Two of us have bought a couple of Minsks from Cuong in Hanoi and are heading up clockwise on the northwestern loop (Mai Chau, Moc Chau, Son La, Dien Bien Phu, Lai Chau, Sapa, etc). At the moment we are in Dien Bien Phu. Just for interest we took side trips to the Laos border near Moc Chau (Pa Hang) and Dien Bien Phu (Tay Trang) to see if they would let us cross.
As expected both were definitely closed to westerners. We had visas for Laos and the rego papers with matching numbers for the bikes. One of the officials at Pa Hang spoke some basic english and said we would be fine to cross at Na Meo with the bikes.
In the mist at Pa Hang
We got told in no uncertain terms to head the other way on arrival at Tay Trang, although we managed to get some smiles and handshakes before we left. A few km before we were stopped we passed a flash new border crossing building with weigh stations etc. It looked near completion. Will this opening mean that the chances will improve of them opening things up for foreigners?
The Vietnamese border building from a distance
The new border crossing building
We plan to complete the circuit back to Hanoi, have a look at Halong Bay, then cross into Laos via Na Meo. Does anyone have any current info on the likelihood of crossing there on Minsks? We understand it should be sweet.
If you are planning on doing this trip account for the large amount of road works (stoppages and poor surfaces) on the road from Son La to Dien Bien Phu.
We saw two separate fatal motorbike accidents within 3km of each other near Hoa Binh. They must have both happened within 15mins of us getting there. Three Vietnamese guys were dead on the road with head injuries. It goes without saying that in Vietnam you should take the best protective gear you can if you are riding.
If you want some good cheap riding gear check out the shop next to Cuong's. I got a pair of German-brand Vietnam-made (Cycle Spirit) trousers and a jacket, both with CE-rated protective inserts for US$97. Looking on a UK website they are going for US$700ish!: http://www.getgeared.co.uk/acatalog/Cyc ... acket.html
http://www.getgeared.co.uk/acatalog/Cyc ... #a20597856
We found adequate Taiwanese full-face helmets at a shop that Cuong referred us to.
Once we have some photos on CD when we get back to Hanoi we will post some photos etc. I also have some GPS coordinates of good hotels, and other points of interest like the old Viet Minh HQ near DBP.
Mat
As expected both were definitely closed to westerners. We had visas for Laos and the rego papers with matching numbers for the bikes. One of the officials at Pa Hang spoke some basic english and said we would be fine to cross at Na Meo with the bikes.
In the mist at Pa Hang
We got told in no uncertain terms to head the other way on arrival at Tay Trang, although we managed to get some smiles and handshakes before we left. A few km before we were stopped we passed a flash new border crossing building with weigh stations etc. It looked near completion. Will this opening mean that the chances will improve of them opening things up for foreigners?
The Vietnamese border building from a distance
The new border crossing building
We plan to complete the circuit back to Hanoi, have a look at Halong Bay, then cross into Laos via Na Meo. Does anyone have any current info on the likelihood of crossing there on Minsks? We understand it should be sweet.
If you are planning on doing this trip account for the large amount of road works (stoppages and poor surfaces) on the road from Son La to Dien Bien Phu.
We saw two separate fatal motorbike accidents within 3km of each other near Hoa Binh. They must have both happened within 15mins of us getting there. Three Vietnamese guys were dead on the road with head injuries. It goes without saying that in Vietnam you should take the best protective gear you can if you are riding.
If you want some good cheap riding gear check out the shop next to Cuong's. I got a pair of German-brand Vietnam-made (Cycle Spirit) trousers and a jacket, both with CE-rated protective inserts for US$97. Looking on a UK website they are going for US$700ish!: http://www.getgeared.co.uk/acatalog/Cyc ... acket.html
http://www.getgeared.co.uk/acatalog/Cyc ... #a20597856
We found adequate Taiwanese full-face helmets at a shop that Cuong referred us to.
Once we have some photos on CD when we get back to Hanoi we will post some photos etc. I also have some GPS coordinates of good hotels, and other points of interest like the old Viet Minh HQ near DBP.
Mat
