Explore Indochina

Best rides of my life.

Have ridden down the Vietnam coast and through the Himalayas with Digby and his team, and wouldn't do it with anyone else. Pure magic.

What an amazing experience! I did 10 days from Hanoi through the north west of Vietnam and back again in September. Our guide, Tony, was fantastic, ably assisted by Long the roving mechanic and sweep. We had waste high river crossings, traversed a number of land slides and got to see some truly spectacular sights and sounds - it was brilliant!

The trip went from Hanoi to Mai Chau, Phu Yen, Mu Cang Chai, Sapa, Bac Ha Meo Vac, Bao Lac, Ba Be then back to Hanoi.

Explore Indochina's organisation was awesome. Each night we'd pull up to hotel rooms and farm stays that had all been booked in advance ready to crack a few cold ones. I can't say enough how great this trip was - thanks Tony, Digby and Thuy!

Last week I finished the tour of a lifetime!

Anyone can go to Vietnam and travel but no one can offer you the experience that Digby and the Explore Indochina team gave me.

With over 25 years experience learning every inch of Vietnam and Laos Digby is a wealth of knowledge and knows how to tailor a ride to his customers. He pushed our abilities, took us out of our comfort zone and we all had an amazing time and had us thanking him for an amazing ride at the end of each and every day.

The places you go, people you meet and knowledge you gain from this tour can't be gained by just going it alone or with someone who doesn't have the right level of experience. There are so many back roads, hidden experiences and amazing views. If you want to truly experience Vietnam by Motorbike you need to talk to this team.

As for the motorbikes what can i say, anyone can go somewhere and ride a Honda CRF or a Yamaha YZ - With Explore Indochina you get to ride one of a kind Minsks! these little bikes are epic and have been adjusted, modified and prepared to be the perfect on road and off road machines (maintained by our expert mechanic Lom on the entire trip), you will have to go and experience one yourself to truly understand what i am talking about.

Having been part of such incredible TV show's and setting up the tours and motorbikes for the likes of Bear Grills, Charley Boorman, Gordon Ramsey and of course the Topgear Vietnam Special (If you are a Topgear fan you have to get Digby to show you the Pink Minsk...) they have the credibility but are so down to earth and just want everyone to have the best experience possible.

To be honest after a 13 day tour I could go on and on about our amazing experience. Digby, Lom, Hawk and Thuy thank you so much for everything, you can guarantee I will be back for another adventure and some of that delicious Vietnamese Vodka...

Anyone looking to tour Vietnam by Motorbike needs to contact this team, regardless of your skill level you simply will not get the same experience with anyone else let alone going it alone.

Thanks again team!

My wife and I finished watching the Top Gear UK: Vietnam Special (for the 100+ time) and said to each other, “We should do something like this.” Google quickly showed us Explore Indochina results since this was the company behind the logistics for that episode. We emailed our interest along with questions and quickly received a response. The company has many rides to choose from and we settled on the Border Crawl for 12 days. Thuy, who is the office manager is a hidden gem in the planning process. She was able to confirm pre and post night hotel accommodations, airport transportation, a private train cabin, visa information, and invitation letters. Thuy’s attention to detail and help was greatly appreciated.

We would stop for picnic lunches with fresh carrot and cucumber peeled off into thin slices, patte, mustard, pickles, etc.... and fresh bread. They hit the spot every day and we got to have them while basking in the beauty of the countryside, it was staggering at times. You would just look around and say to yourself " I am having lunch at the side of the road in the mountains of Vietnam" and it would be real then. It all seemed surreal at times, it was all so different.

The "Home Stays" were far and away my favorite of the overnight stops. Most are on a stilted second level building and have a single very large (~30'x50') room with curtains separating the "cubes" that represent individual sleeping areas. The family had their own building and so we had this all to our group. Each spot had a foam mattress, mosquito netting and power outlets to charge your gear. Unfortunately for my comrades I snore like a sleeping dragon so if you are reading this I am sorry for that.... The meals they serve at these stays are delicious and easily had some of the best food on the whole trip! When going on this trip don't expect 5 star michelin fare. Do expect more simple dishes of vegetable soups, rice and meat (normally pork/beef/chicken) fried rice, fried spring rolls (easily our favorite and like nothing you have tasted in your country) and normally a fried/steamed greens dish. All of it is delicious and filling. We never went hungry or felt that anything was no good enough it was ALWAYS excellent! Drinks are plentiful at all the stops both adult and fizzy. Of the adult variety it's mostly beer and of that there are basically five you will encounter of local beers and SOME imports in larger towns. I tried them all and there is no reason to get anything other than the local fare and by far the "BIA HA NOI" was the winner. It's definitely not a beer snobs paradise (I am not :-)) but it was VERY reasonable compared to the states. They also have a thing in most places called "zeo" (rice wine brewed onsite normally) spelling there is wrong but phonetically that's how it sounds in english. Comes in a little 20oz water bottle and it's worth a try. We drank A LOT of water on our tour and I suggest you always have the largest bottle you can fit in your pannier bags back pocket as it stays cold longer and to either freeze if you can at the overnight stop or refrigerate every night. You will be glad you did :-)

I can only say in closing that we had a tremendous time and we are going back next year for another tour. You have to go into it knowing you will not know what is going to happen and to accept what may come and then it is a great time had by all and it was such an adventure as well!

Tony, Chan, Digby, Thuy and all of the team at Explore Indochina, Thank You!

Travelled with them back in 2015. Had an amazing time doing a combination of the Boarder Crawl and Mountain High.

One of my fondest memories of travelling so far.

Great people, well organised, and lots of fun. Will take to places other operators won't/can't, and is guaranteed to be the most fun you've ever had.

Been 1 year since the 14 day NBLC trip, brilliant and well organized, great company