South Central Vietnam, Part 2

Approximate maps of my route HERE & HERE
Deviations from this route will be shown in individual sections.

LIST OF CONTENTS;-

09/01/15 – Quy Nhon to Tuy Hoa – 100km – Medium

10/01/15 – Tuy Hoa to Hai Rieng – 62km – Medium

11/01/15 – Hai Rieng to M’Drak – 55km – Medium

12/01/15 – M’Drak to Buon Ma Thuot – 88km – Medium

14/01/15 – Buon Ma Thuot to Dak Mil – 62km – Medium

15/01/15 – Dak Mil to Gia Nghai – 65km – Medium

16/01/15 – Gia Nghai to Duc Phong – 65km – Medium

17/01/15 – Duc Phong to Dong Xoai – 56km – Medium

18/01/15 – Dong Xoai to Ho Chi Minh – 105km – Medium

20/01/15 – Ho Chi Minh to My Tho – 65km – Medium

21/01/15 – My Tho to Cao Lanh – 105km – Easy

22/01/15 – Cao Lanh to Chau Doc – 82km – Easy

24/01/15 – Chau Doc – Tri Ton – Tinh Bien – Easy

25/01/15 – Tinh Bien to Ha Tien – 74km – Easy

26/01/15 – Ha Tien to Sihanukville – 150km – Easy/ Medium

CONCLUSIONS & OVERALL COSTS

09/01/15 – Quy Nhon to Tuy Hoa – 100km – Medium

 

I exited Quy Nhon via a little country road (Mong Cam Road) which was steep & windy all the way to road QL 1D. It was a nice cycle but it meant missing out on the panoramic views of Quy Nhon town & beachfront & coming into or out of town on QL 1D is a much more scenic option.

I soon realized traveling North to South is far less scenic & a roads width between me & the views meant missing much of the awesome, spectacular scenery. Indeed I soon moved to the opposite shoulder & cycled against the traffic to make the most of the views, traffic was light enough for this not to be a problem.

10 cent toll - refer 4/1/15

From Song Cau to Tuy Hoa I stuck with highway 1, not as scenic as the detour I’d made on 4/1/15 but much quicker & far easier on my legs. Back to a really nice room in Thanh Van 3 Hotel & some great food in Bob’s American Café.

10/01/15 – Tuy Hoa to Hai Rieng – 62km – Medium

 MAP of today's route

It’s been an enjoyable days cycling with scenery completely different from the dramatic coastal scenery I’ve become used to. Unsure of what services would be available today I stocked up on 2 litres of water & forced down a fried egg baguette before setting off.

Exiting Tuy Hoa I enjoyed long straight roads, crossing 2 bridges before Google maps sent me through small villages. Single track roads with no cars but a few bullock carts trundling by & lots of local cyclists, an idyllic, enjoyable stretch of road, finally meeting up with QL 26. Thereafter it was a good road surface, very light traffic & pleasant, if undramatic scenery. Green, vibrant rice fields, pretty little farmsteads & occasionally passing through interesting little villages.

I love cycling around midday as the schools come out & suddenly the roads are full of school kids cycling home. They completely take over the road, often cycling 4 abreast, chatting away oblivious to the traffic trying to pass. 

Services had indeed been thin on the ground & when I spotted a Quan Com restaurant around the 40km mark I wolfed down some pork & rice. A timely fill up as there wasn’t much on offer the rest of the way & around the 50km mark the effortless flat roads were replaced with constant inclines & declines with one prolonged & fairly steep incline 2 or 3km before Hai Rieng. Coffee plantations & rolling hills replaced the flatland scenery.

Arriving in Hai Rieng fairly early I considered pushing on but didn’t know where the next hotel would be, I’d been inflating yet another slow puncture to my back wheel every 40 minutes or so & the rain was pissing down. All fairly good indications it was time to call it a day. Checking (Khach San) Huu Minh, 87 Le Loi made my mind up & for $8 I’ve a lovely big A/C room, fridge, hot shower, decent wi-fi & a lovely street side balcony. Much nicer than I’d expected to find in Hai Rieng.

Tomorrow I’ve a choice of routes & can’t decide on trying 100km to Buon Ho which looks less mountainous but a long way if there are no services between or 54km to M’Drak which looks extremely mountainous & again no significant services on route. 
Photos of (Khach San) Huu Minh;-HERE

11/01/15 – Hai Rieng to M’Drak – 55km – Medium

 MAP of today's route

I’ve given today’s cycle a medium grade but it was close to being graded “difficult” indeed if it had been a significantly longer distance, I would have upgraded it.

Not expecting many services on route I again stocked up with 2 litres of water & had an early fried egg baguette. Hai Rieng’s been another extraordinarily friendly stopover with welcoming, helpful locals. I did wake up in (Khach San) Huu Minh with a couple of bites on my torso but nothing too bad & it’s such a nice room I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again.

The initial 15 to 20km was very pleasant, up & down manageable inclines, good road surface, almost no traffic, vast plains of coffee plantations stretching to hills, their summits shrouded in mist.

Around the 15km mark Ho Song Hinh Lake comes into view & it’s a vast picturesque body of water. With lake views on my left & forest clad hills to my right I could have been cycling in Scotland. Indeed it felt similar to cycling alongside Loch Rannoch not least the constant, annoying drizzle.

On this section the signpost announced 1^st a 450 meter incline & then a 500 meter incline both on a 10% gradient. Either they have misjudged this or I’m fitter than I thought because both these climbs were over before I knew it & felt like 200 meters or so.

Not long after the road broke up quite badly & I was often cycling over a rocky surface with sharp stones protruding. Passing a small village (Ea M’Doal perhaps) there began an extremely prolonged incline. Not particularly steep (1 in 12 gradient perhaps) but it went on for around 4 or 5km & really sapped my energy. My map has it as a 600 meter assent but it felt like a lot more. Meantime I was passing a lot of wedding receptions with lots of drunken revelers driving their motorcycles alongside, wanting to chat to the foreign cyclist. I always seem to meet locals who want to chat when I’m on uphill sections & laboring for breath.

Some wonderful views on this section although once again a constant drizzle reduced their effect & the mist never lifted to reveal the mountain summits. According to my Nelles map one summit is 2051 meters & I’m sure would be a terrific sight on a clear day.

A pleasant run into M’Drak as the road flattened out & wound its way between coffee plantations. My first stop in town was for some rice, chicken & soup ($1.50) before looking around for a room. I spent some time looking but could only find one hotel & Thai Duong Vu isn’t particularly good value but will do for a night, $10 with fridge, A/C, hot shower but no window.

Wandering around at night I did notice 2 additional hotels which I’d missed in the daytime but were obvious when the neon light was switched on at night. They might be better value & friendlier than Thai Duong Vu Hotel.

12/01/15 – M’Drak to Buon Ma Thuot – 88km – Medium

Thai Duong Vu Hotel was really noisy in the morning & it’s the 1^st room I’ve actively disliked for some time, indeed since Ca Mau I think.

I set off around 10am & straight off I felt no power in my legs & even cycling on the flat was an effort. Yesterday must have been tougher & taken more out of me than I realized. All day the cycling was a chore & with constant inclines & declines I found it hard work. In normal circumstances it would have been a fairly easy cycle ride, the inclines were never prolonged & never on a steep gradient (1 in 12 maximum) but today there was just no power in my legs.

Road QL 26 is the most dangerous road I’ve been on in Vietnam, with moderately heavy traffic, no shoulder & oncoming or overtaking vehicles giving me no room whatsoever. It really was an unpleasant road to cycle & indeed I witnessed 2 accidents in the space of 1 hour. The first a motorcycle rear ended by a truck, thankfully the driver, although battered & bruised, walked away from it. The second, I saw 2 motorcycles lying in the road with a crowd gathered around, 2 guys picked up what looked to be a bloodied corpse, sobering viewing & not an enjoyable days cycling. 

Witnessing my 1st accident today

The scenery was a disappointment after the 1^st 10km when hills & coffee plantations gave way to dust covered, nondescript shop houses & occasional glimpses of flat, featureless plains, all in a pretty boring, unenjoyable route.

Passing through TT Ea Knop, I was glad I’d stopped in M’Drak last night; it looked to be a boring, nondescript town with only one run down guesthouse that I noticed. On the other hand TT Ea Kar had a glut of decent looking hotels, restaurants & shops and looked like an interesting, comfortable place to stop over.

Pretty boring roads all day

Missing the turning onto AH 17, I continued on QL 26 into Buon Ma Thuot. Yet another back wheel puncture saw me arrive in town with hands covered in oil. (Note; - these constant punctures are a reflection of the poor state of my tyres & tubes rather than a reflections of Vietnamese roads. Last year I cycled Vietnamese roads with good quality tyres & went 2,000km without a puncture).

Feeling fairly tired, I went straight to Trip Advisors top choice of Ngoc Mai Guesthouse & I’m now sitting here wondering why on earth I accepted a basic room, no fridge & extremely sparse furnishings for $10/ night. It’s the second time I’ve gone with Trip Advisors recommendations & will be the last. I should have known to stick to Lonely Planets, not always perfect but at least well researched recommendations.

13/01/15 – Changed hotels & moved to Cat Phu, 113 Hai BatTrung & got  a much better room for my $10, including a fridge & cable TV with CNN – the first news channel I’ve had in a long time. 

14/01/14 – Buon Ma Thuot to Dak Mil – 62km – Medium

Awoke feeling refreshed & keen to get back on the road. I don’t feel like I’ve done justice to Buon Ma Thuot & haven’t really ventured outside of a few blocks around my hotel but I’d needed to take it really easy & rest up. Heading downstairs to load up I was confronted with yet another flat tyre. It’s an incredibly slow puncture & I found pumping it up lasts pretty much all day.

The 1^st 10 to 15km was fairly flat, indeed I made such good time that it must have been on a slight decline. Bland, boring scenery of dusty shop houses proved pretty uninspiring but it was still good to be moving again. There were lots of services on route but I had to chose the Quan Com shop with really drunk young Vietnamese determined to try out their piss poor English on me. I couldn’t wolf down my meal quick enough & get off for some peace, indeed I didn’t even have a post meal cigarette they were so irritating.

Traffic had been fairly heavy but with a decent shoulder most of the way it wasn’t a concern. I’d intended turning off TL 683 but a recent review of this road said there are sections where the road surface is just sharp stones & I didn’t trust my tyres to cope. A pity as it sounds like a much more interesting & quieter road than Highway 17. (For a recent review of TL 683 refer to David Holmes journal;- HERE).

After Ea T’Ling there were 2 fairly steep inclines of 400 meters or so & then the rest of the day was constant inclines & declines, none of which were overly steep or overly long but combined they took their toll on my legs by the end of the day. The road surface would be good for a period & then I’d hit sections of road works, often with loose, sharp stones yet to be steamrollered. Incline, decline, good road, bad road was to continue all day.

Scenery wise it wasn’t overly spectacular but pleasant enough with views of farmland stretching to the distant mountains.

View from my room

Arriving in Dak Mil earlier than I’d expected I had lots of time to look around for a hotel, settling on Hoang Diep, Khoi 11, Thi Tran, $12 for a nice big room with all the trimmings, a bit worn & not really good value but I was sold on the lake view. There are a few cheaper options around town & located down side streets they would be a lot quieter. Rooms seem to start around $7/ night.

By night I couldn’t find any appealing food & ended up with yet another noodle soup before retiring to my room to write some notes & plan tomorrow’s journey. Looking at my map I’ve a hard, if not overly long day ahead with numerous 900 meter passes, it will be interesting to see how my legs cope. 

15/01/15 – Dak Mil to Gia Nghai – 65km – Medium

MAP of today's route

I enjoyed my night in Dak Mil & it was nice to sit by my window overlooking the lake, sipping some beer & writing up my notes. Lots of traffic noise but I can tune that out nowadays.

A great start to the day with a quiet country road taking me around a couple of lakes. Initially it was a good road surface but soon broke up & became compacted clay with bumpy cobblestones beneath. It was a nice 5 to 10km but ended all too soon & I found myself on QL 14C.

QL 14C was a good road but blighted with regular stretches of roadwork’s where I’d find myself cycling over a bumpy, unfinished surface for a km or two & then back to a lovely tarmac road. All day the road was a series of inclines & declines with perhaps a few km cycling along a 700 to 800 meter plateau only to drop down & then back up again. The gradients were never overly steep (generally around 1 in 12) but again the cumulative effect took its toll on my legs.

Generally the traffic was surprisingly light although occasionally a convoy of horn blaring buses & trucks would pass, showering everything in red dust. The scenery was pleasant, if unspectacular with coffee plantations all around & often panoramic views of farmland stretching away to distant mountains.

It wasn’t until Duc An that I found anywhere worth eating & chicken & rice satisfied the appetite, if not the imagination. Duc An’s a large village sprawling over the hillside with lots of services & a couple of guesthouses.

Arriving in Gia Nghai, I could feel the cumulative effect of all those inclines & 65km was quite enough for today. It’s another strange town sprawling all over the hillside & it’s hard to find any real centre. The streets are incredibly steep & I didn’t have the energy to explore them much. Through a few quirks of fate (which I won’t bore anyone with) I’ve ended up at Huu Khanh 2 Hotel & a fairly poor value $10 room with no fridge & I’m just discovering it’s next to a noisy Karaoke parlor. There’s dozens of hotels & Guesthouses in town & I’m sure there’s better value to be found. 

16/01/15 – Gia Nghai to Duc Phong – 65 km – Medium

Checking out of Huu Khanh 2 the owner decided to examine every stamp in my passport before returning it. Then he spotted my bike pump & commandeered it & shouted for all his friends over to show them. It took bloody ages to get it back, pump up the back tyre, load up & get off. I kept taking wrong turns trying to get out of town & combined it meant it wasn’t until well after 10am that I exited Gia Nghai. Thankfully I’d already decided I wasn’t going to try for 125km to Dong Xoai & was only aiming for Duc Phong.

The 1^st 10 to 15km included a couple of decent climbs up to 600 meters or so & despite it being on mild gradients my weakened legs found me toiling somewhat. I stopped in a village about 10km outside Gia Nghai & had a really nice pork, garlic, caramelized onion & peanut stir fry with rice ($1.20), the first meal I’ve actually enjoyed for some time. I don’t know the name of the village but there were a few decent looking guesthouses & plenty of services & it looked a good place to stop for a night. Similarly Kien Duc around 15km outside Gia Nghai looked a good place to stopover with lots of choices of Guesthouses & hotels.

The mid section today remained fairly constant inclines & declines but on mild gradients & with a lot less height gain (perhaps 200 to 300 meters), very manageable even with my weakened legs. The scenery all day was generally bland & uninspiring although occasionally there were expansive views of tobacco plantations or forested flatlands stretching all the way to distant hills.

Eating dust much of the time

Throughout the day roadwork’s had come & gone, never for a sustained period but the final 20km was constant roadwork’s & bumping over all sorts of surfaces;  bumpy cobblestones, sharp pebbles, compacted clay & worst was the road surface indented with JCB prongs. It was a bone jarring, tyre destroying 20km, often cycling through clouds of dust whipped up by passing trucks. At times I couldn’t see the road surface or oncoming vehicles the dust was so thick.

It’s strange but despite toiling over today’s early inclines & enduring 20km of shitty, dusty roadwork’s, I’ve actually really, really enjoyed today’s cycle. Nothing I can put my finger on – it just felt good to be out there, moving along. A manageable distance where I could take it easy all day undoubtedly helped.

The backstreets were fine

Arriving in Duc Phong to find the whole main street dug up & extremely dusty I cycled the backstreets to try & find a room away from the dust, roadwork’s & traffic. Hong Thanh Hotel fits the bill perfectly & $9 got me a small but well furnished room with A/C, flat screen TV, really good hot shower & lovely views of the over the surrounding hills (NB – no fridge). It’s been a bit noisy so far (8pm) but it’s good noise i.e. kids playing, an occasional dog barking & not the irritating noise of trucks, traffic & blaring horns.

It’s a lot warmer at night & I realize I must have dropped a lot of altitude today. 

Photos of Hong Thanh Hotel - Here

17/01/15 – Duc Phong to Dong Xoai – 56km – Medium

An excess of beer last night meant starting the day with a mild hangover. Straight off I was confronted with more roadwork’s which continued for 5 or 10km & then suddenly ended & the rest of the day was on good tarmac roads with a decent shoulder.

Once again it was a day of constant inclines & declines, always on a very modest gradient & today they only went up 100 to 200 meters. Normally it would have been a pretty easy cycle but stopping half way I pondered why I was so tired. The cumulative effort of the past few days is a factor but I realized it’s also getting a lot hotter during the day & it’s a long time since I’ve cycled in this energy sapping heat.

Again the scenery was unspectacular although occasionally a summit would reveal pleasant views of lakes surrounded by forest.

Arriving in Dong Xoai it took me a long time to find a room, the first 10 hotels I checked just weren’t good value for money. I ended up at DNTN Khach San, Phuong Trang where I’ve got a big room with all the trimmings & street side balcony for $12. It overlooks a Co-op Mart so I don’t have to venture far for supplies.

My original plan was to cut across from here to Tay Ninh via some quiet country roads but I really need to get laundry done which means heading to Ho Chi Minh or Can Tho. Neither a particularly appealing option but I can’t push many more days out of these clothes.

The hotel was bloody noisy both at night & then propaganda loudspeakers at 6am. By night the Co-op Mart for some beers & barbecued chicken, I’ve pretty much given up on Vietnamese food & find myself happier with grilled chicken or a tin of tuna rather than yet another bland local meal. 

18/01/15 – Dong Xoai to Ho Chi Minh City – 105km – Medium

MAP of today's route

Awoken at 6am with propaganda loudspeakers & it makes for an extremely unpleasant start to the day. Dawdled around & finally got off around 9.30am.

Throughout the day it’s been a good road surface, traffic’s been moderately heavy but with a good shoulder it’s never been oppressive. The scenery was bland & uninspiring all day. Around the halfway point I’d a choice of branching onto TL 743 or TL 742, I chose TL 743 which was perhaps a bad choice as it was a bland featureless road, I don’t know if TL 742 would be any better but it can’t be much worse.

Still it was nice to be cycling some flat terrain once again & coupled with overcast conditions I made good time & was on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh around 4pm. Getting through the city was a nightmare with Google Maps plotting me a route traversing highways & then getting me lost in an absolute maze of small alleys. I spent an hour trying to follow this route getting completely blocked in dead end alleys. Becoming more & more frustrated & panicking as the phone battery ran down, I suddenly came to my senses & realized I traveled for 40 years without a phone; I’ve had one for 5 months now & don’t need to always rely upon it. Switching off the phone I got out my city map & plotted a course to Pham Ngu Laos. 15 minutes & one stop to check directions with a local & I was back at Giang Hotel (for details see 06/12/14).

Dropped off a bag of laundry before heading out for some beers & some food with a sauce in it, after days & days of grilled meats & rice or noodle soup I was craving anything with sauce & a lovely chicken curry & rice fitted the bill perfectly. 

20/01/15 – Ho Chi Minh to My Tho – 65km – Easy

MAP of today's route

Google maps had plotted me a route through the city & then following a canal until it linked up with highway 1. It meant cycling in heavy traffic but I don’t mind dodging in & out of traffic in HCM, indeed quite enjoy it in a masochistic kind of way.

There was a short noisy stretch on highway 1 & then a left turn onto a small country lane where the pace of life suddenly slowed right down. One minute horn blaring, intense traffic & then suddenly onto peaceful, quiet country lanes. Trust you’re GPS, that tiny lane running off highway 1 is the correct road. I stopped for a fried egg baguette (60 cents) before continuing on an idyllic cycle down Day Thep Road.

Eventually this met up with a relatively busy B road (Note to myself; - near this junction is a village with a nice looking hotel & lots of services, it looked like an idyllic place to spend a night before a run into HCM). There followed 10 to 15 km passing through small villages & dragon fruit plantations before a ferry crossing saw me pick up road DT 833. Another ferry crossing & onto 827D for the run into My Tho.

The final 40km of this journey was absolutely wonderful cycling country with flat roads, generally in good condition & fantastic scenery whether dragon fruit plantations, vivid green rice fields, local farmsteads full of character or simply fertile green countryside. Narrow roads with very little traffic made it an idyllic, tranquil days cycling.

I kept spotting kingfishers with iridescent blue plumage sat atop the electrical wires but as soon as I pointed my camera at them they would fly off.

I’ve probably cycled around 100km today as I kept seeing beautiful roads with no traffic that I couldn’t help but cycle down, twisting & turning through wonderful scenery.

The constant diversions meant I arrived in My Tho much later than planned & headed straight to Cong Doan Hotel for a good value, if somewhat noisy $7 room. (See 05/12/14 for full details)

A shower & then headed to the night market for a pretty fantastic crispy fried noodle with seafood ($1.20) then back to the room with some beers to plan tomorrows route. 

21/01/15 – My Tho to Cao Lanh – 105km – Easy

MAP of today's route

I was awoken today by a woman screaming her head off. Intense, ear splitting screams that continued all morning.

The 1^st 10 to 15km was on a busy, unscenic highway & checking Google Maps it looked like it had plotted me a course over busy highways all day. I decided to detour via My Phuoc & then continue along TL 856. It was a good decision & as soon as I turned off the main highway (around long Dinh) the scenery improved, traffic volume dropped & it became enjoyable cycling country.

For the rest of the day I was cycling alongside canals with many scenic bridge crossings, through well tended nurseries of local flowers or passing vivid green rice fields. Lots of fruit plantations whether dragon fruit, pineapple & some I didn’t recognize. Much of the route was shaded under the canopy of mature trees & although it lacked the “picture postcard” scenery of yesterday it was still an enjoyable, scenic cycle ride.

The road passed through many villages with their own “home industries” always displayed by the roadside including a village making rattan mats, a few villages full of incense sticks drying in the sun & another drying out thatch for roofing. Everywhere was so green & fertile, indeed a whole kaleidoscope of different shades of green.

Arriving in Cao Lanh just as the sun was setting I headed to Xuan Mai Hotel (see 22/11/14 for more details) & didn’t get as good a room as last time around but still good value for $10. Some grilled chicken & beers from the Co op Mart & I spent a night in my room updating notes & generally lounging around. 

22/01/15 – Cao Lanh to Chau Doc – 82km – Easy

MAP of today's journey

Exiting Cao Lanh I soon found myself on a wonderful stretch of road. A single lane road most often shaded under a canopy of trees, sparse traffic & passing pretty little houses with gardens full of colourful flowers, an extremely tranquil, peaceful pace of life all around. It really was a lovely way to start my day but all too soon it ended & I encountered QL30.

QL30 was a shock to my nerves after such a tranquil start to my day & it was back to moderately heavy, noisy traffic. Add in boring, featureless scenery & it wasn’t a particularly enjoyable 30km. That said, I began to enjoy the latter half as traffic thinned out somewhat & traditional Vietnamese houses were replaced by stilted wooden houses with blue painted porches reminiscent of much of Cambodia. Pepper plantations began to appear & every available space was filled with vivid red peppers laid out to dry in the sun. The final 10 to 15km wasn’t a bad cycle but still I was glad to arrive at the ferry terminal.

It was an extremely enjoyable ferry crossing, traversing a surprisingly wide section of the Mekong & no one actually charged me for the crossing. Disembarking & meeting up with TL 954 I was surprised how much traffic was on this road. The road followed a canal & was scenic enough but I’d expected a lot less traffic & something more tranquil.

It wasn’t until I took a left at Phu Thanh that the tranquil, slow pace of life again enveloped me. A single lane road with sparse traffic & massive swathes of vivid green rice fields. Again in tune with my surroundings my pace drops & I don’t feel the need to hurry anywhere. The road initially followed a canal then gave way to a series of fish farms, another very enjoyable cycle route.

Arriving in Hoa Lac I took a right & the road soon deteriorated badly. The final 15 to 20km was like cycling over a cobblestone surface with hard (& often sharp) boulders protruding from the compacted clay. A bone jarring, tyre wearing ride & the worst aspect is you have to concentrate on the road surface & can’t get your head up to enjoy the scenery.

I passed through lots of pretty villages & at one point I stopped & sat on a fallen tree trunk for a cigarette break, within seconds a young girl was sent over with a plastic chair which she placed in some shade & beckoned me to use.  For a weary traveler these gestures really mean so much!

I’ve since realized, I somehow veered off the main road & the bumpy cobblestone road could have been avoided, indeed I could have been enjoying a great road surface with river views all the way to Chau Doc.

A final ferry ride over to Chau Doc & headed straight for Mekong Lotus Hotel but on arriving there was a busload of noisy tourists checking in & I noticed a coffee shop directly across the road with a sign for rooms to rent. For $7 I’ve got an A/C room, fridge, hot shower & outside balcony, all in a pretty fantastic deal. At night Quan Com Ut Cat restaurant was as reliable as ever (see 20/11/14).  

24/01/15 – Chau Doc – Tri Ton – Tinh Bien – 75km – Easy

MAP of today's route

With a day to kill (I didn’t want to cross to Cambodia until the 26^th) I thought I’d try the road to Tri Ton. QL 91 was a moderately busy highway but with a good shoulder safety wasn’t a concern. A few picturesque local houses & school kids cycling along elegantly dressed in Ao Dai’s enlivened what was otherwise a fairly mundane road.

Turning onto TL 945 the traffic thinned out & the scenery improved although much of it remained masked by houses either side of the road, not unpleasant but unspectacular cycling country. It wasn’t until around 10km outside Tri Ton that I really began to enjoy today’s ride as the houses disappeared to reveal a landscape of lush green rice fields & a mountainous backdrop. A good road surface with minimal traffic & many scenic canal crossings often via extremely rickety wooden bridges. As always on such roads my speed drops dramatically, it’s such tranquil surroundings that I feel no urge to rush anywhere.

Reaching Tri Ton I spent a long time looking around for some food & a hotel. There were lots of vegetarian restaurants but little else I spotted, I finally settled for some spring rolls & pork sausage – not bad for $1. Hotel wise all I could see were a couple of very basic looking guesthouses (although it can be deceptive in Vietnam & places that look basic from the outside often provide comfortable rooms within).

After a good look around Tri Ton I decided it would be a pretty boring place to spend the night & opted to head to Tinh Bien instead. Thus began the best cycling of today as I cycled between mountain ranges & all around a lush green, fertile landscape. With no cars & only occasional motorbikes it was again an incredible tranquil experience. The road broke up on occasion & varied from compacted clay to a sandy surface but was never unrideable.

I’d cycle well shaded under a dense canopy of tree tops & then suddenly open out to wonderful views of the mountains & fertile landscape for a few km only to again enter a shaded canopy of trees. I’m aware I’m not describing it very well (I need to get to Sihanukville & rest up for a bit) but this last 25km was a great cycle ride.

Arriving in Tinh Bien the 1^st hotel I passed had a wedding reception in full swing, probably full & certainly noisy. I eventually found myself at Bich Ngoc Hotel with a well worn room, A/C, cable TV, fridge & hot shower which wasn’t particularly good value for $10.

Tinh Bien’s been a pretty boring little town tonight but I did find some cold beers, a really good pork in lemongrass & chili sauce over rice ($1.50) & some chocolate muffins so things could be worse.

It seems strange to have cycled 75km just to end up 26km from where I started this morning but the latter half made it all worthwhile & has left me with memories of a good day’s cycle. 

25/01/15 – Tinh Bien to Ha Tien – 74km – Easy

Bich Ngoc Hotel grew on me as the night wore on & was incredibly quiet in the morning & it’s a long time since I’ve had as quiet & peaceful a start to my day. I couldn’t make up my mind whether to cross into Cambodia at Phnom Den only 3km away or continue to Ha Tien & cross over tomorrow. A last minute decision found me heading for Ha Tien.

Tl 955A to Ha Tien was another pleasant, if unspectacular road to cycle. A good road surface, very light traffic & following a canal to my right with trees shading the road much of the way. For more detailed road conditions refer to my entry 20/11/14).

Integrating vehicle 

Arriving in Ha Tien I again opted for Du Hung Hotel & a pleasant surprise to find they have dropped their rates to $10/ night. By night stir fried noodles & seafood in the night market before a few beers & chat with Andy in Oasis bar. Returning to the night market & enjoying another fried noodle & seafood I heard “Hey arsehole how are you!” & turned to see Vietnamese Rose sitting at an adjoining table with a fairly haggard foreign partner. Many Cambodian & especially Sihanukville expats will remember Rose of the incredibly huge fish & chips fame. She’s recovered from her accident & is looking fit & well, living a quiet life in Vietnam nowadays. 

26/01/15 – Ha Tien to Sihanukville – 150km – Easy/ Medium

Checking my e-mail in Ha Tien I got news that a good friend had had a stroke in Sihanukville & my priority became to get back to Sihanukville as quickly as possible & any spare time was spent trying to contact his Khmer partner & friends. It meant I didn’t take any notes during this section.

For details of road conditions refer to my reports dated 05-06/10/14 & 18/11/14.

Some photos I managed to snap on route;-

CONCLUSIONS

This route was a slight disappointment & after the dramatic scenery of coastal Vietnam the scenery on this route was often fairly bland & uninspiring. Too often I had no choice but to use main roads often blighted by regular roadworks & convoys of horn blaring trucks.

It was nice to have a series of good workouts in the hill country although I must admit it was also great to get back to the flat roads & tranquil lanes of the Mekong Delta at the latter end.

Accommodation was almost always great value & everywhere the locals were incredibly friendly, welcoming & honest. Out with the main town’s food was again a distinct disappointment & all too often grilled pork & rice or noodle soup was pretty much my only choices. Indeed often I gave up on searching out something good to eat & was content with a tin of tuna or some grilled chicken. At times I was desperate for something with a sauce rather than plain grilled meat.

Even although I cycled many busy highways this time around, other than on QL26 I always felt completely safe & never feared for my safety. QL 26 WAS dangerous & I would avoid at all costs in the future.

OVERALL COSTS

In my whole Vietnam trip I spent $1,771 in 75 days i.e. $23.62/ day.

A very approximate breakdown would be;-

Hotel - $10/ night

Food - $6/ day

Beer - $6/ day (i.e. 12 cans)

Misc - $2/ day (Inc water, cigarettes etc)

COMING NEXT

I’ve just got a new 3 month visa for Vietnam & the plan (which will no doubt change on route) is to cycle up to Dalat, freewheel down to Nha Trang & then pick up my journey from Quy Nhon. Hopefully the weather will be with me this time.

Bob Cunning,

Sihanukville, Cambodia

15/02/15