The staff at the resort turned out to be extremely friendly and helpful. As an experienced motorcyclist I am in the habit of checking my mode of transport long before I leave, just to make sure I am not faced with sudden surprises. On return from the trek I looked over the scooter and found the rear tyre to be flat. One of the staff gave me a pump to inflate the tyre and pointed me in the right direction to get it fixed. The repair shop was about 1 km away but ...

Do it yourself, or … don’t do it yourself - that is the question. I have been to Vietnam several times and have nearly always made up my own itinerary as I have valued the sense of “freedom” doing it this way gives. However, there are some disadvantages in going it alone. For example you could be traveling from A to B and find out later that you passed a fantastic spot where not many people go to as it is “off the beaten track”...