Vietnam
January - March 2026
"Nothing is more precious than Independence and Freedom."
- Ho Chi Minh ('The Father of the Nation')
Why Vietnam?
As our tour in South China was ending: the other option for a land crossing was Laos (Myanmar having doubtful safety at the time of writing).
But tropical beaches trumped more mountain terrain. ☀️☀️
The Journey
Our entry point into Vietnam was the northern border town of Mong Cai.
Having the 90-day visa gave us time to explore. So it was a bit 'make it up as you cycle along'!
We pedalled Vietnam end-to-end.
And two of its islands !
1906 miles with a few detours here and there !
Oh and 7 ferry rides !
Above: Straddling China and Vietnam on "Friendship Bridge"
From China's Dongxing Port: it was just a short stroll over the pedestrian "Friendship Bridge" into Vietnam.
The border crossing process was very quick for us.
In fact the security checks for Charlie's Vietnamese SIM card took much longer 🤦🏻♂️
Above: Coffee break between Mong Cai and Quang Ha
Below: Sunny pedalling towards Nam Cam Pha
Below : A relaxed, sunny cycling day to Phuong Dong on the QL18.
Good roads, with far less truck traffic than we have experienced for the last 3 months in China.
Beautiful wide roads into this area where you start to see the spectacular Ha Long Bay scenery.
Although Phuong Dong was a bit surreal: massive road systems, a few hotels, but mostly deserted!
Our hotel here looked great on Agoda, but was only partly finished.
And finding somewhere to eat was a challenge. Luckily we found a lady who cooked up canteen-style food for locals from her home-cum-shop 👍
Above: As we were the only guests in the hotel !
This was a first - a golf buggy ride (with a very smiley driver) to the "hotel" breakfast at a local café (below) !
Good morning 'Sunny Vietnam'.
Fantastic, our second day on the road here was sunny again, good roads, partly on the QL18 and then a smaller coastal road onto a glorious section where you can cheekily jump onto the wide footpath with incredible views of Ha Long Bay.
The QL18 took us through small towns en route to Ha Long.
And someone here definitely has green fingers with beautiful flowers along the roadside too!
Then a surprise dusty track ...
... led us to a small shrine in memory of 3 girls who drowned here (below):
A stroll down to Ha Long market to find food (cycle touring and food go together like birds of a feather !).
Above: Fish noodle soup for breakfast and lovely people. 😍
The freshly-fried squid cakes at Ha Long Market are a must-try.
But sometimes after a few months of travelling we just crave a slice of buttered toast !
Not forgetting that many Ha Long locals are fishermen/women who fish daily to earn a living here.
Above: Fresh catches are nimbly unloaded over the promenade wall, then whizzed to market by moped
Below: Steady climbing out of Ha Long towards Uong Bi on National Highway QL18.
We eventually picked up the DT326 which gave us some great Vietnamese countryside.
Bicycles are still a major form of transport in Vietnam it seems!
Even in our short time in Vietnam we have seen a big difference between here and China.
You will commonly see schoolchildren (as above) and adults using them to commute.
And these kids can handle the bikes so well.
Might book a few lessons !
Ok, so sometimes it rains even in the dry season!
Above: Sheltering from the downpour and yet another noodle dish to warm us up 🍜
Next stop: Vietnam's capital city.
The roads of Hanoi felt fast and furious, with their own special "rules".
Above: A 'quiet' crossroads in Hanoi.
No traffic lights or road markings.
Definitely one to 'ride like a local' !
A few days in Hanoi to "rest" the legs
saw us walking miles to visit a few of the local sights ...
Above: Hanoi's crazy "Train Street".
People actually have to live here 🤷♀️🤷🏻♂️
Below: Nearly-real murals further up Train Street
Below: Charlie suddenly felt the need to buy a tomato when he spotted this elderly street seller. Lovely she was too, as sweet as the tomato 😍
And not that Charlie's a soft touch, but ... !
When this Hanoi shoeshiner (below) just wouldn't take "no" for an answer ... one might as well embrace one's inner toff !
Those battered bike shoes came up a treat👌
The history of Vietnam's long struggle for independence is stark and shocking.
And after many years of being ruled by invaders these people still welcome us "aliens" into their country.
Their remarkable strength, resilience and will to come through and still be smiling is truly incredible.
Above: A haunting photograph of political prisoners at Hanoi's Hoa Lo Prison, during French rule
Below: French colonialists were still using the guillotine here in the 1930s
Below: B52 wreckage outside the B52 Victory Museum, Hanoi
Above: This American pilot was shot down, rescued and taken to the "Hanoi Hilton" at the repurposed Hoa Lo Prison.
Below: Leaving Hanoi. A nice quiet backstreet before the hustle and bustle of the city's main roads.
We decided to head inland to the mountains - having read that Thung Khe Pass was spectacular ...
... well, it probably is on a clear day.
BUT in freezing temperatures and thick fog, not so much !!!
It was still a good challenging ride, with a couple of steep long-ish climbs.
We were just unlucky with the weather!
Above: At the top of Thung Khe Pass.
Heading down into the valley felt like a very cold winter ride in the UK !
Above: Wrapped up in full winter gear 🥶
We still enjoyed the challenge (after it was all over!!)
Below: We dropped lucky finding Lim's House, an overnight in Mo Village.
Lim is an amazing cook too.
If you are ever in this region it's a must stay !
Heading through Thanh Hóa Province towards the coast was slightly warmer, and no mist or rain 🤗
A few climbs before flat plains through rice fields galore.
Above: Passing a rural chopstick factory called for a quick stop, chat with the workers (good old Google Translate!) and a very kind gift to us (below).
Watching workers in the rice fields makes you realise just how laborious rice farming is, wading in muddy, cold water with very little protection every day.
We really need to appreciate every spoon of rice we eat and when things get tough on the pedals, well, it ain't really tough at all.
Above: The arduous process of rice farming
This area formed part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail (actually a network of many trails) -
as used by the Communist North to transport war supplies to Saigon
(bypassing embattled central Vietnam via Laos and Cambodia).
A stunning day on the pedals.
Above: Riding the CT02/QL15/QL16 towards Thanh Hóa City.
Below: Don't be surprised to be overtaken by youngsters on scooters here!
Hand/finger gestures always taken as a positive!!
The girls as always much more polite than the boys!
We passed through some small fishing villages and even managed an overtake or two!
En route to Cua Loa Beach the last part of the ride was on the DT516. Very flat roads all the way.
Above & below: Our breakfast stop on the way out of Cua Loa: more noodle soup 🍜 (we passed on the meat being chopped out front) !
Below: A few days' rest off the pedals in the coastal area of Cuong Gian meant beach walking and upper body workouts.
Plus taking in the local scene of fishermen/women repairing nets and bringing in their catch.
Below: Our hotel in Cuong Gian.
Big and empty (we were the only guests), like so many hotels along Vietnam's coast.
Below: A tractor used to take the fishing boats to the sea and back, Cuong Gian
In the distance: a herd of cows who seemed to enjoy regular beach walks too!
Legs rested and leaving Cuong Gian behind on a beautiful quiet coastal stretch towards our next destination Nhuong Cam - another small coastal town.
Flat roads, relatively quiet with good cycle lanes.
Even the sun was shining ☀️ Below :-
Below: Passing Vinpearl Waterpark on the way to Nhuong Cam - looked like a fun place in its day!
But why so many empty hotels and parks in this part of Vietnam?!
And they're still building more!
Another day of wondering why !!
We overnighted at Thien Cam: yet another coastal town with tons of empty hotels and no eateries (pot noodles for dinner 🍜).
A prolonged power cut and howling wind added to the post-apocalyptic vibes.
Above & below: The desolate beachfront at Thien Cam
In this tunnel (towards Phu Xuan) we decided to take the pavement with a safety barrier - luckily we went very slowly before coming across a few obstacles !
Below: Passing through Dong Hoi - heavy rain all day gave us good soaking BUT nothing stops the rice field farmers !
This area of Vietnam, close to the 17th parallel, saw intense fighting during the Vietnam War.
Here: it is known as The American War.
Above: War memorial in Dong Hoi
Below: A sombre collection of local ordnance
During the Vietnam War: the village of Vinh Moc was carpet-bombed with 7 tonnes of explosives PER PERSON (!!).
So the villagers built an underground network of tunnels and rooms (including a hospital),
where they could shelter for days at a time during heavy attacks.
Above: Charlie at a well-camouflaged entry point to the Vinh Moc tunnels
Below: The tunnels span over 1km, with 3 different levels to a depth of 23m
Incredibly, the tunnels were completely hand-dug !
Below: The deserted beach at our overnight location in Dong Ha.
About 12 miles from the Vinh Moc Tunnels.
Below: This local lad rode with us for a short section.
An impressed Charlie treated him to some bike maintenance.
There are many roadside graveyards in Vietnam,
both civilian and military.
The "City of Ghosts" in the fishing village of An Bang is Vietnam's largest (below) - covering an area of 25 football pitches.
Some of these extravagant memorials contain their own bathrooms and kitchens !
Below: A breakfast banh mi stop in Thiên Hue and a lovely encounter with a smiling street seller.
So handy when you need to re-stock on earbuds !
Leaving Thiên Hue behind and following a beautiful quiet stretch of coastline,
we passed a few derelict resorts (below) ...
... before hitting a steady 6-mile ascent 🥵
Later realising this climb was the famous Hai Van Pass ! Busy, but scenic.
Then a welcome 3-mile descent into Da Nang.
If you ever ride the Hai Van Pass DON'T MISS this cliffside coffee stop, just as the ascent (towards Da Nang) starts:
Above: This café is a hidden gem, with much better views than the main tourist stop at the top of the pass !
Below: The resident Buddha seems to have overindulged on the sunbathing, and the delicious salted cream coffee !
From Da Nang (a busy beach city, awash with digital nomads):
it was a steady 25-mile(ish) ride through some glorious Vietnamese countryside to My Son 😍
Below: The ancient ruins at My Son
Moving towards Hoi An, we fancied an off-road section.
Until we hit the clay mudbath (below) 🤦🏻 ...
Hoi An: a super-busy riverside city with a heavily-touristed old town, known for its colourful lanterns (below).
Pretty, but we couldn't wait to go back to being "aliens" again !
Tam Thanh was the perfect place to sit out the peak dates of Tet
(Vietnamese Lunar New Year, a major public holiday).
Above: Miles of unspoilt beach at Tam Thanh
Below: Tam Thanh village and riverside were nice for a stroll.
Below: Our New Year high vis drew lots of smiles !
A tough 110km pedal on varied coastal roads followed,
ending with big city madness into Quy Nhon.
We even did a spot of firefighting en route !
It was all hands on deck when a roadside fire got out of control right beside a rural house🧑🚒👩🚒
Above: Not the actual fire we tackled (no time for photos) - but size and proximity to buildings were similar.
Below: These lovely lads flagged Charlie down to gift him the sole banknote in their wallet (cash gifts to elders being a Tet tradition) 💕
Just south of the beachside metropolis of Quy Nhon:
we found an improbably smart hotel (below),
tucked away in the middle of a rustic fishing village.
Below: We were up at dawn to watch the locals in action, dealing out the night's catch right on the beach.
A local fisherman kindly agreed to give us a quick ride in his basket boat.
How they row these things in a straight line we'll never know !
Below: A flotilla of basket boats, just around the headland
Moving on to Tuy Hoa: the main QL-1A highway was frazzling-busy.
We gladly took the option for a scenic detour on the DT642 (below).
The coastal ride from Tuy Hoa to Van Ninh was much more peaceful ...
... the long scenic cliffside stretch on the QL29 (below) being a highlight.
Then back to the QL-1A for a wet, muggy grind to Nha Trang (touristy beach area, very popular with Russians) and on to Ninh Hai.
Followed by a sunny ride south on a peaceful, super-scenic DT 701 (below):
the best we've had on Vietnam's mainland 👌
We stumbled upon a quirky pedalling highlight at Khu du lich Bau Trang U&Me ...
... an old pedal-powered rollercoaster !!
And just had to give it a go !
Followed by more scenic coastal riding to Phan Thiet on the peaceful DT716 (below).
Above: Local triathletes were out in force on this perfect, rolling training road.
If you're ever in Phan Thiet: the food at Phuc Tan An vegetarian restaurant is mind-blowing.
Even for carnivores !
We were stunned further when a group of dining monks randomly paid our bill ...
Above: Thanks to The Venerable Master (just about visible in the background) for paying our bill 🙏
The good karma continued when we discovered the local daily ferry to Phu Quy island 🤗
Game on !
Above: It was time to lay the ghosts of the Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry🤢 to rest.
Phu Quy was tiny, peaceful and beautifully rustic.
Above: The main harbour at Phu Quy.
A perfect jumping-in, coffee and sunset spot
Above: Pedalling Phu Quy's main street (!)
It was a very relaxed pedal around the island - all 12 miles of it !
Very few "aliens" (foreigners) here.
Below: A "secret beach", walking distance from our Phu Quy homestay
All well worth the bumpy ferry crossing back to the mainland.
Where we marvelled at the local ice suppliers in Ke Ga:
Above: Huge ice blocks are hauled out of a van & into a roadside "wood/ice chipper", bagged, and whisked away by moped ...
... while this fisherman simply carried the blocks straight to his waiting basket boat (below).
This turn-off from the Hung Vuong road to La Gi ended abruptly on this wild white-sand beach:
Above & below: A strong contender in the long-running "best coffee stop" competition.
After a posh beachfront stopover in Long Hai:
we pedalled up a mountain to visit the monks we'd met in Phan Thiet, at Thien Ton Phat Quang temple.
Above: Our guide "Sunny" is a former teacher and aspiring monk.
He left his job 2 years ago to live at the temple.
The monks kindly invited us to stay longer, to learn about meditation and even have our teeth checked by a former dentist (now monk) !
Continuing south to the ferry terminal at Vung Tau, where our budget hotel (below) offered a surprising view ...
... a noisy working harbour complete with pile-driver (below) 😂 !!
And onwards, into the Mekong Delta.
This densely-populated agricultural area is laced with waterways of all sizes.
Some natural, some man-made.
Ferry-tastic ! ⛴️
Above: The Vung Tau ferry took us to Can Gio: a remote area covered in mangrove forests, known for its bird life.
Plus a few crocodiles !
Below: The second ferry of the day (!), from Ly Nhon to Gia Thuan, was a rustic affair.
The hotel in Go Cong was our cheapest yet: just £7.66 for the night (!).
From there: the DT864 was a busy, bumpy ride close to the Mekong River.
Reminiscent of potholed UK roads !!
This area is a major distribution centre for spiky durian fruit...
Above: Durian is often banned by hotels and on public transport due to its pungent odour 🤢
Below: Note the weighty durian atop Molly's luggage (having "too much to carry" just isn't an excuse in Vietnam!).
We did try, but it was way too putrid for our feeble Western palates ! 🥴
And what a variety of roads en route to Sa Dec !
Everything from tiny tropical backroads to the vast Mekong-spanning QL-1A motorway bridge.
Above: A bike-handling challenge on the backroads of Hoa Hop
Above & below: The bustling riverside market in Sa Dec
Above: Unloading goods for sale - a real balance challenge!
Crossing the Hau River was unexpectedly our best-ever ferry experience.
Unsure whether there would even be a boat to catch ...
... we rode straight onto a spacious ferry (above), which departed immediately !
The crew kindly treated us to a free ride 👌
Cycling alongside the Mekong River en route to Rach Gia treated us to some beautiful sights.
Below: Amazing boat handling skills !
Lucky we didn't need to cycle over this rickety bridge 😅
The Mekong Delta has many tall windowless buildings, which play loud bird calls from speakers.
This attracts swiftlets and their edible nests/spit - prized on the Chinese market.
Above: Molly gets close to a massive, noisy swiftlet house
Below: Bird's nest drink - a cure for fatigue, apparently.
Bottoms up !
After reports of ruinous overdevelopment, we nearly didn't bother going to Phu Quoc island.
But the call of the ferry was strong ...
Above: Bikes safely stowed for the 3-hour crossing from Rach Gia to Phu Quoc island.
IGNORE "fixers" at the Rach Gia ferry terminal !
Just ride straight in to the harbour area ("Ben pha Thanh Thoi" on Google Maps), and Thanh Thoi* ticket office is right inside.
(While looking lost just outside the harbour 🤦♀️🤦🏻, we were accosted by a pushy tout insistent on "helping" us to buy tickets. Turns out he wasn't a nice character at all - but luckily the harbour staff helped us.)
* Use Thanh Thoi if you're on a bicycle, as it's a "roll-on roll-off" ferry 👌
Above: These offshore towers carry electricity from the mainland to Phu Quoc.
65km over the sea !
No wonder the island gets frequent power outages.
Below: We disembarked on Phu Quoc's east coast (Ben pha Thanh Thoi Bai Vong) and cycled to Rach Ham - only 4 miles from the ferry port.
Our Phu Quoc route below
Our first stopover was Hai Anh Hotel = rustic !
Only £10 for the night.
Lovely owner speaks good English and they do food! Plus fridge full of BEER!! (all cheap) it's so HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Above: Hai Anh Hotel - going to Phu Quoc island ? .... well you just MUST stop here for a night or two !
Simon from Germany (below), a fellow guest at Hai Anh Hotel, asked Charlie to help fix his gears.
His battered old bike had cost just 50 euros and got him all the way to Angkor Wat (Cambodia) - great effort 💪
Above: Despite no common language, there was a definite frisson of bromance here !
We hope that he's still turning the pedals 😉
We headed over to Phu Quoc's west coast, crossing the island on surprisingly good (if busy) roads.
Above & below: The massive Disneyland-style "Grandworld" site.
It felt incongruous, but seemed to be popular with tourists from Korea, India and Russia.
In search of something more authentic,
we continued a few km up the coast to Ganh Dau.
The road to Ganh Dau was wide, smooth and rolling ... with the added bonus of a coffee/billiards stop.
If only all coffee shops were like this ... dreamed Charlie 😴
Ganh Dau was a beautiful cove,
with a bustling local village just inland.
Above: Just a few steps up to our sea view apartment !
Above & below:
7 nights in Ganh Dau - our longest stay ever !
The PERFECT place to enjoy nature, local culture and daily sea swimming.
Below: Vladimir and Lyuba, our beautiful Russian neighbours in Ganh Dau.
If only the world was full of peaceful people.
We eventually left Ganh Dau, heading over to Phu Quoc's northeast coast.
Above: A quiet, scenic ride full of birdsong alongside rugged Phu Quoc National Park.
Below: Leaving our très rustic beachside stay in Bai Thom on the northeast coast.
Heading south down the east coast: things slowly got busier and more developed.
Above: A perfect coffee stop in Cay Sao on the east coast 😊
Below: Heading into the major tourist area of An Thoi in the far south of Phu Quoc.
Below: The sombre Phu Quoc Prison History Museum ("Coconut Tree Prison"), An Thoi.
A worthwhile and thought-provoking visit.
Warning: some will find this place disturbing.
Above & below:
The museum's mannequins graphically depict torture methods used on North Vietnamese POWs.
Next: some light relief in "Sunset Town",
Phu Quoc's biggest new development:
an entire Mediterranean-themed town,
complete with its own Colosseum (!),
nightly fireworks
and the world's longest over-sea cable car.
Not really our cup of tea, but definitely interesting to see.
Above: Pedalling "through the looking-glass" in Sunset Town
Heading north towards Duong Dong, the island's capital, on the busy main highway (DT46).
Amidst yet more construction projects, we found a quiet turn-off.
Above: A quick tyre check at this beautiful west-coast coffee stop
We stayed just outside the main town. Quieter!
But Duong Dong centre is worth a visit, especially the older parts.
We liked the authentic locals' area, just a short stroll over the river from the touristy Night Market.
Above: The bustling locals' market is on this side of Duong Dong river
Above & below: Dinh Cau temple and the adjacent Phu Quoc Beach were top sunset spots.
Above: The Duong Dong sunset melts into the Gulf of Thailand (captured by Charlie)
After another restful stopover near Duong Dong: it was finally time to leave Phu Quoc.
It was 7 easy, flat, sunny miles to the ferry port (Ben pha Thanh Thoi Bai Vong).
Our tickets cost about £25 (2 people+2 bikes) at the port.
We were last to board at 10:59am - one minute before departure ! 🫡
The crossing to Ha Tien took just under 3 hours.
Above: There was a lot more to Ha Tien than its ferry port - a nice riverside, bustling local market, and best of all, this bikeload of INFLATABLES !!
Incredibly, Ha Tien also has a friendly crew of local cyclists !
We encountered the "peloton" resting after their evening ride.
They kindly recommended a local bike shop where we could check our chain wear before we left Vietnam.
It was meant to be !
2 nights in Ha Tien allowed us to get the bikes checked (all good), rest a bit more and meet up with our adventuring Aussie friend Chrissie for a coffee (above) 😊
Ha Tien also has a land border crossing with Cambodia, just a few miles north of town.
Much more appealing than riding into Ho Chi Minh City and boxing up for a flight !
Above: Our last few metres in Vietnam, approaching Ha Tien border crossing
Below: Our last banh mi stop in Vietnam (Ha Tiên) - Molly upgrading to a steed that carries more food !!
Cảm ơn Vietnam
It's been a pleasure !
Food & Shelter
The supermarkets were nothing special.
WinMart and Bach Hoa Xanh chains were ok, but not cheap (similar to UK prices) and had a limited range of products.
In smaller towns it was tiny grocery stores run out of housefronts, with very basic supplies.
Above: Most locals buy fresh produce at "wet markets" - not so convenient for travelling cyclists without a kitchen.
Local restaurants were our go-to.
We ate oodles of noodles 🍜 morning, noon and night.
There wasn't much else available in the smaller places 🍜
Mostly "pho" (noodle broth), so-so but very cheap (less than £1 for a big bowl) 🍜
Above: A typical smalltown pho joint (most listed menu options being wholly unavailable).
Below: Wheat-based instant noodles (mi): not as good as fresh rice noodles (bún), but often the only choice.
In the cities: food options and quality were totally different. And still cheap by UK standards.
Above: Our favourite noodle dish: Hanoi's bun bo nam bo.
Sadly the proprietress wouldn't divulge her secret sauce recipe 😔
Below: Another good noodle day in Ha Tien ! Seafood noodles in a tasty sweet and sour broth (bun rieu hai san).
Below: Roadside banh mi stalls offer baguettes with various fillings - a welcome change from noodles !
Vietnamese salads were delicious.
So after we spotted humongous jellyfish washed up on the beaches ...
Above: Green mango & jellyfish salad in Dong Hoi
The jellyfish was somewhat rubbery, but the tasty dressing helped it along.
It was a challenge for Charlie to find lean meat.
He eventually gave up !
Above: Gristly chicken from a largely inedible dish (at one of the pricier hotels) 🤦🏻
As in China: the wet markets sold live animals for meat. So different from the UK.
Below: Field mice, and rats, are considered a delicacy in the Mekong Delta
Great coffee was universal, no need for fancy machines.
Most places used a simple drip-brewing device, the "phin" (below).
Above: The caffeine came rich and punchy, with delicious iced variations involving copious sugar, cream and salt 😋
Which brings us to egg coffee ... just hear us out on this one !
Egg yolk, whisked to a froth with sweetened condensed milk, poured over strong brewed coffee.
Unexpectedly, incredibly, delicious.
Above: Vietnamese egg coffee. Sounds so wrong. Tastes so right.
Fresh tropical fruits became increasingly abundant in South Vietnam (but not so much in the north).
Hotels were abundant (Agoda/Google Maps) throughout our trip - definitely a buyer's market.
We ranged from rustic doubles for under £10 (even these had air con),
to plush resort hotels for under £30 !
Above: One of our cheaper hotels in Vietnam (Phu Xuan)- just £8.40, and like something out of a Stephen King novel.
Dark and moody inside - just like the landlady!!
Below: My Son Heritage Resort was a top stop at just ~£20/night including breakfast👌
Above: One of a few rustic stopovers on Phu Quoc island - Ganh Dau.
Below: Sele Homestay - our last hotel in Vietnam - Ha Tiên a border town, only 7 miles ish to the Cambodian border.
Vietnam: Ups & Downs
Vietnam was definitely a "grower" for us.
We especially enjoyed touring its islands, fishing villages, and the Mekong Delta region.
In the end, we were reluctant to leave.
🤗 Vietnam is incredibly FRIENDLY.
In the small towns, folks of all ages will wave, smile and yell "HELLO ! WHAT'S YOUR NAME!" at the two passing aliens.
It was almost a bit too much sometimes !
Above: Charlie gets mobbed by Class 81B of Cuong Gian, Central Vietnam
Below: Super-friendly Vietnamese tourists, Phu Quy island
🤗 Hotels and restaurants were very CHEAP by UK standards
(supermarkets, not so much).
🤗 Delicious COFFEE, inexpensive and everywhere !
Above: Salted cream iced coffee (ca phe muoi)- a tour favourite 👌
🤗 Vietnamese BIKE-HANDLING (mopeds) is a marvel.
Weaving all over with aplomb whilst carrying kids, dogs, 20L water butts, you name it ... even, once, a fridge !
Above: Charlie can also handle a bike pretty well 👌
🤗 ROAD SURFACES were generally very good ...
🤦🏻 ... but the MAIN ROADS often felt FRAZZLING.
Some days there was no option other than the main north-south highway (QL-1A).
Even in its bike lane we were dodging counter-current mopeds, unpredictable schoolkids, and coaches undertaking at speed.
Above: QL-1A traffic at a standstill during Tet
Loud "get out of my way" honking from heavy vehicles was frequent and unnerving.
And forget any notions of "right of way": vehicles large and small would pull out right in front of us, forcing us to brake.
🤦♀️ So many roadsides and beaches were full of LITTER ...
and all of us guilty, as there was usually no option for safe drinking water other than plastic bottles 😔
🤦🏻 ATM CHARGES felt steep (£4-£6, with the maximum withdrawal usually £80)
... but hey, we're still multi-millionaires (in dong, at least!).
Practical Pointers
⭐️ At the time of writing: UK passport holders can enter Vietnam Visa-free for 30 days.
But we wanted longer, so applied online for a 90-day eVisa, cost:£20 apiece.
A smooth and fast process.
⭐️ January was surprisingly COLD in North Vietnam, especially inland.
We're talking full winter gear, and still feeling chilly🥶
Above: It's grim up North (but at least the beer's good!).
⭐️ But you WILL need your suncream further south !
Locals just cover up, so suncream is only sold in bigger places at prices are similar to the UK.
Above: Charlie cleverly noticed this "local price" moisturiser was SPF50.
Worked great for us👌
⭐️ Tet ...
⭐️ The "Grab" app worked like a dream (actually, just like Uber) for taxi rides across the board, whether in Hanoi or on Phu Quoc island.
Highly recommended.
⭐️Charlie's "SMILE" strategy for riding Vietnam's crazy city roads:
😊 STEADY pace (be predictable for others weaving around you)
😊 Look MASSIVE (be visible and hold your space)
😊 INTERACT with others (make eye contact)
😊 Ride like a LOCAL (watch how they do it)
😊ENJOY !!
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