Tour of Vietnam 2023: Day 0: Prologue

After traveling extensively throughout India since 2015, this year I decided to take my adventures beyond borders. In all these 8 years of travel, I have covered almost all the states and have experienced the most diverse aspects a nation has to offer. From people to geographical landscapes, the cultures, the food, and the clothing style. I wanted to try something new this time, go global this time. I wanted to extend my experiences beyond my country’s limits. I wanted to experience what it is like to travel in a foreign country and explore all the things that the nation has to offer.

Considering it was my first time going out of the country for an extended duration, I decided on a list of countries that won’t burn a big hole in my pocket. Also, to start with, I wanted to try countries that were nearer to me.

As I started researching on which countries to visit, in every news I went through, Vietnam’s name kept cropping up. When I deep dived into Vietnam, I came to know that it was a country with a cost of living almost similar to India. Adding to that, I also came to know that my ex-company friend had also settled in Vietnam. He cleared all my doubts which I had about the country, and he happily invited me to visit the country. With his assurance, I proceeded to booking my flight tickets. With that, my tour of Vietnam was live!

.

“E-VISA.” The process was quick, only requiring minimal information, taking me just 15 minutes. Wanting to handle everything independently, I applied without involving a Visa agent. I was pleasantly surprised to receive the E-Visa via email in just 3 days!

.

With the E-Visa at my disposal, the journey had just escalated. I had firmly resolved to explore Vietnam on two wheels. Thus, my immediate task was to find a suitable motorcycle. I scoured various online listings and contacted numerous rental agencies, with a specific desire for a Royal Enfield. Through my online investigation, I had learned that Royal Enfields were available in Vietnam, and I believed acquiring one would greatly enhance the adventure.

With that, my journey of reaching out to various rental agencies to secure a Royal Enfield began. Some did not have the bikes available, while others had them already reserved by different clients. A few agencies offered the bikes solely within tour packages, which I declined as I preferred to travel independently. My affinity for the RE brand had grown so strong that I was determined to find a way to ride one. Undeterred by initial setbacks, I tapped into my network and obtained a contact for Mr. Abhishek Mohan, responsible for the Royal Enfield Asia Pacific region through a close friend who works at Royal Enfield. Contacting him promptly, I initially had doubts about his willingness to assist me. However, with nothing to lose, I decided to give it a shot.

From the outset, he was extremely friendly and enthusiastic about my trip. He assured me of his commitment to assist me fully. The following day, I received a message containing contact information for a person in Vietnam who would aid me in locating a Royal Enfield. Feeling overjoyed, I promptly reached out to him via WhatsApp to communicate my needs. He reassured me of his support. Anxiously anticipating his response, I was elated when he eventually messaged me, providing details for a rental agency called “Da Nang Backbacking Station” that had a Royal Enfield Himalayan available.

During the following days, I liaised with Huyen from the rental agency to discuss all the specifics and review the bike rental contract. She forwarded images of the bike, which appeared satisfactory. The model was a BS3 iteration, a black RE Himalayan. Having been reassured by the information provided, we agreed on a total rent of 2,300,000 VND for 23 days and I transferred an initial sum through my local Vietnamese contact. This secured the bike, and I obtained a signed copy of the rental agreement. With flight tickets confirmed and the bike reservation settled, the next step was to apply for an international driving permit.

Initially, I attempted to handle it independently by reviewing the local RTO website and completing all the necessary documents. However, as progress seemed stagnant even after a week, I opted to enlist the help of local RTO agents to expedite the process. Within a week and just one office visit, the task was successfully accomplished. Excitedly, I now held my first international driving license, enabling me to legally drive in Vietnam. The entire procedure incurred a cost of approximately 3K.

With all plans set, the most challenging aspect of the trip surfaced – obtaining approval for my leave. To my astonishment, what I had anticipated as the most difficult hurdle turned out to be effortlessly manageable. My boss approved both my reasons and requested time off without any issue. All arrangements were now in place.

For the trip, I had committed to keeping it raw and adventurous, so nothing was booked in Vietnam. Only my flights to and from were arranged. Not a single day of my time in Vietnam was reserved. I made some stickers for the trip to share with fellow travelers along the way.

Flight to Vietnam (Hanoi) departed from Mumbai Airport at 11:30pm. Commenced the journey from home (Pune) by boarding a rickshaw to the bus depot. Subsequently, took a bus around 1 pm to Mumbai. Arrived in Mumbai around 6 pm. and then proceeded to the Airport via taxi. The security check-in process was a bit chaotic. Initially, there were concerns about the size of my hand-carry luggage, but after placing it in the bag template, it cleared without any issues.

Later, when it was time for boarding, they noticed that my visa duration didn’t align with my return flight ticket. This discrepancy was eventually resolved by a Vietnam Airlines official. Subsequently, during the check-in process, they were surprised by the unconventional way my saddle bags were tied. They recommended using a third-party packing service to consolidate the two sections of the saddle bags into one cohesive unit. I had to shell out 600 bucks for that.

After completing the necessary procedures, I obtained my boarding pass and passed through security without any issues. Following that, I enjoyed a light dinner at the loyalty lounge before eventually boarding the plane around 10:15 pm. The departure was slightly delayed by approximately 45 minutes, and the air conditioning onboard seemed to be functioning below its usual capacity, causing a somewhat suffocating environment. I drifted off to sleep unknowingly and only stirred as the flight was preparing for take-off. Exhausted from two days without proper rest, I dozed off again and only woke up around 12:30 am IST for a late dinner.

Dinner featured assorted fruits, a bun with butter, kidney beans gravy served with rice and cottage cheese cubes, all paired with black coffee. Waking to the captain’s call for landing preparations, the flight touched down at 4 am IST / 5:30 am local time in Vietnam, which is 1 hour and 30 minutes ahead.