How To Avoid Sunburn On a Motorbike Tour in Vietnam
Think of your worst sunburn ever. And then add a little more sunburn. That was how my skin felt after being on the back of a motorbike for a day.
Anyone that has been in Vietnam can tell you it can get really hot. The day we hopped on a motorbike tour in Vietnam from Hue to Hoi An was no different. Excited and nervous about getting on a motorbike with a complete stranger, it never occurred to me that being in the sun all day could have a not so happy ending for me.
About one hour into the tour, I started to notice my skin turning red. This happens, I’m a pale Dutch girl and I turn red before I tan. At this point I could have asked the driver to take my backpack off the motorbike and get my suntan lotion. But I didn’t. I thought I would be fine (the drive takes about 5 hours, I don’t know what I was thinking). So we just drove on. And it was hot, even on the motorbike there was no escaping the Vietnamese heat. With every stop I could see myself getting redder and redder. Somehow I kept hoping that it would be okay and that I wasn’t really sun burnt but just looking a bit reddish today. When we finally arrived in Hoi An I was turning purple and Nick was a nice bright shade of red.
At first I didn’t think it was that bad but when I looked at myself in the mirror I knew I was screwed. We were out of after-sun lotion and apparently we also left our brains in Hue. So instead of looking for a place to buy some after-sun, we went straight into Hoi An’s happy hour. To soothe the pain we made sure to drink a lot of happy hour mojitos. It worked, nothing beats sunburn like a couple of mojitos.
Did you ever forget your suntan lotion anywhere? Or anything else clearly essential?
11 Comments
Agness // // //
Me and Cez cycled the full length of Vietnam by push bikes last summer so we would never forget about the suntan lotion :):). Nearly 60 days on the road 🙂 Great photos! x
Angela // // //
Hahah do you also have a pale skin like me? It’s a good lesson learned 🙂 How was that bikeride? Sounds pretty incredible!
Wil @ Where's Wil // // //
Motorcycling Vietnam is on my travel wish list. I’m hoping I have enough money saved up that I can buy a small bike and spend a month or two wandering. Luckily I get tan very easily and wont get burned.
Angela // // //
You should definitely do that! The bikes are not that expensive, just be sure that everything is working. We met people that, upon entering the highway, had stuff falling of, like peddles and brakes and stuff.
Becky Padmore // // //
This is definitely something I want to do one day, and now I’ll definitely remember to pack suntan lotion 🙂 Lovely photos!
Angela // // //
Yes, please do 🙂 And thanks!
TammyOnTheMove // // //
I feel your pain. I am a pale German girl (probably the palest girl in the world in fact) and at 31 years of age I still haven’t learned to ALWAYS wear suncream. The photos look like they were worth the pain though. 😉
Angela // // //
Hahah yeah it was. But never again!
Evan // // //
Vietnam is one of the best places for travel. Its natural bodies like beaches and green lands are breath-taking. Biking or motorcycle tour is a great way to enjoy the sceneries, just make sure to gear up. Wearing safety gears and appropriate clothing will avoid injuries even on skin, applying sun block with a high SPF is advisable. Thanks for sharing fantastic photos!
Frank // // //
The tour sounds really great, the sunburn not so much, ouch! My girlfriend forgot suntan lotion on an all day snorkling trip in Costa Rica a few years ago and couldn’t sit properly for two days.
I hear mixed things about traveling in Vietnam but it looks like you’re finding a lot of really cool things to do and having a great time. It takes a little of the worry out of it. I love riding scooters and am thinking that scooter tour would be a lot of fun.
Angela // // //
Sunburn sucks so bad!
We have heard mixed things as well. For us, Vietnam was the best country so far. It’s not perfect for first time travelers because it can be quite overwhelming. We had an awesome time, the people are super friendly, the food is yummy and don’t get me started on the coffee. Best coffee ever.