I spent 10 days riding a motorbike through the mountains of Vietnam, and it was the greatest adventure of my life

Jonathan Garber

Back in 2008, I spent a summer abroad in China as part of my grad school studies. When my studies concluded, I had the chance to travel around Southeast Asia, visiting Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

And while the entire summer was amazing, nothing was quite like the motorbike trip I took over my last 10 days in Asia. Here's what it's like to experience Offroad Vietnam. 

The trip began in Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, and spanned the mountainous Northwest region of the country. The estimated location of the trip is highlighted by the red square on the map.

I had never been on a motorcycle before, and had just one hour to learn the day before we left. Having never driven manual transmission before, I ended up with this scooter. It was less powerful so I struggled climbing mountains, but was faster on the straightaways.

We arrived at the the Offroad Vietnam office at about 7am to load up the bikes. When we finally left, it was rush hour in Hanoi. This picture doesn't even show how crazy and chaotic the streets are. There are motorbikes everywhere.