点评:After an initial issue or two with the rather tardy booking system, it must be said that the Top Gear Moto 2 Tour this October came up trumps! The tour was well thought out and worked like an oiled machine, from the connecting flight to the hotel bookings. All had clearly been organised well, so thanks to Jason and Liz for that.
The real stars of the show were our guides; Titi ,Bao, Lam and Pop. Funny, friendly and full of information on the various sights and sounds in Vietnam. Their real skill was in keeping our large group of 19 bikes together and safe on the road as they herded us across difficult junctions or one of the many other hazards. The riding was fairly full on in a slow way, the slippery, lumpy, gravelly and sandy conditions always reqiuring attention. Oh, and the rain - but hey, it's Vietnam!
At all turns, food and coffe stops were always at the right time, and the beer at the end of the day, whilst Titi was sorting out the hotel room keys was a nice touch that we all came to look forward to, and much wanted after the dusty day's ride.
The other star, of course, was the country itself; it was great to see it again, but it's clear to see that the environment is on a knife edge here, and it could go very quicker if not looked after.
The Ho Chi Minh trail in the mountains was just superb, as was the hike out from Tan Ky back into the mountains on the circular back to Hanoi. Hanoi traffic makes the worst London traffic seem disciplined by comparison and it was a shame we didn't venture all the way in to the centre on the bikes, it was great fun!
Our group of four were all really happy with the tour, in every repect; the support crew fixing the bikes, the guides were always there, even when the riding stopped, the hotels good when they could be and still the best when there was nothing good around.
It's a certainty that we'll be returning for another trip, and look forward to maybe meeting up with Titi and friends again.
"Helmets on!"
翻译:在最初预订系统出现一两个问题之后,必须说,今年 10 月的 Top Gear Moto 2 Tour 大获成功!这次旅行经过深思熟虑,从转机到酒店预订,都像一台上油的机器一样运转。显然,一切都安排得很好,所以感谢 Jason 和 Liz。
真正的明星是我们的导游:Titi、Bao、Lam 和 Pop。他们风趣、友好,对越南的各种景点和声音了如指掌。他们真正的技能是让我们这群 19 辆摩托车的庞大团队团结在一起,并在路上安全行驶,因为他们带领我们穿过困难的路口或许多其他危险之一。骑行相当缓慢,湿滑、崎岖、砾石和沙地的条件总是需要注意。哦,还有雨 - 但嘿,这是越南!
不管怎样,吃饭和喝咖啡的时间总是恰到好处,一天结束时,当 Titi 整理酒店房间钥匙时,我们一起喝啤酒,这是一件非常美好的事情,我们都期待着,在尘土飞扬的一天骑行之后,我们非常想喝啤酒。
当然,另一个亮点是这个国家本身;很高兴再次看到它,但很明显,这里的环境岌岌可危,如果不照顾好,情况可能会变得更糟。
山中的胡志明小径非常棒,从 Tan Ky 出发回到山上,绕回河内的路线也很棒。相比之下,河内的交通让最糟糕的伦敦交通显得井然有序,很遗憾我们没有骑自行车一路冒险到市中心,这很有趣!
我们四人小组对这次旅行非常满意,各方面都很好;支持人员在修理自行车,导游一直都在,即使骑行停止了,酒店也很好,当周围没有什么好东西时,酒店仍然是最好的。
我们肯定会再来旅行,并期待着也许能再次与蒂蒂和朋友们见面。
“戴上头盔!”