SINGAPORE – Daredevil adventurers are getting on motorcycles to conquer a winding mountain road in northern Vietnam that has become the latest thrill-seeking experience on the backpacker holiday circuit.
With its narrow roads, hairpin turns and erratic weather, the Ha Giang Loop gained notoriety earlier in April after a British teenager from London died in a motorcycle accident on the trail.
Ms Orla Wates, 19, was on a tour of South-east Asia before starting school at Durham University when she was thrown off a motorbike, on which she was riding pillion, and into the path of an oncoming lorry. She later died in hospital due to her injuries.
Ms Wates’ death has raised fresh concerns over the safety of motorcycle tours of Ha Giang – nearly a six-hour drive from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.
Adventure buffs usually go to Ha Giang for riding trips that range between three and five days, sometimes alone or with a tour operator.
Singaporeans who have “done the loop” said traversing between 350km and 400km of winding, undulating roads is thrilling, but not without risks.
Marketing manager Keith Tan Wei, 32, who went on a four-day motorcycle tour of the Ha Giang Loop in early April, said basic safety measures were in place, but standards vary across operators.
“It’s not what you’d consider a highly controlled or strictly regulated environment. A lot depends on rider experience and communication,” he added.
On his tour, motorcycles and helmets were provided.
Mr Tan added that tour operators offer travellers a few ways of exploring the Ha Giang Loop.
Options include riding individually as part of a group, riding pillion with a local driver, or booking a private jeep or van for the journey, depending on one’s budget and the amount of risk one is willing to take.
Tours can have as many as 100 people, who are divided into smaller groups for the trail.
