MAP of my journey - HERE
LIST
OF CONTENTS;
01/04/15 – Hue to Dong Ha – 90km (approx) – Easy
02/04/15 – Dong Ha to Dong Hoi – 97km – Medium04/04/15 – Dong Hoi to Phong Nha – 45km – Easy
05/04/15 – Phong Nha/ Son Trach to Ky Anh – 90km (approx) – Easy
06/04/15 – Ky Anh to Vinh – 103km – Easy
08/04/15 – Vinh to Tinh Gia – 97km – Easy
09/04/15 – Tinh Gia to Ninh Binh – 103km – Easy
12/04/15 – Ninh Binh to Hai Phong – 116km – Medium
13/04/15 – Hai Phong to Cat Ba (by ferry)
15/04/15 – Around Cat Ba – 45km (approx) – Medium
16/04/15 – Cat Ba - Cannon Fort (by foot)
17/04/15 – Cat Ba to Halong City – 43km – Easy
19/04/15 – Halong City to Hai Phong – 53km – Easy
21/04/15 – Hai Phong to Hanoi – 105km – Easy
Homeward bound (in part by train)
Conclusions & overall costs
01/04/15 – Hue to
Dong Ha – 90km (approx) – Easy
MAP of today's route
I’d intended spending a
few more days in Hue but awoke today keen to get off again. A quick omelet
& baguette ($1.20) at Café on Thu Wheels saw me set off around 10.30am.
I exited Hue via Dao Duy
Anh & then picked up TL4 road which was a pleasant ride through Hue’s
suburbs. I continued on TL 4 until Thanh Phuoc where a left turn found me
crossing Cau Tan Giang bridge before continuing along QL49B. After 10km or so I
found a turn onto a coastal road but the hoped for sea views didn’t materialize
as a large sand bank blocked the view. I continued on the coastal road until
eventually meeting up with highway one for the final 10km into Dong Ha. 
It’s been a really
enjoyable days cycling & in many ways it felt like I was back in the Mekong
Delta with good, flat roads & extremely sparse traffic, indeed most of the
time I had the roads completely to myself.  |
| Heavy traffic at times |
The scenery has varied a
lot throughout the day, from Hue’s built up suburbs out into farmland & rice
fields, moving onto sand dunes littered with graves & ornate tombs, shaded
lanes, pretty villages, vegetable plantations & open countryside. The
overall feeling was of peace & tranquility traveling over good roads devoid
of any cars or buses.
All day I’ve been passing
ornate tombs whether set in the sand dunes or rice fields & really
elaborate buildings which I can’t quite work out. I had a passing thought that
they might be temples but passing one every 100 meters realized they were just
too numerous, then it crossed my mind that they might be elaborately decorated
houses & latterly I’m inclined to think they are family mausoleums. 
I’m aware I’m not
describing my day very well not least because I’m pretty damn knackered just
now & really need a good night’s sleep. Suffice to say it was a really
enjoyable days cycling with an extremely pleasant view of rural Vietnamese
life. There weren’t many services on offer today & I was glad of some
spare rations in my daypack.
Arriving in Dong Ha I
headed straight for Violet Hotel, 77 Ba Trieu Street as recommended by Lonely
Planet & Trip Advisor & for $10.50 got a reasonable A/C room with
fridge & hot shower although it is a 20 minute walk to the town centre.
Dong Ha’s another of those
frustrating Vietnamese towns where it’s so damn difficult to find a shop with
cold beers. Thankfully it did have a Co-op Mart where I could get a bag of warm
beers to stick in the fridge.
02/04/15 – Dong Ha
to Dong Hoi – 97km – Medium
Today’s route would
normally be an “easy” grade with decent, flat roads the whole day but it’s one
of those days when I had no energy whatsoever & all day turning the pedals
has been a chore. A blisteringly hot day sapping every ounce of energy from me
didn’t help at all.
Add in being back on
highway one with occasional roadwork’s & regular convoys of horn blasting
traffic & it just didn’t add up to an enjoyable days cycling. The scenery
appeared on the whole bland & unexciting although perhaps that just
reflected my depressed mood & on occasion vast paddy fields stretching to
distant mountains was a pleasant enough backdrop.
Topping off a dreadful
day, on the outskirts of Dong Hoi I picked up my 1st puncture of
this trip. I pushed the bike to Anh Linh Hotel where they initially quoted me
$15 for a river view room with fridge but soon came down to $10 which I didn’t
realize at the time but came to learn is fantastic value for Dong Hoi.
Something I’ve ate or
drunk hasn’t agreed with me & this morning found me running to the toilet
every 10 minutes or so. I thought of having another day in Dong Hoi but decided
I could manage a 45km ride to Phong Nha.
I had to endure around
12km on highway one before turning off in Hoan Lao & immediately the pace
of life changed with quiet country roads & sparse traffic. Initially I
enjoyed a good road surface ambling through pleasant, green countryside but soon
veered off onto dusty, bumpy country tracks which passed through sprawling
green rice fields & corn plantations as I got ever closer to the dramatic scenery
of Phong Nha.
As I was entering Phong
Nha & it’s dramatic, karst topography was becoming more & more evident,
I felt a shadow pass over me. Stopping & looking up there was a huge eagle
gliding not more that 40 meters above me. A magic moment & a wonderful
introduction to the rugged beauty of Phong Nha, indeed with its picturesque
limestone karst scenery it very much reminds me of Vang Vieng in Laos. 
I searched around for a
hotel but couldn’t find any rooms with a fridge until I stumbled on Huong Giang
Hotel, $12 with A/C, fridge, hot shower but no cable TV & somewhat lacking
any furniture including a table & chair.
Unsurprisingly Phong Nha’s
a bit of a tourist trap & everywhere beer, food, water etc is more
expensive than I’m used to but with some hard bargaining I managed to get by.
I awoke today in much
better spirits than I’ve been of late & felt keen to get on the road again.
Phong Nha had only been a brief stopover but if I’d had more energy then a
visit to Paradise cave is apparently well worth it & developing a growing
international reputation. I’ve no doubt the village of Son Trach will morph
into another Vang Vieng type sprawl in the not too distant future. 
Drinking coffee &
generally lazing about as I always do of a morning meant I didn’t set off until
just before 10am. It was a lovely overcast morning with mist still shrouding
the jagged peaks when I finally did get underway. Expecting a difficult day
with scorching mid afternoon heat & a 250 meter pass at the end of the day
I shunned the dirt tracks & country lanes & instead stuck to the main
roads. 
Initially I cycled along
Ho Chi Minh (Doug), a pleasant road passing through vivid green paddy fields
with rolling hills in the background. Around My Trach a left turn saw me meet
up with TL28.
TL28 was a lovely ride on
a great road surface with next to no traffic through a thick forest of mature
trees. Extremely enjoyable, tranquil cycling. The latter part of this road
skirted a range of hills with one minor 50 meter climb to negotiate.
A great morning’s ride in
a peaceful, tranquil envelope ended as I arrived at highway one with its dust
clouds, roadworks & horn blaring traffic. Thankfully it was a short period
of roadworks before the road opened out onto a finished section of 4 lane
highway with a decent shoulder that was a joy to cycle. Highway one is going to
be an awesome road to cycle once all the roadworks are complete.
I hadn’t passed any
restaurants all day & stopped at pretty much the first one I saw. I thought
I’d ordered chicken & rice (com Ga) but instead was served a huge fish steak
with tomato, chili & vegetable dressing & a huge bowl of fish soup. It
was absolutely delicious & the first meal I’ve really enjoyed in Vietnam
for a long time. For $3 it was way too much food for one person despite my
ravenous hunger.
Pushing on, I was really
looking forward to the Deo Ngang Pass, a 250 meter pass which according to
Wikipedia;-
“From the summit the views
encompass the sandy beaches below, the forested slopes and the cultivated
fields further afield. At its peak is Hoanh Son Quan (Transverse Mountain
Gate)…….”
But as I approached it was
shrouded in mist & would have been a waste of energy with no views to
reward me. I decided to cut through the tunnel instead & save my legs for
more scenic climbs.
It meant I arrived in Ky
Anh earlier & fresher than I’d expected which was just as well as it took
me a long time to settle on a room. I checked every hotel in the damn place
& all $12 got was really shitty rooms with a bed & noting else – no
fridge, no TV, no furnishings. Literally the last place I tried & the
crappiest looking from the outside Trung Nho Hotel had nice A/C rooms for $14
with cable TV, fridge & hot shower.
A comfortable night in
Trung Nho Hotel & on opening the curtains in the morning I was delighted to
find another overcast day awaited.
Not long after Ha Tinh I
was surprised when I passed an area of brothels, each one having one or two
parasol wielding ladies by the roadside trying to lure customers in. One gang
of girls spotted me coming & ran out, linked arms & blocked my path.
They didn’t speak any English but made it perfectly clear what was on offer.
I’m surprised it was so openly displayed on highway one. 
Arriving In Vinh, I
checked a couple of hotels before settling on APEC Hotel, Ngo 1, Duong Ho Tung
Mau; $12 with A/C, fridge, elevator,
huge TV & safe bike storage. It seemed like good value & I wasn’t in
the mood to spend too long searching around for anything better.
Setting off, it was another pleasantly overcast day but
straight off I was assaulted by a vicious headwind that was to plague me all
day. I’d planned to make 140km to Thanh Hoa but realized early on it was too
ambitious cycling into this wind. Add in a constant drizzle & all day it’s
been a chore to keep the pedals turning. 
Despite enjoying a flat,
good 4 lane highway traffic did get oppressive especially when trucks parked on
the shoulder & I had to move into fast moving traffic to get around them.
It’s the most conscious of my own vulnerability I’ve ever been on highway one
& the closer I get to Hanoi the heavier & more oppressive traffic seems
to get.
Awoke to another misty,
drizzly day, it meant cool conditions for cycling but it also meant any scenery
would again be masked by a blanket of mist. Flat roads with a good shoulder
meant I made good time but it was a featureless, boring ride & I just
concentrated on keeping ticking the km off.
About 20km outside Tinh
Gia I gave up on finding an alternative to noodle soup & stopped for a
steaming bowl of noodles with minced beef, pork chop, pork balls, liver, quails
eggs & a side serving of vegetables for $1.50. Constant noodle soup may get
monotonous but it has to be said they do offer incredible value. 
A few km outside Ninh Binh
a Vietnamese cyclist caught up with me & we enjoyed a cycle into town
together. It meant he had to slow down a lot to go at my pace & I recon the
Vietnamese on their racing bikes do 30km plus an hour, they always absolutely
fly past me. Once again I was impressed how light they travel – all the way
from Saigon with just a change of clothes.
I’d had a good time in
Ninh Binh despite it being a fairly ugly city. The locals were extremely
friendly & cycling around the surrounding countryside with dramatic karst
scenery was extremely pleasant. Unfortunately it remained overcast all the time
& I never caught the countryside in its best light. 
Setting off & the 1st
20km or so on QL10 to Nam Dinh was distinctly unpleasant with a 2 lane road
& extremely heavy, oppressive traffic. There was a shoulder but most of the
traffic seemed to regard it as an overtaking lane & it was the most
unpleasant road I’ve cycled recently. 
It wasn’t until I’d passed
through Nam Dinh that all of a sudden I found myself on quiet country roads
& I could enjoy a few km’s of tranquil countryside. Before long the road
deteriorated rapidly & I found myself cycling along a bumpy cart track
which degenerated into barely a track. As the track followed a river through
open countryside, in normal circumstances it would have been an idyllic ride
but it was painfully slow going & I knew I still had a lot of ground to
cover today.
Eventually I picked up TL216
& despite being subjected to heavier traffic it was good to be able to
rattle in some km. 3pm & 60km to go I put my head down & tried to cover
as much distance as I could. Unfortunately around Vinh Bao I took a wrong turn
& ended up on TL391 instead of TL360. It meant another cycle over country
paths & back lanes; usually an enjoyable experience but not when daylight
is fading & the legs are wearying.
I didn’t arrive at Phu
Vinh Hotel (27 Hai Ba Trung) until 7pm & was really disappointed to find a
fairly shitty $13 room. Fridge, cable TV, hot shower but everything is well
worn & pretty grotty. Lacking any energy to look elsewhere I took it for a
night.
Hai Phong looked like a
really interesting city & I’d have liked to spend a day or two more but the
hotels just weren’t good value for money. It’s unfortunate as I did spot a
Giant dealership & would have liked to get some repairs done & new
tyres fitted. 
My plan had been to island
hop, cycling down to Ben Pha ferry terminal, a ferry to Doa Cat Hai, cross to
Ben Pha Cai Vieng & then cycle across Cat Ba Island to Cat Ba town. Plans
that came to naught as I awoke with a stinking hangover & decided to use
the easy more expensive tourist route.
A short cycle to Ben Binh
ferry terminal & I brushed off a tout trying to charge me $7 for me &
$7 for my bike. Picked up a ticket for me & the bike for $7 realizing it’s
the first significant transport expenditure I’ve had in over 1 year. The bike
was loaded onto the roof of what turned out to be a fairly ramshackle ferry
& the guys were gentle & careful with her – Thanks Guys!
Passengers weren’t allowed
on the roof so I found a nice perch on the prow, sat on a bag of baling twine
& settled in for my first significant public transport in over one year. It
was actually a disappointing journey as we motored downriver passing unsightly
docks, eventually entering open sea passing flat, barren islands. It wasn’t
until the final 30 minutes that the views became worthwhile as the famous
Halong Bay karst topography came into view. Passing beach fringed islands of
ragged limestone formations, then entering Cat Ba bay filled with colourful
fishing boats & evocative Chinese junks & all the time a backdrop of
karst mountains & sea eagles soaring overhead; it was a spectacular end to
what had been an ordinary journey. 
I followed a tout to Cat
Ba Dream Hotel & for $9 got a decent room with fridge & hot shower but
I later found out the Wi-Fi didn’t work in my room & there was karaoke
blasting out all night. No worries as I was to discover Cat Ba is a customer’s
paradise with hotels falling over themselves to offer good deals & I’m
looking forward to a few days of cheap living to get my budget back on track!
Cat Ba abounds with great
value hotels & after my first night I moved to My Ngoc Hotel where $8 got
me a room with fridge, hot shower & unobstructed sea & mountain views. Its
cheap living with $8 sea view rooms & cheap beer everywhere, the
restaurants are an uninspiring lot but cheap enough. 
I’ve been having a few
problems with my bike of late & the chain (or gears) has begun to slip
terribly. It desperately needs a new chain & rear cassette & both tyres
should have been replaced 1,000 km before. It was frustrating cycling Cat Ba’s
hilly terrain with slipping gears but the scenery more than compensated. 
Basically I followed the
coast as much as I could, initially I enjoyed good reads which later on broke
up & deteriorated into bumpy, gravelly tracks. There was some wonderful
scenery on route with islands of rugged limestone formations, fishing boats
chugging to & fro & countless eagles soaring overhead. 
A few 50 meter inclines
found me racing down my gears & laboring somewhat but there was always
ample compensation from the views on offer. At the junction to road 356B I
turned inland & enjoyed an idyllic cycle ride through fairly mountainous
terrain with dramatic rock formations & forest clad limestone peaks all around.
Eagles soaring, overhead, birdsong & insect choirs were my only companions
on a surprisingly good road surface.
Turning onto Duong Xuyen
Dao Cat Ba the incredibly beautiful mountain scenery continued & with
almost no traffic the peace & tranquility continued. A few minor hills to
tackle (around 50 meters) but nothing overly strenuous.
06/04/15 – Ky Anh to
Vinh – 103km – Easy
A comfortable night in
Trung Nho Hotel & on opening the curtains in the morning I was delighted to
find another overcast day awaited.
All day was on highway one
with a nice 4 lane highway, good shoulder & no roadworks all day. The good
road surface, flat terrain & cooler, overcast conditions meant I made good
time throughout.
The scenery might have
been impressive in better conditions as rice fields stretched to distant hills
but with the hills smothered in a blanket of haze it was fairly uninspiring
today. It didn’t matter as I was just enjoying being out there clicking in the
km’s.
As the road skirted Hong
Linh the scenery did improve & for the final 15 to 20km the road passed
through a range of hills with vibrant green fields everywhere – very enjoyable
cycling.
Not long after Ha Tinh I
was surprised when I passed an area of brothels, each one having one or two
parasol wielding ladies by the roadside trying to lure customers in. One gang
of girls spotted me coming & ran out, linked arms & blocked my path.
They didn’t speak any English but made it perfectly clear what was on offer.
I’m surprised it was so openly displayed on highway one.
Ever since Hue services
have been a problem for me & there are no longer any Quan Com or point
& order restaurants. It means looking out for transport cafes that have a
few customers, wandering around looking at what they are eating, point to one
& make them understand I want the same as him. Thankfully most customers
are incredibly understanding of the strange foreigner wandering around staring
at what they are eating; indeed on many occasions they will offer me a taste of
their dish first.
Arriving In Vinh, I
checked a couple of hotels before settling on APEC Hotel, Ngo 1, Duong Ho Tung
Mau; $12 with A/C, fridge, elevator,
huge TV & safe bike storage. It seemed like good value & I wasn’t in
the mood to spend too long searching around for anything better.
By night I enjoyed a
lovely fish stew with fresh baguette & then the best spring rolls I’ve ever
tasted at a night market not far from the hotel before grabbing a bag of beers
for the room.
08/04/15 – Vinh to
Tinh Gia – 97km – Easy
Lonely Planet might call
it “grim Vinh” & undoubtedly it is a pretty ugly city but I found Vinh to
be an amazingly friendly & enjoyable place to stopover.
Setting off, it was another pleasantly overcast day but
straight off I was assaulted by a vicious headwind that was to plague me all
day. I’d planned to make 140km to Thanh Hoa but realized early on it was too
ambitious cycling into this wind. Add in a constant drizzle & all day it’s
been a chore to keep the pedals turning.
I’ve no idea about the
scenery on this stretch as everything was blanketed in a curtain of mist.
Despite enjoying a flat,
good 4 lane highway traffic did get oppressive especially when trucks parked on
the shoulder & I had to move into fast moving traffic to get around them.
It’s the most conscious of my own vulnerability I’ve ever been on highway one
& the closer I get to Hanoi the heavier & more oppressive traffic seems
to get.
Arriving in Tinh Gia around
around 5pm I checked most of the hotels in town but again there wasn’t much on
offer other than $14 & up rooms. Hoang Thanh Hotel with A/C, fridge etc is
the best of a bad lot. It meant putting up with pretty abysmal karaoke until
10pm.
09/04/15 – Tinh Gia
to Ninh Binh – 103km – Easy
Awoke to another misty,
drizzly day, it meant cool conditions for cycling but it also meant any scenery
would again be masked by a blanket of mist. Flat roads with a good shoulder
meant I made good time but it was a featureless, boring ride & I just
concentrated on keeping ticking the km off.
About 20km outside Tinh
Gia I gave up on finding an alternative to noodle soup & stopped for a
steaming bowl of noodles with minced beef, pork chop, pork balls, liver, quails
eggs & a side serving of vegetables for $1.50. Constant noodle soup may get
monotonous but it has to be said they do offer incredible value.
Pushing on through more
mist obscured terrain I passed through Thanh Hoa which proved to be an ugly,
unsightly town. Shortly after Bim Son it was evident that I was missing
dramatic scenery & that jagged limestone karst formations were being
obscured by the adverse weather conditions.
A few km outside Ninh Binh
a Vietnamese cyclist caught up with me & we enjoyed a cycle into town
together. It meant he had to slow down a lot to go at my pace & I recon the
Vietnamese on their racing bikes do 30km plus an hour, they always absolutely
fly past me. Once again I was impressed how light they travel – all the way
from Saigon with just a change of clothes.
I headed straight to Thanh
Thuy Hotel where for $12 (after some pretty hard bargaining) I got a big room,
fridge, hot shower & was delighted to find they could do my laundry.
At night I tried a local
restaurant doing Western food but their attempt at chicken & mushroom pasta
was a distinct disappointment.
12/04/15 – Ninh Binh
to Hai Phong – 116km – Medium
MAP of today's route (excluding my pointless detour)
MAP of today's route (excluding my pointless detour)
I’d had a good time in
Ninh Binh despite it being a fairly ugly city. The locals were extremely
friendly & cycling around the surrounding countryside with dramatic karst
scenery was extremely pleasant. Unfortunately it remained overcast all the time
& I never caught the countryside in its best light. 
Setting off & the 1st
20km or so on QL10 to Nam Dinh was distinctly unpleasant with a 2 lane road
& extremely heavy, oppressive traffic. There was a shoulder but most of the
traffic seemed to regard it as an overtaking lane & it was the most
unpleasant road I’ve cycled recently. 
It wasn’t until I’d passed
through Nam Dinh that all of a sudden I found myself on quiet country roads
& I could enjoy a few km’s of tranquil countryside. Before long the road
deteriorated rapidly & I found myself cycling along a bumpy cart track
which degenerated into barely a track. As the track followed a river through
open countryside, in normal circumstances it would have been an idyllic ride
but it was painfully slow going & I knew I still had a lot of ground to
cover today.
Eventually I picked up TL216
& despite being subjected to heavier traffic it was good to be able to
rattle in some km. 3pm & 60km to go I put my head down & tried to cover
as much distance as I could. Unfortunately around Vinh Bao I took a wrong turn
& ended up on TL391 instead of TL360. It meant another cycle over country
paths & back lanes; usually an enjoyable experience but not when daylight
is fading & the legs are wearying.  |
| Butchers shop maybe?? |
At night I found the
traffic extremely oppressive & found it difficult trying to cross roads. A
noodle soup, bag of beers & some cakes from a local bakery saw me retire to
the peace & quiet of my room.
13/04/15 – Hai Phong
to Cat Ba (by ferry)
Hai Phong looked like a
really interesting city & I’d have liked to spend a day or two more but the
hotels just weren’t good value for money. It’s unfortunate as I did spot a
Giant dealership & would have liked to get some repairs done & new
tyres fitted. 
My plan had been to island
hop, cycling down to Ben Pha ferry terminal, a ferry to Doa Cat Hai, cross to
Ben Pha Cai Vieng & then cycle across Cat Ba Island to Cat Ba town. Plans
that came to naught as I awoke with a stinking hangover & decided to use
the easy more expensive tourist route.
A short cycle to Ben Binh
ferry terminal & I brushed off a tout trying to charge me $7 for me &
$7 for my bike. Picked up a ticket for me & the bike for $7 realizing it’s
the first significant transport expenditure I’ve had in over 1 year. The bike
was loaded onto the roof of what turned out to be a fairly ramshackle ferry
& the guys were gentle & careful with her – Thanks Guys!
Passengers weren’t allowed
on the roof so I found a nice perch on the prow, sat on a bag of baling twine
& settled in for my first significant public transport in over one year. It
was actually a disappointing journey as we motored downriver passing unsightly
docks, eventually entering open sea passing flat, barren islands. It wasn’t
until the final 30 minutes that the views became worthwhile as the famous
Halong Bay karst topography came into view. Passing beach fringed islands of
ragged limestone formations, then entering Cat Ba bay filled with colourful
fishing boats & evocative Chinese junks & all the time a backdrop of
karst mountains & sea eagles soaring overhead; it was a spectacular end to
what had been an ordinary journey. 
I followed a tout to Cat
Ba Dream Hotel & for $9 got a decent room with fridge & hot shower but
I later found out the Wi-Fi didn’t work in my room & there was karaoke
blasting out all night. No worries as I was to discover Cat Ba is a customer’s
paradise with hotels falling over themselves to offer good deals & I’m
looking forward to a few days of cheap living to get my budget back on track!
15/04/15 – Around
Cat Ba – 45km (approx) – Medium
Cat Ba abounds with great
value hotels & after my first night I moved to My Ngoc Hotel where $8 got
me a room with fridge, hot shower & unobstructed sea & mountain views. Its
cheap living with $8 sea view rooms & cheap beer everywhere, the
restaurants are an uninspiring lot but cheap enough. 
I’ve been having a few
problems with my bike of late & the chain (or gears) has begun to slip
terribly. It desperately needs a new chain & rear cassette & both tyres
should have been replaced 1,000 km before. It was frustrating cycling Cat Ba’s
hilly terrain with slipping gears but the scenery more than compensated.
Today I set out for a
nice, easy ride not quite realizing how hilly the terrain was or indeed how
large the island is. It meant I had more of a workout than I planned.
Basically I followed the
coast as much as I could, initially I enjoyed good reads which later on broke
up & deteriorated into bumpy, gravelly tracks. There was some wonderful
scenery on route with islands of rugged limestone formations, fishing boats
chugging to & fro & countless eagles soaring overhead. 
A few 50 meter inclines
found me racing down my gears & laboring somewhat but there was always
ample compensation from the views on offer. At the junction to road 356B I
turned inland & enjoyed an idyllic cycle ride through fairly mountainous
terrain with dramatic rock formations & forest clad limestone peaks all around.
Eagles soaring, overhead, birdsong & insect choirs were my only companions
on a surprisingly good road surface.
Turning onto Duong Xuyen
Dao Cat Ba the incredibly beautiful mountain scenery continued & with
almost no traffic the peace & tranquility continued. A few minor hills to
tackle (around 50 meters) but nothing overly strenuous.
It was a great little
loop, despite struggling a bit with my slipping gears & going from lovely
coastal scenery & sea views to ragged peaks & forest clad mountains gave
me a small snapshot of Vietnam all within one day.
I’m enjoying relaxing in
Cat Ba & with an $8 room & cheap (if uninspiring) restaurants it means
I’m getting my budget back on track. I decided to have an extra day here &
visit Cannon Fort. Deciding a day off the bike would do me good I hiked up the
1.5km to the Fort which sits at an elevation of 177 meters. 
It was a pleasant walk up
& arriving at the fort I was rewarded with absolutely stunning views.
North, South, East & West, the whole of Halong Bay was laid out in front of
me; outlying islands, beaches, coves with fishing fleets moored therein, the
jungle clad mountainous interior, Cat Ba town - all laid out in wonderful
panoramic views. It really was an absolutely stunning vantage point.
A slow hike back down
& I enjoyed the rest of the day sitting around Cat Ba waterfront savoring
the views & soaking up the laid back atmosphere.
What an absolutely
mind-blowing day’s travel – some of the most wonderful scenery I’ve ever
traveled through.
It was 22km of wonderful
cycling over good roads which I had mostly to myself passing through absolutely
sublime scenery; towering karst mountains, thick forest, jagged peaks, eagles
soaring overhead & butterflies flirting everywhere. It was slow going as
every few minutes I had to stop & take a photo of the ever more dramatic
landscape & every bend brought more wonderful views.
I’d skipped breakfast in
the expectation of some restaurants at the ferry port but there wasn’t much on
offer other than instant noodle soup. It meant breaking open my last emergency
tin of tuna before picking up a ticket ($3) for the ferry to Tuan Chau island
& what a wonderful journey ensued. 
A one hour ferry journey
through yet more sublime scenery as the boat weaved its way through dramatic karst
mountains & islands rising out of the sea. Turquoise water, deserted
beaches & fishing junks all complemented the scene. It really was a
fantastic journey not least having the ferry pretty much to myself. 
A cycle over the island
passing lots of up market hotels & resorts then onto a long but mercifully
flat bridge to the mainland before following the coast into Halong City. My 1st
stop Viet Nhat Halong Hotel was full but a short hunt around & I settled on
Van Nam Hotel, 31 Vuon Doa Street, Bai Chay with a $12 room, fridge, cable, hot
shower & oblique sea view.
Halong City wasn’t the
most enjoyable stopover & turned out to be a pretty boring little town with
any views of the scenic bay hidden behind developer’s billboards. 
Crossing a bridge &
taking a left onto Yen Lap road found me back on quiet country lanes. It’s
always nice to get off the main highways & enjoy peaceful country roads
with a tranquil pace of life & next to no traffic. The road surface soon
deteriorated to compacted clay as it wound its way through flooded fields. It
was painfully slow going, not least having to check my co-ordinates every 15
minutes or so. 
After winding through
tranquil countryside & small villages for a time I eventually picked up a
main road allowing me to make good time again. Despite being on a main road it
remained a peaceful ride.
Arriving in Hai Phong
early I spent a long time cycling around & looking at rooms. Like Danang,
it’s one of those cities that just doesn’t have good value budget rooms on offer.
I came to realize the slightly grotty, well worn $13 room I’d had at Phu Vinh
Hotel, 27-29 Hai Ba Trung Street was as good as a budget traveler will find in
this city. It’s a pity as there’s a nice feel to Hai Phong & it’s a place
I’d like to spend more time.
16/04/15 – Cat Ba -
Cannon Fort (by foot)
I’m enjoying relaxing in
Cat Ba & with an $8 room & cheap (if uninspiring) restaurants it means
I’m getting my budget back on track. I decided to have an extra day here &
visit Cannon Fort. Deciding a day off the bike would do me good I hiked up the
1.5km to the Fort which sits at an elevation of 177 meters. 
It was a pleasant walk up
& arriving at the fort I was rewarded with absolutely stunning views.
North, South, East & West, the whole of Halong Bay was laid out in front of
me; outlying islands, beaches, coves with fishing fleets moored therein, the
jungle clad mountainous interior, Cat Ba town - all laid out in wonderful
panoramic views. It really was an absolutely stunning vantage point.
I can understand its
historically strategic significance as there is no way anyone could approach
the mainland without being spotted. I spent a couple of very enjoyable hours
there, taking in the sublime views, watching eagles circle overhead &
listening to birdsong & insect choirs. It was as idyllic & tranquil a
spot as I’ve been to in many a year.
A slow hike back down
& I enjoyed the rest of the day sitting around Cat Ba waterfront savoring
the views & soaking up the laid back atmosphere.
It’s been a great stopover
& just the peaceful, pleasant place I’d needed to rest up & recharge my
batteries, with a bonus being it’s an extremely economical town to stay in.
That said, I’m aware that one more day will be one day too many & I’m keen
to get off for pastures new tomorrow.
What an absolutely
mind-blowing day’s travel – some of the most wonderful scenery I’ve ever
traveled through.
Anyone following this
route will be cursing me for the 1st 5km wondering why I gave it an
easy grade as the road climbs up to around 100 meters. The good news is the
hard part is over & despite cycling through mountainous terrain the road is
surprisingly flat with only a couple of minor inclines just before the ferry
port.
It was 22km of wonderful
cycling over good roads which I had mostly to myself passing through absolutely
sublime scenery; towering karst mountains, thick forest, jagged peaks, eagles
soaring overhead & butterflies flirting everywhere. It was slow going as
every few minutes I had to stop & take a photo of the ever more dramatic
landscape & every bend brought more wonderful views.
Arriving at Ben Pha ferry
port, I’d just missed the 11.30 ferry & had to wait for the 1pm boat. No
problem as it was a stunning place to spend an hour or so. Cat Ba Island with its
dramatic mountainous interior & out to sea rugged karst mountains rising
out of the water; again sublime views & I spent an idyllic hour enjoying
the scenery & watching eagles glide overhead.
I’d skipped breakfast in
the expectation of some restaurants at the ferry port but there wasn’t much on
offer other than instant noodle soup. It meant breaking open my last emergency
tin of tuna before picking up a ticket ($3) for the ferry to Tuan Chau island
& what a wonderful journey ensued. 
A one hour ferry journey
through yet more sublime scenery as the boat weaved its way through dramatic karst
mountains & islands rising out of the sea. Turquoise water, deserted
beaches & fishing junks all complemented the scene. It really was a
fantastic journey not least having the ferry pretty much to myself.
Arriving in Tuan Chau I
found my front wheel completely deflated so pushed the bike off the ferry,
found some shade & set about changing tubes. Thankfully I’d time to kill
& there was no need to rush.
A cycle over the island
passing lots of up market hotels & resorts then onto a long but mercifully
flat bridge to the mainland before following the coast into Halong City. My 1st
stop Viet Nhat Halong Hotel was full but a short hunt around & I settled on
Van Nam Hotel, 31 Vuon Doa Street, Bai Chay with a $12 room, fridge, cable, hot
shower & oblique sea view.
By night I enjoyed some
seafood spring rolls & seafood noodle soup ($4 in total) before hitting a
bakery for some chocolate cakes & picking up some beers for the room. It’s
been a wonderful day’s travel & the scenery’s been the best I’ve
experienced since cycling from Tuy Hoa to Quy Nhon.
Halong City wasn’t the
most enjoyable stopover & turned out to be a pretty boring little town with
any views of the scenic bay hidden behind developer’s billboards.
I set out on Halong Quoc
Viet road, a 15km stretch which skirted the bay on a good highway with
moderately heavy (but not oppressive) traffic.
Crossing a bridge &
taking a left onto Yen Lap road found me back on quiet country lanes. It’s
always nice to get off the main highways & enjoy peaceful country roads
with a tranquil pace of life & next to no traffic. The road surface soon
deteriorated to compacted clay as it wound its way through flooded fields. It
was painfully slow going, not least having to check my co-ordinates every 15
minutes or so. 
After winding through
tranquil countryside & small villages for a time I eventually picked up a
main road allowing me to make good time again. Despite being on a main road it
remained a peaceful ride.
A 35 cent ferry crossing
at Pha Rung & I again found myself winding through quiet country lanes,
indeed often no more than dirt tracks. It was lovely, peaceful countryside
& with lanes often shaded by mature trees it was very pleasant, if slow,
cycling. Eventually I arrived at another ferry terminal for a 30 cent ride over
to Hai Phong’s outskirts.
 |
Once again cold beers
proved elusive & at night I had to buy warm beer & try to fast chill
them in my freezer compartment.
I’d enjoyed a good
stopover in Hai Phong, a friendly city with some great value restaurants &
it was so good to be enjoying tasty food again. Bo Bo on Hai Ba Trung was my favorite
with good food at budget prices & an easy to use picture menu. Viet Nhat
Hotel was OK once I accepted it’s as good as one gets for $13 in Hai Phong. 
After 15km or so the road
surface deteriorated & I spent a lot of time cycling over bumpy cart tracks
& occasionally what was barely a track through rice fields. It was slow
going but pleasant countryside with a peaceful, tranquil air to it; rice fields,
fish farms, small villages, rivers & ferry crossings provided plenty of
variety & it was a really enjoyable cycle ride. 
My only concern was my
slow pace with rough road surfaces & having to check my location every 10
minutes or so. When Google maps is sending you down small dirt lanes & over
barely discernable tracks through rice fields it’s all too easy to veer off
course. 
Pushing on & the road
surface remained good with fairly light traffic & passed through pleasant
countryside until around 15km outside Hanoi where I picked up a main highway
for the run into the city. It was back to heavy trucks & horn blasting
buses with motorbikes, cycles & sometimes cars coming straight at me on the
wrong side of the road. Add on everyone just pulling out in front of me without
looking & I really needed 100% concentration at all times. It wasn’t a
great end to what had been a good days cycling.
After a long day cycling
with a final harrowing few km through heavy, intense traffic I just want to
find a nice room & relax but sod’s law that’s when things go wrong. Trying
a few recommended hotels in the old quarter they were all full. I spent 2 hours
cycling around looking for a budget room when all I really wanted was a shower
& cold beer. Eventually I paid $14 for a clean room with fridge & A/C
but it’s located next to the reception & I know it’s going to be bloody
noisy.
Disaster struck in Hanoi
as my bank cancelled my ATM card & my back up travelers cheques proved to
be obsolete, even HSBC & ANZ banks would not accept them. I suddenly found
myself with $500 to get me back home to Cambodia. To compound my problems it
was a major Vietnamese holiday & every single berth on the trains were full
for the next 5 days.
It meant putting my head
down & rattling in the 666km to Hue where I arrived completely exhausted
one week later. The holiday period meant it had been almost impossible to find
a room in some towns on route (Dong Hoi in particular, where all I could find
was a hammock on the beach courtesy of Beachside Backpackers). An extremely
heated phone call to my bank & a threat to refer them to the banking
ombudsman finally got my ATM card reinstated.
After a much needed rest
up in Hue I used the trains to travel to Nha Trang & then onto Saigon. The
trains with a luggage carriage leave & arrive at inconvenient times &
so on both occasions I put my bike on a train the day before & then caught
a more conveniently timed train the following day to be reunited with my bike.
Or that was the plan but on both occasions I arrived after 5pm when the luggage
collection office closes & had to return the following day to collect my
bike. 
From Hue to Nha Trang the
soft seat option was full & so I chose a mid level sleeper berth for $25,
transporting my bike cost $6. It was a comfortable, enjoyable journey & my
bike was well looked after & returned in exactly the condition I’d left
her. There is a 50 cent porter’s fee levied on collection. I didn’t note the
prices from Nha Trang to Saigon but it was a very similar experience as the
train to Nha Trang.
I’d enjoyed a good
stopover in Hai Phong, a friendly city with some great value restaurants &
it was so good to be enjoying tasty food again. Bo Bo on Hai Ba Trung was my favorite
with good food at budget prices & an easy to use picture menu. Viet Nhat
Hotel was OK once I accepted it’s as good as one gets for $13 in Hai Phong.
A short cycle through
heavy city traffic & it wasn’t long before I tuned onto An Kim Road &
into quiet countryside. Initially the road followed a canal, with a good road
surface & light traffic it was a pleasant start to my day.
After 15km or so the road
surface deteriorated & I spent a lot of time cycling over bumpy cart tracks
& occasionally what was barely a track through rice fields. It was slow
going but pleasant countryside with a peaceful, tranquil air to it; rice fields,
fish farms, small villages, rivers & ferry crossings provided plenty of
variety & it was a really enjoyable cycle ride. 
My only concern was my
slow pace with rough road surfaces & having to check my location every 10
minutes or so. When Google maps is sending you down small dirt lanes & over
barely discernable tracks through rice fields it’s all too easy to veer off
course.
Just before TT Thanh Ha I
got back onto proper road surfaces with slightly heavier traffic & could
start to eat up some km. Spotting my first Quan Com (or point & order)
restaurant for some time in Hai Duong I wolfed down a fairly bland stir fried
beef over rice ($1).
Realizing I still had
around 50km to go I considered stopping in Hai Duong & in retrospect I
should have as arriving in Hanoi at 7pm & then hunting around for an
affordable room proved no fun whatsoever.
Pushing on & the road
surface remained good with fairly light traffic & passed through pleasant
countryside until around 15km outside Hanoi where I picked up a main highway
for the run into the city. It was back to heavy trucks & horn blasting
buses with motorbikes, cycles & sometimes cars coming straight at me on the
wrong side of the road. Add on everyone just pulling out in front of me without
looking & I really needed 100% concentration at all times. It wasn’t a
great end to what had been a good days cycling. 
After a long day cycling
with a final harrowing few km through heavy, intense traffic I just want to
find a nice room & relax but sod’s law that’s when things go wrong. Trying
a few recommended hotels in the old quarter they were all full. I spent 2 hours
cycling around looking for a budget room when all I really wanted was a shower
& cold beer. Eventually I paid $14 for a clean room with fridge & A/C
but it’s located next to the reception & I know it’s going to be bloody
noisy.
Homeward bound (in
part by train)
 |
| This guy really was struggling |
 |
| Pigs for the market |
 |
| Goats for the market |
From Hue to Nha Trang the
soft seat option was full & so I chose a mid level sleeper berth for $25,
transporting my bike cost $6. It was a comfortable, enjoyable journey & my
bike was well looked after & returned in exactly the condition I’d left
her. There is a 50 cent porter’s fee levied on collection. I didn’t note the
prices from Nha Trang to Saigon but it was a very similar experience as the
train to Nha Trang.
A weeks rest up in Nha
Trang & a few days in Saigon found me refreshed & keen to cycle the Mekong
Delta & then back home to Sihanukville in Cambodia.
 |
| Heartbreaking - What the photo doesn't show is the pathetic yelps & whines. Most likely some were family pets. Dog napping is a rife in Vietnam & Cambodia. |
CONCLUSIONS
Cat Ba island was a
definite highlight for me with some wonderful scenery & great value hotels.
Dong Hoi was a pretty little town & the countryside around Phong Nha &
Ninh Binh was pretty spectacular. The cities of Vinh & Hai Phong may not be
picturesque I enjoyed them for their wonderfully friendly, helpful locals. Some
of the country roads were a joy to cycle but much of my memory of this route is
slogging up highway one with fairly bland, featureless scenery.
If I revisit the area
someday I’d be tempted to use the train between Dong Hoi & Ninh Binh &
save many days slogging through fairly ordinary scenery. Hanoi should have been
a highlight but I was too stressed out about my bank card to really enjoy or
take note of its attractions.
I’ve had a great time in
Vietnam but became aware towards the end of this trip that I also need a long
break from the country & especially that I was getting really bored with
Vietnamese food. North of Hue the cost of living did increase slightly, especially
for accommodation but remained great value by any yardstick. The locals have
been an absolute joy to travel amongst everywhere I’ve been in Vietnam;
friendly, hospitable, helpful & other than a few exceptions very honest.
I’m sure after a few months
away from Vietnam I’ll be keen to return & explore new areas as well as
revisit some of my favorite haunts but for now I’m enjoying being in Cambodia
having a break from Vietnam, a break from cycling & a soon a break from
blogging.
OVERALL COSTS
I spent $2,174 in the 85
days I was in Vietnam or $25.58/ day.
Very approximately this
would reflect a daily cost of;-
Accommodation - $10 to $11
($12 to $14 North of Hue)
Food - $5 to $6
Beer - $6 (ie 12 cans)
Miscellaneous - $2 to $3
(cigarette, water, soft drinks etc)
Transport - $1 (train
& ferry costs)
Bob Cunning,
Sihanukville, Cambodia.
10/06/15
Bob Cunning,
Sihanukville, Cambodia.
10/06/15
thank for you sharing!
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