Our Vietnam Road Trip, Part One

We arrived into Vietnam from Cambodia very well rested after being on a magical bus with fully reclining sleeper chairs. Please can we have these everywhere! Our journey began in Ho Chi Minh City where we spent a few days settling in to this friendly country. One important place we wanted to visit was the War Remnants Museum which gave us more of an understanding about the atrocities that happened during the US war. This included the dispersal of Dioxin, Agent Orange, by the US which has affected at least 3 million people through death, birth defects and illness. It was another difficult part of history to learn about but an important one nevertheless. Whilst in this city we also had the exciting task of finding the bikes that would take us over 2000km across Vietnam. We spent a couple of days searching for the right ones and settled on a couple of ex-rentals with low mileage paying only 250 dollars each. To celebrate our 5 year anniversary we went to one of the nicest restaurants in Ho Chi Minh called Hum Vegetarian. It had a very natural, fresh and laid back environment and the food was unbelievably good, all for only 30 pounds! We also took the opportunity to go up the Bitexco Tower for some cocktails with a view of the city, although the music was so loud that we slunk away to a more peaceful rooftop bar.

Our first journey was one of our toughest as we had 250km to cover to get to Mui Ne, as well as the difficult task of getting out the city. It was definitely a lesson for me as I had only ridden in the city a handful of times and the next thing I knew we were riding onto a busy ferry. The highways are dusty, noisy and clogged with trucks and buses that are determined to cause some kind of serious accident at every turn. I don't know why we complain about potholes in the UK because Vietnam is a minefield. One minute the road looks brand new and the next it is covered in deathly pits just perfect for swallowing your bike tyre. Luckily we knew to take it slow and made it out unscathed, although every day is a new lesson on pothole avoidance. The views were beautiful on the coast, with the rugged expanse of beaches framing our ride and the circular Vietnamese fishing boats dotting the horizon. Eventually after nine hours of riding we made it into Mui Ne which is a quaint Russian holiday resort. We saw a couple of geological wonders here including the colourful fairy stream and the fascinating red sand dunes. It was a nice introduction to a Vietnamese seaside town. 

We set off to Dalat early as we knew this journey would be interesting. It was time to climb up into the mountains on our little scooters and you could feel the cold rush of mountain air as it swept over the peaks. Even the foliage around us began to change as we went from lush tropical plants to evergreen forests. On our journey we stopped at two waterfalls and hiked down to them with our big backpacks which was a test of strength. Pongour was breathtaking, literally because of the treacherous hike down that left us out of breath, but also because it was one of the biggest waterfalls we'd ever seen. This route definitely made us realise how varied the driving experiences can be in Vietnam as the roads are in such different conditions. The highway is full of the scary trucks and buses that pull out whenever they like, but the back roads are quiet and peaceful with locals waving as we pass by. Dalat was interesting but not somewhere we'd go back to, it's a lot like the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia with lots of rain and strawberry fields. We did get to see some stunning Vietnamese Pagodas here which are decorated with intricate designs. 

More tales about riding but this time the most beautiful and most terrifying ride so far. This was the trip to Nha Trang which began with us being very cold, very wet and shivering uncontrollably. Within the first hour we were soaked through due to the endless rain so we stopped at a house to have some tea. We weren't prepared for the next part of the journey as we rode up even higher through the cliffs and thundering rain which was causing big rocks to tumble down. We were in a national park which was truly beautiful and around every corner we'd come across a huge waterfall cascading down the rock face. It got harder to ride as we climbed up into the clouds and the mist gave us next to no visibility. The rain was so hard it was battering us backwards but we took it slowly as we know the road can change in an instant. We saw two American guys crash their bikes into the side of the cliff due to a hidden pothole. Luckily they were OK minus a few scratches but their bikes had been beaten up pretty badly. When we finally got out of the clouds and rain we breathed a sigh of relief happy to be out of that beautiful nightmare. The fun didn't end there as we even had to swerve around a herd of cows as they charged at our bikes. We eventually made it through the rice fields to the city of Nha Trang and settled down for the night after a much needed warm shower. 

We made the decision to head straight to the quieter beach town of Quy Nhon the next day. This was a our first stop for bike repairs as I managed to get a screw and a nail in my back tyre! We also took the chance to give our bikes a little TLC and change the oil. We expected the ride here to be pretty ordinary as it was on the highway, but it was again incredibly beautiful. We saw large limestone cliffs as we took detours through the misty mountains and this time we also had a view of the rugged coast line. It was a stunning journey but we were glad to arrive in Quy Nhon to relax by the beach. It being winter in Vietnam meant that there wasn't really any opportunity for sunbathing but walking around this town was just lovely.

Our journey to Hoi An was relatively uneventful minus more charging cows, suicidal buses and locals pulling out in front of us at every opportunity. We were really looking forward to seeing this quaint city and the ancient town which we were staying just outside of in a guesthouse. On our first night we arrived tired from the long journey but ready to see the beauty of the lantern lanes glowing in the dark. It was full of lots of other tourists, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site after all, but that didn't take away from the wonder of the never ending lit pathways. We were also lucky to catch up with friends we'd met in Borneo and have drinks together in a cute riverside bar. 

There were so many beautiful souvenirs and clothes here, I even got a gorgeous dress made to measure for only £18! We headed out of the city over to the Marble Mountains which are five marble and limestone hills containing caves, temples and viewpoints. It was a lot more walking than we expected but seeing the fabulous marble sculptures and lovely views was wonderful. It was unbelievable strolling through the magnificent pagodas and caves filled with shrines and remembering these are perched on top of limestone cliffs that protrude out of the flat landscape. This is a good halfway point as we journey from South Vietnam up to the North. Look out for our next post about Part Two of our biking journey from Hoi An to Hanoi.