Go Kart Vietnam Review

Go Kart Vietnam is a karting circuit located in Long Bien, very near Thác Bản. I’ve been indoor karting in France, and it was fun, but this karting was slightly more fun.

Let’s discover in this article why you should definitely try this karting circuit. Especially if you come from a foreign country.

The location

The entrance of Go Karting Vietnam along the river

Go Kart Vietnam is located in a quiet and slightly remote area of Long Bien, Hanoi, or, more precisely, Thác Bn. The area was a very nice surprise to us, since it is a green and clean space along the river. We were actually thinking about having a picnic over here after seeing the place.

There seems to be multiple activities in the area: soccer fields, karting, equitation, perhaps even more. For people living in the center, this place can be slightly remote, though still close to the Vinh Thuy Bridge. For us, it’s 1 km away from home, and we really appreciate this.

The place is quite big; there is a basketball field, a restaurant, and some tables across the river for families to sit at and enjoy the scenery.

The process

The process is quite simple. To begin, sign a form in the Karting reception, liability discharge close, and rules more precisely.

Liability discharge from Go Kart Vietnam

Once you do, you’ll be asked to pay for the karting session, which is 265,000 vnd per person for 20 minutes, which is insanely less expensive than France, where it’s more like 45 euros, so more than a million VND.

Once this is done, you’ll have the choice between many helmets. I personally chose to wear one with a windshield since you never know what debris in the road will end up in your face and also the wind is quite annoying when you drive a bit fast.

Once you are set up with the helmet, you will be guided towards karting. The kartings are very similar; perhaps some of them have a bit more protection with wheels in case of collision. Compared to Kartings in France, they may look a bit old and rudimentary, but it’s only the look.

What matters is how they feel when you drive, and they feel great. There is actually a pillow placed under your seat for a more comfortable experience.

Once you choose your vehicle, they will instruct you on how to accelerate and brake, though not at the same time. And safety measures, like staying in the vehicle if the engine dies or something else happens.

The experience

When we first arrived at the premise, we saw a man driving very fast and drifting at each corner. I thought to myself, This is the kind of karting where people can actually enjoy a bit of speed, and I wasn’t wrong.

Employee driving like a professional

The guy in question was actually a man working there. Makes more sense. I really liked that the employees were very chill and relaxed, almost like passionate friends who were trying to share their passion with the public.

We ended up paying at the bank since they didn’t have change for two $500 bills. This was a minor convenience, and overall, the experience before driving was great.

Once we started driving, the first laps were mostly spent trying to understand the vehicles. But once you understand this, then the pleasures of speed and drifting finally appear, and man, this is fun!

Corner where you can drift

The steering is non-assisted, so trust me, if you are not used to it, it will be like a crazy workout for your forearm. Now I understand why F1 pilots have to train physically.

The most fun I had was driving with the employee, who was honestly driving like a madman; I saw him crash in the wheels while drifting one time. But at least it gives you an idea of how fast you can actually corner.

The circuit is not the biggest, but it’s definitely enough to tire your arms within 20 minutes.

Verdict

7.4 out of 10.

I remember back in France, karting owners were yelling because people were driving too fast. Here in Vietnam, since the equipment has been amortized a long time ago and a mechanic is cheap, you can actually drive like a maniac if you want to.

Nature around the circuit at Go Kart Vietnam

All this ingredient makes it a very fun experience and, in my opinion, better than what I’ve tried so far in France. Also, the price is like one-fourth of the cost in France, so you don’t feel like breaking the bank every time you go for a drive.

I would also recommend that you make some sandwiches and try to enjoy the beautiful and quiet view.

Edit 06/11/22: Since then, I came back with my friend Joel, and one of the karts was actually not as fast as the other one and was not turning right. You had to slow down to turn right, so it was impossible to have a fair race. So there was no competition, and unfortunately, the staff didn’t want to acknowledge the issue, which is why we downgraded from 8.0 to 7.4.