Cuong’s Motorbike Adventure Based in Hanoi, and offers all inclusive motorcycle adventure tours across Vietnam and into Laos. Honda, Minsk and Ural Sidecar motorcycles
The northernmost region of Vietnam is truly a motorbiker’s paradise. The rugged, rocky mountains of Ha Giang province are home to colourful hill tribes and some of the best rice terracing in the whole country, if not the whole of Southeast Asia. Every bend in the road reveals something new!
In the past, this remote region along the Chinese border was closed off to the outside world, but the remarkable limestone landscapes of Dong Van and Meo Vac were recently declared Vietnam’s first Global GeoPark due to their geological complexity. The network of good roads and rocky trails winding throughout Ha Giang province offer something for every motorcyclist, whether you’re a road rider or an off-road adventurer.
Operating out of a humble garage on Highway 1 south of Hanoi in the early 1990s, Cuong’s reputation as an gifted mechanic and honest bloke quickly spread. By 2000, Cuong had opened a shop in Hanoi’s Old Quarter to repair, buy and sell Minsk motorbikes.
Cuong was instrumental to the formation of Hanoi’s infamous Minsk Club in 1998, and it’s fair to say that if Cuong hadn’t been there to fix the bikes, the club would have never existed. Once Cuong’s shop was listed in the Lonely Planet, his name became synonymous with motorcycle touring in Vietnam.
It’s no surprise that when the world’s biggest automotive celebrities came to Vietnam to film the Top Gear Vietnam Special in 2008, they called on Cuong for full mechanical support. He designed and built the amphibious motorbikes that carried Jeremy Clarkson and co. out into Ha Long Bay back in 2008, and he can be seen nursing Clarkson’s Vespa back to life on many occasions. Cuong also worked with Gordon Ramsay and Charley Boorman (twice!) when they came to film in Vietnam.
When the Vietnamese police began selling off their fleet of vintage 650cc Ural sidecars to collectors, Cuong recognised their potential for motorcycle touring and snapped up the bikes and spare parts. He custom fitted the Urals to make them a solo motorcycle with disc brakes, comfortable seats and modern electrics to meet the demands of foreign bikers. Cuong has most recently branched out into 250cc Hondas, and now has Vietnam’s only fleet of CRFs.
Due to Ha Giang’s remote location and distance from Hanoi, you need at least five days to explore the far north. With 10-12 days, we can arrange a once-in-a-lifetime expedition that you will never forget!