GRO is a group of adventure enthusiasts and vintage car lovers from the UK. This year, they decided to start their journey in Vietnam, then went to Myanmar and returned to Vietnam before shipping the cars back home.
After the cars arrived at the port on the first day, the entire team was escorted through Da Nang, over Hai Van Pass, and decided to make a stop here due to the curiosity from local people and passing tourists.
Tanya Barrow, a member of the UK vintage car convoy, mentioned that the first day of driving was for getting familiar with the roads. Prior to that, the group had visited Hanoi, Dien Bien, went up to Sa Pa and finally traveled south to pick up the cars at the port.
“We had no issues driving on the right side of the road in Vietnam because Myanmar also switched from left to right-hand driving, while the steering wheel remained the same. It’s reversed and they are used to it,” happily shared by a team member.
The official journey started on the second day, moving from Hoi An to Kon Tum for a 6-hour drive. Along the way, the group had the opportunity to admire kumquat trees, which are not commonly seen outside of the Tet holiday.
The third day became more interesting as the GRO group learned about a different driving style in Vietnam. In the UK, flashing headlights means giving way to oncoming vehicles, while in Vietnam it’s completely the opposite: flashing headlights mean asking for the right of way.
The second lesson was to keep moving when surrounded by many motorcycles. They reminded themselves that the motorcyclists would know how to avoid them, and they shouldn’t stop because stopping would cause the whole convoy to be stuck.
On this day, the group moved from Kon Tum to Buon Ma Thuot, a journey of over 200 km.
On day 4, GRO left Buon Ma Thuot and headed to Da Lat. It would be a shame if the vintage cars didn’t visit Da Lat – the most romantic city in Vietnam.
Over the next three days, the vintage cars visited Ke Ga Cape, had a whole day’s rest, and then went to Can Tho. During this journey, the team encountered some minor engine problems, but they were quickly resolved.
Troubles continued to come to the team leader when they found that some road sections were not updated on the map. Meanwhile, other members had a sweaty experience with Vietnam’s traffic, from motorcycles to buses, trucks, as they had to pass through Saigon – one of the busiest cities in the country.
Finally, they safely reached Can Tho. After a tiring day, the 27 vintage cars from the UK had the opportunity to rest and be maintained. Some engines were not in good condition and had been running hundreds of kilometers, so they continued to experience breakdowns. The experts in the team had to lend a helping hand.
The eighth day marked the journey to Ha Tien. The road was more challenging with many dirt sections, and the cars encountered malfunctions. Eventually, the trip ended in Vietnam just before the new year, and they continued their journey through other Southeast Asian countries.
Photos: Minh Duc, GRO