I first visited Vietnam in 2003 as part of a 3-month, 5000 km cycling adventure, some of which wasn’t entirely enjoyable. I brought along a copy of Lonely Planet’s ‘Cycling Vietnam’ which suggested that the ride to do was from Hanoi to Saigon, along Highway 1. I can definitely attest to the fact that this route is not suitable for cycling due to the constant trucks with loud horns that use the highway. The good news is that there are lots of amazing cycling routes in this country, but they aren’t in Lonely Planet or any other guidebook I could find. I found many of the best routes through our local guide who knows the myriad of tiny paved roads and paths that zig-zag through the countryside that make the cycling truly enjoyable. I call him the ‘Professor’ because of his immense knowledge of the history and culture of Vietnam, of which there is a lot. When we initially designed the trip, I knew that we had to include the cities of Hanoi, and two nights in each of the Imperial City of Hue, Hoi An (Vietnam’s most charming town), Nha Trang (for its beaches and Ana Mandara Hotel) and Dalat (for its history and cool temperatures and the variety of fruits and vegetables that are grown here). For those that want to extend their trip, we offer two day extensions to each of Halong Bay, Mui Ne, Saigon and Angkor Wat (Cambodia) so travellers have the option to do more cycling while seeing more of Vietnam and Cambodia. I have returned to Vietnam several times since 2003, my last trip taking place in February 2020. The good news is that Vietnam is actually more appealing than ever, and here is why: there are more and more e-mopeds and e-bikes
I first visited Vietnam in 2003 as part of a 3-month, 5000 km cycling adventure, some of which wasn’t entirely enjoyable. I brought along a copy of Lonely Planet’s ‘Cycling Vietnam’ which suggested that the ride to do was from Hanoi to Saigon, along Highway 1. I can definitely attest to the fact that this route is not suitable for
