"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.

Plan: heading south, mostly following the coast.

Having the 90-day visa gives us time to explore. 
So it's a bit 'make it up as you cycle along'! 

Above: Vietnamese border control at the Mong Cai end of "Friendship Bridge"

From China's Dongxing Port: it was just a short stroll over the pedestrian "Friendship Bridge" (pushing the bikes) into Vietnam.

The whole process was very quick for us.
In fact the security checks for Charlie's Vietnamese SIM card took much longer than the border crossing did !

Above: Coffee break between Mong Cai and Quang Ha

Below: Sunny pedalling towards Nam Cam Pha 

Beautiful wide roads into this area where you can 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 to the "hotel" breakfast (with a very smiley driver) 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.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-lTkEaTd_5w

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 !):

noodle soup ... just for a change🤣

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 don't you just crave thick slices of salted buttery 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, and whizzed to the market on mopeds

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 the difference between here and China. 

You will commonly see school children (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 "Train Street" was bonkers. People actually have to live here 🤷‍♀️🤷🏻‍♂️

Below: Almost real-looking 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's 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), used by the Communist North to bypass central Vietnam and supply fighters in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) 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 in North and Central Vietnam. 

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.

Above: War memorial in Dong Hoi

The village of Vinh Moc was carpet-bombed with 7 tonnes of explosives PER PERSON (!!) during the Vietnam War.

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 

Above: The tunnels span over 1km, with 3 different levels to a depth of 23m

Below: Incredibly, the tunnels were 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).

The extravagant memorials (some with bathrooms and kitchens) cover an area the size of 25 football pitches! 

Below: A breakfast banh mi stop in Thiên Hue and a lucky encounter with a lovely street seller. You know, 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 (above) before hitting a steady 6-mile ascent. 

Later realising this was the scenic (if busy) Hai Van Pass !
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 starts (heading towards Da Nang):

Above: This café is a real 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 very 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 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, tucked away in the middle of a rustic fishing village.

We were up early to watch the fishing villagers in action, dealing out the night's catch.

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 !

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JQCExTmtYQk

Below: A flotilla of local basket boats, hidden just around the headland

Moving on to Tuy Hoa: the 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, with a long scenic cliffside stretch on the QL29.

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 coastal road: the best we've had in Vietnam (thank you, DT 701!).

We stumbled upon this quirky highlight at Khu du lich Bau Trang U&Me ...

... an old pedal-powered rollercoaster !!

And just had to give it a go ! 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pYwClDPLUgQ

Then more scenic coastal riding to Phan Thiet on the peaceful DT716 (below).
Local triathletes were out in force on this perfect, rolling training road.

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: Phu Quy's main street (!)

It was a very relaxed pedal around the island - all 12 miles of it !

Very few foreigners here.

Below: A "secret beach", walking distance from our Phu Quy homestay

All well worth the bumpy 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 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 a wild white-sand beach (below).

Above: A smug Charlie wins the long-running "best coffee stop" competition. Hands-down.

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: "Sunny" is an aspiring monk who has lived at the temple for 2 years

Then 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, large and small.

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 !

Above: The second ferry of the day (!), from Ly Nhon to Gia Thuan, was a rustic affair.

We're eating oodles of noodles 🍜 morning, noon and night, as there's not 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, so-so pho joint (the listed menu options being wholly unavailable).

In the cities: food options and quality were totally different.
And still cheap by UK standards.

Above: Bun bo nam bo, Hanoi.
A secret recipe sweet dipping sauce at the bottom.
Easily our favourite noodle dish so far.

Above: Roadside banh mi stalls offer baguettes with various fillings - a welcome change from noodles !

Having seen humongous jellyfish washed up on the beaches, we were curious to try it cooked up.

Texture: somewhat crunchy and rubbery !
The tasty dressing helped it along.

Above: Green mango & jellyfish salad in Dong Hoi

It was a challenge for Charlie to find lean meat ...

Above: Gristly "meat" from a largely inedible "chicken" dish (at one of our pricier hotels)

Below: Field mice (and rats) are considered a delicacy in the Mekong Delta

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.

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!!

Vietnam: Ups & Downs

🤗 Vietnam is incredibly FRIENDLY.
In the small towns, folks of all ages will wave, smile and shout "hello!" at the two passing aliens.

Above: Charlie gets mobbed by Class 81B of Cuong Gian, Central Vietnam

Below: Super-friendly Vietnamese tourists, Phu Quy island

🤗 Hotels and food are generally cheap by UK standards (supermarkets, not so much).

🤦🏻 Some days there was no road option other than the main north-south highway (QL-1A) ... frazzling even with its bike lane, as shared with counter-current mopeds, unpredictable schoolkids, and coaches undertaking at speed.

Above: QL-1A traffic at a standstill during Tet

🤦‍♀️ So many rural streets and beaches full of LITTER ...

and all of us guilty, as there was usually no option for safe drinking water other than plastic bottles 😔

🤦🏻 Extortionate ATM charges ...

... but hey, we are dong multi-millionaires !

Practical Pointers

⭐️ 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!).

⭐️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 !!