Motorbikes on Phu Quoc

Can anyone tell me if it is safe to ride motorbikes on the island for an inexperienced rider and is this the best way of exploring the island?

Cheers

Motorbikes on Phu Quoc

HI Niallgc.,

We had the most wonderful 6 days on Pu Quoc back at the end of January. We stayed at Mango Bay Resort which was very peaceful. We hired a motor bike from one of the staff and it is certainly the best way of exploring the island.... but be warned, most of the roads are just dirt tracks and you get incredibly dirty - we looked more like Red Indians from some film set by the end of the day!!! And you would be advised to buy a mask.

The roads are as safe as they can be given their condition but we did travel all over - ate at some small cafes and swam on totally empty beaches.

So YES, go for it, we are in our mid 60%26#39;s and so qualify as ancient bikers, but we felt perfectly safe!!!!

Tiggy.

Motorbikes on Phu Quoc

Best way to explore the island.First day we got a taxi to go to town from La veranda and ended up doing a tour of south of island instead when all we wanted was to go to pharmacy and the bank 10 minutes away-miscommunication. After that we hired a bike and took ourselves around- very safe and the hirer will give you lesson and make sure you can ride before letting you go.Helmets are compulsory. Only cars that seem to be on island are taxi%26#39;s and very few private cars and need both vietnamese and international licence to hire a car whereas no licence for the motorbikes. Road are all red dirt except for the town. There are lots of tracks leading down to isolated beaches. One day we got lost down one of these tracks from the town trying to find Mango bay and a Vietnamese girl from one of the houses lead us down all these tracks for 1/2 hour on her motorbike- and did not expect to be paid anything-very kind people!! You will have a lot of fun but make sure you do not wear light coloured clothing as can get very dusty. No-one goes very fast and all bikes on island have small engines.The busiest part was the town.

Just be aware that as someone who does not hold a VN drivers licence your riding will not be strictly legal so if you have an accident your travel insurance can wriggle out of paying.

Good point yorkfoodie, It was in the rules at our hotel where we hired the bike from that if the bike is damaged you pay. There are also motorbike taxi%26#39;s where you ride on the back of a motorbike. These would be experienced,licenced drivers. They would take you anywhere you wanted to go. We saw many of these on our rides around the island-very cheap!!

Yes, it%26#39;s the best, indeed only, way to explore Phu Quoc, though be careful in the wet season when the roads are treacherous - I%26#39;ve been driving a bike in Vietnam for 6 years %26amp; the only time I%26#39;ve ever fallen off was on a muddy Phu Quoc road!

Bike hire costs around 100,000VND (plus petrol), make sure you get a helmet and that you point out any damage or scratches to the bike before you drive off, so you don%26#39;t get blamed for them! To be fair I brought my bike back caked in mud %26amp; with a couple of new scratches, but the owner just laughed %26amp; said I%26#39;d obviously made good use of it.

Recommended drives include up to the north-west tip of the island, where you can drive through fishing villages, spectacular rainforest %26amp; cliffs, and get a view of the Cambodian coast, and across the central forest to deserted Bai Sao beach, where you can eat fresh seafood right on the sand.

Take a camera, a mobile phone and plenty of bottled water as it%26#39;s very hot %26amp; dusty, and there aren%26#39;t always shops around. Most of all, have a good trip - it was the most enjoyable 2 days%26#39; biking I%26#39;ve ever done.

Thanks everyone,I can%26#39;t wait already!