Life in Vietnam is lived on two wheels. In both Ho Chi Minh City and Hoi An, the majority of people seemed to get around via motorbike. In places like Ho Chi Minh, this is slightly terrifying–hundreds of bikes are whizzing around at top speed in all directions. I wouldn’t get on a motorbike in Ho Chi Minh if my life depended on it! But in Hoi An, the pace of life is slower. Motorbikes lazily breeze around the winding, coastal roads, and the streets are mostly empty. So when Matt decided he wanted to explore Hoi An by motorbike, despite my initial worries, I decided we should go for it.
We rented a bike from a cute little lady who ran a shop across the street from our resort. The cost of a bike for a full day’s use? $5. Can’t beat that! So we strapped on our helmets, hopped on, and explored the gorgeous coastline of Hoi An. We passed beautiful ocean views, soppy rice paddies, stray dogs playing in the streets, and expansive farms. We stopped when we wanted to snap photos, or I would play shutterbug while Matt drove. It was such a perfect way to see this sweet little town, and hands down the best way to get to the beach that was a kilometer away from our hotel. We enjoyed our time so much that we rented the bike the next day as well. It’s funny that something I was initially nervous about doing turned out to be one of my favorite things in Hoi An–but such is life as a traveler. You never know where your next adventure will be coming from!
Have you ever rented a motorbike while traveling? What was your experience like?
I am glad you went out of your comfort zone! Great photos!
Thanks Megan! I was glad I decided to be brave too…after seeing how people drive mopeds throughout the rest of Southeast Asia, I was pretty hesitant. Luckily this was just a sleepy beach town, no traffic to deal with
That looks like a fun way to see the area!
I was nervous at first, but I’m so glad we did it! It was not nearly as scary as I thought it would be–and Matt was a good and safe driver.