Cycling through Vietnam

Are you an active person and you don't want to sit in a bus all the time while travelling through a country? Why don't you buy a bicycle and go on the road. Just take some clothes, a tent, a sleeping bag and some camping stuff, go back to basics.

It is already more than 2 years ago but it is still one of the best things i have ever done in my life. 3 months cycling through Vietnam. A trip from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi and further. From empty beautiful mountain roads to extremely busy roads with dangerous bus drivers. From camping on top of a mountain to sleeping in somebody self-made constructed woodhouse. From a broken chain in the middle of nowhere to drinking happy wine with people from the army. It al happened on a 6000km ride in Vietnam.

Why?

Why not? No, It all started with having suddenly no more work. I was working on a demolition site but they only needed people anymore that could work with machines. I had one month left in Australia and decided to do the Bibbulmun track (1000km hike between Perth and Albany). I was normally going to go to New Zealand after that but on the hike i changed my mind and decided to stay active and go to Vietnam for 3 months.

But why with a bicycle? I am a slow traveller. I like to take my time and enjoy places and not just see them quickly, take a picture and leave.

Another reason is that i like to stay active (yes, some people call me the laziest person in the world but i have my active moments too). I also don’t like public transport. As probably most people know i prefer to have it warm than cold, so going through the mountains with a motorbike was not an option. I rather sweat in a t-shirt on a bicycle than freeze on a motorbike.

Also in the beginning of my travels i read a book “Off the Rails” from Tim Cope. A book about 2 Australians cycling from Russia to Beijing. Since reading that book i was always interested to do something similar.

Last but not least i like to challenge myself. Probably the biggest reason, i need challenges in my life and cycling 3 months through Vietnam looked like a challenge where i was in for.

Arriving in Ho Chi Minh was a bit of a reality check, definitely when i was in the taxi on the way to my hostel. The traffic was insane. So, I questioned myself. Am i really going to do this?  Am i that crazy? Yes, I am !

Buying or renting?

After taking a rest, i bought a decent bicycle in the hope to sell it when i was leaving Vietnam. You could rent a bicycle too but i was not thinking of coming back to the same place. I had some bicycle problems but that was probably because it was quite a spontaneous idea and i was travelling with everything i have and i had to much weight with me. So if you do it, do it just with the essentials. I could sell the bicycle for a little bit less so in the end i almost didn't spend any money on transport. I think in total i spend 100 euro, on repairing the bicycle a few times and the money i lost by selling it for less. So in the end i think that buying was the best option (if you take some days to sell the bicycle)

The route

For my route i started with following “the big one” between Saigon and Hanoi with some side trips too (all found on vietnamcoracle, full of beautiful routes and tips in Vietnam) and i even went further on to Coa Bang. These roads were amazing and mostly not packed of traffic too, so this site helped me out so much. Most roads in a great state much better than in Belgium. Although one road went into a hiking path or even worse more like a river in the end, just that one day that it was raining. Other roads were still being build and others were full of mud, but 90% was wonderful riding.  I passed beautiful empty beaches, exceptional caves, cute little towns, amazing cities like Hoi An and Dalat. Vietnam is so diverse, has an amazing culture and there is so much to see. That after 3 months, there is still places i would love to see.

Food and sleeping?

Food you can get basically everywhere, there are street stalls everywhere. The food is amazing and so cheap. Don't be scared to eat from the street because the food is just outrageous, some of my favourite dishes are from Vietnam, definitely the food from central Vietnam. Mi Quang and Coa Lau were my favourites. I wasn't really a fan of the pho but i had a lot of Banh Mi's on the road. Oh yeah and don't forget to try the Vietnamese coffee. Probably my favourite coffee ever. I mostly slept at hotels, although i had my tent with me. Camping is actually illegal in Vietnam so i only did it if i was completely remote. Everything is cheap there so a hotel room is not expensive at all. you might spend maximum 10 euro's for a room and even that is expensive for Vietnam.

Total cost

For my whole trip i spend around 1300 euro's in 3 months. That is with a last minute flight from Australia to Vietnam and a flight to New Zealand inclusive. A meal is about 1 euro unless you go to restaurants then you can get some european prices sometimes. For accommodation you shouldn't spend more than 10 euro/night and you can do much cheaper. But if money put you off do to a trip like this you might want rethink about it because it is not expensive at all.

The trip

For me it was not just a cycling trip, in fact it started just as a transport. So i also spend some days in places that I liked

Dalat: With the clay tunnels, crazy house and the Maze bar

Hoi An: The coolest old town of Vietnam

Phong Nha - Ke Bang national park: Some of the nicest caves in a beautiful nature

Cat Ba island: An island with beautiful nature

Coa Bang: just the ending of my cycling and i celebrated Vietnamese new year with a family Ba Be national park: relaxing area and far away from everything

Mai Chau: Sapa but less touristic (what other people told me)

But the cycling was definitely worth it, I experienced the wonderful Vietnamese hospitality. Especially in places where tourist almost never pass by. I got multiple times invited in somebody’s house to drink some rice wine (happy wine) or for some food even twice they gave me a place to sleep. I got many looks especially when i was going uphill on a 10%. People driving next to me and trying to talk to me or giving me a thumbs up. Kids trying to race against me or trying to follow me for a few km on their bicycle. Although i was travelling alone, there was always something happening or i was surrounded by beautiful nature.

The best thing about cycling through Vietnam is that you actually experience the country and see things how they are, definitely outside the tourist area. In my opinion it is the best way to see a country. It is so nice to remember moments like 6 year old kids trying to help you out in the middle of nowhere with a broken chain or random people that bring you and your bicycle to the next town to fix it on the back of a motorbike. The multiple conversation in sign language with some happy wine. Everything goes back to the basic and you learn to appreciate small things like just a simple thumbs up.

The thing is that now i am writing this, i would be so in for a new cycling adventure maybe this time through different countries. I would definitely recommend doing a cycling trip through Vietnam or any other country. It is a wonderful experience.