it carry?
- If I come off and cannot continue, what exactly happens?
- What is included in the price, and what is excluded?
- If bad weather forces a change of route, who decides and how are extra costs handled?
An operator who answers those five specifically is worth trusting. One who answers vaguely is worth questioning further.