The people behind the rides
Two riders who met at a truck stop, and the team of Central Highlands locals they have built in the twenty years since.
Where it began
More than 20 years ago, Mr. Sao met Mr. Hùng at a roadside truck stop in the Central Highlands. At the time, Hùng was working as a motorbike taxi driver, while Sao was still driving trucks.
They got talking, and Hùng told Sao about something one of his passengers had suggested: instead of only taking people from A to B, why not show travellers the places that made the Central Highlands special?
Before COVID, most travellers booked their Easy Rider tour through travel agencies in the city. When tourism changed and many of those agencies disappeared, Sao and Hùng decided to continue independently. Around four years ago, they started their own company and began building a small team of experienced local guides.
The team
The team consists of guides who were all born and raised in Vietnam's Central Highlands. They speak both Vietnamese and English and, more importantly, know the region from a lifetime of living, travelling and working here.
20+ years of experienceSao has been guiding travellers through the Central Highlands for more than 20 years. Before becoming an Easy Rider guide, he worked as a truck driver, which means he has spent much of his life on the roads of Vietnam.
There are few backroads, mountain passes or sudden changes in weather that he has not already experienced. Calm and experienced, Sao is the kind of guide who makes even the most remote roads feel easy.
20+ years of experienceAsk Hùng about a village, a mountain pass or a plant growing beside the road and chances are he will have a story or explanation ready.
He knows the Central Highlands in incredible detail and takes pride in giving travellers a real understanding of the places they visit rather than simply passing through them.
When he is not riding, Hùng loves table tennis and even played on his university team. If you think you can beat him, you are welcome to try.
15+ years of experienceQuang is the joker of the group.
He keeps the atmosphere relaxed, the conversations easy and the laughs coming throughout the day. With more than 15 years of experience on the road, he knows when to slow things down, when to stop for a view and when a good joke is needed after a long stretch of riding.
Ride with Quang and you can expect mountain scenery, hidden roads and plenty of laughs along the way.
10+ years of experienceTuyến knows the Central Highlands both from the road and from the trail.
Alongside his experience as an Easy Rider guide, he is also an experienced trekking guide and has led hikes as far away as the Philippines. Back home, he knows the forests and hiking trails of the Central Highlands like his own backyard.
The other guides have a fitting nickname for him: the King of the Jungle.
10+ years of experienceBefore becoming a guide, Thang worked as a teacher. You can still notice that today: he loves explaining how things work and sharing the stories behind the places you visit.
Some of his favourite stops are small workshops and family businesses where travellers can see how products such as rice wine or cacao are made in the traditional way.
He is also a trained chef, so conversations about Vietnamese food tend to become quite detailed.
With his warm, easygoing personality and excellent English, Thang is especially good at turning a day of sightseeing into a day of learning about everyday life in the Central Highlands.
15+ years of experienceThành is one of the team's most experienced riders and brings a calm, dependable style to every trip.
After 15 years of guiding through the Central Highlands, he knows how to read the road, adapt the route and keep the day from feeling rushed. He especially enjoys showing travellers the quieter side of the region: small villages, countryside roads and viewpoints that are easy to miss when travelling independently.
Friendly and patient, Thành is the kind of guide who makes you feel less like you are following a tour and more like you are travelling with a local friend.
What you will be riding
We ride new Honda automatics as well as manual bikes. You do not pick one on the booking form — once your tour is confirmed the local operator asks which you would rather have. It costs the same either way, and self-drive includes the bike and the fuel.
Your small day bag is strapped to the back of the bike, so what you need on the road stays with you. Anything bigger is carried for you — you never ride with a suitcase.
