Tran Dang Dang Khoa (37 years old, Tien Giang) started his journey of thousands of miles around the world on June 1, 2017 at Moc Bai border gate (Tay Ninh). With a 100cc motorbike with Vietnamese license plate, during the journey of 1,111 days, he set foot on 7 continents, 65 countries and territories, crossing the equator 8 times. Below, Travel Blogger Dang Khoa will share with Travellive readers 7 tips for a safe motorbike trip.
Tran Dang Dang Khoa took a photo with all the items he brought with him during his 1111-day journey around the world.
1. Documents - "inseparable things"
You should prepare all important documents and make hard copies and store them in many places. Some documents such as passport, visa pages, entry and exit stamps, driver's license, vehicle registration, travel insurance. I usually carry the original in a backpack or small bag (tucked into the innermost layer of my shirt), the photocopies in another backpack, and a set in the car.
Documents are extremely important, so Dang Khoa carefully protects them with two layers of waterproof nylon, and covers the backpack with a waterproof raincoat to avoid getting wet and dropping things. Wherever he goes, he needs to bring the original with him because this is an "inseparable item". In addition, you should scan or take pictures of documents and put them on a hard drive, laptop, phone, and then back them up to cloud platforms such as drive, icloud, dropbox, etc.
2. Does money always have to "go with the gut"?
Regarding cash, you should reserve some hard currencies such as dollars or euros so that you can exchange them anywhere. Tran Dang Dang Khoa added that you should never carry all your cash with you, but keep a small amount of cash in your own pocket so that you can quickly withdraw it when needed to pay.
Note that each country has different currencies, such as Cuba, which uses two different currencies. The CUP is for locals and the CUC is for tourists. However, in reality, people can still use CUC and vice versa.
ATM cards are a place to keep money for the trip. You should have at least two cards, one Vietnamese card, one foreign card. Foreign banks have good customer support services and are present in many countries. For VISA or Mastercard cards, you need to remember the 3-digit CVV number on the back to pay for online transactions, then scrape it off to avoid fraudsters.
Cash and cards should be kept in many places. "Money goes with the gut" but it is also necessary to divide it into people, backpacks, and cars so that in case of robbery, there is still money to use. Avoid letting cards come into contact with each other because they can easily scratch or damage the magnetic part, and do not expose the number sequence. Before traveling, you need to pay special attention to inform the card-issuing banks about frequent foreign transactions to avoid having your card locked (due to security issues).
3. Save all information in case of "SOS"
You need to prepare two phones, one for communication - directions, the other is used more often for taking pictures, searching for information, entertainment... If you are more careful, you can have an extra one, so that when an incident occurs, you have a replacement phone available.
Regarding SIM cards, you should also pay attention to which country you are going to buy a SIM card in, and buy a data package in advance for convenience. When you arrive, you need to find and save emergency support information for communication. In addition, you should also note down support information for Vietnamese people abroad and relatives (who speak English). If you are more careful, write this information on paper and put it in your backpack.
You should also note that SIM cards and data costs are quite expensive in some countries. For example, in Greenland, it will cost you around 500 DKK (equivalent to more than 1,700,000 VND).
You should buy insurance when traveling, especially when traveling alone, far from home, without anyone to support you. Then, save the insurance hotline and ISOS (international rescue linked to insurance) to get help when needed.
Regularly check location information, road conditions, weather, security or Google Translate to easily communicate with locals. On your phone, you can also download basic first aid applications for reference, offline maps (maps.me). In addition, you can also share your itinerary information with a trusted person, turn on the location sharing feature in case you get lost.
4. Be wary of risks but don't stress too much
When asked about the risks, Dang Khoa added: "In fact, I think the risk of being attacked by wild animals is much less than that of being attacked by humans. There is a principle I often apply: wherever there are no people and no one knows you, then 'post a stake' there. When going to the beach, find a place to lie down behind some large rocks, when going to the desert, hide behind sand dunes. To have a safe journey, you need to choose and check carefully before sleeping. You should observe the surroundings to grasp the situation, whether there is a possibility of falling rocks, or water rising easily, what the ground is like. If attacked, run in which direction. When sleeping, you also need to keep a knife and flashlight at the tip, in case of an accident, you can take it immediately."
Choose a location and observe the surroundings before camping overnight outdoors.
Because he had traveled alone on his recent trip, and had a lot of luggage, he did not choose a dorm room but slept alone for safety. Khoa said that it was better to spend more money than lose things or documents. Before going to bed at night, you should check to make sure the door is locked. If you are staying in a sensitive area, you should be flexible to block the door with available items. For example, a backpack, helmet, shoes, table and chairs, or even put a drinking glass on the table to be alerted in case of an emergency.
You can bring a spare lock to lock when going out. This lock can also be used to lock the front wheel if the bike is in a crowded place. When traveling alone, you should not camp too much or carry too many valuables.
5. Understand your health situation and be prepared for emergencies
First, you need to pay attention to food hygiene and safety. When you go to a restaurant, you can check by asking about the restroom, the cleanliness of the restroom also reflects the cleanliness of the restaurant. While you are at it, take the opportunity to look around to see if the kitchen is clean or not. If you do not feel confident, you can also buy instant food to fill your stomach and then find a restaurant later.
Always prepare some cakes and chocolates in case of hunger and hypoglycemia. In particular, bring at least one liter of water to drink, in addition, in case of accidents or burns, you can use it to wash the wound. In some big cities, the water is quite clean and can be drunk directly like Georgia (water from the Caucasus Mountains flows down clean and cool). In addition, you need to prepare a camping water filter to treat drinking water in places that are not guaranteed or fake like in India.
Always have a first aid kit, medicine prepared according to your health condition, personal illness and stored in a place that is easy to access. In addition, a general medical examination paper should also be included, so that in case of unconsciousness/accident, the doctor/people will know your blood type, medical history, drug resistance, etc. You should also pay attention to vaccination if you intend to go through some countries that require it. For example, in Ecuador, you must be vaccinated against yellow fever if you intend to enter the country.
The guy chose to wear many layers of thin clothing to easily adjust his body temperature when changing different environments.
Regarding clothing, it is important to wear clothes that are appropriate for the terrain by checking the weather at your destination. Wearing many layers of clothing will help retain heat better, and you can easily adjust the temperature when it is hot (take it off) or cold (put it on). Always keep your body temperature as stable as possible, avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.
6. Be flexible and tactful with local people
Going out with anxiety and fear will reduce the experience and take away from the fun. Be open to the locals, but also be wary of people who approach you with a purpose.
In fact, sometimes meeting someone is also due to fate, so you need to rely on intuition to predict the situation. If you feel uneasy about any detail, stay calm, don't be too aggressive, but slowly handle it. Limit sharing information with strangers (if you feel that they are not tourists) who have bad intentions. "I myself am quite lucky because on the journey I met many kind, lovely people who are always ready to help," Dang Khoa shared.
Dang Khoa took a photo with a family in Greenland in 2017.
Important items should also be kept in a backpack, carried close to the body, with the strap fastened to the chest/belly. When in public places, be vigilant, you can use the backpack to prop your head or hold it between your legs. At restaurants, choose a seat close to the wall, a table with a view of the restaurant or look out the door to see the situation.
The best way to "blend in" with the crowd is to dress like the locals, so that they don't notice you or think you've been living there for a long time. "You can prepare some small gifts, like when I went from Cuba to Haiti, I bought some cigars or small jars of wine to "win over" some strangers when I arrived. Sometimes I tend to be afraid of people with tattoos, but I should be brave enough to talk to them in case something special happens," Travel Blogger suggests.
7. The most important driving tip: ABC - Always Be Careful!
"In fact, there is no way to ensure absolute safety when traveling. The further and more you travel, the more careful you will learn. Don't boast that you are a good driver, because sometimes you will have to pay the price with painful falls," the young man who has traveled more than 80,000 km around the world emphasized.
Being alert and careful is something Khoa always remembers when participating in traffic. Whether going straight, on a mountain pass, in the city or in the suburbs, you need to observe both sides before deciding what to do. You should also install a full rearview mirror to observe, sometimes you have to look back, so you should stop completely before turning around. In particular, you need to stay away from large vehicles to ensure safety. You may be driving safely, but you need to keep a distance because large vehicles have blind spots that make traffic dangerous.
In addition, when participating in traffic by motorbike, you need to choose outstanding clothes - especially at night. Highways in foreign countries have very high speeds, so it is often difficult to notice small vehicles on the road. You can choose a reflective jacket, attach reflective stickers to your hat, behind the saddle so that people can see you. When passing, turning or braking, you need to flash your signal lights so that motorbikes and cars know.
When traveling by motorbike, you definitely need to understand the structure and how to repair the motorbike. Always check the motorbike before moving.
It is especially important to always check the fuel tank, air filter, oil and tires regularly before departure. If you have to choose a vehicle, you should consider between a compact 100 - 150 cc vehicle and a large displacement vehicle. The advantage of a compact vehicle is that it does not attract attention and has little impact on surrounding vehicles. However, the disadvantage is that it runs slowly, is not very safe, and when moving on difficult terrain, the traction is weaker. In this regard, large displacement vehicles can overcome this. Large displacement vehicles can carry more things and have to stop less often for gas. On the contrary, this vehicle is difficult to maneuver, attract attention or is sometimes dangerous.
