Vietnam Motorbike Food Tour - Easy Rider Trip

I am currently in Ho Chi Minh for 3 days ... the start of my Vietnam journey. I have a 5 day tour on motorbike booked next week and to be honest I am scared. I have not been on any motorbike for many years let alone in a foreign country with so much crazy traffic and to be a pillion passenger with a stranger.

I bit the bullet and booked an evening trip on TripAdvisor, The above photo is of my actual booking, just so you know which one to book.

I have achieved so much already in my two days in Ho Chi Minh. From initially being apprehensive to go outside my room, to being afraid to cross the road (the traffic is crazy) and very concerned that I would not be happy as a pillion passenger on a motorbike.

I booked online on the TripAdvisor App, using a debit card to pay. When I made the booking they gave a number of hotel addresses where pick up was available. My address was not included so I chose a nearby hotel that was in walking distance - hotel just off Bui Vein Street.

Shortly after making the booking I received a message on my phone with the details and asking me to confirm. I advised that the hotel was not actually where I was staying. I know now that I should have been more forceful here (to make myself understood) as they would have been happy to pick me up at my hotel. Anyway it gave me something to do looking for the pickup location and I got to visit an interesting little alley - that maybe I would not have gone to otherwise.

At 5.30pm Bui Vein Street was really starting to light up and into action as I walked to find the pick up location. Over the past day, walking around, I have got used to the street and alley numbering systems and felt a little more confident while looking for this hotel.

The address that I am looking for is Acorn Hotel, 40/23 Bui Vein Street. So at 40 Bui Vein there is an alley and I walk down the alley where I see some numbers which help guide me in at least the right direction and then I find the hotel. It is a cute little alley … worth a little explore.

The cute little alley had some nice looking eateries, tattoo shops, beauty parlours as well as hotels. I was initially nervous about the back alleys but am ok with them now.

Francis our tour group leader guide and the driver of my motorbike arrived shortly before 6pm. He was a very nice, friendly and generous young man. Francis is a student and has this job to provide for himself and to practice his already good English skills. He talked a lot and on many subjects.

After we had greeted each other I told Francis that I was scared. Francis was very nice and understanding … he took me back to basics starting with how to get on the bike. After me telling Francis this he spent the whole evening trying to help me feel safe and trusting of him …it was important to him.

As it was 6pm and rush hour we headed out into very busy traffic and crazy intersections. Francis just kept saying - don’t worry, hold on, trust me.

The traffic situation was so unbelievable, I wanted to take out my phone and video it but Francis had warned me against this due to the possibility of my phone being snatched.

We travelled to meet up with three other drivers and their guests. A young couple from England and a girl from Ireland. The other drivers and passengers were all lovely people.

At the first stop we saw the Thich Qyang Duc Monument and heard about how this Buddhist Monk burned himself alive in the middle of the road intersection protesting against the persecution of Budhists in Vietnam … lovely monument but horrific and sad story. We each lit insense offerings and bowed 3 times to the memorial statue.

Our first food stop was at a street food stall that specialised in banana wrapped in sticky rice and then grilled. It was served with some coconut milk and was quite rich but very yummy.

Francis showed us a fake money shop. It is traditional for Vietnamese to give fake money and other offerings to honour their ancestors.

I had heard of these places called food ghettos in Ho Chi Minh and there are a number of them in different areas of the city.

Francis described this place as having previously been a slum but was majorly damaged by fire. After sitting dormant for many years it is now a thriving residential area and food markets.

Francis took us up into one of the buildings and here he is giving us info about living in this environment. I couldn’t resist taking a quick photo of the tangled web of “electricity”.

Motorbike ramps on the staircase … great idea for getting your motorbike up to the upper levels.

These apartment neighbourhoods light up at night and become very busy with cooking, eating and other social activities.

This is me posing in this busy eating area at the apartment ghettos in district 3 of Ho Chi Minh City.

I am going to end this here and continue on episode 2 of Motorbike Saigon unseen and 7 food tasting.