Korean Job Discussion Forums

[waterbaby]

Has anyone done a cycling trip through Vietnam? If so, I'd appreciate any info & web links you have about organised trips or doing it yourself. Thanks!

[Zed]

Sorry. No info.

That does sound very interesting. I'd bet you'd get to see a lot that others wouldn't doing it that way.

[waterbaby]

I think it would be an awesome way to see the country and I'm all up for doing something a bit different and a bit physical for the next trip, but I'm a bit of a sook so it'd be nice to have a support vehicle to take me up the REALLY big hills

I found one trip through Intrepid Travel but they require you to bring your own bike which is a bit inconvenient if you want to travel elsewhere afterwards.

I think I'll scoot over to the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree and have a look there.

[Zed]

I wonder what it would cost to buy a bike there and if you could sell it when you left.

[kylehawkins2000]

I belive there is a Lonely Planet book entitled "Biking Vietnam". I could be mistaken however. There is also a book about the story of an Vietnamese-American who returns to Vietnam (by bicycle) to find his family roots. I can't remember the name of the book but it's a good read and will give you some insight into biking there.

I've done some (very)long-distance biking. I'm a big fan of the 'do-it-yourself' approach. Tours tend to be very expensive and not as rewarding (although I've never taken one.....I just imagine it so).

I spent two weeks in Vietnam a few years ago and I'm not sure if it would be my first choice of locations to bike in. France would be first on my list, followed closly by Australia and New Zealand. I didn't bike in Vietnam, I was just a tourist. It's a bit of a crazy place....

If you're determined however I bet you could have a great time.

Good Luck.

[Crois]

Go on the Lonely Planet Website and check out the book. It is there and it's called Biking Vietnam. I wanted to do this aswell. There are about 60 routes you can do around the country aor something like that.

www.lonelyplanet.com If i am not mistaken.

[Zed]

[Zed]

Ah, there we go:

http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/search_products.cfm?addtoken=&searchfor=cycling+vietnam&select=javascript%3Avoid%280%29&x=9&y=14

Cycling Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

[waterbaby]

[Tiger Beer]

I never tried it.. but met a few in Vietnam as well as China who were doing that exact thing.

I gotta say one thing though.. those Vietnamese roads are bad!! Also anything and everything goes on those roads.. all kinds of people, bikes, people drying rice, selling vegetables and chicks, everything. Its a rule of the biggest. Whichever is the biggest thing on it has the right of way and everything goes around it.

I didn�t do any biking.. but I did rent some motorbikes here and there going to the outskirts of Nha Trang in particular.. which wasn�t anywhere near as bad as the big cities which just looks like a river of stuff everywhere. Between cities you�d be alright.. but I�d imagine it would be a very very interesting experience.

[aussie col]

Vietnam is a great country but the roads are horrible. It��s not that their condition is bad but the people on them are crazy. You know how Korean people walk around thinking that they are the only person on the footpath? Well Vietnamese are exactly the same but on the road!!! This includes bus drivers, truck drivers, bicycles�� everything!

Vietnam was the only country that I was scared about travelling around in, and I was in a bus! When you are driving around in Vietnam you learn quickly not to look out the front window of the bus. It��s just too scary to see all the near misses.

This should sum up what the roads are like. I was on a day tour in a bus and the Vietnamese tour guide sat mid-way down the bus. He told us that he never sits at the front because it��s too dangerous.

To a Vietnamese driver, anything that is smaller then you is not to be worried about. Busses and trucks often drive into oncoming traffic to overtake if they can��t see another large vehicle coming. The road can be full of bicycles or motorbikes but they just quickly pull off to the side to avoid being hit head on in their own lane.

If you go I would recommend going with a cycling tour group or get very good travel insurance.

If you stick to smaller roads maybe there wont be as many problems. But if you go anywhere near a big city watch out.

There is a LP book on this topic. Read it before you go. Vietnam is a great country... just a little crazy on the roads.

[seoulmon]

I've done a lot of cyclings, including trips in 6 different countries. I've also read a lot of bike stories, all of them are pretty amazing. When I was 18 I saw a presentation by the guy who biked from the top of Alaska to the bottom of Chile. Dipped tired in both waters. In Panama he had to carry his bike through the jungle.

my best suggestion would be to take a camera. Mind you, small and modest is best(so the locals feel comforwtble). Nonetheless, make sure it's good.

Also, I had endless problems with punctures. More than you'd expect. Plan ahead.

Clean underware makes you feel clean. 6 pairs of underware to one shirt is my ratio.

Water can be an issue. I got weird bugs in Mexico. WHen I crossed the desert I carried 1 gallon jugs. But in peoples homes, what do I do? Imagaine this-me to nice guest: NO I don't want your water. It's dirty.

Third world countries are difficult. They don't understand the concept of leasure touring. Also, their roads are narrow.

Anyway, if you want to see some of my trip pictures you can go here:
inlex.net/arthur

[crazykiwi]

hey, ive got a freind who just wrote a book on his and his girls bike trip through south e asia. in cluding vietnam. ill ask him if he can provide a link to it somewhere, highlighting the vietnam section. i read it and it was definatly well detailed and informative. he actually says, the loinbely planet guy must have done it on a bus as he had no idea about the terain etc. anyway, ill give you more details when ive asked permission. hope he can help you out.