A beginnner’s guide to driving in Vietnam

And you thought you have seen it all… If there is one thing that has to be seen to be believed it is definitely the giant ant hill that is the traffic in Vietnam. I am not even sure there is a word to describe the mess this is and even though it is chaos (especially during rush hour) it flows!

Have a look at these 2 videos taking you on a tour of Ho Chi Minh City

1/ A Saigon Tour (2:30min) – Time Lapse

2/ Top 10 crowded round about in Saigon (HCMC) at night (Time-lapse)

I heard people say ‘if you can drive in Vietnam, you can drive anywhere in the world’; and until recently I agreed with that. Now, I tend to believe if you drive the way you drive in Vietnam in Europe, well… whether you are going to get killed or get someone killed. Unlike many other countries in the world, rules here (even if in theory there are rules) do not necessarily apply, not if you do not feel like it at least.

For example, a red light does not always mean ‘Dude you have to stop!’ That’s right! sometimes it means ‘that’s ok I can totally cross, I don’t feel like stopping’. The horn is also a very important tool when crossing an intersection and is used to decide who is going to go first…

Other interesting aspect of the traffic in Vietnam is, among others, the unexpected things people are carrying on their bikes (fridge, enormous peace of glass, animals…). It is also important to note that there are no weights or people limit on a bike; it is completely normal to ride a bike with 4 or 5 people on it; Sure I don’t see why it would be a problem!

But don’t worry, you can find in Vietnam the safest and most of all coolest helmets in the world. You name it, Cap, cowboy hats, bonnet, beret… The style is guarantied but I still have somes issues about the safety, nah as long as you look cool. Just add to all these, the non compulsory driving license (even if regarding the license the rules are getting more strict) and you are good to go.

Ok, let’s summarize what you need to know to drive in Vietnam: Go get yourself a good shitty helmet and a nice bike, do not worry about the traffic rules, forget about the driving license (just be sure you have enough money to bribe the cops) and hit the road!

The truth is now out there