Vietnam Biking
Thread started by
PeterR at 03.19.11 - 9:42 pm
if anyone has any ideas, jackie and i will be there in a week or so, looking to do some modest touring around the south.. leaving for hong kong tonight but i will check this thread in the coming week to see if anyone might have thoughts -- thanks!
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no ideas, but that's awesome.
X-Large03.20.11 - 12:25 am
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I'll be in HK in the Fall.
Tell me what you find :]
aksendz responding to a
comment by X-Large
03.20.11 - 2:52 am
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Perhaps John Vu can help, he has ridden there before. I'll let him know.
Joe Borfo03.20.11 - 1:41 pm
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I haven't toured per se, but back in 98, I would rent bikes for a $1 day in each city and just wander around forever and had a blast!
I would get lost and old folks would try to give me directions in French, super friendly people.
liquidpremium03.20.11 - 8:04 pm
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O HAI!
Borfo, I have been back three times, 1998, 2001, and 2010 but strangely enough never ridden a bike there! What kind of tour is this? Loaded camping? Credit card? How much money do you want to spend? Do you just want to ride bikes in Vietnam?
I'm not an expert on the subject, but Vietnam is a pretty bikeable country from what I saw the two times I've been, the last in February 2010. Even in the big cities it's totally OK to be slower traffic, people are used to seeing old women riding 5 mph on the streets and will just pass you.
There's uneven roads outside the cities, so I would definitely recommend at least 700x35 tires, I would think fattish 26" tires are even better since it's probably easier to find tubes and tires. As far as routes I think most are safe, even the highways. I saw a few roadies riding those on our way to Vung Tau.
Where to go? Depends on what you're after. Phan Thiet, Da Lat would be my overnight spots while places like Vung Tau, Mekong Delta area, and Cu Chi tunnels are day trips. Vung Tau is more of a locals resort, it's more like a crowded American beach town with really good seafood restaurants and a local specialty, banh khot:
http://www.vnnavi.com/restaurants/gocvusua/en_index.html
The vistas are pretty nice on the highway on the water. Phan Thiet is further out has more of an idyllic resort feel. I liked Phan Thiet a lot, the resorts there are pretty fabulous and inexpensive and the beaches clean. We stayed at the Saigon Mui Ne:
http://www.vietnamhotels.biz/saigonmuine/index.htm
I think the NYT has a good starting out point:
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/asia/vietnam/ho-chi-minh-city/overview.html
cabhauler03.21.11 - 5:13 am
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may no longer be the case, but I recall bike mechanics just hanging out on street corners ready to go in the cities, so having universal equipment would be to your benefit.
liquidpremium responding to a
comment by cabhauler
03.21.11 - 7:12 am
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oh yeah and talk to bobdotorg. he has toured just about everywhere in SE Asia on his bike.
liquidpremium03.21.11 - 7:13 am
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Good advice would be to located a Rida who went there but not with their parents. My trips were with family so that prevented me from really digging deep in, it was more like hanging out, we weren't trying our hardest to get in trouble. Maybe my suggestions, outside of "just party and hang out in the city," might not be the most adventurous!
cabhauler responding to a
comment by liquidpremium
03.21.11 - 11:08 am
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het peterR,
i would like to know more about your experiences in HK.
aksendz @ gmail.com
aksendz responding to a
comment by cabhauler
03.24.11 - 3:09 am
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San Diego Tommy rode all throughout Southeast Asia. (@LudaCris on here, I think...something like that.) Unfortunately, I don't have his email address, but maybe someone who does could ask him to check out this thread.
Ms. Stephanie responding to a
comment by aksendz
03.24.11 - 1:14 pm
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thanks borfo for the forward! and john for all the info! we have nothing really 'planned' in VN so far, but we fly into Saigon tonight -- and will be there for two weeks, can't wait. your observations/experiences/ideas are super helpful, so thanks again. aksendz -- i will email you, what I can -- we were here in HK mostly for work type stuff and didn't have too much play time, also, it isn't too bike friendly on HK island (i tried, i tried) actually pretty difficult to get around any old way -- by foot, bike, car, or bus but it is an awesome place nonetheless, sure you will love it. some of the other islands around have space and opportunities for biking, so yeah i'll email you at some point with what we've found.
PeterR03.24.11 - 7:40 pm
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I've not biked in Vietnam, but have biked all over HK Island.
I lived in Midlevels and the walking / jogging paths around the Peak are a blast - you'll get views unavailable to the standard tourist.
Note that you'll probably want a triple - it's quite steep.
But my favorite rides out there were through Tai Tam Park. It's huge, and mostly deserted. I get deja-vu when I'm at Lake Hollywood. There are 'No Biking' signs, but I was never hassled. If you have time, you can continue southwest to Shek-O.
HK island is one of my favorite places to ride - the juxtaposition of raw nature with an insanely dense urban environment is unmatched.
Let me know if you would like some specific HK routes.
bobdotorg03.25.11 - 1:44 pm
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