Visit Ho Chi Minh mausoleum to pay the respect to Ho Chi Minh.

Most of our customers joining our Vietnam Motorcycle Tours although they are the first time to visit Vietnam, they still want us to guide them to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum to pay the respect to Ho Chi Minh.

So today, we would like to introduce you about the Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum:

Ho Chi Minh is always considered as the greatest leader of Vietnam. Although his desire for a simple cremation, the mausoleum was constructed from materials gathered from all over Vietnam between 1973 and 1975. Modeled after the Mausoleum of Lenin in Russia, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is one-of-its kind in the world.

Set deep in the bowels of the building in a glass sarcophagus is the frail, pale body of Ho Chi Minh. The mausoleum is closed for about two months each year while his embalmed body goes to Russia for maintenance.

The roof and of the mausoleum are said to be the great combination of either a traditional communal house or a lotus flower, though to many tourists it looks like a concrete cubicle with columns.

The queue, which moves quite quickly, usually snakes for several hundred metres to the mausoleum entrance itself. Inside, adopt a slow but steady pace as you file past Ho’s body. Guards, in snowy-white military uniforms, are posted at intervals of five paces, giving an eerily authoritarian aspect to the slightly macabre spectacle of the body with its wispy white hair.

To visit, you have to stand in the queue that usually snakes for several hundred metres to the mausoleum entrance itself. Visiting the Mausoleum is free of charge but involves a set of strictly enforced regulations. No short skirts or tank tops are allowed and there is high level of security check upon arrival and no talking. It's also forbidden to put your hand in your pockets. Hats must be taken off, and you may also be requested to store day packs, cameras and phones before you enter. Photography is strictly prohibited in the mausoleum.

Spend one day to discover the real Hanoi before traveling with us for the most amazing Vietnam motorbike tours. Please do not miss the Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum.

Religion in Vietnam

Dirtbike Travel is specialized in organizing custom Vietnam motorcycle tours covering every destination in Vietnam. All of our trips are designed to suit every rider with different preferences such as  laidback sightseeing tours, intensive enduro tours and everything in between.

Today, we would like to introduce you about the main religions in Vietnam:

Buddhism
First introduced to Vietnam in the 2nd century, Buddhism became the most popular religion in Vietnam under the Ly dynasty (11th century) and it had a profound influence on people’s daily life. It was considered as official religion domination court affairs. Buddhism was preached broadly among the population and it enjoyed a profound influence on people’s daily life. If you travel to all regions in Vietnam, especially motorcycle tours Vietnam, you can see a lot of pagodas where they worship Buddha. 

Presently, over 70 percent of the population of Vietnam are either Buddhist or strongly influenced by Buddhist practices. On the special occasions, people always go to the pagodas to pray for luck, money, love, and happiness.

Catholicism
First introduced to Vietnam in the 17th century, but Catholicism was also very popular. Vietnam has the fifth largest Catholic population in Asia, after the Philippines, India, China and Indonesia. According to Catholic Hierarchy Catalog, there are 5,658,000 Catholics in Vietnam, representing 6.87% of the total population. There are 26 dioceses (including three archdioceses) with 2228 parishes and 2668 priests. The most densely – populated Catholic areas are Bui Chu – Phat Diem in the northern province of Ninh Binh and Ho Nai – Bien Hoa in Dong Nai province in the South.

Mother Worship (Tho Mau)
Mother is always the most beloved person to all people. Mother (Mẹ in Vietnamese) is pronounced Mau in Sino-script. The mother worship cult might be originated from the cult of the Goddess in ancient ages. But hardly anyone knows the mothers worship religion (tho mau). This is a very popular belief of an agricultural culture like Vietnam where nearly 80% population lives in rice cultivation. In North Vietnam, all famous pagodas, which are sanctuary dedicated to Mothers, is located near in the pagoda's area. The mothers are very distinctive: The Mother's forest wears green clothes; Mother's Water (Mau Thoai) who reigns World Water, wears white clothes; The Mother's Earth (Mau dia) with yellow dress; and the left is Mother Lieu Hanh, one the four immortal in Vietnamese culture.

Just a brief introduction of some main religions in Vietnam. Before or after the Vietnam motorbike tours, you can have a tour to visit many pagodas and temples in Hanoi to learn more about our religions.

Where to enjoy the best Vietnamese food in Hanoi

As a Vietnamese, we are so proud of when Vietnamese food is so adored around the world. So where to enjoy the best Vietnamese food in Hanoi is always one of the most popular questions of our customers who join our Vietnam motorcycle tours.

Today, we would like to introduce you 3 out of 10 best restaurants for Vietnamese food in Hanoi, that you can enjoy your lunches or dinners before depart for the Vietnam dirt bike tours with us:

1.    La Verticale 19 Ngo Van So Street
The restaurant is a fantastic fine-dining one with a colonial style mansion. Believe in us, the food doesn’t disappoint with a seasonal menu that reflects the herbs and spices of the region with French techniques. Duck terrine, ratatouille, veal in tamarind, and Mekong fruits sorbet are all popular dishes here and the wine list is excellent. The restaurant has a roof terrace with excellent views across the city.

2.    Highway 4 Restaurants 5 Hang Tre Street
A lot of customers agree with us that this restaurant is worth to visit at least once and perfect for large groups – despite the terrible name. With Vietnamese furnishings, English speaking staff and a large menu running through Vietnam’s entire culinary heritage, the restaurant soon to be famous and attract many tourists.  The specials are highly recommended, particularly the cat fish spring rolls. All food is served with plenty of local herbs which the restaurant tries to source sustainably.

3.    Sen 60 Ly Thai 60 Ly Thai To Street
Sen will impress everyone who does Vietnam motorbike rides even to some riders who don’t usually like buffets. With many different kinds of food from seafood, oysters, sashimi, crab, escargot and Vietnamese spring rolls served inside.  Located in the heart of the French Quarter, the architecture of the ivory-color scheme is so amazing and suitable with the excellent food here. The service is seamless here and cost of the buffet is excellent value, especially considering it proximity to the Hanoi Opera House and several of the finest hotels in the city. Although Sen has three other branches in Hanoi but this is the best of the bunch.

Just some suggestions of the best restaurants in Hanoi that our customers of Vietnam motorbike tours Vietnam should know. For the next article, we will provide you more.

Something as souvenirs for your family and friends from Vietnam

Riders who join our Vietnam motorcycle tours are also like other tourists who come here to discover the real Vietnam.

During the time of riding Vietnam Motorcycle Tours with us and especially after that, they always think about buying something as souvenirs for their family and friends. They always ask us about what are the most Vietnamese they should bring home. The souvenirs should remind our customers about their experiences but it’s important to remember that they should not buy items that are too big for their luggage.

And here are our suggestions:

Vietnamese Tea
Vietnam motorbike rides to some destinations such as Moc Chau, you can see many tea plantations. Yes, Moc Chau is very famous for tea product. Vietnamese tea has a wonderful flavor. The Vietnamese culture drinks a lot of tea and it’s one of the most commonly purchased souvenirs for our guests. You can buy tea everywhere in Vietnam and it is very cheap. Naturally teas with flavoring cost a little extra.

Vietnamese Coffee
When you visit Vietnam, you can see Vietnamese people drink coffee everywhere, especially in the big cities. If you take some home with you would make a great souvenir. Vietnamese coffee has a strong flavor. The most popular Coffee branch is Trung Nguyen and it costs about $4.00.

Clothes
Clothes are another great choice if you’re planning on having a souvenir from your trip for they are very easy to put into your suitcase. In a lot of cases items like scarves are handmade from locals and we recommend buying directly from them. If you buy clothes in a shop, they will be more expensive. Prices for clothing will vary depending on what you get, but to give you an idea a handmade scarf should cost you about $2.00.

Lacquer ware
Tourists loving adventure when coming to Vietnam, and especially when you travel on foot in Hanoi Old Quarter, you can find a lot of shops selling lacquer ware. Every Vietnamese lacquer ware bears the feelings of its creator: flexibility, complexity and variety. Visitors will be able to find small dishes for about $1.00 and larger dishes for about $3.00. The quality of lacquer ware varies significantly and the price will obviously reflect the processes used to make it. However, if you are foreigners, you should know how to bargain when buying lacquer ware in the very center of Hanoi.

Contact us for one of the best Vietnam motorbike tours in your life. Besides, we will show you many things out of the tours.