Approximate map of my journey is here;-Routemap
Deviations from this route will be shown in the individual sections.
LIST OF CONTENTS;
08/12/14 – Ho Chi Minh
to Vung Tau – 110km (approx) – Easy
11/12/14 – Vung Tau to
La Gi – 105km (approx) – Easy
12/12/14 – La Gi to
Phan Thiet – 60km (approx) – Easy/ Medium
13/12/14 – Phan Thiet
to Mui Ne – 20km – Medium
15/12/14 – Mui Ne
16/12/14 – Mui Ne to
Phan Rang – 128km – Difficult
18/12/14 – Phan Rang to
Cam Ranh – 46km – Difficult
19/12/14 - Cam Ranh to Nha Trang – 54km – Easy
30/12/14 – Nha Trang to
Dai Lanh – 85km – Medium
31/12/14 – Dai Lanh to
Tuy Hoa – 41km – Medium
02/01/15 – Tuy Hoa
03/01/15 – Tuy Hoa –
Dai Lanh – Tuy Hoa – 95km (approx) – Medium
04/01/15 – Tuy Hoa to
Song Cau – 50km – Medium
05/01/15 – Song Cau to
Quy Nhon – 45km – Medium
07/01/15 – Quy Nhon
Conclusions &
overall costs
08/12/14
– Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau – 110km (approx) – Easy
Routemap of today's journey.
I’m sitting here at 22.30
with a few beers in the fridge feeling on top of the world & that life
doesn’t get much better than this. It helps that I’ve just had 2 bowls of the
most wonderful noodle soup & I’ve a fantastic room to lounge around in.
I’d wanted a quick start
today but checking out of Giang Hotel the receptionist decided this was the
perfect opportunity to have a chat, swop phone numbers & e-mail addresses
& explain about a friend in Vung Tau who’s looking for a foreign boyfriend.
It would have been an enjoyable chat at any point in the past 2 days but not
when I was keen to get off on what might be a long days ride.
Google maps had plotted me
an interesting route out of the city but it soon became evident it had me going
the wrong way up one way streets. I didn’t want to waste time working out a new
route & so removed my hat such that my grey hair was evident, in most of
Asia people are unlikely to argue with/ give a hard time to an older guy &
my prematurely graying hair has been a bonus on many occasions. Once again it
worked fine & I cycled one way streets against the traffic with everyone
making way. It’s good to play the crazy old foreigner at times. 
Before long I was in the
suburbs of Ho Chi Minh & traffic thinned out slightly. Thereafter came
small towns, open countryside, industrial zones – unspectacular although not
unappealing cycling country. Moderate traffic but with a wide shoulder it was
never oppressive. The route included one (or perhaps it was 2) ferry crossings
this time on a large ferry crossing a wide expanse of fast moving water;
extremely scenic & enjoyable.
Google maps reckoned my
route would be 99km but at one point I was stopped by a young Vietnamese
soldier with a machine gun strapped across his front. He made it plain I
couldn’t continue on my present route but helpfully took my phone & showed
me an alternative route. It added 10 or 15km to the journey but proved to be a
nice detour.
I eventually turned onto
AH17 & the next 15 to 20km was an uneventfully, bland cycle ride. The final
10 to 15km coming into Vung Tau is on wide, well tended boulevards that just go
on & on. Interesting topiary & colourful shrubs made this a pleasant
end to the journey although a strong headwind reduced the pleasure somewhat. 
Arriving in Vung Tau I
headed straight to **** Hotel & a lovely clean room with A/C, hot shower,
fridge, well located & very quiet – all for $10. Sorry but I promised the
guy who told me about it that I wouldn’t post anything on the internet about
it. That said there are lots of great rooms in the $10 to $12 bracket in Vung
Tau’s Back Beach area.
11/12/14 – Vung Tau
to La Gi (??) – 105km (approx) – Easy
I’d had a great time in
Vung Tau eating some great food, enjoying having a nice room to return to &
with wide, well tended boulevards & little traffic it’s a great place to
cycle around. I found a Giant bicycle dealership at 283 Thong Nhat, Phuong 8,
Thanh pho, but couldn’t get them to understand what I wanted (a service).
I’m not sure how far I
cycled today but 105km can’t be far off the mark. Once again those pretty but
never ending boulevards out of Vung Tau before taking a right & heading for
Long Hai. From then on I just kept hugging the coast as much as possible.
Initially the road was a
disappointment with only glimpses of beaches & for 20km or so the beaches
were enclosed behind exclusive hotels or fenced off by developers. It wasn’t
until around Phuoc Thuan that beautiful, pristine beaches came into view &
thereafter it was wonderful cycling country with sand dunes & hills on my
left, lovely beaches & sea views to my right. The road surface was perfect
& it’s amazing how well maintained such roads are in Vietnam considering
there’s so little traffic on them. 
Around 25km outside La Gi
I eventually returned to road QL55 & although traffic got heavier it was
still enjoyable cycling with picture postcard countryside, passing well tended
farmsteads with a huge variety of country life going on.
It really has been another
wonderful days cycling & the scenery (out with the 1st 25km) has
been varied & extremely enjoyable. If I’m not describing it very well it’s
partly because it comes so thick & fast it’s hard to remember it all &
partly I’m actually fairly exhausted right now. A few minor hills around the
Long Hai area & then some prolonged inclines around the 80km mark have
taken their toll & I realize I’m pretty out of shape at the moment.
Battling strong crosswinds all day hasn’t helped.
I don’t actually know
where I am tonight – According to Google maps I’m in Tan An or Ham Tan, yet according
to Vietnamese Km markers I’m in La Gi. It doesn’t really matter as everyone’s
very friendly, there’s a drink shop with cold beer next to my hotel & I’ve
just had a wonderful noodle soup with pork chop for $1. I’m in Thanh Thuy Hotel
& for $5 I’ve got a clean fan room, fridge, hot shower, street side balcony
& it’s the first place in Vietnam that’s had BBC on the TV. Photos of Thanh Thuy Hotel;-Here
NOTE (added June 2015) - I've since realized I actually wasn't far from La Gi beach area, an up & coming breach resort with good value accommodation which is becoming popular with travelers in the know. I should have taken a right instead of a left onto Thong Nhat road.
12/12/14 – La Gi to
Phan Thiet – 60km (approx) – Easy/Medium
Once again I’m guessing at
the distance but recon around 60km. I actually covered a lot more km with
aimless detours & then cycling around Phan Thiet looking for food &
then a hotel. 
I’d enjoyed a good, if
uneventful night in La Gi & Thanh Thuy hotel was great value for money.
Within 1km of setting off I was enjoying some nice countryside & once again
hugged the coast as much as possible. The first 10km was pleasant countryside
passing pretty farmsteads & often accompanied by school kids cycling to
& fro, however it soon became fairly monotonous & I began to yearn for
a change of scenery. Dragon fruit plantations are pleasant enough at first but
soon become somewhat boring. 
Turning off onto DT 719,
for the 1st 10km I regretted having not simply headed up DT 712 to
Highway 1 as the scenery was arid, dry & again monotonous. However as soon
as DT 719 snaked to the left around Ke Ga the scenery took a wonderful upturn.
Thereafter it was 30km of magnificent cycling country following the coast with
sea views & beautiful beaches most of the way. Occasionally the road would
veer inland & I’d enjoy a few km under the canopy of mature fir trees
before it would again open up to magnificent sea views. 
The road passed a lot of upmarket
resorts that thankfully didn’t block the sea or beach view indeed enhanced it
with well maintained gardens of colourful tropical flowers. There weren’t many
services available on this 30km stretch other than expensive looking resort
restaurants.
It was an absolutely
wonderful final 30km but it did include a couple of minor hills & one
fairly serious climb which had me racing down the gears.
Arriving in Phan Thiet
around 3pm I decided not to rush off to a tourist town like Mui Ne when there’s
an interesting local town to explore. A quick budget meal in a Quan Con
restaurant before cycling around looking for a room. I viewed one perfectly
adequate room for $7 but just felt like a bit of luxury tonight & ended up
at Mai Vy Hotel, 257 Tran Hung Dao Street with a really nice $11 A/C room with
hot shower, fridge & safe bike storage. 
By night I wandered around
& passed a restaurant which had stuffed squid in one of their display
trays. I stood beside the display case for perhaps 15 minutes waiting to “point
& order” whilst the owner & his wife studiously avoided catching my eye
or even looking near me. They managed to serve 10 to 12 customers in this time
still without acknowledging I existed. Strange & unusually unfriendly for
Vietnam.
Actually it proved
fortuitous that they were unwilling to serve a foreigner (or perhaps they were
just nervous) as a few doors up I found a restaurant doing Bo Kho i.e. beef
stew & bread, a fantastic meal for $1.70.
Photos of Mai Vy Hotel;-Here
13/12/14 – Phan
Thiet to Mui Ne – 20km – Medium
It was actually a fairly
boring night in Phan Thiet but Mai Vy Hotel was a comfortable enough room once
the noise of the adjacent pool hall died down around midnight. Knowing I’d only
a small hop to Mui Ne I enjoyed a slow leisurely start to the day. 
There was heavy traffic
coming out of town but also picturesque bridge crossings with hoards of
colourful fishing boats moored in the river. Thereafter came a good workout
with some decent hills to tackle, one of which had me right down in granny gear
for a short time. None were prolonged climbs but with a vicious headwind it was
fairly hard work. An enjoyable freewheel downhill & into Mui Ne (or more
correctly Ham Tien – Mui Ne’s actually the fishing village at the very end of
the road). The road eventually opened out & I had a lovely view of Mui Ne’s
beaches already full of foreign sun worshipers. 
Pushing on & still
fighting an extremely strong headwind such that I had to drop gears even on
flat roads, I stopped for some squid, chili & rice ($1.50) before looking
for a room. I spent the next 3 hours cycling up & down Mui Ne looking but
everywhere I tried was either full or out with my price range.
Eventually I found Hoang
Nga Garden Hotel at 49 Huynh Thuc Street & for $10 I’ve got a nice A/C
room, fridge, hot shower in a nice garden setting with a very friendly family
completing the picture.
Photos of Hoang Nga Garden Hotel;-Here
Photos of Hoang Nga Garden Hotel;-Here
15/12/14 – Mui Ne
It’s been a peaceful,
enjoyable lay up here in Mui Ne & Hoang Nga garden Hotel has been the
perfect place to relax & write up some notes, read & generally recharge
my batteries.
 |
| View from my room |
Mui Ne’s been a friendly,
economical & pleasant stopover although I do get frustrated at the lack of
beach access. Other than a stretch around the 10km mark where there’s views of
the beach, the following 10km’s all you see from the road is hotels, bars,
restaurants, mini marts & the like. It seems its surf season with lots of
foreigners racing up & down with surfboards strapped to their motorbikes.
16/12/14 – Mui Ne to
Phan Rang – 128km – Difficult
Leaving Hoang Nga Garden
Hotel I went to collect my passport & the owner decided this was a good
time to chat about everywhere I’d been, going through my passport & asking
about every stamp therein. Finally retrieving it, he then decided to get out
his guests comment book & insist I write something inside. It meant I lost
around ½ hour before I could finally get off. 
Cycling through Mui Ne
village was very enjoyable with views of the fishing fleet tried up in the bay and
then passing through the centre of an extremely colourful market. The next 10km
was extremely enjoyable with sand dunes to my left & sea views to my right
although there were some fairly steep hills to tackle.  |
| Lizard any way you like it |
I turned off DT 716 around
Bau Trang & taking a right turn to again hug the coast as much as possible.
It’s a new road in the process of being constructed & the initial 10km was
hard work often cycling (or pushing) through sand. Perhaps with mountain bike
tyres it would have been OK but with tyres worn away to slicks I got no
traction on the soft surface. I was dreading the rain coming which would have
rendered this section virtually impassable. Reaching the coast the road takes a
turn to the left & the road surface improves to compacted red clay with a
firm underbase. Easy for my tyres to cope with & back to rolling sand dunes
to the left, beach & sea views to my right. A lovely stretch of road.
Eventually I passed
through a small town (Phan Ri Thanh perhaps?) & picked up highway 1. The
next 60 to 70 km was battling roadworks the whole way. The scenery was good
& sometimes spectacular with mist shrouded hills & panoramic sea views
but it’s difficult to enjoy when you need your full concentration on the road
surface & oncoming traffic. Throughout the day there weren’t many services
available & I was glad of some spare rations stored in my daypack. 
Not long after turning
onto highway 1 the rain started with a vengeance & I spent the rest of the
day enduring torrential rain & an incredibly strong headwind, indeed the
strongest wind I’ve ever experienced on a cycle. It really sapped the energy
& slowed my pace & I was rapidly dropping gears to try & make
headway on flat roads. 
I should have called it a
day in Vinh Hao (4pm) where I know a decent hotel & basic restaurant but
thought I could make the last 40km to Phan Rang. With the headwinds slowing me
& my energy waning I didn’t arrive in Phan Rang until after 7pm, the last
hour cycling highway 1 in the dark with no lights (bloody stupid, I know &
can only take so many chances before something serious goes wrong).
I arrived at Anh Xuan
Hotel, 246 Ngo Gia Tu & was glad to find they had a $10 room with A/C,
fridge & especially hot shower. Hung everything up to try & dry it out,
showered & headed out into a rainy night for some beer & food.
I’m absolutely bloody
knackered & it’s been as tiring a day as I can remember on a bike. I’d
certainly rather tackle hills than fierce headwinds (NB – It wasn’t until I got
to Nha Trang that I found out I’d been cycling through the tail on a typhoon).
17/12/14 – I spent an extra day in Phan Rang to recover somewhat
& in the vain hope the winds would recede. I did find a great little
restaurant a few hundred meters from Anh Xuan Hotel. Food 288, really busy with
loads of locals, good Vietnamese food at cheap prices & the walls adorned
with photos of the dishes on offer.
Photos of Anh Xuan Hotel;-Here
The scenery was nice with
mist clad hills on both sides, indeed it would have been quite dramatic except
for a constant drizzle obscuring everything. Occasionally the traffic was
oppressive as convoys of horn blaring trucks passed (held up by the slowest
they tend to pass in convoys) but mostly traffic was incredibly light
considering it’s the country’s main highway.
I arrived early in Cam
Ranh but had absolutely no desire to cycle any further in today’s winds &
headed straight to Hoang Nhat Hotel, 2128 Hung Vuong, $9 A/C room, big TV,
fridge, hot shower & safe bike storage.
The room does smell a bit musty but for a heavy smoker like me that’s
not a problem. I think it’s great value but there are at least 6 more hotels in
town if it’s not to one’s liking.
Today it’s been so nice to
get back to actually enjoying my cycling. I still had crosswinds most of the
day but they weren’t the vicious, energy sapping winds of the past few days.
The initial run up was on
highway 1 which proved pleasant enough skirting majestic hills with mist
shrouded summits. Occasional roadwork’s meant periods of cycling without a
shoulder but mostly it was a good road surface with light traffic. A light
drizzle meant I’ve not felt any sun for days now but the upside is it’s nice
& cool for cycling. 
The final 15km or so skirted
a hill, hugging the coast & allowing wonderful sea views as slowly the town
of Nha Trang came into view. A couple of modest inclines before freewheeling
down into Nha Trang & going searching for a room. I followed a tout to Nice
Hotel, 60 Quan Tran, Hung Vuong where I was happy with a really clean $10 A/C
room, fridge, hot shower, communal sea view balcony & extremely safe bike
storage.
I’d been enjoying a great
time in Nha Trang & my intent was to stay until after New Year but when
Nice Hotel informed me they were putting the prices up over this period my
plans changed & I knew it was time to get moving again. 
Exiting Nha Trang I
enjoyed pleasant views with hills in the foreground & sea views to my right
although a prolonged incline into a severe headwind found me laboring somewhat
& realizing I had 11 days soft living in Nha Trang to work out my system.
Thereafter I enjoyed the first 15 to 20km, cycling on decent roads with hills
as a backdrop but the following 20 to 30km was extremely monotonous with
boring, featureless scenery.
I really didn’t enjoy the
mid section today & with strong crosswinds impeding my progress it was a
chore to put in the km’s. It didn’t help that this is a busy stretch of highway
one with buses & trucks rumbling by. Thankfully for the final 25 to 30km
some hills came into view & the scenery improved somewhat, although a grey,
overcast day didn’t do them full justice. The final 5km when Dai Lanh cove
& beach came into view was particularly picturesque.
Arriving in Dai Lanh, I
went straight to (Khach San) Binh Lieu, $10 A/C room, good Wi-Fi, hot shower
& fridge. I think it’s good fairly good value although there is a lot of
traffic noise. Fairly good fried noodles & squid ($2) which many of the
local restaurants seemed to specialize in & finally a bag of beers for the
room.
I lay in bed this morning
listening to the wind howling outside & just didn’t want to move. There was
no desire to face another day battling fierce winds. 
I’d really wanted to take
a right onto QL29, an intriguing road skirting the coastline all the way to Tuy
Hoa but these winds are negating any enjoyment I might get from cycling & I
decided to go straight down highway 1 & get it over & done with. (NB
for a report on QL29, the coastal route to Tuy Hoa see 03/01/15). There
followed a pretty bland, unexciting 30km cycle with strong winds sapping every
ounce of enjoyment I might get. Making 10km / hour on flat roads over barren,
featureless plains wasn’t the best time I’ve ever had. 
I was really glad to get
to Tuy Hoa & find Thanh Van 3 Hotel (266 Nguyen Hue) had a free room. Not
the sea view room I wanted but still a really nice $9 room, A/C, hot shower,
fridge, kettle, flat screen TV – great value & a promise to move me to a
sea view room tomorrow.
It’s been a strange day in
a good way & a great days cycling. Setting off I still hadn’t made up my
mind what to do; carry on North & put up with headwinds, turn West &
head for Buon Ma Thout or retrace my steps South. Heading off into a rainy,
miserable day wasn’t the best start & at the main roundabout I still
couldn’t make up my mind. I circled the roundabout a few times, stopped &
smoked a few cigarettes before finally deciding to head South.
In Dai Lanh I stopped for
a fried egg baguette & contemplated my situation. I felt I’d given up &
let the elements beat me; 1pm was too early to look for a room, especially in a
beautiful but ultimately boring village. I suddenly decided to stop being a
wimp & stick to my original plan, which saw me about turn & head back
to Tuy Hoa. I recycled the 15km of wonderful scenery, prolonged 10% inclines
don’t matter when the scenery is this stunning.
The 1st 20km is
stunning as the road zig zags along the coast, towering hills on the left &
sea views to the right, including bays full of colourful fishing boats,
deserted beaches, offshore islands; every bend brought more wonderful views. 
There were some fairly
prolonged, moderate (10%) inclines to tackle but with views this wonderful they
were well worth the effort. Even being once again battered by strong winds
didn’t matter, the scenery was so good & this is with misty, overcast conditions.
On a clear day this road must be absolutely awesome. 
Still it was a wonderful
days cycling & if you’re going between Dai Lanh & Tuy Hoa don’t
hesitate to cut onto QL29 – it makes for a stunning days cycling. I arrived
back at Thanh Van 3 Hotel to a bemused look from the receptionist who’d watched
me load up & cycle off this morning. 
At night I headed back to Bob’s
American Café, a wonderful restaurant with some fantastic &
surprisingly affordable food. Around New Year I’d treat myself to a large
pepperoni pizza ($6) which was fantastic. Over the course of a few more visits
I tried the fish & chips ($2.50), great fish but the chips were thin
“McDonalds” style – still great value.
It started off badly with
me cycling into another rainy, miserable day. I cycled along Le Duan Street for
around 5km then taking a left turn at An Phu I soon found myself back on
highway 1. With wide roads & light traffic it’s possibly an enjoyable road
to cycle but today all the scenery was masked with a blanket of rain & I
was feeling miserable just being out & about on such a day. 
Hitting highway 1, it was
back to heavy traffic & blaring horns as convoys passed & then I’d
enjoy a few peaceful km until the next convoy came along. I stopped for a
pretty wonderful meal & for $1.50 got pork chop, spare ribs, sliced pork
& vegetables over rice, all served up by 2 delightfully friendly, chatty
young kids. 
What had been a good road deteriorated
when it began to follow the contours of the bay & soon turned into a muddy
quagmire, extremely hard work with my tyres now worn down to slicks. It was
slow, difficult cycling but the scenery proved ample compensation. 
This section ended by
crossing a rickety wooden bridge (10 cent toll) & linking up with highway
1. Hard work at times but it had been a great stretch of road & a million
miles from the noise & hustle of the main highway. An amazing slice of
rural Vietnamese life. 
Back to highway 1 & a
10 to 15km run into Song Cau including a pretty steep incline that had me down
in granny gear. Again it was worth it as panoramic views of Song Cau bay came
into view. 
I know I’d only done 50km
but it felt like a lot more & I was happy to look for a room in Song Cau
& have a leisurely cycle to Quy Nhon tomorrow. Checking (Khach San) Laura,
252 Nguyen Hue, an A/C room, hot shower, good Wi-Fi, sea & beach views for
$8 is just fantastic & the perfect end to a great day. Compliments to the
receptionist who was confronted with this mud soaked, grime covered
“apparition” & never batted an eyelid.
Photos of Anh Xuan Hotel;-Here
18/12/14 – Phan Rang
to Cam Ranh – 46km – Difficult
 |
| I'm not exaggerating the strong winds |
What should have been an
easy, enjoyable cycle ride was once again spoiled by horrendous headwinds. All
day I’ve had really strong winds right in my face or catching me side on &
trying to whip me off the road. It’s been flat most of the way yet I’ve rarely
been out of my middle front cog trying to make some headway.
I don’t mind a good
workout & often enjoy talking hills but only a serious health nut would
enjoy expending so much energy for so little gain.
The scenery was nice with
mist clad hills on both sides, indeed it would have been quite dramatic except
for a constant drizzle obscuring everything. Occasionally the traffic was
oppressive as convoys of horn blaring trucks passed (held up by the slowest
they tend to pass in convoys) but mostly traffic was incredibly light
considering it’s the country’s main highway.
Early on, only making
10km/ hour (a pace that continued all day) I knew I wasn’t going to make Nha
Trang & decided to stop off in Cam Ranh where I knew a decent hotel not far
from a Co-op Mart.
 |
| These girls really revived my spirit |
There was a point today
where I veered off onto a small road edged with bushes & running
perpendicular to my route such that it created a wind break. Sitting there
having a cigarette & water break, feeling completely pissed off with this
whole cycling lark 2 young girls wandered out of the field, wicker baskets on
their back filled with firewood. As they walked past I said “hello there” which
immediately set them into peals of laughter & for the next few minutes all
I could hear were their receding voices taking turns mimicking my “hello
there”& breaking into fits of giggles. It was the perfect tonic for my
flagging spirit & I immediately felt better about being out & about on
a bicycle.
I arrived early in Cam
Ranh but had absolutely no desire to cycle any further in today’s winds &
headed straight to Hoang Nhat Hotel, 2128 Hung Vuong, $9 A/C room, big TV,
fridge, hot shower & safe bike storage.
The room does smell a bit musty but for a heavy smoker like me that’s
not a problem. I think it’s great value but there are at least 6 more hotels in
town if it’s not to one’s liking.
By night a stop off in the
Co-op Mart for some beers & water then I found a small stall selling Bo Kho
(beef stew served with really fresh, crisp baguettes), a lovely meal for $2.
Later I found a series of bakery’s & enjoyed a bag of chocolate muffins for
supper.
19/12/14
– Cam Ranh to Nha Trang – 54km – Easy
Today it’s been so nice to
get back to actually enjoying my cycling. I still had crosswinds most of the
day but they weren’t the vicious, energy sapping winds of the past few days.The initial run up was on
highway 1 which proved pleasant enough skirting majestic hills with mist
shrouded summits. Occasional roadwork’s meant periods of cycling without a
shoulder but mostly it was a good road surface with light traffic. A light
drizzle meant I’ve not felt any sun for days now but the upside is it’s nice
& cool for cycling.
Around the halfway point I
stopped for a fried egg baguette (70 cents) & in Vietnam the bread is
always incredibly fresh. At this point I turned off highway 1 & onto Dinh
Tien Hoang, a lovely stretch of road with no traffic except for gangs of school
kids cycling along. A perfect road surface allowed me to make good time &
the scenery remained dominated by mountain ranges still shrouded in mist.
The final 15km or so skirted
a hill, hugging the coast & allowing wonderful sea views as slowly the town
of Nha Trang came into view. A couple of modest inclines before freewheeling
down into Nha Trang & going searching for a room. I followed a tout to Nice
Hotel, 60 Quan Tran, Hung Vuong where I was happy with a really clean $10 A/C
room, fridge, hot shower, communal sea view balcony & extremely safe bike
storage.
Photos of Nice Hotel;-Here
30/12/14 – Nha Trang
to Dai Lanh – 85km – Medium
I’d been enjoying a great
time in Nha Trang & my intent was to stay until after New Year but when
Nice Hotel informed me they were putting the prices up over this period my
plans changed & I knew it was time to get moving again. Exiting Nha Trang I
enjoyed pleasant views with hills in the foreground & sea views to my right
although a prolonged incline into a severe headwind found me laboring somewhat
& realizing I had 11 days soft living in Nha Trang to work out my system.
Thereafter I enjoyed the first 15 to 20km, cycling on decent roads with hills
as a backdrop but the following 20 to 30km was extremely monotonous with
boring, featureless scenery.I really didn’t enjoy the
mid section today & with strong crosswinds impeding my progress it was a
chore to put in the km’s. It didn’t help that this is a busy stretch of highway
one with buses & trucks rumbling by. Thankfully for the final 25 to 30km
some hills came into view & the scenery improved somewhat, although a grey,
overcast day didn’t do them full justice. The final 5km when Dai Lanh cove
& beach came into view was particularly picturesque.
The road surface today has
generally been good with occasional roadworks but never for prolonged periods.
Actually, often the roadworks are my favorite parts as I can squeeze between
the bollards & cycle alone on a newly laid road surface; it’s often like
having a private cycle track to myself. There
were regular services toady but not many that appealed to me & I contented
myself with a few fried egg baguettes & some cakes from my backpack.
Arriving in Dai Lanh, I
went straight to (Khach San) Binh Lieu, $10 A/C room, good Wi-Fi, hot shower
& fridge. I think it’s good fairly good value although there is a lot of
traffic noise. Fairly good fried noodles & squid ($2) which many of the
local restaurants seemed to specialize in & finally a bag of beers for the
room.
31/12/14 – Dai Lanh
to Tuy Hoa – 41km – Medium
I lay in bed this morning
listening to the wind howling outside & just didn’t want to move. There was
no desire to face another day battling fierce winds.
I finally forced myself to
get up & off & actually the first 10km or so was wonderful as the road
hugged the coastline with absolutely stunning views of Dai Lanh bay, islands
fringed with pristine beaches & all the time towering hills to my left. Prolonged
inclines led to freewheeling declines & every turn opened out wonderful new
views including secluded coves with fishing fleets moored therein. It really
was a wonderful start to the day & the nicest stretch of road so far on
this trip. Indeed the road was so wonderful I almost forgot about the strong crosswinds
for a time.
I’d really wanted to take
a right onto QL29, an intriguing road skirting the coastline all the way to Tuy
Hoa but these winds are negating any enjoyment I might get from cycling & I
decided to go straight down highway 1 & get it over & done with. (NB
for a report on QL29, the coastal route to Tuy Hoa see 03/01/15). There
followed a pretty bland, unexciting 30km cycle with strong winds sapping every
ounce of enjoyment I might get. Making 10km / hour on flat roads over barren,
featureless plains wasn’t the best time I’ve ever had. I was really glad to get
to Tuy Hoa & find Thanh Van 3 Hotel (266 Nguyen Hue) had a free room. Not
the sea view room I wanted but still a really nice $9 room, A/C, hot shower,
fridge, kettle, flat screen TV – great value & a promise to move me to a
sea view room tomorrow.
41km & I felt
exhausted, I felt as if I’d climbed 1,000 meters & lay on the bed relaxing
for hours. By night I tried a Quan Com shop & stir fried pork, quails eggs,
prawns, rice & soup came to 70 cents – Amazing value.
A bag of beers for the
room where I’m seriously rethinking my plans & have no desire to go any
further North if these winds continue. I’m just not enjoying cycling in these
conditions.
Photos of Thanh Van 3 Hotel;-Here
02/01/15
– Tuy Hoa
 |
| View from my balcony |
I’ve had a good time in
Tuy Hoa not least having a lovely room to rest up in. Today I moved to the
$10.50 room with balcony & sea view & this is my favorite hotel in
Central Vietnam by far.
It’s another incredibly
friendly town with a lovely stretch of pristine beach although the sands a bit
“grainy” & the weather is too rough to enjoy it at the moment. I find it amusing
to see Vietnamese sitting under windblown parasols wrapped up in 4 season
jackets & woolen hats determined they are going to enjoy some beach time.
Bob’s American Café is a wonderful place of an evening with great Western food
at really reasonable prices (see 03/01/15 for full report).
Waking up today &
listening to heavy winds battering at my window, I decided it’s time to head
South. I’ve not had any sun for almost a month now & there’s no enjoyment
to be had cycling in this weather. Hopefully I might experience some tail winds
for a change.
03/01/15 – Tuy Hoa –
Dai Lanh – Tuy Hoa – 95km (approx) – Medium
Routemap of todays journey
It’s been a strange day in
a good way & a great days cycling. Setting off I still hadn’t made up my
mind what to do; carry on North & put up with headwinds, turn West &
head for Buon Ma Thout or retrace my steps South. Heading off into a rainy,
miserable day wasn’t the best start & at the main roundabout I still
couldn’t make up my mind. I circled the roundabout a few times, stopped &
smoked a few cigarettes before finally deciding to head South.  |
| steep cobblestone lane |
I seemed to fly down to
Dai Lanh, even some pretty serious inclines didn’t faze me & I’ve not
enjoyed climbing so much for a long time. Although not aware of it at the time,
I must have finally had a tailwind helping me along. The scenery on the last
15km (as described on 31/12/14) of this 40km run is absolutely stunning.
In Dai Lanh I stopped for
a fried egg baguette & contemplated my situation. I felt I’d given up &
let the elements beat me; 1pm was too early to look for a room, especially in a
beautiful but ultimately boring village. I suddenly decided to stop being a
wimp & stick to my original plan, which saw me about turn & head back
to Tuy Hoa. I recycled the 15km of wonderful scenery, prolonged 10% inclines
don’t matter when the scenery is this stunning. |
| Occasionally there were obstacles |
On this occasion I came
off AH1 & onto QL29 near Cang Vung Ro & what a wonderful decision. The
road goes along for a km or so & then you have to cut left through a small
fishing village – down an incredibly steep cobblestone lane, indeed it was so
steep I got off & walked my bike down, not trusting my brakes on this
gradient. At the bottom you meet up with an incredibly good road with no
traffic on it.
The 1st 20km is
stunning as the road zig zags along the coast, towering hills on the left &
sea views to the right, including bays full of colourful fishing boats,
deserted beaches, offshore islands; every bend brought more wonderful views. There were some fairly
prolonged, moderate (10%) inclines to tackle but with views this wonderful they
were well worth the effort. Even being once again battered by strong winds
didn’t matter, the scenery was so good & this is with misty, overcast conditions.
On a clear day this road must be absolutely awesome.
The final 15km or so
became rather bland as the road cut inland & the scenery became fairly
ordinary. Roadworks & strong winds made it a bit of a chore.
Still it was a wonderful
days cycling & if you’re going between Dai Lanh & Tuy Hoa don’t
hesitate to cut onto QL29 – it makes for a stunning days cycling. I arrived
back at Thanh Van 3 Hotel to a bemused look from the receptionist who’d watched
me load up & cycle off this morning. At night I headed back to Bob’s
American Café, a wonderful restaurant with some fantastic &
surprisingly affordable food. Around New Year I’d treat myself to a large
pepperoni pizza ($6) which was fantastic. Over the course of a few more visits
I tried the fish & chips ($2.50), great fish but the chips were thin
“McDonalds” style – still great value.
Medium house pizza ($3) –
superb.
Bangers with cheese &
pasty wraps ($1 each) – absolutely fantastic, big tasty sausage & really
fresh, crumbly, flaky pastry.
Garlic bread & cheese
– Pizza base covered in garlic & 2 types of cheese ($2) & fantastic.
All washed down with 75
cent beers.
Photos from Bob's American Cafe;-Here
04/01/15 – Tuy Hoa
to Song Cau – 50km – Medium
It’s been another
fantastic days cycling with wonderfully varied scenery & road conditions,
so much so that it’s hard to remember it all.
It started off badly with
me cycling into another rainy, miserable day. I cycled along Le Duan Street for
around 5km then taking a left turn at An Phu I soon found myself back on
highway 1. With wide roads & light traffic it’s possibly an enjoyable road
to cycle but today all the scenery was masked with a blanket of rain & I
was feeling miserable just being out & about on such a day. Hitting highway 1, it was
back to heavy traffic & blaring horns as convoys passed & then I’d
enjoy a few peaceful km until the next convoy came along. I stopped for a
pretty wonderful meal & for $1.50 got pork chop, spare ribs, sliced pork
& vegetables over rice, all served up by 2 delightfully friendly, chatty
young kids.
Perfect timing as not long
after I hit a fairly serious incline which I wouldn’t have liked to tackle with
an empty stomach. The effort was well worth it & surmounting the hill I was
rewarded with panoramic views of the hills, flatlands, the coast & sea. A
stunning panorama & then a wonderful freewheel downhill.
Not long after, near An Cu
I cut right & off highway 1. Within seconds the pace of life changed; no
cars whatsoever & the single lane road twisted & turned through village
settings with old Vietnamese houses, weathered & decaying but still showing
immense character. With doors & window open I was treated to an intimate
look at rural Vietnamese life. I could have twisted & turned through those
lanes all day but all too soon found myself crossing a bridge & cycling
alongside rice fields with locals laboring therein.
What had been a good road deteriorated
when it began to follow the contours of the bay & soon turned into a muddy
quagmire, extremely hard work with my tyres now worn down to slicks. It was
slow, difficult cycling but the scenery proved ample compensation.
As the road left the bay
conditions improved somewhat until Xuan Phu (another pretty village) where
heading North it again became a muddy quagmire – still the scenery more than
compensated & it was good fun in a masochistic kind of way. Checking
directions in Xuan Phu the locals had tried to dissuade me from taking this
road, one guy doing a hilarious mime of getting his leg stuck in mud. It wasn’t
until one guy noticed & pointed out my already mud encrusted legs (&
bike) that they all laughed & pointed me in the right direction.
This section ended by
crossing a rickety wooden bridge (10 cent toll) & linking up with highway
1. Hard work at times but it had been a great stretch of road & a million
miles from the noise & hustle of the main highway. An amazing slice of
rural Vietnamese life. Back to highway 1 & a
10 to 15km run into Song Cau including a pretty steep incline that had me down
in granny gear. Again it was worth it as panoramic views of Song Cau bay came
into view. I know I’d only done 50km
but it felt like a lot more & I was happy to look for a room in Song Cau
& have a leisurely cycle to Quy Nhon tomorrow. Checking (Khach San) Laura,
252 Nguyen Hue, an A/C room, hot shower, good Wi-Fi, sea & beach views for
$8 is just fantastic & the perfect end to a great day. Compliments to the
receptionist who was confronted with this mud soaked, grime covered
“apparition” & never batted an eyelid.
Not much on offer food
wise so another noodle soup & bag of beers for the room.
A wonderful start to the
day when on opening the curtains there was sun. It’s the first time I’ve seen
any sun in weeks & Ok it was weak & fighting against the haze but still
some wonderful sun.
A pit stop saw me enjoy
chicken, pork, tofu, omelet, spring roll & soup for $1.25, a really good,
if hard to describe meal before continuing through a wonderfully scenic,
coastal landscape. Once again every turn, every hill surmounted brought new
& ever more wonderful views. With time on my hands I took a lot of detours
into secluded bays & deserted beaches & really did have a wonderful
cycle ride.
With lots of time on my
hands I spent a long time looking for a hotel room & I was delighted to
find Ngoc Anh, 11 Tran Van On. $9 for an A/C room with fridge & hot shower,
balcony with sea views & an incredibly friendly & helpful family
although their English was limited.
Quy Nhon’s been a
fantastic stopover & I know I keep harping on about how friendly Vietnamese
towns are but Quy Nhon has something special; every single person is so polite,
friendly & helpful, it really is an amazing place. With beaches to match
Nha Trang’s & some great restaurants (although few with English menus) it
could well become a major international resort town in the not too distant
future. 
Indeed it’s the sort of
place I’d consider retiring to once the legs get too weary for anymore travel.
Incredibly friendly & if I learnt some of the language I’m sure it would
make a wonderful retirement base.
05/01/15 – Song Cau
to Quy Nhon – 45km – Medium
Routemap of todays journey
A wonderful start to the
day when on opening the curtains there was sun. It’s the first time I’ve seen
any sun in weeks & Ok it was weak & fighting against the haze but still
some wonderful sun.
Knowing I’d only a 45km
run today I enjoyed a really slow start to the day finally getting off around
10am. The cycle around Song Cau bay was extremely scenic & enjoyable with
views of rice fields stretching down to the bay filled with colourful fishing
boats. Highway 1 was its usual occasionally irritating, occasionally stunningly
beautiful self. Not long after Song Cau bay the road went on a prolonged assent
which found me rapidly dropping gears. Well worth the effort as the summit
revealed breathtaking views of open countryside, pristine beaches, sea &
mountainous background. I run out of superlatives to describe this road.
Around the halfway mark, I
came off highway 1 & onto QL 1D, a wonderfully scenic coastal road to Quy
Nhon. It does include a few moderate inclines but the views are awesome &
well worth the effort.
A pit stop saw me enjoy
chicken, pork, tofu, omelet, spring roll & soup for $1.25, a really good,
if hard to describe meal before continuing through a wonderfully scenic,
coastal landscape. Once again every turn, every hill surmounted brought new
& ever more wonderful views. With time on my hands I took a lot of detours
into secluded bays & deserted beaches & really did have a wonderful
cycle ride.
The final 5km includes the
biggest climb of the day; not overly steep but a prolonged incline to test the
leg muscles & then panoramic views of Quy
Nhon city & shoreline before a wonderful freewheel down to the city
centre.
With lots of time on my
hands I spent a long time looking for a hotel room & I was delighted to
find Ngoc Anh, 11 Tran Van On. $9 for an A/C room with fridge & hot shower,
balcony with sea views & an incredibly friendly & helpful family
although their English was limited.
Photos of Ngoc Anh Hotel;-Here
07/01/15 – Quy Nhon
Quy Nhon’s been a
fantastic stopover & I know I keep harping on about how friendly Vietnamese
towns are but Quy Nhon has something special; every single person is so polite,
friendly & helpful, it really is an amazing place. With beaches to match
Nha Trang’s & some great restaurants (although few with English menus) it
could well become a major international resort town in the not too distant
future. Indeed it’s the sort of
place I’d consider retiring to once the legs get too weary for anymore travel.
Incredibly friendly & if I learnt some of the language I’m sure it would
make a wonderful retirement base.
I’ve hardly seen a speck
of sun for 5 weeks now, more & more friends are arriving in Sihanukville,
Cambodia for their (Western) winter breaks & a problem with my offshore
banking means I’ve decided to work my way back to Cambodia.
CONCLUSIONS
This is some of the most
stunningly beautiful roads I’ve ever cycled but too often the effect was marred
by shitty weather & the enjoyment of cycling negated by fierce winds. It
was definitely the wrong time of the year to travel this route.
The main tourist towns
were nicely spaced apart & allowed a nice rest up at strategic intervals. I
find the roads, including highway 1, to be safer than many people make out,
although the roadwork’s can be a pain. Friendly, honest locals all route & accommodation
was always good & sometimes fantastic value. The food was good to great in
the tourist towns but often bland & disappointing otherwise, although it
was always good value for money.
As I sit here in
Sihanukville one month later & remember some of the stunning roads
(especially between Dai Lanh & Quy Nhon) it’s undoubtedly the most scenic
road I’ve ever cycled, with good weather conditions it would be absolutely unbeatable
in parts.
OVERALL COSTS
I didn’t actually do a
budget check at this point (an accurate budget of my full Vietnam trip will appear
in South Central Vietnam part 2, coming soon) but I’d been running at around
$24.00/ day.
Very roughly this would
reflect;-
Hotel - $10/ night
Beer - $6 (12 cans)
Food - $6/ day
Misc - $2/ day (including
water, cigarettes etc)
COMING SOON…ISH
South Central Vietnam part
2 & back to Sihanukville
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