Vietnam's Mekong Delta

For map of the route taken click Here & Here
Deviations from this route will be shown in individual sections

LIST OF CONTENTS

15/11/14 to 16/11/14 – Sihanukville to Kampot – 103km – Easy

17/11/14 – Kampot

18/11/14 – Kampot to Ha Tien - 48km – Easy

20/11/14 – Ha Tien to Chau Doc – 105km – Easy

22/11/14 – Chau Doc to Cao Lanh – 90km – Easy

23/11/14 – Cao Lanh to Can Tho – 65km (approx) – Easy

25/11/14 – Can Tho to Soc Trang – 70km – Easy

26/11/14 – Soc Trang to Bac Lieu – 70km – Easy

27/11/14 – Bac Lieu to Ca Mau – 66km – Easy

28/11/14 – Ca Mau

29/11/14 – Ca Mau to Vi Thanh – 106km – Easy

30/11/14 – Vi Thanh to Can Tho – 46km - Easy

02/12/14 – Can Tho to Soc Trang – 61km – Easy

04/12/14 – Soc Trang to Tra Vinh – 62km – Easy

05/12/14 – Tra Vinh to My Tho – 62km – Easy

06/12/14 – My Tho to Ho Chi Minh – 68km - Easy
20/05/15 – Long Xuyen to Rach Gia – 60km – Easy
Conclusions & overall costs

15/11/14 – Sihanukville to Kampot – 103km – Easy

Passed a cyclist relaxing on Hun Sen Beach

This was a repeat of my journey undertaken on 05 & 06/10/14 with details recorded here;- It’s worth noting Leng Trey Guesthouse in Veal Renh now quotes $10 for a fan room but quickly drops to $8 with a bit of minor bargaining.

Arriving in Kampot the first 2 guesthouses I tried were full but one of the great things about Kampot is it’s packed full of good value Guesthouses & I soon found a really nice fan room with hot shower & panoramic views over Kampot & the surrounding hills. For $8 Champeysor Guesthouse was good value, especially the rooftop rooms & safe bike storage a big plus.

17/11/14 – Kampot

I’d scheduled an extra day in Kampot primarily as I wanted to enjoy Magic Sponges “Monday Madness” & also to stock up on supplies that can be hard to find in Vietnam (sunscreen, coffeemate, instant coffee etc).

Kampot’s a friendly, laid back place with a Bohemian feel to it & it’s small enough to get the feel of very quickly. Finding a local restaurant offering incredibly good value food made it even more enjoyable. An example would be stir fried shrimp, squid, cauliflower & broccoli + rice for $1. Not particularly large portions but still fantastic value. It’s located almost opposite Sen Monorom Guesthouse.

At night I headed to Magic Sponge Guesthouse & restaurant where their “Monday Madness” offer means a free draft beer for every $1 spent on food. The chicken Thali consisted of chicken curry, spinach & paneer cheese curry, daal, rice & a chapatti – large portions in each department. Including 6 free beers the bill came to $6, absolutely fantastic value & a lovely change from my usual diet. Bumping into an old friend & enjoying some great company with my meal made it a great night. 

18/11/14 – Kampot to Ha Tien – 48km – Easy

MAP of today's journey

Highway 33 was a good road surface, flat & bearing fairly light traffic. It would have been a very enjoyable cycle except for a constant crosswind that has plagued me all the way from Sihanoukville. In Southern Cambodia November is the time when the wind whips up making cycling harder work than at other times.

Around the 20km mark I passed the turnoff to Kep & saw absolutely no reason to detour 20km to eat overpriced seafood in an unappealing village (Kep’s one of the few places in Cambodia I really don’t like). Instead I enjoyed a quick meal in one of the roadside restaurants.

Pushing on & around the 22km mark I took a right turn onto road 1332 & it turned out to be a great road to cycle. The pace of life suddenly slowed & a feeling of complete tranquility enveloped me. Passing colourfully dressed Khmers laboring in the fields, water buffalo wallowing in muddy pools, listening to birdsong & insect choirs with next to no cars on the road but lots of kids cycling by often with siblings balanced on the back racks, a few motorcycles with large wicker baskets strung across the rear & piled high with produce, their wives precariously perched atop the bundle.

With a good road surface & pancake flat it’s one of the most enjoyable stretches of road I’ve ever cycled. It just felt natural to take it fantastically slowly & the surroundings engendered a feeling of being at peace with life. Once again I realized I was whistling away to myself as I cycled but was disconcerted to realize it was Aqua’s “I’m a Barbie girl” that I’d been unconsciously whistling. Hopefully it’s because I’ve been seeing too many schoolgirls cycling with their Barbie satchels rather than me developing a dreadful taste in music.

Arriving at the border I got the 1^st puncture of this trip. I pushed the bike through Cambodian & Vietnam immigration (hassle free, both sides friendly & helpful) & my first task in Vietnam was to change the back tube. Unfortunately 2 moto drivers insisted on “helping” me, their intentions were good but assistants pulling on the chain, winding gears or stuffing a new tube into a tyre before I’ve found the cause of the puncture can be bloody annoying. I’d really rather do things myself. With rear wheel punctures my hands always come away covered in oil which then transmits to everything else (bag, shirt, handgrips etc) & I must look out for surgical gloves to alleviate the nuisance.

With only 6km to go I was soon in Ha Tien & looking around for a hotel. My first night in a new country & I decided to splash out $12 on a room in the Du Hung Hotel. A/C, hot shower, fridge, river view, an elevator & my bikes securely stored in reception. (NB – There’s lots of perfectly decent $10 rooms in town).

By night I headed to the small nightmarket (now located opposite the fish market) & enjoyed crispy fried noodles with seafood ($1.75) before heading to Oasis bar & restaurant for a few beers. Astonishingly cheap a foreign bar selling beers for 50cents & even his food is good value including a full Western breakfast for $4.00. Chatted to Andy about his life in Vietnam & up to date road conditions before picking up some carry out food & beers for the room. 

20/11/14 – Ha Tien to Chau Doc – 105km – Easy

Straight off I was held up by a funeral procession & wasted ½ hour before I was crossing the bridge & enjoying views of Ha Tien’s scenic waterfront. Four kilometers down road 80 I took a left turn onto road 955A. It’s not signposted but was the 1^st major left turn. Once again strong crosswinds plagued me all day.

Road 955A was a good road surface, flat with extremely light traffic. Initially the scenery was disappointing with spindly trees along the roadside, a dirty brown canal on the left & barren rice field’s stretching into the distance but later the roadside trees became more mature & vibrant, hills became visible in the background & river traffic enlivened the scene. Still, I did miss the colour & diversity of Cambodian roadside activity.

An early pit stop saw me enjoy a baguette with 2 fried eggs & vegetables (50 cents) & later a plate of stewed pork, egg & rice for $1. I’m finding it frustrating to be back in a country where I can’t speak a word of the language & I know there’s better food on offer but I don’t know what to order.

Around the 55km mark I took a detour to Ba Chuc to view the Bone Pagoda. In April 1978 Khmer Rouge soldiers slaughtered 3,157 innocent Vietnamese civilians, part of the reason why Vietnam invaded Cambodia in the same year. According to Lonely Planet of the photographs on view; - “Be warned, once seen they’re difficult to erase from the memory banks” I spent ½ hour looking around but couldn’t find the damn place. Still it was a scenic, interesting detour.

Pushing on I passed Tinh Bien which is a fair sized town with at least 2 hotels & lots of amenities if the legs happen to be wearying. From Tinh Bien to Chau Doc the road deteriorated somewhat & became fairly rough in some patches

Arriving in Chau Doc, I checked a couple of hotels before settling on Mekong Lotus Hotel. $8 for a big fan room, cable TV, hot shower, safe bike storage & patio doors opening onto a side street balcony. Great value & the staff downstairs are delightfully friendly & helpful.

A quick shower grabbed a couple of beers & went straight to the kebab shop near the market for 2 x 50cent kebabs. Later I found a great little restaurant in the night market, very welcoming, an English language menu, great food for $1.50 to $2 & 50 cent beers to wash it down. If, like me you find yourself wandering around Chau Doc night market wondering what the hells on offer, you could do worse than stop at (Quan Com) Ut Cat restaurant.

I ended up staying an extra day in Chau Doc & found it to be an amazingly friendly little town. Like Koh Kong in Cambodia it’s easy to get the wrong 1^st impression when confronted with cyclo drivers hustling for business. But once they understand that No! I’m not interested in ganja, tours, massage, sex with a local etc then they relax & are really happy to chat about life. They were all really nice guys once that initial barrier had been crossed. 

Photos of Mekong Lotus Hotel & (Quan com) Ut Cat restaurant - Here

22/11/14 – Chau Doc to Cao Lanh – 90km – Easy

Map of today's journey;- HERE & HERE with a ferry in between.

A really varied day today whether in terms of scenery, road conditions, traffic volume that to be honest the impressions were coming so thick & fast, I’m not sure I’ve got then in the right order. Anyhow as best as I remember it;-

Straight off a ferry ride across the river from Chau Doc. My intent was to turn right & follow road 953 which would involve 2 further ferry crossings before linking up with road 30. At the last minute I decided to detour via Tan Chau which as a pretty pointless detour as Tan Chau turned out to be a fairly nondescript, uninteresting town. Coming into town I passed a row of restaurants & had a wonderful breakfast of prawns, vegetable, rice + pork & veg soup ($2). The run up on road 953 was pleasant enough with lots of colourful roadside activity & rustic stilted houses clinging to the canal banks. Traffic was heavier than I’m used to but never oppressively so.

From Tan Chau I caught another ferry (10 cents) across the water to meet up with road 841 for a somewhat unappealing cycle to the junction with road 30.

Turning onto road 30 initially traffic was fairly heavy but the volume soon thinned out & it proved to be a nice cycle ride. Vibrant paddy fields, colourful local houses, bridges over picturesque canal scenes & local cyclists everywhere. Arriving in Cao Lanh I followed the Lonely Planet recommendation to Xuan Mai Hotel, $10 for a big A/C room, cable TV, hot shower, fridge, good wi-fi & very quiet.

Shortly after midday today I’d been disappointed that I’d taken the early detour when I could have enjoyed a scenic, tranquil ride through the countryside to Cao Lanh but now I’m fairly glad I took today’s route – there was so much variety & different impressions flying at me all day. Ferry crossings, busy towns, rural settings, rice fields, urban sprawl, canal side dwellings, river traffic, buses, cars, trucks, oxen carts, kids on pushbikes, (one) horse & cart, short wheelbase tractors, canoes, boats, cruise liners etc, etc. It was hard to take it all in.

Never seen a gold insect before

Cao Lanh’s another wonderfully friendly town & much bigger than I’d expected. Wandering around at night I must have been taking the wrong turns & couldn’t find any appealing street food (other than the ubiquitous noodle soup). I finally settled for fresh noodles, sausage, pork & bean sprouts, great value at $1 but it did take 2 portions to fill me up. I’d wanted to try “chuot dong” i.e. rice field rat which is apparently a local delicacy but couldn’t find any vendors – perhaps it’s only served in formal restaurants.

23/11/14 – Cao Lanh to Can Tho – 65km (approx) – Easy

MAP of today's journey

The day began with a ferry crossing to pick up road 848. Going to the payment window the girl gave me a big smile & waved me through – apparently cyclists travel for free. Road 848 to Sa Dec was reasonably scenic with light to moderate traffic & coming into Sa dec passing well tended nursery’s of colourful flowers was an enjoyable few km’s. Sa dec itself surprised me & is a bigger town than I’d expected with lots of canal side activity & old colonial buildings in various stages of decay.

I opted to exit Sa Dec via road 853 & it was a very enjoyable cycle. Young fruit tree’s lined the road, flooded rice fields stretched into the horizon & picturesque local dwellings everywhere. There was a tranquilness to this road that made an occasional passing car seem completely out of place & it was a great 20 km stretch of road.

At one point as I was cycling along a family sitting outside their house came into view. Only the youngest daughter (perhaps 5 or 6 years old) noticed me & her eyes bulged & her mouth was literally wide open with amazement. As I neared all she could do was point at me & prod her mother she was obviously speechless at the passing spectacle. When I smiled at her & gave her an exaggerated wave her look of absolute amazement intensified. Like the young guys cleaning my bike in Battambang on a previous trip, I know the picture of her face, full of amazement & wonder will keep popping into my head & remain a highlight of this trip.

Exiting road 853, I took a left onto road 54 & again it had a tranquil, bucolic feel to it not least crossing some bridges & viewing canal life in all its vibrancy. The first 10km was great but the final 10km was serious roadworks with sharp stones making up the road surface, extremely rough going & I worried what damage was being done to my tyres. (NB. As you read this, I’m sure the roadworks will be completed & it will be another perfectly surfaced Vietnamese road).

Arriving at the 1^st ferry terminal for Can Tho I handed over 20,000 Dong for a 2,000 Dong ticket, he said “thank you” & pocketed the money thinking I didn’t know the difference. I threw a major tantrum, told him he was a cheating **** & regained my 20,000 Dong. Cycling to the 2^nd ferry terminal I arrived with a flat back tyre. This time they gave me 15,000 Dong change from my 20,000 note i.e. “only” charging me 2 1/2 times the proper fare. With a flat back tyre I didn’t have much choice but to grin & bear it although I did make them aware I knew I was being cheated.  

It’s so frustrating getting back from the countryside where everyone’s so honest & having to deal with cheating, robbing scum who think every foreigner is rich & deserves to be fleeced.

I couldn’t be bothered with oil all over my hands & pushed the bike around town to Xuan Mai Minihotel. I passed a few motorcycle/ bicycle repair places that could have patched my tube but the ferry operators had put me in such a foul mood I didn’t want to give the locals another chance to rip me off.

Xuan Mai Minihotel is usually OK, big airy rooms with all the trimmings, safe bike storage & centrally located but this time my fridge didn’t work & for $12 I expect perfection. Dumped a bag of laundry with them & it will be great to have a bag of clean clothes again.

30 cents each

Needing a change from basic street food I headed to Café Dong Ta for beef quesadillas & it tasted incredible but for $4 I was disappointed in the portion served & ended up in the small night market to fill up on reasonably priced food.

NOTE 1 – Co-op Mart

If a town has a Co-op Mart it’s always worth a visit not least they often have extremely cheap fruit platters. In Can Tho I got a platter of pre packed strawberries, ripe mango, lychees, custard apple & water melon for 30 cents. 

25/11/14 – Can Tho to Soc Trang – 70km – Easy

MAP of today's journey

I kept taking wrong turns trying to get out of Can Tho & was glad of Google Maps to keep getting me back on the right route, finally making it over the bridge & onto road 91c. It didn’t help that a local drove his motorcycle alongside for much of the way trying out his piss poor English & disturbing my concentration.

The tree caught my eye, not the house

The initial 20km on road 91c was a distinct disappointment with bland, uninteresting scenery, passing industrial zones & dealing with fairly heavy traffic. After 20km the road suddenly turns from a 2 lane highway into a single lane country road, traffic thins out & it’s back to peaceful, tranquil cycling. The remaining 30km to Dai Ngai was a joy; quiet, scenic with few cars but lots of motorcycles & fellow cyclists. Once again fruit trees lined the roadside, many heavily laden with fruit.

Arriving in Dai Ngai, I was absolutely starving & stopped at a small restaurant. Ignoring the owner’s offer of a hot dog which I knew would be a disaster; instead I pointed to a customer’s empty bowl & said “one of those”. I expected some sort of noodle soup but it turned out to be what Cambodians call “koh korr” i.e. a slowly simmered beef stew served with crispy baguette. It was absolutely superb & by far the best meal of my trip so far. When I went to pay, the owner had been sitting with his granddaughter working on writing 40,000 (fourtee thosand – fortee x ten thosand). Just under $2, amazing value & such a friendly welcoming family. Second restaurant on the right as you come into Dai Ngai, well worth a stop. (NB – The Vietnamese call this dish Bo Kho).

It’s so good to be out of the tourist towns & back to wonderfully friendly, honest people. 3 times today I stopped to check my location via my phone & on each occasion within a few seconds someone stopped to check I was OK & help me with directions. On one occasion I noticed an icebox outside a house & stopped to buy some water, on checking the icebox it was full of vegetables & the lady didn’t actually sell water – still she sent her daughter into the house & came out with a bottle of water “free” “free” she delightfully informed me. Nearing Soc Trang, I noticed a fallen tree trunk lying in the shade & stopped for a seat, cigarette & water break. No sooner had I sat down than a wizened old lady came across & insisted I come & sit in her shaded veranda. Really overwhelmingly, faith restoringly, friendly, hospitable, honest people. It makes me feel humble to be amongst them.

That’s why I flare at the shysters & crooks working the tourist towns – they don’t represent Vietnam & do such a disservice to the 99% of honest, hard working, hospitable people in this country that go out of their way to help foreigners & give them a good impression of their country.

Taking a right turn at Dai Ngai, I found myself on road 60 enjoying another great 20km cycle. The fruit trees gave way to lush green paddy fields & picturesque, if very humble dwellings, often only thatch walls & roofs with mud floors.

Dealing with a snake

At one point in a built up area I saw a snake on the road. Stopping to take a photo I was amazed that no one seemed perturbed especially as there were kids around. Eventually 2 elderly guys wandered over & tried to shoo it off the road but it was obviously frightened & angry & kept making lunges at them. Unperturbed the oldest guy walked off & got a stick, I thought to kill it but instead he trapped it enough that he could safely grip it behind its jaws. He then walked over to some bushes & gently threw it into their midst. I realized then I was in true Buddhist territory. 

 Arriving in Soc Trang shortly after 4pm I headed straight to Khach San Thien Duong Hotel (221 – 223 Hung Vuong Road) which is one of my favorite hotels in the Mekong Delta. $12 for a really nice, comfortable, well appointed A/C room. Much of the reason I like Soc Trang so much is this wonderful hotel.

I really like Soc Trang but it’s not the most exciting town by night. I headed for a vendor I know does superb grilled pork over rice. Pork chop, spare ribs, rice & soup for $2, then the Co-op Mart for some beers & fruit to enjoy in my comfortable room.  

Photos of Khach San Thien Duong Hotel - Here

26/11/14 – Soc Trang to Bac Lieu – 70km – Easy

MAP of today's route

A great nights rest in Khach San Hotel, one problem with a hotel this nice is subsequent hotels become a disappointment.

Headed off on the road to Vinh Chau & getting out of the city I picked up road 8 which was fairly boring with bland scenery & heavy traffic. After 10km a right turn & the scenery improved, the pace of life slowed right down & the volume of traffic dropped off dramatically. The following 30km was OK but I soon got bored of rice fields stretching to the horizon & was glad when some fish farms appeared to break up the monotony.

By far the best cycling today was exiting Vinh Chau & turning onto road 91c, a 30km stretch of peaceful, tranquil cycling; pretty little houses with painted wooden shuttering & weathered terracotta roof tiles, Khmer style wats, scenic canal crossings & passing through interesting little villages. It had a distinct Cambodian feel to it, not least the way the kids suddenly got louder & bolder with their “hellos”

Stopping to buy some water, I was surprised to hear them speaking Khmer & they in turn were absolutely gob smacked when I started to speak Khmer myself. It was nice to be passing temples where I could cycle in & have a rest stop in shaded, calm surroundings. On one such occasion an elderly man approached me & stuck up a conversation with good English, trying out my Khmer he proved to be fluent (native tongue he explained) & somehow we got onto Thai which he also spoke fluently. A really interesting guy with a fascinating life story. Today I often forgot I was in Vietnam it really had such a Khmer feel & vibe to the whole route.

Bac Lieu was another place that surprised me how large it was – I’d been expecting a smallish town or village rather than a city. I headed straight to the bus station in the hope of finding a cheap hotel & Ngoc Cuong will do but for $10 it’s a characterless, shoebox of a room & I’m sure there are better deals around. There are lots of options on Tran Phu Street opposite the bus station. Seeing me tinkering with my bike the hotel owner professed to being a wizard with bikes (I think, I didn’t actually understand a word he was saying) & adjusted my spokes to remove an annoying buckle from my back wheel.

I’m getting a bit frustrated with food in Vietnam, I know there’s good food out there but just don’t know what to order. Earlier today I resorted to more rice & pork, tonight fried noodle, bean sprouts & a bowl of broth & meat was filling enough & good value for $1.70 but once again was instantly forgettable. 

27/11/14 – Bac Lieu to Ca Mau – 66km – Easy

Bac Lieu is the first place in the Mekong Delta where I’ve not been tempted to spend an extra night. It doesn’t help that the hotel was ordinary to say the least. The locals were very friendly but still I was glad to get up & off.

I’d considered doing the coastal route to Ca Mau but decided just to run straight down highway 1A. Undoubtedly a bad decision as today’s route took in fairly bland scenery only enlivened with some interesting roadside activity & a few colourful Cao Dai temples. Traffic was moderately heavy but with a wide shoulder safety was never an issue.

Arriving in Ca Mau I checked a few hotels & got a fright at the prices quoted ($18 to $30). I ended up at Trung Hieu Hotel (formerly Than Son Hotel) where for $10 I’ve got a slightly grotty A/C room with hot shower & street side balcony. Everything’s well worn, the A/c isn’t very effective & located on a busy road it’s extremely noisy but it seems to be as good as you get for $10 in Ca Mau.

I’d really been looking forward to a good Vietnamese night market & according to Lonely Planet “In the evenings the Eastern end of D Pham Ngoc Hien becomes a big outdoor café” – not that I could find! I spent a long time looking but it just wasn’t there. I finally settled for a noodle soup restaurant & another filling, inexpensive but unmemorable meal. I was surprised to see an incredible number of hamburger stalls in Ca Mau especially on D Phan Ngoc Hien just over the bridge where there’s a row of ten identical stalls.  

My plan was to stay 2 or 3 nights in Ca Mau & at some point cycle to the Southern most part of Vietnam but with the extremely poor value for accommodation I’m not so sure anymore. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

Photos of Trung Hieu Hotel - Here

28/11/14 – Ca Mau

I spent the day aimlessly wandering around this pleasant & friendly city. There wasn’t much in the way of “sights” but wandering along the canal side was pleasant & felt a million miles away from the city spread out above.

A distressing scene today; I was crossing a bridge & stopped to take a photo when I heard a fairly loud bang. I turned & saw a middle aged lady in peasant clothes lying on the ground, her crashed bicycle lying beside her. A motorbike had forced her into a wooden cart parked by the roadside. The cart owner & another bystander were already trying to help the poor lass who was crying her eyes out & obviously in a lot of pain. It looked like a broken ankle to me. I knew a foreigner standing around gawping wasn’t going to help so I forced $10 worth of Dong into her hand & told the guys “doctor” “doctor” which they seemed to understand. I just hope the poor lass is OK.

29/11/14 – Ca Mau to Vi Thanh – 106km – Easy
MAP of today's route

I don’t actually know the number of the road I took but it’s the one that links Ca Mau with Phuoc Long & then linking up with Phuong 1 (according to Google Maps). It was a pleasant enough cycle viewing flooded paddy fields, palm trees & with sparse traffic I often had the road to myself, however it wasn’t until I exited Phuong 1 & onto road 61B that I really began to enjoy my cycling. The road began to follow a canal with lots of interesting traffic chugging up & down, flowering water lilies covered a river to my right & lots of colourful street side activity. The traffic did get heavier on this stretch but it didn’t matter, there was more than enough scenery to compensate.

Passing through Long My it was a pretty little town & I was tempted to seek out a hotel & investigate further but decided to push on to Vi Thanh. My back wheel had been deflating all day but at such a slow rate a scouch of air would last me an hour or so. Thankfully it got me to Vi Thanh as I really couldn’t be bothered with oily hands & changing another back tube on route. Hunted around for a hotel finally settling for Thanh Phuc (497 Tran Hung Doa) & for $8.50 I’m more than happy; A/C, hot shower, fridge, cable TV although no outside window.

Dumped my bags before grabbing a quick noodle soup & then off to the Co-op Mart for some cheap water & beers. I’m getting really fed up with back wheel punctures so decided to switch the front tyre onto the back & vice versa. It took some time & a lot of annoying, unnecessary assistance from the locals. Cleaned up, grabbed some pork baguettes (50 cents & wonderful) before scribbling some notes & calling it a day. 

Photos of Thanh Phuc Hotel - Here

30/11/14 – Vi Thanh to Can Tho – 46km – Easy

MAP of today's journey

I had a lot of options regarding which roads to use today & decided to ignore the road signs for Can Tho & instead follow the canal (road 932 according to Google Maps) – it proved to be a good choice. A few Km’s of superhighway with no traffic on it soon gave way to a single lane road running alongside a canal with lots of traffic on it whether small canoes paddled by lone fishermen or large barges carrying sand or bricks. I even spotted a barge transporting a JCB digger.

The road passed through interesting villages with lots of colourful street side activity including many rustic wedding receptions. Crossing lots of rickety old bridges gave great vantage points to observe the canal life below & often colourful flowers adorned the houses & roadside. I was kept company by motorbikes & fellow cyclists but it was rare to find a car passing. A pretty wonderful stretch of road & one of the best of this trip so far.

I didn’t want pork & rice (or noodle soup) for breakfast again but after 20km gave up on finding anything different & pulled in for more rice & pork. Perfectly OK & for $1 great value but it does get monotonous after a time.

The road surface was somewhat rough in patches & I did worry if my old tyres would hold out, I really need to replace them ASAP.

The final 12km was on a boring 4 lane, featureless highway which I soon got bored of & with lots of time on my hands I took some back roads into Can Tho, getting lost often but seeing some interesting suburbs of the city.

Back to Xuan Mai Hotel for a $12 A/C room & handing in some laundry means I’ll be spending an extra day here. 

02/12/14 – Can Tho to Soc Trang – 61km – Easy

MAP of today's route

I’d a choice of routes today & was tempted to try the road via Ke Sach but decided as I’d not actually seem a floating market yet I’d go via Cai Rang. The floating market at Cai Rang was a disappointment, especially when viewed from a far off bridge & I realized you really need to hire a boat to get the most from such an experience.

From Cai Rang I continued on & met up with highway one, a heavily trafficked, unscenic road. Part of the reason I chose this route was to get some exposure to heavy traffic including buses, trucks & blaring horns in preparation for my run into Ho Chi Minh City. The main highways in Vietnam are obviously less enjoyable than quiet country roads but I rarely feel unsafe on then, the traffic is used to local cyclists & generally give me lots of room.

Just before Phung Hiep traffic thinned out & the road became more scenic as it followed a canal with lots of river traffic to enjoy. I’ve missed my fried egg baguettes lately but today I spotted a vendor. A lovely 50 cent snack, 2 fried eggs, always very fresh bread & enlivened with lots of vegetables & special sauces.

Arriving in a downpour

My intent was to arrive in Soc Trang early, visit a few temples & buy a new tyre but arriving in a heavy prolonged downpour meant I just basked in the luxury of my $12 room at Khach San Thien Duong Hotel – Highly recommended (see 25/11/14).

04/12/14 – Soc Trang to Tra Vinh – 62km – Easy

MAP of today's route

I had a great day yesterday aimlessly wandering around Soc Trang, visiting a few temples & always knowing I’d a wonderful room to return to. At the “Bat Pagoda” some kids were half heartedly hustling for money, only they were speaking Khmer, when I answered them in Khmer they were absolutely gob smacked & it led to me having an interesting chat with some elderly monks.

I was disappointed to be leaving Thien Duong Hotel but also keen to get moving again. I headed out onto road 60 & the run up to Dai Ngai was pleasant enough with good road conditions, pleasant scenery & the knowledge that a good meal awaited in Dai Ngai. I’d made a point of not eating anything all morning so I could do justice to Thien Nga’s “Bo Kho” (see 25/11/14). Once again it was absolutely wonderful & without her husband around she was nervous as hell serving me but I could see the delight on her face when I started wolfing it down. I’d picked a perfect time to have lunch as the schools were coming out & hoards of kids were cycling by, many of the girls elegantly dressed in Ao Dai’s.

From Dai Ngai I took 2 ferries (10 cents each) with a short, enjoyable cycle in between, eventually picking up road 60 around Cau Quan. From there the road to Tra Vinh was very enjoyable; decent road, light to moderate traffic & lots of greenery, whether coconut or banana plantations or simply mature trees lining the roadside. The road passed huge churches out of place with their rural surrounding, Chinese style temples & numerous Khmer style Wats.

Arriving in Tra Vinh I spent a long time looking for a room, nothing much seemed decent value & Luu Luyen’s $5 fan room was too much of a step down from what I’d got used to in Soc Trang. I ended up at Tra Vinh Palace 2 & a $12 A/C room with fridge, hot shower & large balcony. It’s Ok & was very quiet.

A wander around at night & I did find a great little budget restaurant. Pork patties (hamburgers) in a lovely sauce with rice & soup was delicious – not the biggest portion but who cares for $1. The foods beginning to improve as I get into more affluent areas, I do hope it continues. 

05/12/14 – Tra Vinh to My Tho – 62km – Easy

MAP of today's route

What a fantastic day & the perfect end to my Mekong Delta travels. I’d had a very enjoyable night in Tra Vinh & it’s another place I’d have liked to stay an extra day. A slow start to the day meant I didn’t get on the road until shortly after 10am.

I followed road 60 for a few km before coming to the 1^st ferry crossing which was very enjoyable with lots of river traffic & the Mekong wide & somewhat wild at this point. Disembarking, I continued to follow road 60 as close as I could although I kept accidentally branching off onto idyllic country roads. Great road conditions, great scenery & some of the most enjoyable cycling of this whole trip. It had it all, scenic river crossings, long stretches of idyllic country roads shaded by coconut palms & often I had the road to myself.

At one point I passed a wizened old lady sitting side saddle on the back rack of a bicycle as her granddaughter cycled her somewhere. Not long after I saw 2 guys shouldering a stout bamboo pole with a blanket attached thereby forming a moveable hammock. Lying inside was an ancient old woman, I presumed they were transporting her to a hospital but perhaps it was simply to give her some sun.

The second ferry crossing was a disappointment as I got hemmed in & spent 10 minutes looking at the sides of trucks & motorcycle exhausts.

Veered off the main road occasionally

Lots of tombs in the middle of rice field & presumably they bury their dead in the fields they have worked all their lives. There wasn’t much services on the road today, especially regarding food & I was glad I’d some cakes & fruit in my daypack.

Arriving in My Tho, I checked Lonely Planet & the cheapest room their researchers could come up with was $20. I like Lonely Planet & think their Vietnam guidebook is well written but it certainly doesn’t cater to budget travelers anymore. The first hotel I checked had a perfectly adequate room for $7, breakfast included.

Cong Doan Hotel, $7 fan room, cable TV – a bit scuffed & worn but still great value. That said it was bloody noisy located next to a restaurant playing music only Asians (or Westerners on drugs) can pretend to enjoy.

My Tho surprised me, a really friendly little city & I’ve had a good night & some great food here. It’s nice to be back to a place where the stalls have English language menus. I followed the LP recommendation to Hu Tien 44 & had a wonderful hu tien My Tho ($1.20) & later visited a small night market for fried noodle with seafood ($1.20).

I really wished I’d more time on my hands & would love to spend at least another day in My Tho. 
Photos of Cong Doan Hotel - Here

06/12/14 – My Tho to Ho Chi Minh – 68km – Easy

MAP of today's route

All hail Google Maps!! I put in the settings “walking to Pham Ngu Laos, Ho Chi Minh & it came up with the most fantastic route. It’s been an absolutely wonderful days cycle; indeed I think it’s the best day I’ve ever spent in the saddle.

Note the lightbulbs

Heavy traffic on the way out of My Tho distracted me from the interesting canal side scenery but I was soon onto Hiep Thanh Phu Ngai Tri road. For the next 50km I was on perfect, idyllic country roads often shaded by coconut palms or the road opening out into well tended fields of young fruit trees. There was often light bulbs strung between the rows of fruit trees; I presume to stimulate growth & would love to see it at night. White herons were often flying overhead & butterflies flirting around me.

Tombs were evident in most of the fields, whether a simple headstone or often with a fancy gazebo covering a whole family’s graves. There were beautiful farm houses everywhere I looked often with gardens of colourful flowers. Lots of local cyclists going to & fro, including many schoolgirls elegantly cycling along in their Ao Dai’s. Lots of stout, hearty “hellos” as I cycled by on mostly good single track roads although the surface did break up occasionally. Only 3 or 4 cars passed the whole route.

2 wonderful ferry crossings on smaller, more rustic ferries than before. All in the perfect cycle ride with everything I could ask for & more. Everything was so peaceful & tranquil I kept checking my map to confirm I was indeed headed to the big city.

There were few services on offer, especially food & it wasn’t until Phuoc Ly that I found a Quan Com restaurant. A wonderful chicken in a sweet chili sauce with rice & soup came to less that $1.

It wasn’t until I exited Day Thep road & onto highway 1 that I encountered any real traffic & then I only had 10km to go. Despite heavy traffic I find Ho Chi Minh an enjoyable city to cycle around & the local drivers are fairly respectful to cyclists. It didn’t take long to arrive in the Pham Ngu Lao area & I began looking for a budget room. My old standby was full but it didn’t take long to find a fan room with fridge, hot shower & safe bike storage for $10. Giang Hotel 40/26 Bui Vien, District 1 is good value if, like me, your on a tight budget.

I did have one strange & disillusional experience today. At one point I’d just passed a small town & noticed a foreign couple tinkering with the guy’s bike (high end Trek bikes, good panniers, top end cycling clothes). I stopped & said “hello” but they completely ignored me. I tried again;-

“Having problems, anything I can help you with?”

They looked at me & then spoke German to each other – I presumed they didn’t speak English but then a Vietnamese tour guide entered the scene (also on a bicycle) & the German guy said in perfect English;-

“OK, Good to go here”

So much for camaraderie on the road.

By night a few beers & some great food around Pham Ngu Lao area where I bumped into a few guys I’ve not seen for many years & a couple of Cambodian ladies I know from Sihanukville on holiday with their partners. It was a great night & I really enjoyed having some English speaking company again.
Photos of Giang Hotel - Here

20/05/15 – Long Xuyen to Rach Gia – 60km – Easy

Arriving yesterday in Long Xuyen I found Thai Duong Hotel, 12 Ly Thai To Street where for $12 I got a nice A/C room with all the trimmings & nice river view. Excellent value by Long Xuyen standards I think. Not the prettiest town in the Mekong Delta but friendly, helpful locals made it an enjoyable experience.

Today’s cycle was a pleasant route although for the first 20km until TT Nui Sap I thought I’d made a mistake with a busy, heavily trafficked highway but thereafter traffic thinned out & I could enjoy a peaceful tranquil cycle following a canal on a good, single lane road.

Arriving in Rach Gia I stumbled upon Wild Rose Hotel, 19 Tran Quang Dieu & I’m delighted with my $10 room with A/C, fridge, cable, hot shower & a great, central location.

CONCLUSIONS & OVERALL COSTS

It’s been enjoyable, effortless cycling with flat roads, mostly in very good condition & extremely manageable distances between towns. The locals have been extremely friendly & helpful everywhere. Accommodation costs more than budget rooms in Cambodia but includes more facilities (hot shower, fridge etc) & was generally very good value for money.

There have been extremely scenic & enjoyable routes but occasionally I did get bored of flat roads, rice fields, canals, fruit plantations etc & yearned for the coastal scenery of Central Vietnam or mountainous scenery of route 14.

With a few notable exceptions food was a disappointment. I like to learn about food & the dishes available as I go along but in retrospect I should have done some research on Southern Vietnamese food before arriving. That said it was always enough to sustain me & I never went hungry – just too often it was instantly forgettable.

COSTS;-

So far I’ve spent $541, an average of $23.50/day. Very roughly I’d estimate;-

Average cost for room - $10 to $11/ day

Food - $5 to $6/day

Beer (i.e. 12 cans) – $6/day

Misc, inc water, cigarettes etc - $2 to $3/ day
 
Coming soon...ish;-
Ho Chi Minh to ............well the plan was Hailong City & I've got as far as Tuy Hoa but if the weather doesn't improve soon I'll be heading West instead of North.
A Happy New Year to everyone!!
Bob Cunning
Tuy Hoa 01/01/15