+84 974 265 162

vndiscoverytours@gmail.com

Touring Ho Chi Minh City in a retro Vespa mob

 Touring Ho Chi Minh City in a retro Vespa mob

There are two main ways visitors to Ho Chi Minh City cross the streets. One approach is to step with zen-like calm into the swirl of honking scooters and serenely stride across the road without breaking step.
 
Local drivers, guides and mechanics are part of the crew leading the tour
 
Like locals, they're part of the flow, part of the (exhaust-choked) stream of traffic.
 
The other is to stand anxiously on the edge of the curb, toes curled like a diver's, waiting for a non-existent stoplight, then plunge into the melee while letting out a small yelp before slaloming across the street like a demented Frogger.
 
Some, like Steve Mueller, would question why cross the road at all.
 
If you can't beat them, join them.
 
Which is what the South Carolinian did -- he now runs the city's Vietnam Vespa Adventures.
 
It's a tour company that provides two-wheel thrills on the Italian vintage scooters, Vespa, around Ho Chi Minh City, out into the Mekong Delta and beyond.
 
Best road tour in Ho Chi Minh City
 
Being on a scooter in Ho Chi Minh is the best way to feel a part of the city, says Mueller.
 
"It's really an authentic experience," he says. "Being side by side with the locals."
 
Day tours take in popular sights like the Opera House and central post office designed by Gustav Eiffel, but also stop at local eateries and offbeat locations.
 
One popular early morning pit stop is Tao Dan park where Ho Chi Minh City's bird fanciers puff themselves up like their caged pets in a display of tweeting one-upmanship.
 
Local drivers and guides
 
Unfortunately/thankfully, you're not the one driving.
 
All the mopeds are driven by local, experienced drivers who have no problem with the swarm of vehicles on the roads.
 
A local tour guide rides along, too, to add context to the sights, smells and sounds experienced from the back of a two-stroke motor.
 
Mueller took a circuitous route to setting up the company.
 
After traveling around Southeast Asia in 1997 he settled in Vietnam the following year and discovered a glut of classic Italian scooters that needed a bit of TLC.
 
He bought his first one after just three days in the country and spying an opportunity to tap into international Vespa enthusiasts' desire for authentic rides, set up a restoration and export business.
 
It became so successful he was in danger of putting himself out of a job, so in 2006 he decided to start a tour company offering multi-day tours outside of Ho Chi Minh City.
 
Longer trips possible, but expect hiccups
 
According to Mueller, his business was kick-started by Vietnam's appearance on the TV program "Top Gear," which showed the country's beautiful countryside and underused roads.
 
Longer trips are still offered by Vespa Tours, taking willing riders as far as the Vietnam Highlands and the coastal city of Nha Trang over seven days.
 
Most of the scooters in Mueller's garage hark back to the golden age of Vespas, the late '60s and 1970s, refurbished with replacement parts from Piaggio-licensed machinists in India.
 
True to their reputation, the 100 or so classic scooters owned by Vespa Adventures break down frequently -- mechanics are on hand for running repairs -- but Mueller believes its all part of the charm in a city where two wheels beats two legs.
 


Source: CNN

Bài viết liên quan

Training course on VTOS Hotel Management in Kien Giang
(TITC) – From June 13 – 18, 2015, Kien Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism and EU Project to hold a training course on Viet Nam Tourism Occupational Skills Standards (VTOS) Hotel Management in Kien Giang.  
Vietnam Airlines offers promotion programme
National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced that it will officially launch a ‘Golden Moment’ promotional programme for passengers who purchase tickets from July 15-31 on domestic routes.  
Vietnam waives visas for five European countries to spur tourism
Vietnam on Friday said it will waive visas for travellers from five more European countries including Britain and France as authorities move to boost the country's declining tourism industry.  
Lai Chau preserves culture through community tourism
Ban Hon commune in Tam Duong district in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau is applying community-based tourism models which have proved effective in increasing local residents’ incomes as well as raising their awareness of environmental protection and cultural heritage preservation.  
Ba Na Hills Resort voted Viet Nam's Leading Tourist Attraction
Da Nang’s Ba Na Hills Resort has been honoured with the ‘Viet Nam’s Leading Tourist Attraction’ award by the Viet Nam Tourism Association and the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). The awards ceremony was held on Wednesday to mark the 55th founding anniversary of the VNAT.  
Viet Nam to market tourism in Indonesia this August
A Vietnamese tourism promotion campaign will be held from August 3-7 in Surabaya and Jakarta cities of Indonesia, which is emerging as a critical and potential market of Vietnam.  
Quang Nam boosts sea, island tourism development
The central province of Quang Nam has devised a number of measures to boost tourism development, especially on Cu Lao Cham Island, said Tran Hung, Head of the island’s Association of Tourism.  
Tra Co Communal House Festival opens
The traditional festival of Tra Co Communal House opened on July 15 in Tra Co Ward, Mong Cai City, Quang Ninh Province and is scheduled to last until July 18.  
Straying off the beaten beach path makes a difference in Khanh Hoa
An endless blue embraces a white sand bank. Big rocks shaped like rough caricatures of different animals stand sentinel on the beach. You are admiring the scenery on Binh Lap Beach.  
Vietnam extends visa exemptions for tourists from United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy
Vietnam extends visa exemptions for tourists from Western Europe On June 30, the Vietnamese government issued a decree extending visa exemptions for tourists from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, reported the Vietnam News Agency.

Most popurlar tours

Video

Day & Short Tours