This post covers the second part of our journey down the south Vietnam coast to Ho Chi Minh City.

SUMMARY

Vietnam is a fast-developing and extremely diverse country. Road conditions are rapidly improving, accommodation is readily available, and the cuisine is varied. It is a country that suits cycling with varied terrain and breath-taking green landscapes. The climate is particularly humid from May onwards, with the wet season continuing until November. The people are welcoming but the driving leaves something to be desired. So find the coastal road and stick to it…

STORY

The time had come to wave goodbye to Matt’s parents after two weeks of fun. Ahead us was a a very long and tiring day in the saddle but one of great accomplishment.

Having enjoy a later morning in Hue, I didn’t have high hopes that we’d make it up the Hai Van Pass and over to Hoi An in one day. The ride totalled 128km and 700m ascent, but we made it. Despite being about 10 months into our journey, it seems we still aren’t very good at carrying enough water though (or brazen enough to ‘borrow’ a few bottles left as offerings in the shrines up the pass). By the time we made it to the top, we were extremely dehydrated and spent a fortune on liquids in the tourist-trap cafes.

The descent into Da Nang was very picturesque but once in the town, the combination of bad driving and loud horns was mentally draining. NB: Tiredness wears your patience even thinner and leads to spectacular arguments. Da Nang had some nice beaches but we weren’t too disappointed about not stopping for a night. It resembled more of a European resort town with plenty of western attractions than a Vietnamese city.

The relief when we made it to our homestay in Hoi An was felt by the both of us. To top it off the place had a pool, which we jumped straight into. After a well-deserved shower, we ventured into the old town to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately our timing meant we’d visited on a full moon. This to most would be a happy coincidence as this is when the famous lantern festival is in full swing. However it meant an already popular place was even busier, the intimate streets were packed with local and foreign tourists, and all restaurants were booked up, leaving a crowd-hating Matt rather agitated. Despite this we could appreciate the beauty of Hoi An.

The next day we were out the hotel by 7:45am to explore the town before the heat and chaos. The humidity was unlike any we had experienced- even my hands were covered in beads of sweat less than an hour of being outdoors. The ancient city is very picturesque with yellow painted colonial buildings, well maintained streets decorated with lanterns which cast moving shadows on the tarmac. After satisfying our intrigue we walked back to the hotel for an afternoon by the pool. We couldn’t leave Hoi An without trying a famous banh mi, so we grabbed one each before meeting a friend of Matts from home, who just happened to be here at the same time.

The following morning we continued cycling down the coast to the non-touristy island of Tam Hai. We had to catch a small boat on to the island itself (5,000 VND per person) and were greeted with lots of smiling but surprised locals. We hadn’t looked at accommodation and realised there was only one expensive hotel on the small island, so we cycled on to find a spot to camp.

On one side of the island was an empty, very white sandy beach and on the other a plastic-covered beach littered with fishing waste. Unfortunately this side was where the restaurants were, so after demolishing a plate of seafood noodles, we headed back to the nicer side complete with ombré painted palms. The evening was spent drinks cans of beer and sampling the local ‘Banh bot loc’ (delicious shrimp rice dumplings with a citrus sauce) served off the back of a bike. Local men laughed at Matt’s lycra crotch every time he went to grab more beers. Things escalated when one group requested the karaoke machine and they sang into the night as if their lives depended on it. We were invited to the table and they even managed to convince Matt to take the mic, despite all the songs being in Vietnamese. Thankfully things ended around 9:30pm and we were allowed to pitch our tent at the front of the restaurant on the beach.

The following days can be summed up in two words: ‘motorway’ and ‘chafe’. The worst chafe to date in fact, largely due to the long distances and very humid temperatures. Despite the sores, we completed our second biggest day in the saddle (150km) and were rewarded with ‘Ocean Beach Hostel’. I could have cried as we pulled into the beautiful beach resort, complete with tranquil music and fairy lights. Thanks again to the rockstars @WorldSpokesPeople for this delight. The hostel room was only £3 per night which meant we could spend the rest of our budget on cocktails and potato gratin. The owner Timothe is Swedish and one hell of a cook.

After a blissful beach day off, we hit the saddle again but avoided the highways by taking the coastal road through fishing villages and along a dubious bamboo bridge. We tried the infamous Durian ice cream but unfortunately this had to be thrown away after a single lick. This section of cycling reminded us of the Aegean coast in Turkey. Beach-hoping clearly resonates with us, Doc Let being another favourite. Nha Trang however turned out to be far too touristy for us and sadly there wasn’t anywhere for us to camp. We ended up having to stay at a small guest house south of Nha Trang where the only place to eat was a local barbeque restaurant, with just goat on the menu. It was explained that we were to roll the pieces of fatty meat into leaves that resembled nettles, and then devour. It was as strange and unappetising as it sounds. This was also the day our laptop died.

Upon joining the Nui Chua coastal road the next day, we were rewarded with vast fields and rocky cliffs. We stopped to enjoy the fresh water pools wand waterfalls popular with locals on weekends. A few more uphills switchbacks later we made it to Vinh Hy bay where we stopped for lunch of green veg, tofu and rice. After the goat meal, we’re off meat again, reinforced by the trucks packed with sad-looking animals that overtake us daily. That evening we had our first real dilemma of where to stay. It was another National Holiday so every affordable hotel was booked up and beaches were packed with locals cooking on BBQs. After around 30 hotels we finally found a room, which was double the normal price but it had to do. The following night we decided to wild camp, removing the stress of looking for accommodation. We had come to love the feeling of freedom wild camping gives you but this particular night turned out to be a terrible nights sleep due to the heat. Camping in Vietnam at this time of year is almost unbearable.

After a short day’s ride to the sand dunes of Mui Ne, we pressed on into Ho Chi Minh City. There were parts where bicycles surely weren’t allowed, but we pedalled on anyway - just wanting to get there. It’s pretty remarkable to think what you can get used to when cycling into big cities, as stressful and dangerous as it is. We noticed the affect it had had on us mentally though that night when we sat down to enjoy a beer. Both of us were sitting in silence before we both admitted how jittery we felt, our minds racing.

Making it to Ho Chi Minh City felt like a great accomplishment. The city itself though wasn’t as much of a spectacle for us as Hanoi. The city is quite developed, with modern high rises and infrastructure, more synonymous with a western city. We’d also grown quite accustomed to the way of life in Vietnam too, having spent over six weeks here.

We chose to spend our time devouring western food (Journeys Cafe Sandwich Bar, Pizza 4P’s to name a few) and fixing up the bikes before Cambodia. We had a sobering experience visiting the war remnants museum, juxtaposed by a few relaxing beer along the ‘Walking Street’. We got caught in a number of heavy downpours, with Vietnam’s wet season fast approaching. It’s amusing to see locals pull over on mopeds, put on their ponchos and hop back on without any concern for the torrential rain.

Next stop on our world tour: the Cambodian coast. Thanks for the smiles, Vietnam.

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Current Stats (as of 04.05.19) 18-04/04-05

Total days cycled: 220/333
Total rest days: 113
Best beach: Ocean Beach Hostel
Total distance completed: 15,010 Km

October 2019
- Oct 23, 2019 The Short Road: Cycling the Coast of Cambodia Oct 23, 2019