Long Tong festival

By joining one of our Vietnam motorcycle tours, you will be a part of helping maintain the Vietnam’s Nature and Traditional Villages. It’s a great participation of cultural exchange and an insight view on Vietnam lifestyle.

Today, we would like to introduce you one of the biggest and most important events of Lang Son, Lao Cai, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang..., the provinces in our Vietnam motorbike rides. It is Long Tong festival held annually on the 4th day of the year (according to Lunar Calendar).

Although the festival has different names in different places in these provinces, it has the same procedures and parts: worshiping the God of agriculture, traditional games, folksong singing contests, etc. Most of local people here live on agriculture so this festival is mostly to thank for the God of agriculture. the God of agriculture is the one who looks after the fields, gardens. He can conjure up the wind, the rain to make a bountiful harvest and give the villagers a peaceful year.

First, Pu Mo, the head of the festival worships the gods and the kings in the main temple of the village. After that, he leads the people of the village to the paddy fields to worship the God of agriculture. Here, people prepare many gifts such as fresh fruits, wine, boiled chicken, and other traditional dishes to send to the God and pray for the good crops.

After the worshiping, local people gather to enjoy the food and after that it is the time for traditional games. Occasionally, people even invite the Lion dance team from adjoining villages to take part in a contest. They believe that if a lion comes in the spring, good luck and wealth would come to the whole family during the whole year

Joining our Vietnam motorbike tours in the time of the festival to learn more about the tradition and culture of the local people in the North of Vietnam.

Vietnam is a just small country in the Southeast Asia but owns a lot of World Heritage Sites

All our customers for Vietnam Motorbike Tours agree that Vietnam is a beautiful lush country offering a rich variety of historical sites, sounds, cultural traditions and friendly people for its visitors. From the French Colonial architecture to the intriguing scent of the Perfume River, from to the hustle and bustle of the markets in Saigon to the war memorials, Vietnam has much to be discovered especially with Vietnam motorbike rides. As you know, Vietnam is a just small country in the Southeast Asia but owns a lot of World Heritage Sites. Vietnam is a country of tourism. From the North to the South, any province has its own advantages to attract visitors.

Today, we would like to introduce you the list of World Heritage Sites from the North to the South of Vietnam as follows:

1.    Dong Van Karst Plateau Geo-park.
2.    Buddhist Sutra Woodblocks of Truc Lam Zen
3.    Xoan singing
4.    Worship of Hung King.
5.    Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs.
6.    Ha Long bay
7.    Trang An landscape complex.
8.    Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Hanoi.
9.    Stone stele records of royal examinations of the Le and Mac Dynasties.
10.    Giong Festival at Phu Dong and Soc temples.
11.    Ca tru singing.
12.    Imperial Records of Nguyen Dynasty.
13.    Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park.
14.    Complex of Hue Monuments.
15.    Nha Nhac, Vietnamese Court music.
16.    Hoi An Ancient Town.
17.    Mỹ Son Sanctuary.

18.    The Space of Gong Culture in Central Highlands.
19.    Woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty.
20.    Don Ca Tai Tu.

Please come and join the adventure with us for one of the most Vietnam motorcycle tours in your life. Sure, with our beautiful landscapes especially of the World Heritage Sites, you will have a good deep impression of our country.

Kinds of flowers that used to decorate Vietnamese houses in the occasion of Tet holiday

Our customers booking Vietnam motorbike tours were so surprised with the beauty of our country, especially, flowers everywhere. Today, we would like to introduce you 2 kinds of flowers that used to decorate Vietnamese houses in the occasion of Tet holiday.

Peach Blossoms in the North of Vietnam:

Symbolic of the Lunar New Year that you can easy to see in your Vietnam motorcycle travel, peach blossoms are an essential part of the Vietnamese folklore and heritage. The peach flower plant grows only in North Vietnam. It is the special flower of the Vietnamese New Year because of its red colour, which is believed to bring many favourable opportunities throughout the year. The other main reason is the characteristics of the plants because they grow well in cold weather. Northern people say that peach flowers blossom in spring – during Tet holidays while most other flowers still stay silent, symbolizing the strong vitality and a brave heart.

You can visit Nhat Tan (Hanoi) where the delicate art of growing the trees is passed from generation to generation.

Apricot Blossoms in the South of Vietnam

if one does not have Apricot blossoms in the household during the Lunar New Year celebrations then that means they have not really prepared for Tet. The golden yellow of the flower means the noble roots of Vietnamese (folktales said that the ancestors of Vietnamese is a couple of dragon and fairy). In addition, the high rate of blossom of the flower in Tet holidays also symbolizes the wealth and passionate love among people. Although apricot blossom are planted mostly in the southland, now you can easily buy one in Hanoi when doing Vietnam motorbike rides in this city. Apricot blossom is more commonly used for this ceremony in the South because of the warm weather. The value of these flowers is determined by the number of petals - the more petals, the more expensive the flower.

Lunar New Year or Tet is a fete of the family, and the time for family members to gather at home to enjoy warm atmosphere. Enjoy this wonderful time with us when traveling Vietnam motorcycle tours.

Pieu scarf of the Thai women is a specialty of their costume

Vietnam Motorbike Tours with us to the North of Vietnam, you can sometimes meet some Thai people on the way.  Every ethnic group of Vietnam has its own cultural identity which presents via daily activities, customs, especially costumes. To Thai people, the identity is known for the traditional scarf Pieu. Pieu scarf of the Thai women is a specialty of their costume.

It takes about two or four weeks to complete a scarf Pieu because Thai girls only embroider it when they have free time. Therefore, if you want to buy the scarf when doing Vietnam motorbike rides up North, you have to pay more money for it than to buy the other popular scarves. The basic material is cotton thread. Every step of the process of making pieu scarf is done by hand, from spinning and dying to weaving and embroidery. Since early childhood, these women have been taught how to weave brocade. A Pieu scarf is also a mark of skill. Most Thai ethnic girls at 15-16 years old have to embroider their own Pieu scarves to prepare for future marriage because the Pieu scarf is a gift the bride must give to her groom’s family, so the Khan Pieu is like a connector of Thai boys and girls. Perhaps in the thought of Thai people, a beautiful scarf Pieu is the standard to evaluate the quality of Thai women; hence, from young children to the elderly, they all may embroider impressive Pieu scarves.

Using yarn to make the decoration patterns, each has their own style depending on their view of the world as well as their characteristic. When Thai girls embroider their scarf, they often copy other designs, make their own changes, or create completely new designs according to their creativity. Simple designs are worn for everyday working and doing the chores, while more elaborate versions are worn for festivals that mark the defining stages of life. The scarf’s patterns feature animals such as deer, butterfly, bird, elephant or tiger, the moon, and trees such as fern. These same patterns are also seen on the hems of Thai costumes. The colors and unique patterns are cleverly combined. It is the blue of the mountains, sunshine yellow, white and pink rice cultivation of fragrant flowers. With rich color in each pattern, scarf pieu be regarded as gods protect the soul every Thai woman.

Besides conquering new routs of motorbike tours Vietnam, our customers also want to buy souvenirs for their family and friends, scarves Pieu is considered as a good choice.

Learning a lot of traditional customs and habits of the local people is the main reason that makes our Vietnam motorcycle tours become so amazing.

Best places to visit in North Vietnam

To be up North of Vietnam for motorbike tours Vietnam, there are many places you should visit for one of the best Vietnam motorcycle tours. Much of the region is wild and inaccessible, yet it contains some of Vietnam’s most awe-inspiring scenery, sparsely populated by a fascinating mosaic of ethnic minorities.

And here are some suggestions:

1. Hanoi: The capital of Vietnam, it was the Citadel of many dynasties and until now there are several architectural built by these dynasties still stalked as the proud of Vietnam. To Hanoi, you should visit The Temple of literature; Hochiminh mausoleum; Ethnographic and women’s museum; Hoan Kiem (sword return) lake; The old quarter; Long Bien Bridge and enjoy street food.

2. Sapa: a small town inside the rolling hills with cool weather all year around and very breathtaking views, a highlight of any Vietnam dirt bike tours. To Sapa, you should visit Ham Rong mountain; Bac Ha Market; Cat Cat village; Silver waterfall; Sapa church and learn more about the real daily life of Zao, H’mong, Tay’s ethnic, you also can blend with the local by experience the ethnics homestay.

3. Moc Chau: About 190 km from Hanoi to the northwest in the direction of Highway 6. To Moc Chau, you should visit vast forest of peach, plum; Tan Lap commune and Ban On have many wild sunflowers fields and poinsettias fields; green tea hills and yellow wild sunflowers blooming spread the hillside.

4. Ha Long bay: The seven wonder of the world is just 170km from Hanoi. Ha Long bay is an essential visit for anyone coming to have Vietnam motorbike rides. You can do kayaking; visit fishing village; discovery the caves. The highlight caves that you must to visit are: the Grotto of the Wooden Stakes (Hang Dau Go), Grotto of the Heavenly palace (Dong Thien Cung), Starling cave (Hang Sung Sot; wake up early in the morning and enjoy the dawn with sun slowly rise from the deck.

With more than 10 year experience in organizing Vietnam motorbike tours, we are so confidential to help you to discover the real Vietnam.

Fire dancing festival is usually held during leisure after harvest time

Have you ever been in Ha Giang? If not, do not miss it to gain the unforgettable adventure.

Ha Giang always welcome our customers of Vietnam motorbike tours with friendly people and amazing festivals. In which, fire dancing festival is usually held during leisure after harvest time, from 16/10 of previous year (Lunar calendar) to 15/1 of following year (Lunar calendar).

Vietnam has about 5,000 Pa Then people, living mainly in Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang provinces, you will visit the 2 province if booking Vietnam motorbike rides to the Northeast of Vietnam. Fire dancing is one of the most thrilling traditional arts performed by young men in the northern province of Ha Giang. This festival is held by Pa Then people to own thanksgiving sky and land, spirit of good fresh bumper crop and hope to have a following warm, thankfully dispelled the rigors of highland weather.

Before the performance, the young boys must, together with their trainer, prepare an offering to the ‘Fire God’ and the ‘Water God’ and worship for 2-4 hours. The offerings usually include a small incense burner, a boiled chicken, 10 cups of rice wine and wood,  an iron herb, a bowl of rice, and bamboo paper (which is special used for sacrifice). A heap of fire of 4m3 to 5m3 width is set, and the ritual starts and lasts from 1 to 2 hours before the festival starts. When the fire broke out on the yard light oracles would sit on the couch performed the song skyward to find “ghost” of the participants into the fire jump.

With respect to Pa Then people, Fire God is their supreme god bringing them luck. Fire dancing is descended to the next generations to dispel fearsomeness, and only strong men can jump into the fire. It involves the brave men dancing barefoot on a fire. To perform this dance, the young boys must follow a strict training program which involves mysterious methods provided by a skilled elderly magician.  The festival is considered spiritual cultural activity proving extraordinary power of human against danger; dispel evil spirits, disease and celebrating harvest, worshiping the gods for good health and prosperity.

Besides fire dancing festival, Ha Giang has many other unique festivals. Motorbike tours Vietnam to Ha Giang will bring you much joyful time and experience. So please contact us to book Vietnam motorcycle tours as soon as you arrange the time.

The best time to witness the scenic beauty of Sapa is in April and May

Sapa is always one of the most attractive destinations especially with riders who want to discover Vietnam by joining Vietnam Motorcycle Tours. Sapa is a precious gift that Mother Nature dedicates to Vietnam.

Sa Pa District is located in Lao Cai Province, north-west Vietnam, and 350 km north-west of Hanoi. It is considered as the fanciful town in fog. At the height of 1,600m above sea level, the average temperature of the area is 15-18°C. It is cool in summer and cold in winter.

The best time for motorbike tour in North Vietnam to witness the scenic beauty of Sapa is in April and May. In April and May, Sapa is blooming with flowers and green pastures. The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning quickly disappear into thin air. Sapa is regarded as the kingdom of orchids.

There is nowhere in Vietnam can tourists easily meet the local ethnic minorities like in Sapa. Riding with us for motorcycle tours Vietnam, you will find that totally true. Visitors to Sapa will have opportunities to discover the unique customs of the local residents. The district is the home of a great diversity of ethnic people, including five main groups of Hmong, Yao, Tay, Zay and Xa Pho. Town of Sapa is where ethnic minority people gather, trade or sell their farming products. Spending time visiting ethnic minorities’ villages, observing their daily’s activities or even living homestay, in order to understand more about their culture is now the top priority of visitors.

Besides Vietnam motorbike tours, the town is also the starting point for many mountain climbers and scientists who would like to discover the Fansipan Mount, the highest mountain in Vietnam with 3,143 m height. On approaching the town, the very first thing tourists may find is the detached wooden mansions and villas perched on top or side of the hills, behind thick pine forests, hided by fog in the morning.

For more information, please contact us via email: dirtbiketravel@gmail.com. With at least 4 days of Vietnam motorbike rides, you can have a chance to visit this wonderful town.