Deviations from this route will be shown in individual
sections
LIST OF CONTENTS
24/02/15 – Phnom Penh to Neak Loeang – 64km – Easy
25/02/15 – Neak Loeang to
Svay Rieng – 70km (approx) – Easy
26/02/15 – Svay Rieng to Tay Ninh – 93km – Easy
27/02/15 – Tay
Ninh to Dong Xoai – 108km – Easy to Medium
01/03/15 – Dong Xoai to Cat
Tien – 77km – Medium
02/03/15 – Cat Tien to Bao
Loc – 83km – Difficult
04/03/15 – Bao Loc to Di Linh
– 36km – Easy to Medium
05/03/15 – Di Linh to Lien
Nghai – 45km – Easy to Medium
06/03/15 – Lien Nghai to
DaLat – 34km – Difficult
08/03/15 – DaLat to Nha Trang
– 140km – Difficult
Midpoint conclusions
17/03/15 – Nha Trang to
Dai Lanh -85km – Easy
18/03/15 – Dai Lanh to Tuy
Hoa – 46km (approx) – Medium
19/03/15 – Tuy Hoa to Song
Cau – 55km (approx) – Medium
20/03/15 – Song Cau to Quy
Nhon – 43km – Medium
22/03/15 – Quy Nhon to Phu
My – 75km (approx) – Medium
23/03/15 – Phu My to Tam
Quan – 65km (approx) – Medium
24/03/15 – Tam Quan to
Quang Ngai – 78km – Medium
25/03/15 – Quang Ngai to
Tam Ky – 68km – Easy
26/03/15 – Tam Ky to Hoi
An – 52km – Easy
29/03/15 – Hoi An to
Danang – 30km – Easy
30/03/15 – Danang to Hue –
105km – Medium/ Difficult
Conclusions & overall
costs
A sobering start to this trip as I read about Francisco
Villa being knocked down & killed just outside Korat in Thailand. He
was 9 months off completing a 5 year 250,000km trip around the world that would
have seen him enter the Guinness Book of records.
It was a late start today as I gently tried to ease myself
out of an unhealthy nocturnal lifestyle & back to daytime cycling. I didn’t
get to the EuroAsia bakery until around 10.30am & a breakfast of bacon
quiche ($1.20) before battling traffic & rough potholed roads that every
exit out of Phnom Penh
seems to deliver.
5 to 6km of dreadful road conditions before traffic thinned
out & the road transitioned into one of the best I’ve cycled on in Cambodia. Highway
1 is in really good condition & includes a wonderful wide shoulder, indeed
often a shoulder within a shoulder. For a main artery traffic was surprisingly
light & it felt great to be on the move again.
All day the scenery was pleasant enough, if uninspiring but
as so often in Cambodia
it was the colour, vibrancy & diversification of the local street life that
made it an enjoyable ride. One thing that really stood out today was the
majority of kids cycling along had helmets on. Always the same bright red
version & I don’t know if it’s an 
education campaign or perhaps an NGO
giving them away for free but it was unusual & heartening to see,
especially as they weren’t worn haphazardly rather always securely fastened.
Indeed there were groups of kids WALKING along with crash helmets on. 
At one point I did manage to branch off highway one &
enjoy some absolutely tranquil country tracks for a time. Sandy, shaded lanes passing stilted wooden
houses full of character where nothing moves quickly & the pace of life
slows right down. Cycling lanes like this my pace always drops dramatically
& in tune with my surroundings I have no desire to rush anywhere.
Back on highway one around 20km outside Neak Loeang I
noticed some stainless steel pans & realized I was actually really hungry.
One pan contained SomLaw Ma-ju Kroung Sach Ko – a beef stew with stringy green
vegetable seasoned with lemon grass,
tamarind, basil & other herbs. It
doesn’t look overly appetizing but as on this occasion it can be absolutely
wonderful, a large bowl of the tenderest meat imaginable in an absolutely
wonderful broth came to $1.75 with unlimited rice & iced tea. 
My belly full & buzzing from one of the best meals I’ve
had in a long time I soon rattled in the last 20km to Neak Loeang where I caught
the ferry across to the Eastern side. I always enjoy this ferry ride not least
the colourful vendors plying their trade amongst overstuffed mini-buses.
Unfortunately a new bridge is about to open & will make this colourful,
picturesque part of my journey obsolete. 
3pm & I had a lot of time to look around for a room
& I really don’t know why I settled on Sovan Pech Hotel. It’s only $7 but
there’s more things not working (wi-fi, TV, main light) than actually works
& I’m fairly sure pretty much any of other hotels would be better value.
25/02/15 – Neak Loeang to Svay Rieng – 70km (approx) –
Easy
ROUTEMAP – Approximate as some lanes are not shown on Google
Maps & I just kept trying to go east.
I enjoyed a good, if quiet night in Neak Loeang which proved
to be another very friendly place. I wasn’t impressed with Sovan Pech Hotel but
managed to get a decent nights sleep. I started my day with a lovely pork &
ginger stir fry ($1.50) before heading out onto highway one, again it was a
good road surface with a decent shoulder & relatively light traffic. The
scenery was bland with plains of arid dry rice fields stretching to infinity
& not for the 1st time I was glad of some colourful local
roadside activity to make it an enjoyable 
Around 30km in I was bored with dry, brown rice fields &
long straight roads & decided to try some back roads to Svay Rieng. Taking
a right at Kor An Doeuk onto 330 & then veering off onto some dirt lanes
proved an amazing contrast & straight away the pace of life slowed &
once again an idyllic, tranquil wave enveloped me. The next 35km was cycling at
its best over sandy lanes or through rice fields with barely a 
track to follow.
(Note to myself – at Kor An Doeuk just after the turnoff onto road 330 there’s
an idyllic looking guesthouse & services available on the main road).
I’d cycle through rice fields exposed to the sun then pass
through a shaded groove of mature trees only to come out into open countryside
again before passing through a tunnel of dense vegetation & into a hamlet
with cheery kids waving me by. The whole route twisted & turned through
different scenery & varying road conditions but was always idyllic &
hugely enjoyable. Lots of kids, unbidden, wai-ing me on the way past – I’ve
never had that anywhere before.
 |
| Everything done by bicycle |
I’ve included as accurate a map as I can at the start of
this section but many of the lanes & tracks aren’t on Google Maps & I
just kept trying to head East towards Svay Rieng. It really was one of the best
cycling routes I’ve undertaken since perhaps Tuy Hoa to Quy Nhon & a few
hours of forgetting the world completely. Indeed when a car appeared about 5km
outside of Svay Rieng it came as a shock & I realized I’d have to re-enter
the real world.
Arriving in town I stopped for a fantastic cauliflower,
carrot & pork stir-fry ($1.25). It’s one of the things I love about
cycling, building up huge appetites & the food tastes wonderful. I checked
a few hotels & ended up at Santepheap Guesthouse with a pretty basic $5
room. I was tempted with one Guesthouse which had a big, well furnished A/C room
with fridge & hot shower for $12 but $7 extra is a lot to pay for more
comfort, at least on my budget.
One thing I did realize today, cycling idyllic roads,
enjoying hearty “hellos” from kids & adults alike & my belly full of
wonderful food is I’m not quite ready to leave Cambodia yet & another month
cycling around here would be great.
26/02/15 – Svay Rieng to Tay
Ninh – 93km – Easy
MAP of today's route
A bad start to the day as Sanlepheap proved to be one of the
nosiest hotels I’ve ever slept in. Hammering, shouting, pneumatic cutters,
traffic horns all ensuring a rude, unpleasant awakening. To round off a great
start to my day it took 30 minutes to locate someone to unlock the room with my
bike. Safe storage is great but not when I can’t retrieve it. 
Svay Rieng all the way to the border was a pretty boring
ride on highway one. Long straight roads with a good shoulder & light
traffic but the scenery was bland & boring all the way. Even the Khmer
roadside activity wasn’t enough to enliven this route.  |
| Vietnamese love their flowers |
Arriving in Bavet I was really glad I hadn’t pushed on
yesterday & stopped here a night. It’s a pretty boring little village with
few facilities out with some tired looking casino complexes (NB – There are
some reasonable looking guesthouses & a few transport cafes in town).
Stopping for some pork in sweet chili sauce & rice when
I went to pay he said “pii muan” which
would be about 20,000 Riel or $5. Just as I was about to explode I realized he
meant 20,000 Dong = $1. This whole side of the border runs on Vietnamese dong
& all the billboards are in Vietnamese script.
Crossing to Vietnam
was quick & hassle free & I was soon cycling through Moc Bai which
wasn’t even much of a village & I didn’t see any Guesthouses or
restaurants. The following few km were on wide superhighways with next to no
traffic. Vietnam
seems to love these showcase highways going into or out of towns despite there
being little or no traffic using them.
After a few km’s the road suddenly changed to a single lane
road with sparse traffic, passing through wonderfully fertile countryside. The
contrast between Cambodia’s
arid, dry rice fields & Vietnam’s
lush, green & fertile fields has been stark – different seasons or better
irrigation?
DT 786 was a pleasant final 30km into Tay Ninh although on
occasion the road surface was somewhat rough with compacted red clay &
sharp stones protruding. Lush green rice fields stretching to infinity was the
main impression & passing numerous colourful Cao Dai temples. At a ferry
crossing I was surprised to see everyone issued a life jacket & although
it’s nice to see any safety measures implemented it also makes me worry that
it’s perhaps an accident hotspot. 
My idea was to arrive early & rest up for the afternoon
but I ended up spending 2 ½ hours cycling around looking for a hotel. I just
couldn’t spot any hotels or Guesthouses no matter which turns I took. Strange &
usually Vietnamese towns are full of options. Getting desperate it wasn’t until
6.30pm I finally found Khach San My Duyen & for $10 I’ve not much of a deal
– no wi-fi, cold shower, wonky, noisy A/C, toilet doesn’t flush etc, etc but at
least I have a bed for tonight.
27/02/15 – Tay Ninh
to Dong Xoai – 108km – Easy/ Medium
MAP of today's route
Originally I’d planned to spend an extra day in Tay Ninh to
rest up & check out the Cao Dai Great Temple but the lack of decent value
rooms meant I made do with a quick photo shoot before pushing on to Dong Xoai. 
An early pit stop for some rice & pork proved fortuitous
as there weren’t many services for much of the day & during the initial
40km even water was hard to find. I endured a few km of fairly busy highway
before turning off onto a sandy path following a wide, clear canal (bo Nam kenh Tay).
It’s difficult to find this track but look for a sandy path following the canal
which is sandwiched between the 2 main arteries running off the roundabout. 
There ensued a wonderful 10 to 15km over sometimes bumpy
& sometimes sandy surfaces. It was slow going but wonderful cycling country
following a wide canal with lush, green vegetation all around. Only a very
occasional motorbike passed & what the photos don’t show is the complete
silence only punctuated with an occasional bird call or insect choir. Idyllic
cycling & although I knew I had 100km to do today, everything was so
tranquil I couldn’t find it in me to rush anywhere.
Eventually the road left the canal side & began to skirt
a large lake. I had a choice of cycling a good tarmac road, shaded by mature
trees or pushing the bike up to the ridge encircling the lake, a poorer quality
dirt road exposed to the elements but with wonderful lake views all the way. I
chose a 50/50 split, sometimes enjoying the shaded main road & occasionally
venturing onto the ridge & enjoying lake views.
At the latter end of this road there was a toll booth &
I was charged 15 cents to continue on a good tarmac road with next to no
traffic. It’s the 1st time I’ve been charged a toll to use any road
in Vietnam
& seemed highly unusual.
As the lake views receded there ensued another 10 to 15km of
enjoyable cycling through shaded grooves of mature trees or rubber plantations.
It was a wonderful 40km or so of cycling & turning onto DT 749B & being
confronted with traffic was a jolt after such tranquil countryside.
As always happens on
idyllic country roads my pace drops & I just dawdle along oblivious to the
need to get anywhere. Early on I’d decided not to push on for Dong Xoai & stop
the night in Chon Thanh instead but on arriving I couldn’t find anywhere
satisfactory to stay (NB there are 2 guesthouses with $10 A/C rooms that would
do in a push, although as their more often rented by the hour it might get
noisy).
I wasted 1 hour looking all around town for a room before
deciding to push on for Dong Xoai after all. 16.30 & with 40km still to
cover the rest was a bit of a blur as I had my head down trying to make town
before dark. There was a few stretches of roadwork’s that slowed me down
somewhat.
Thankfully the season has changed & it no longer got
dark at 5.30pm & I arrived in the light up outskirts of town at 6.20pm just
as the final light was fading. I was absolutely exhausted & realized I
hadn’t eaten anything except a few biscuits since my pork & rice at 10am. Exhausted,
famished & in no mood to look for a new hotel I headed straight for Phuong
Trang Hotel, (A22 No Trang Long, P Than Binh) where I knew I’d find a really
nice $12 room with all the trimmings & its right across from a Co-op Mart
for food & beer. (NB – It is noisy though, traffic noise all day &
propaganda loudspeakers early morning)
It’s been a great days cycling, especially the 1st
40 to 50km but it’s also been tiring, not least because it’s getting bloody hot
out there.
01/03/15 – Dong Xoai to Cat Tien – 77km – Medium
ROUTEMAP – Note this is a route to attempt in the dry
season only, I wouldn’t even think about trying this in the rainy season.
 |
| The turnoff |
I’d had a day off yesterday & although Phuong Trang
Hotel can be noisy it was still a nice room to lounge around in, indeed I
hardly ventured further than the Co-op Mart for water, food & beer.
Exiting Dong Xoai I fancied a fried egg baguette but
couldn’t find any vendors & eventually settled for rice & chicken with
bitter gord soup ($2) & as the day panned out I was glad I’d filled up
early on.
The first 20 to 25km was on a good highway with a wide
shoulder whereby the moderately heavy traffic was never a concern. Inclines
& declines much of the way which never looked like much but had me dropping
gears & were either more steep than I thought or I’m really out of shape.
The scenery was pleasant enough without being spectacular. I missed the turnoff
to Cat Tien but soon realised I was traveling North instead of East &
backtracked to a turnoff onto a dirt track. It was pretty unnoticeable & I
needed my GPS to confirm it was indeed the right road (My Nelles Map doesn’t
even show this “road”). 
The next 40 to 50km was over a dusty, bumpy B road.
Occasionally compacted clay with hard stones beneath – like cycling over
cobblestones, occasionally cycling over sharp stones worrying what damage was
being done to my tyres & occasionally I’d hit a flat smooth stretch
allowing me to rattle in a few km & stop worrying about arriving before
dark. 
Mostly it was slow going & twice I lost control of the
bike as I applied the brakes on the sandy surface & the whole bike just
went into an uncontrollable skid. I had no choice but to jump clear & let
the bike eat dust. Testament to the strength & durability of Giant bikes
there was no damage caused.  |
| Hard to control on the descents |
Initially the scenery was OK with rubber plantations &
fruit plantations in view. It was strange that everywhere the ground was
covered in rotting fruit & no one seemed to be out collecting the produce.
Later the views became more spectacular as vast swathes of fruit & rubber
plantations stretched all the way to distant hills. Kingfisher, white heron
& birds of prey abounded & most often there was complete silence
occasionally abraded by an insect choir.
There were some extremely steep gradients which early on I
gave up trying to cycle up & simply pushed the bike up the more extreme
hills. Similarly on one pretty extreme descent the bike was too hard to control
on the sandy surface & I got off & walked her down – 2 crashes is
enough for one day! It wasn’t an easy 40 to 50km but hugely enjoyable not least
the complete lack of traffic & the ensuing silence.
A final descent into the most idyllic countryside;
absolutely picture postcard Vietnam.
Passing pretty little hamlets, lush green paddy fields which stretched to
rolling green hills, water buffalo wallowing therein & white heron flirting
everywhere, coconut trees & banana fronds lined the roadside & off
course locals out & about on their bicycles. I knew time was pressing but
once again just couldn’t find it in me to hurry on such tranquil roads. 
Meeting up with DT 721 for the run into Cat Tien it was nice
to be on a good, flat tarmac road again. Despite being back on a main road with
motorized traffic the tranquilness remained as the road continued to wind
through farmland lined with coconut trees & banana fronds.
Arriving in Cat Tien (or is it Phu My?) I ended up at (Nha
Nghi) Thuy Nguyen with an A/C room, hot shower & decent wi-fi for $7.
There’s another 2 hotels next door if you don’t like Thuy Nguyen. At night I
had an absolutely wonderful rice soup & chicken ($1) but then I hadn’t
eaten anything since breakfast.
 | |
| Chao mung Vietnam - Thank you kind lady! |
At one point today not long after I’d turned onto the track
to Cat Tien a young lady on a motorbike followed me for km after km, she kept saying
“Chao mung Vietnam” – I’ve
since checked on Google translation & it means “Welcome to Vietnam”. Thank
you kind lady & I’m sorry that you will probably never realize just how
much you brightened my day.
02/03/15 – Cat Tien to Bao Loc – 83km – Difficult
MAP of today's route
Awaking early I thought I’d get an early start to my day but
couldn’t find anyone to return my passport. Finally locating the owner’s wife
she demanded I pay for the room first. Using Google translate I explained I’d
paid her husband yesterday. She was one of those annoying Asians that think
when you don’t understand their language then shouting things louder will
improve my comprehension – bloody annoying & by the time the husband was
located & my passport returned I’d lost 30 minutes. It doesn’t sound like
much but can be the difference between arriving in daylight or darkness &
an extra 30 minutes for rest stops can make all the difference on difficult
days. 
Setting off on DT 721 I soon met my first hill of the day
which was a bit of a struggle without any breakfast inside me. All the way to
TT Ma Da Gui I was surprised how few services were on offer, there were a few
shops with the ubiquitous noodle soups & occasionally a shop house with
water & soft drinks but not much else. 
The 30 to 40km to Ma Da Gui included a couple of medium
grade inclines but was generally flat easy cycling. The road was in great
condition, most often including a good shoulder & traffic was fairly light.
Pleasant views of rice fields with a backdrop of rolling green hills meant it
wasn’t a bad cycle ride, if unexceptional.
My intent had been to turn off DT 721 around Da Teh &
follow this ROUTE but at the
last minute I “bottled it” & worried I’d be going over 700 to 800 meter
peaks on the same kind of tracks & gradients as yesterday. In the end I
decided to play safe & stick to the main roads & hopefully gentler
gradients. It was a mistake as I’ll explain soon & someone with a stouter
heart than I had today might be better off on the route linked above. If you
do, stock up on water as I’m not sure there will be many services out there.
My change of mind found me continuing down DT 721 to Ma Da
Gui where I took a left turn & the next 15 to 20km was fairly constant
inclines & declines, perhaps rising around 40 to 50 meters a time & always
on mild gradients.  |
| Note the lack of any shoulder |
A blisteringly hot day, sweat streaming down my forehead,
mixing with sunscreen to impair my vision, tired & laboring in granny gear
yet having to concentrate 100% to avoid maniac, horn blasting drivers – the
final 20km was no fun whatsoever & I regretted not having stuck with my
originally intended route.
Arriving in Bao Loc pretty exhausted I didn’t waste much
time looking around for a room & settled on a $12 room at Nha Hang (Khach
San), nice enough with A/C, hot shower, fridge etc but a bit of a waste of
money when there’s perfectly adequate $7 rooms around. It’s located right
opposite the Co-op Mart.
I realized I’d only eaten 2 fried egg baguettes & some
biscuits today & after a quick shower stumbled upon a great wee restaurant
where they served up a wonderful Bo Kho banh mi i.e. beef stew served with
crispy, fresh baguette. I kept ordering more baguettes to dip into the broth
& they kept bringing more broth. 1 beef stew, 2 refills, 3 baguettes came
to $2 & was by far the best meal I’ve had since re-entering Vietnam.
04/03/15 – Bao Loc to Di Linh – 36km – Easy/ Medium
Bao Loc was yet another incredibly friendly little town
packed full of good value hotels with a nice little lake to stroll around &
I enjoyed a day resting up & doing very little at all. For those with more
energy than I had yesterday 18km from Bao Loc is Dambri Falls & to quote
the Lonely Planet “Dambri Falls is one of the highest (90 meters), most
magnificent & easily accessible waterfalls in Vietnam”.
Coming out of Bao Loc I stopped for a fried egg baguette
& some old guys at a coffee stall were fairly insistent that I join them.
It turned out the ringleader was a keen cyclist himself & regularly cycles
to Dalat on an old beaten up 3 speed bike. 65 years old but strong as an Ox
& it was nice to meet some locals with at least a smattering of English.
The initial 15 to 20km was a pretty boring ride as the road
passed through built up areas with dusty shop houses the only thing on view.
The final 15km found the scenery improving & was pleasant enough with a
mountainous backdrop & green farmland in the foreground. All day the road
surface was good but with no shoulder most of the way, it wasn’t the most
pleasant road I’ve cycled in Vietnam.
That said I never found the traffic oppressive.
Once again the road undulated up & down 40 to 50 meters at a time & always on very modest gradients; indeed I’m surprised
how easy this section was & had been expecting something more difficult.
Arriving in Di Linh shortly after noon I should have pushed on to Lien Nghai
but instead spent a long time over lunch before checking out a few hotels.
I’ve ended up in Nhat Minh Hotel & for $7 have a fan
room, fridge, cable TV, hot shower & great mountain views. It’s showing its
age, everything is well worn & there’s probably better value in town but I
didn’t like to say no to the owner an extremely sweet old lady. There’s at
least 12 other hotels in town to choose from.
As I write this at 9pm the hotel has suddenly filled up with
lots of truckers & sales reps, the noise of TV’s blaring is dreadful. There
wasn’t much on offer food wise so yet another noodle soup & bag of cakes
from a bakery & I’m currently regretting not having pushed on to Lien
Nghai.
The highlight today was coming up one of the steeper
inclines & a group of old guys sitting around a coffee stall at the summit
noticed me & began to cheer me on. As I got to the top they stood up &
applauded me. It wasn’t that steep a climb & I suspect they were drinking
something stronger than coffee but it was still a great feeling.
05/03/15 – Dai Linh to Lien Nghai – 45km – Easy/
Medium
Not long after setting off I pulled in to a Quan Com
restaurant & pork spare ribs, rice & soup was served up by a young lad
who spoke excellent English. It’s the 1st local person I’ve
encountered on this trip who spoke good English & also the 1st
person who obviously overcharged me. Give me the honest people who don’t speak
a word of English any day. 
It wasn’t a pleasant mornings cycle as the 1st
20km traveled through built up areas with little or no scenery, somewhat rough
road conditions, fairly heavy traffic & an extremely rough shoulder. The 2nd
half was more enjoyable as the road surface improved, a decent shoulder came
into play & pleasant, mountainous scenery came into view. All day the road
would ascend, descend, a few km of flat riding & then repeat ascend, descend.
Again it was never excessive climbs or gradients & it was a much easier cycle than I’d been expecting. 
Around the halfway point I met up with 3 Vietnamese cyclists
who had bused to Bao Loc yesterday & planned to ascend to Dalat today. They
were really friendly guys & a lesson in traveling light, a carrier bag with
a change of clothes tied to the handlebars their only luggage. Cycling along with
them for a few km I was amazed that their laggard was almost as slow a cyclist
as myself.
Arriving in Lien Nghai I ended up at (Khach San) Mai Hoa
& a $10 fan room (no need for A/C at this elevation), fridge, hot shower
etc. It’s OK but I’m sure there’s probably better value around, there’s wall to
wall guesthouses to choose from.
By night I had an absolutely wonderful fried noodle with
pretty much everything – chicken, pork, prawns, sausage, processed meat, quails
eggs & lots of vegetables ($1.50). Ba Map or Pho Xao unless I’m mistaken. 
Later I bumped back into the Vietnamese cyclists who’d also
decided to stop over in Lien Nghai & save the final 500 to 600 meter climb
to Dalat for tomorrow. To round off a great day I met up with a Czech guy who
taught English at the local school. He previously worked & studied in London & has since worked in Cambodia, Thailand
& now Vietnam.
An incredibly interesting & friendly guy & I could tell he was really
enjoying talking to a foreigner. It worked both ways as I’ve been pretty
starved of English speaking company myself.
It’s been a really enjoyable day where for once the cycling
has not been centre stage; rather the characters I’ve met have been my overall
memory. A nice change from weeks without having a proper conversation.
06/03/15 – Lien Nghai to Dalat – 34km – Difficult
It was a really bad start to the today when I found my bike
knocked or kicked over & lying on the ground in Mai Hoa parking lot. Letting
out a string of curses it must have been obvious how angry I was as all the
hotel staff, including the manager disappeared until I got loaded up & off.
Once again Giant bikes proved incredibly durable & there was no damage
evident. 
Passing a Bo Kho banh mi stall, I filled up with a beef stew
& baguettes before the difficult ride ahead. Ignoring Google Maps suggested
route I exited town on Lien Khuong Prem road & it was a good decision as I
enjoyed the 1st 18km or so on a wonderfully quiet, new 4 lane
highway, much of the time cycling along a separate bike lane. It was one of those
beautiful roads with next to no traffic that pop up in Vietnam often
& a wonderful change from heavily trafficked highways. The road undulated
up & down on very modest gradients with
pleasant scenery of a sprawling township to my right & forest clad hills
left & ahead. It really was a nice start to my day.
Just after Prenn waterfall I joined Deo Prem road & it
was back to heavier traffic as the road immediately began to twist & turn its
way through the mountains. The road signs indicated an 800 meter climb but it
didn’t feel that high & I’d estimate 500 to 600 meters of climbing. I’d
been expecting something more difficult but with modest gradients, although it
was challenging, it wasn’t as difficult as the climb between Cat Tien & Bao
Loc (02/03/15).
With no shoulder, occasionally traffic was oppressive as a
convoy would pass but overall it wasn’t too bad. Dense forest of mature trees
made for a pleasant & shaded environment but could mask the views of the
surrounding mountains. The summit revealed lovely views of surrounding
mountaintops blanketed in dense forest & panoramic views over Dalat city.  |
| At the summit - bucket list #1 complete |
Arriving in the city I had a cycle around & checked a
few hotels recommended by Lonely Planet & Trip Advisor, none of which appealed
to me. I eventually settled on Truc Tien mini hotel, 2/2A Le Quy Don & for
$10 have a fridge, hot shower, flat screen TV, outside balcony, good location
& it’s very quiet. For anyone on a close budget Phuong Hanh hotel, 7/1 Hai Thuong St
had adequate rooms for $7/ night. (NB – At this elevation there’s no need for
A/C).
At night I initially felt overwhelmed by the crowds,
traffic, neon lights & especially groups of foreigners wandering around. I
was feeling alienated & out of place to be back in a tourist city again. It
wasn’t until I went to the Peace Café for some Western food & fell into the
company of some young German travelers that I began to relax. It turned out to
be a great night with cold beers slipping down nicely & it was great to be conversing
in English once again.
Today’s ride has included the most exhilarating stretch of
road I’ve ever cycled, an absolutely wonderful 50km freewheel down from the
mountains. It’s been a really hard days cycling, much harder than I expected
but the mid 50km made everything worthwhile.
Andy at Oasis Bar in Ha Tien told me about this wonderful
road from Dalat to Nha Trang which was “all downhill’, luckily last night I met
2 Swedish motorcyclists who informed me that for the 1st 50km I had
a fair bit of climbing to do. Even then I still didn’t appreciate just how hard
today was going to be – exhilarating but also extremely difficult.
The Swedish biker’s reports were enough to see me loaded up
& off by 9am, an extremely early start for me. The 6 or 7km out of the city
was extremely frustrating as I wanted to have a good look at Dalat’s outskirts
but heavy traffic meant concentrating on the road & not the scenery.
After around 7km I linked up with DT 723 & there
followed 40 to 50km of undulating road with some of the inclines finding me laboring
in granny gear for prolonged periods cursing Andy & his “all downhill”
comments. It was a much harder ride than I’d been expecting & I was only
making around 10 to 12km per hour. Early on I began to worry about making Nha
Trang by the end of the day.
The scenery on this stretch was pleasant enough, often
passing coffee or strawberry plantations although often the view was blighted
by ugly plastic greenhouses spread over the hillside. At times the road wound
through mature forest with glimpses of majestic mountains in the background,
all very pleasant without being dramatic. After Dalat there wasn’t much food
options other than basic noodle soups & around the 40 to 45km mark think about stocking up with water,
as you are about to go 50 to 60km with no services whatsoever.
At around the 50km mark, getting seriously tired &
doubting I’d make Nha Trang today I finally labored up the last incline, over
the pass & onto the most exhilarating freewheel downhill. 50km of twisting
& turning down hairpin bends, stunning views of majestic mountain ranges,
many peaks still shrouded in the clouds. It really was the most exhilarating
50km I’ve ever cycled.
All great things have to come to an end & with 30km to
go to highway one (40km to Nha Trang * see note 1) the road leveled off &
there ensued a pleasant cycle over primarily flat roads with pleasant scenery
of farmland & more modest hills. As the road levels off (40km before Nha
Trang) there are a few restaurants & services available. Between Dalat
& Nha Trang there were NO hotels or guesthouses.
Arriving in Nha Trang at 6.30pm, just as the final light was
fading I headed to Nice Hotel with a reasonable $10 room (actually I like this
hotel because I can use their mainframe computers to up date this blog).
Utterly exhausted I just wanted to lie on the bed & not move but realized
I’d only eaten a fried egg baguette & some chocolate cakes today. It meant
forcing myself to shower & change before heading to the Far East Rock Café
for some chicken & pasta before picking up some beers for the room.
I’d enjoyed a great
stopover in Nha Trang & with a few mates in town the beers flowed freely
& the hangovers came thick & fast. 
Three months back I gave
this route a medium rating & it must have been because of the headwinds
that plagued me that whole trip. Today it was a nice, easy cycle & other
than 3 moderate climbs (100 meters maximum) the road was flat & effortless
cycling. 
Exiting Nha Trang was
painless enough despite fairly heavy traffic as QL 1C passed through the town
suburbs before meeting up with highway one. There followed 35 to 40km cycling
the main highway, not an unpleasant road to cycle but regular roadworks were a
pain. Rice fields stretching off to a mountainous backdrop made for pleasant
scenery. After 9 nights of unhealthy living in Nha Trang I expected to find the
going more difficult but actually it just felt wonderful to be moving again. 
Stopping off in TT Van Gia
for a fried egg baguette I decided to try & get away from the traffic &
roadworks for a time. Exiting highway one at Tran Hung Dao (road) I followed
the coast until eventually turning onto Nguyen Hue (road). The following 15km
was extremely tranquil cycling passing through tree lined lanes, small villages,
lush green rice fields with mountains to my left & sea views to my right.
The scenery varied a lot & on occasion could be somewhat bland &
unexciting but it was still great to be away from the traffic & roadworks
for a time. Taking the last left turn just before this road turns into a dirt
track found me cycling a few hundred meters over a dusty track before lifting
my bike over the railway tracks & rejoining highway one. It had been a
great little diversion traveling through peaceful Vietnamese countryside with its
tranquil pace of life. 
The final 8 to 10km to Dai
Lanh flew by despite being back on highway one with irritating, noisy traffic
& even the final climb up 100 meters or so wasn’t a problem especially as I
knew coming round the final bend spectacular views of Dai Lanh bay come into
view.
I headed straight to
(Khach San) Binh Lieu for a $10 A/C room. Dai Lanh is a fairly boring village
fringed by a pretty beach & at night I enjoyed a fried noodle & squid
($2) before picking up a bag of beers
for the room content in the knowledge I’ve another 3 days wonderful cycling
ahead. It’s been a good days cycling & wonderful to be moving again.
08/03/15 – Dalat to Nha Trang – 140km – Difficult
Today’s ride has included the most exhilarating stretch of
road I’ve ever cycled, an absolutely wonderful 50km freewheel down from the
mountains. It’s been a really hard days cycling, much harder than I expected
but the mid 50km made everything worthwhile. Andy at Oasis Bar in Ha Tien told me about this wonderful
road from Dalat to Nha Trang which was “all downhill’, luckily last night I met
2 Swedish motorcyclists who informed me that for the 1st 50km I had
a fair bit of climbing to do. Even then I still didn’t appreciate just how hard
today was going to be – exhilarating but also extremely difficult. The Swedish biker’s reports were enough to see me loaded up
& off by 9am, an extremely early start for me. The 6 or 7km out of the city
was extremely frustrating as I wanted to have a good look at Dalat’s outskirts
but heavy traffic meant concentrating on the road & not the scenery. After around 7km I linked up with DT 723 & there
followed 40 to 50km of undulating road with some of the inclines finding me laboring
in granny gear for prolonged periods cursing Andy & his “all downhill”
comments. It was a much harder ride than I’d been expecting & I was only
making around 10 to 12km per hour. Early on I began to worry about making Nha
Trang by the end of the day. The scenery on this stretch was pleasant enough, often
passing coffee or strawberry plantations although often the view was blighted
by ugly plastic greenhouses spread over the hillside. At times the road wound
through mature forest with glimpses of majestic mountains in the background,
all very pleasant without being dramatic. After Dalat there wasn’t much food
options other than basic noodle soups & around the 40 to 45km mark think about stocking up with water,
as you are about to go 50 to 60km with no services whatsoever. At around the 50km mark, getting seriously tired &
doubting I’d make Nha Trang today I finally labored up the last incline, over
the pass & onto the most exhilarating freewheel downhill. 50km of twisting
& turning down hairpin bends, stunning views of majestic mountain ranges,
many peaks still shrouded in the clouds. It really was the most exhilarating
50km I’ve ever cycled.
At one point I got stuck behind an old beaten up truck, crunching
gears & struggling with the hairpin bends. Frustrated & unwilling to
let it spoil my freewheel downhill after all the work I’d done to get to this
altitude I had to execute a fairly dangerous maneuver & overtake it on the
inside before continuing to race downhill. I’m not a good judge of altitude but
recon I dropped 1,500 meters in that 50km stretch & suddenly I began to
believe I could make Nha Trang after all.
All great things have to come to an end & with 30km to
go to highway one (40km to Nha Trang * see note 1) the road leveled off &
there ensued a pleasant cycle over primarily flat roads with pleasant scenery
of farmland & more modest hills. As the road levels off (40km before Nha
Trang) there are a few restaurants & services available. Between Dalat
& Nha Trang there were NO hotels or guesthouses.
Although the final 40km was on a good, fairly flat road the
1st 50km today had wiped me out & I was exhausted & really
struggling to cover the distance. A stiff headwind just when I didn’t need it
was no help at all. I did get a boost when 20km outside Nha Trang the
ramshackle old truck I’d had to overtake on the inside passed me & the
co-driver hung out the window shouting words of encouragement to me. I was
really glad I hadn’t played safe & stayed behind them or I’d have lost at
least 20km or an hour of time.
Arriving in Nha Trang at 6.30pm, just as the final light was
fading I headed to Nice Hotel with a reasonable $10 room (actually I like this
hotel because I can use their mainframe computers to up date this blog).
Utterly exhausted I just wanted to lie on the bed & not move but realized
I’d only eaten a fried egg baguette & some chocolate cakes today. It meant
forcing myself to shower & change before heading to the Far East Rock Café
for some chicken & pasta before picking up some beers for the room.
*Note 1;- The km markers were a bit strange today –
the 1st 50 to 60km counted the distance from the start of DT 723
& NOT from Dalat (e.g. km20 was actually 27km out of Dalat) then suddenly
they changed & started counting down the distance to highway one (add 10km
more to Nha Trang). Where I’ve quoted km marks in this report e.g. “around 40
to 45km mark think about stocking up on water” I’m going by the km markers.
MIDPOINT CONCLUSIONS
As I transcribe these notes I remember the early part &
cycling country lanes in Cambodia
with absolute joy. Similarly Dong Xoai to Cat Tien sticks in my memory, particularly
the latter half as a wonderfully tranquil cycle ride through pristine
Vietnamese countryside.
However the real point of this route was to tick off 3 of my
bucket list journeys. The 1st, cycling to Dalat was a slight
disappointment in terms of scenery & road conditions & any of the roads
between Hue & Phuoc Son had more challenging cycling, better roads, far
superior scenery & almost no traffic (see my first blog dated August 2014).
There was no need to stop in Dai Lanh, a pretty boring little place & I
should have done Bao Loc to Lien Nghai in a day – 81km would have been a very
manageable ride.
Bucket list No2 was cycling from Dalat to Nha Trang & it
certainly didn’t disappoint. The mid 50km coasting down from the clouds to sea
level with stunning mountain scenery is surely cycling at its best & one
ride I will never forget.
Coming up is cycling up the coast to Danang & then
bucket list No3 – from Danang to Hue
over the Hai Van Pass.
17/03/15 – Nha Trang
to Dai Lanh – 85km – Easy
I’d enjoyed a great
stopover in Nha Trang & with a few mates in town the beers flowed freely
& the hangovers came thick & fast. 
Three months back I gave
this route a medium rating & it must have been because of the headwinds
that plagued me that whole trip. Today it was a nice, easy cycle & other
than 3 moderate climbs (100 meters maximum) the road was flat & effortless
cycling. 
Exiting Nha Trang was
painless enough despite fairly heavy traffic as QL 1C passed through the town
suburbs before meeting up with highway one. There followed 35 to 40km cycling
the main highway, not an unpleasant road to cycle but regular roadworks were a
pain. Rice fields stretching off to a mountainous backdrop made for pleasant
scenery. After 9 nights of unhealthy living in Nha Trang I expected to find the
going more difficult but actually it just felt wonderful to be moving again. 
Stopping off in TT Van Gia
for a fried egg baguette I decided to try & get away from the traffic &
roadworks for a time. Exiting highway one at Tran Hung Dao (road) I followed
the coast until eventually turning onto Nguyen Hue (road). The following 15km
was extremely tranquil cycling passing through tree lined lanes, small villages,
lush green rice fields with mountains to my left & sea views to my right.
The scenery varied a lot & on occasion could be somewhat bland &
unexciting but it was still great to be away from the traffic & roadworks
for a time. Taking the last left turn just before this road turns into a dirt
track found me cycling a few hundred meters over a dusty track before lifting
my bike over the railway tracks & rejoining highway one. It had been a
great little diversion traveling through peaceful Vietnamese countryside with its
tranquil pace of life. 
The final 8 to 10km to Dai
Lanh flew by despite being back on highway one with irritating, noisy traffic
& even the final climb up 100 meters or so wasn’t a problem especially as I
knew coming round the final bend spectacular views of Dai Lanh bay come into
view. 
I headed straight to
(Khach San) Binh Lieu for a $10 A/C room. Dai Lanh is a fairly boring village
fringed by a pretty beach & at night I enjoyed a fried noodle & squid
($2) before picking up a bag of beers
for the room content in the knowledge I’ve another 3 days wonderful cycling
ahead. It’s been a good days cycling & wonderful to be moving again.
18/03/15 – Dai Lanh
to Tuy Hoa – 46km (approx) – Medium
MAP of today's route
Its great waking up &
knowing you have a spectacular days cycling ahead of you, especially knowing it
was a short hop & I could take it easy & linger over the spectacular
views. Knowing there isn’t many services on this route my 1st stop
was for a fried egg baguette. 
Straight off there’s a
sudden steep climb that gets the blood pumping & awakens the leg muscles
with wonderful views of Dai Lanh bay all the way up. Thereafter a few km of
flat or downhill cycling until I hit another prolonged incline which found me
down in granny gear for a time (150 meters if my new altimeter app is correct).
The whole way from Dai Lanh to the turnoff for QL 29 the views are spectacular,
thick foliage spreading over mountains to your left & sea views to your
right including Dai Lanh beach, the fishing fleet moored in her bay &
pristine islands. 
10 to 15km outside Dai
Lanh (just as I passed km1361, 32 km to Tuy Hoa road marker) I took a right
onto QL29 & straight away it’s wonderful to get back onto a quiet road with
no traffic on it. A few km cycling downhill on a good road shaded by mature
trees before cutting left down an incredibly steep cobblestone road, through a
fishing village & meeting up with a wonderful coastal road to Tuy Hoa (once
again I didn’t trust my brakes & walked the bike down the lane). 
This is a really good
quality highway with almost no traffic on it. One of those anomalies you get fairly
often in Vietnam – really great roads which service next to no traffic &
are wonderful to cycle. This road winds its way through pristine coastal
scenery with views of offshore islands, secluded bays, fishing fleets, deserted
beaches & all the time towering hills to the left. Lots of exotic birds
flying overhead & often butterflies flirting around. It really is a
spectacular road to cycle; indeed at times I got off & walked the bike the
scenery was just too wonderful to rush through.
It wasn’t an easy ride as the
road undulated up & down & regular climbs found me racing down the
gears but with scenery this spectacular any effort was well worth it.
The final 10km into Tuy
Hoa was fairly boring on a straight featureless highway with unsightly fish
farms lining the roadside.
Arriving in Tuy Hoa I
headed straight to my favorite hotel in Central Vietnam, Thanh Van 3 Hotel
& was really disappointed to find they didn’t have a sea view room
available. Still the $10 double room is extremely comfortable & great value
for money. By night Bob’s American Café for some great food, cold beers &
good company (NB for a fuller review of Thanh Van 3 Hotel & Bob’s American
café refer to my February blog South Central Vietnam, part 1).
I had a couple of strange
experiences today, the first as I got over the pass between Dai Lanh & Tuy
Hoa & stopped for a cigarette break. 2 guys on a motorbike stopped &
the pillion passenger strode purposefully towards me. He indicated he wanted
money to buy something to inject in his arm (whether medicine or drugs I don’t
know). Squatting in front of me he produced a syringe & removed the
protective sheath from the hypodermic. I don’t know if it was a threat or an
attempt to explain what he was after but I got a bit nervous with an uncovered needle
being waved around. Thankfully I’d been sitting on a boulder in a fairly rocky
patch of ground & when I picked up a fair sized rock & made it plain I
was prepared to use it he soon jumped back on his mate’s bike & scarpered
off. It’s the 1st time anything like this has happened in Vietnam,
despite often being in remote locations & potentially vulnerable. It wasn’t
a frightening experience, there was too much traffic within eyesight for them
to try anything serious but still it was a strange encounter.
Later whilst walking some
back streets to Bob’s American Café an older guy on a bike kept pace with me sticking
his thumb in his mouth & making sucking sounds. I know what it sounds like
but there was no sexual overtones & actually I think he was offering me opium
as one fellow old guy to another.
19/03/15 – Tuy Hoa
to Song Cau – 55km (approx) – Medium
Today’s plan was to avoid
highway one as much as possible and hopefully get most of the way to Song Cau
on quiet country roads. Not expecting too many services on route I had an early
marinated pork, rice & soup for breakfast ($1).
I headed north along Le
Duan road & for the first 10km or so enjoyed a flat, reasonable road
surface passing through grooves of pine trees with sparse traffic. At An Phu I
continued straight on, the road surface remained good as I passed through
village settings & then out into open countryside. It was just nice to be
on quiet roads devoid of heavy traffic, indeed it was rare even to have a car
pass. Mostly it was flat roads although there were 2 fairly steep inclines to
tackle before dropping down to a bridge spanning a river mouth with pleasant
views of a fishing village lining the Southern bank.
There followed a few km of
rolling sand dunes which gave way to lush green rice fields, terracotta roofed
farmhouses enhancing the views. Lovely scenery, good roads & sparse traffic
made it an idyllic cycle route.
Not long after Xuan Phu
the road deteriorated into a sandy surface but it was dry & still easy to
cycle. Shaded by mature trees, cactus lining the roadside & only an
occasional motorcycle passing meant pleasant cycling.
It was a disappointment to
come to the rickety wooden bridge that signaled an end to this stretch of
tranquil cycling & meant a return to highway one. The whole day had been enjoyable
cycling on much better roads than I’d expected with pleasant, if unspectacular
scenery & it was nice to listen to birdsong & insect choirs, watch
birds & butterflies flirt around instead of my senses being assaulted by
horn blaring traffic.
I crossed the rickety
wooden bridge (10 cent toll) with a heavy heart & sure enough I was
immediately confronted with the worst excesses of highway one. Roadwork’s, horn
blasting convoys of monster trucks & buses, all kicking up a storm of dust
for me to cycle through. Thankfully I only had 10km to endure (including a
fairly steep incline) before arriving in Song Cau.
Getting to town earlier
than I’d expected (2pm) I seriously considered pushing on for Quy Nhon but knew
the scenery on this 45km stretch is too wonderful to be rushed. I decided to
leave Quy Nhon until tomorrow when I can take it really easy & get the
maximum enjoyment from the scenery.
Checked in at Khach San
Laura for an OK $10 room with fridge, A/C, sea view & hot shower. It’s Ok
for a night & there isn’t much else in town other than a very basic looking
guesthouse & a hotel which is well away from the town centre. There may be
more options as highway one bypasses the town but I’ve always been too lazy to
go & check.
Song Cau’s a really
friendly & honest little place although it’s not the most exciting town by
night. I had a rice soup & chicken ($2) before picking up a bag of beers
for the room.
20/03/15 – Song Cau
to Quy Nhon – 43km – Medium
MAP of today's
route
Stopping at a small street
stall I thought I’d ordered a fried egg baguette but was served up with a
hotplate with fried eggs, ham, processed meat & small meatball with a
lovely fresh baguette. For 80 cents it was the best breakfast I’ve had this
trip & a great start to my day. 
The first 10km was highway
one at its worst with constant roadworks, heavy horn blasting traffic &
cycling through clouds of dust. A pity as the road past really nice scenery as
it encircled Song Cau bay with a fairly mountainous backdrop, colourful fishing
fleets bobbing away & later passing hoards of fishing nets fluttering in
the air. Actually they may be picturesque but I can’t quite work them out as
they are always suspended above the water & won’t catch anything. I’d love
to know how they actually work.
Despite the pleasant
scenery I was really glad when the turnoff to QL 1D arrived & I could leave
the roadworks & heavy traffic behind. QL 1D is one of my favorite roads in
Vietnam. A wide road with a great surface, good shoulder, sparse traffic &
passing through sublime scenery.
There’s an initial few km
passing through rice fields & farmland & then the scenery changes to sand
dunes with craggy mountains in the background. Soon a small climb rewards you
with wonderful views of a pristine beach full of colourful rowing tubs with the
fishing fleet moored not far off. This is one of my favorite viewpoints in
Vietnam & I always find myself lingering here & enjoying the
stupendous view.
Eventually drawing myself
away, the road continued to offer fantastic views of offshore islands,
turquoise sea, deserted beaches & a hilly interior. The whole route is just
a wonderful cycle ride & every turn brings new wonderful views. Before too
long Quy Nhon becomes evident in the distance but it’s deceiving as there’s
still 10 to 12km to go including an energy sapping hill.
100 meters climb @ 7%
gradient before enjoying a fantastic panoramic view of Quy Nhon city fringed
with beautiful beaches. DON’T take the small country lane leading down to Quy
Nhon’s backstreets instead stick with QL 1D & a great scenic freewheel
downhill into the city. I do love cycling QL 1D & some of the views are
sublime.
22/03/15 – Quy Nhon
to Phu My – 75km (approx) – Medium
MAP of today's route
Actually I’ve no idea how
far I traveled today, it might be 90km or perhaps only 60km. My plan was to get
up early & cycle 105km on the back roads to Tam Quan but relying on the
propaganda loudspeakers to awaken me at 6am proved to be a bad idea & it
seems they give it a rest on Sundays. It meant I didn’t awake until 8.30 &
wasn’t on the road until 10am. 
I correctly anticipated
there would be few services on my route today & had an early fried egg
baguette before leaving Quy Nhon. A fairly lengthy crossing of Chu Thi Nai
bridge before taking the 1st left (not QL 19B but the left before
it). The following 10 to 15km was pleasant cycling along a reasonable road
surface with enjoyable, if unspectacular views; fish farms, rolling sand dunes,
fir trees lining the roadside & sparse traffic. 
Taking a right onto DT640
the road skirted some hills & included a couple of 100 meter climbs with
lovely views of pristine beaches. Thereafter I followed DT640 enjoying a good
road surface & tranquil countryside, the fields full of Vietnams
traditional conical hats as the laborers cut & threshed the rice.
Indeed it was so tranquil
& peaceful that I somehow managed to slip off DT640 & cycle on
completely the wrong road. Just as I was looking for some shade to stop &
check my coordinates, I suddenly came across highway one. 
Realizing I’d not only
slipped onto the wrong road but that I’d been traveling Southwest & back
towards Quy Nhon was a bit frustrating to say the least. Setting off up highway
one was a severe shock to my senses after the days tranquil, peaceful roads
& the heavy traffic, noise, roadwork’s & dust proved pretty
overwhelming.
Additionally I hadn’t
found any restaurants all day & was absolutely famished. Passing through
Phu My shortly after 4pm & spotting a hotel, I decided to call it a day,
get some food & replan my route. It was an instantly forgettable hotel &
for $10 not really good value.
Looking back it was an
enjoyable days cycling (other than the stretch on highway one), I just wished
I’d kept on the right roads & done the back roads to Tam Quan in one hop.
23/03/15 – Phu My to
Tam Quan – 65km (approx) – Medium
MAP of today's route
All last night I’d been
contemplating whether to put up with the hassles of highway one & race up
to Quang Ngai or enjoy another potentially peaceful, scenic days cycling along
the back roads to Song Tam or Tam Quan. Setting off & hitting highway one
with heavy traffic & blaring horns soon made my mind up & saw me making
for the tranquil country roads instead. 
A quick fried egg baguette
before turning onto TL623, a pleasant road passing through peaceful Vietnamese
countryside. The road did break up & become slightly rough in patches but
never got too bad to make it uncomfortable to cycle. At Chanh Thien I took a
left onto TL632 & thereafter the road skirted a range of hills with a good
road surface & nice, if undramatic, scenery.
Turning off at My An I
picked up a good road which followed the coast; there was a guesthouse
just after this turnoff but not many services otherwise. A long
straight road through sand dunes, fish farms & passing extremely basic
dwellings was a fairly boring cycle & I was glad when this section ended
around Phu Thu (or perhaps Phu Hoa). 
Taking a right &
knowing I’d some hills to tackle I searched for some food but as had been the
case all day, there was no food to be had. I finally unpacked my emergency tin
of tuna & ate it with an ever growing group of kids fascinated by my every
move. Perfect timing as I soon hit a 100 meter climb on a fairly steep
gradient, much easier with a full stomach & then a freewheel downhill to a
pretty little beach. 
Stopping to take some
photos a wee shit of a lad ran up to “play” with my bike & managed to knock
it over in the process, thankfully he had the sense to scarper before I could
catch him. Pushing on & the beach had been a small respite as I soon
encountered another 100 to 120 meter climb, again on a fairly steep gradient
(Deo Lo Dieu). As the road twisted & turned its way up the hillside I
wasn’t in the mood to exert myself, getting off & pushing the bike in
sections.
A lovely freewheel down
enjoying panoramic views of the surrounding hills & lush vegetation found
me arriving in wonderfully tranquil Vietnamese countryside; lush green rice
fields with green hills as a backdrop, water buffalo, white heron, kingfishers
& locals cycling along.
Arriving in Song Tam, a
pretty little beach town, I considered stopping & enjoying a quiet night by
the beach. In the end I opted to stay in Tam Quan where I wrongly thought there
would be more services. Tam Quan actually turned out to be a fairly
nondescript, boring little place, although I am delighted with my $8 room in
(Khach San) La Vuong, A/c, hot shower, cable TV, etc & it’s another place where
the locals are delightfully friendly, honest & helpful.
I’m actually feeling on a
real high tonight not least having a nice room to lounge around in. It really
has been a great 2 days cycling, although the scenery hasn’t been spectacular
it’s just been nice to be out in the Vietnamese countryside with good roads
& sparse traffic. Even the thought of tomorrow & a whole day on highway
one isn’t phasing me, nor indeed the thought of a stopover in Quang Ngai which
isn’t my favorite city.
NOTE – Services were
indeed thin on the ground today & I was glad of some rations in my daypack
Had a great night’s sleep
in (Khach San) La Vuong & it was so quiet in the morning that I overslept
& didn’t get on the road until after 10am. 
A headwind is still
plaguing me & has been all the way from Nha Trang. Not the vicious energy
sapping wind I encountered in January but still enough to make every day more
draining than it should be.
I’d misjudged Quang Ngai
last time around & it’s actually a really friendly city, so much so that
I’m really tempted to have another night here. By night I really fancied a hot,
freshly cooked meal & I know a couple of good restaurants in town (thanks
to Lonely Planet). Sods law, since 6pm the rains been bucketing down & I
had to content myself with a sprint across the road for some chicken &
rice, then picked up a few cakes at the adjacent bakery. It could have been a
lot worse; at least I’d had the foresight to stock my fridge with beer.
24/03/15 – Tam Quan
to Quang Ngai – 78km – Medium
Had a great night’s sleep
in (Khach San) La Vuong & it was so quiet in the morning that I overslept
& didn’t get on the road until after 10am.
There followed an
instantly forgettable days cycling & my memories are of long featureless
roads, intermittent heavy, noisy traffic & stretches of annoying roadwork’s.
It always felt perfectly safe despite the often heavy traffic; it was just a
fairly monotonous cycle ride. When I did get my head up for a look around the
scenery wasn’t unpleasant with rice fields stretching to distant hills but most
of the time I was concentrating on the road surface & surrounding traffic.
For sure I badly missed the idyllic country roads of the past few days.
A headwind is still
plaguing me & has been all the way from Nha Trang. Not the vicious energy
sapping wind I encountered in January but still enough to make every day more
draining than it should be.
Arriving in Quang Ngai
around 4pm I was glad I’d lots of time to look for a room. I looked at dozens
of places where they wanted $10 for grotty, worn out rooms. Eventually I ended
up at (Khach San) Hoang Long Hotel, 77 Hung Vuong & for $10 have A/C, cable
TV, hot shower & fridge. It’s a small room but I think it’s pretty good
value by Quang Ngai’s standards.
I’d misjudged Quang Ngai
last time around & it’s actually a really friendly city, so much so that
I’m really tempted to have another night here. By night I really fancied a hot,
freshly cooked meal & I know a couple of good restaurants in town (thanks
to Lonely Planet). Sods law, since 6pm the rains been bucketing down & I
had to content myself with a sprint across the road for some chicken &
rice, then picked up a few cakes at the adjacent bakery. It could have been a
lot worse; at least I’d had the foresight to stock my fridge with beer.
25/03/15 – Quang
Ngai to Tam Ky – 68km – Easy
Quang Ngai was a
wonderfully friendly stopover & Hoang Long Hotel proved to be more
comfortable than initial appearances suggested. I considered staying an extra
night & having a cycle down to My Khe beach via the Son My (My Lai)
memorial which according to Lonely Planet;-
“The road to Son My passes
through particularly beautiful countryside: rice paddies, cassava patches and
vegetable gardens shaded by casuarinas and eucalyptus trees”.
In the end despite a grey,
overcast day I decided to push on to Hoi An instead. It meant another
uninspiring day on highway one with heavy traffic, occasional roadworks &
little in the way of scenery. A constant drizzle did little to lighten my mood
as I trudged up this boring stretch of road. At least it was flat & with no
winds hindering me I made good time. Kids cycling to & from school &
the occasional truck passing with a co-driver hanging out the window, shouting
words of encouragement helped to lift my spirits. 
At 2pm, not far outside
Tam Ky the heavens opened & a fairly torrential rain descended, I wasn’t in
the mood to cycle in heavy rain & headed into town & found an OK room
at Hoang Ngoc Hotel, 52 Trang Nu Vong, it’s a small room with no window but has
A/C, cable, fridge & hot shower. I’m sure there’s better value in town but
I just wanted to get out of the rain ASAP.
Tam Ky’s the 1st
town I’ve actively disliked in Vietnam & every transaction I’ve had people
have tried to cheat me. From buying a bottle of water, a can of beer or noodle
soup I’ve been overcharged & I’ll be really happy to get out of here
tomorrow. It’s strange in Quang Ngai no one would even think to overcharge me
& yet just 68km up the road in Tam Ky everyone thinks the foreigner is fair
game.
26/03/15
– Tam Ky to Hoi An – 52km – Easy
MAP of today's route
Awoke keen to get out of
Tam Ky the 1st place in Vietnam I’ve felt ripped off at every turn.
Unfortunately I needed some breakfast & sure enough I was overcharged for a
fried egg baguette.
Long straight roads out of
town firstly on Nguyen Va Troi & then An Ha Ton Duc Thang before turning
onto a dirt track to Ton Duc Thang. 
The next few km was
enjoyable cycling along a fairly rough road surface shaded under a groove of
mature trees. Crossing a bridge & turning onto Thanh Nien the landscape
transitioned to windblown sand dunes with occasional glimpses of the sea.
Actually much of the time it felt like cycling through a huge cemetery with
tombs & gravestones everywhere. It was pleasant enough cycling without
being dramatic & the latter half of this road passed through well tended
vegetable fields. 
A 50 cent ferry ride in
fairly choppy water found me on the outskirts of Hoi An, cycling along Au Co
& then Cua Dai before arriving in the centre of town.
It’s been a really good
days cycling despite fairly undramatic scenery & it’s been nice to avoid
highway one once again & enjoy peaceful, quiet country roads.
I headed straight to Vinh
Huy Hotel, 203 Ly Thuong Kiet Street which was a great room last year but
standards can slip in Vietnam fairly quickly. Still for $10 it will do for a
night or two.
Night found me at 41 Café,
Tran Cao Van Street for some excellent food (chicken, chili & lemongrass +
rice, $2) & 10 cent draft beers. It’s great hitting the tourist towns where
I can have fresh cooked food with a tasty sauce again.
29/08/15 – Hoi An to
Danang – 30km – Easy
A short, pleasant cycle
ride today on a very good road with fairly light traffic. The scenery was
undramatic with much of the sea/ beach views blocked off by developer’s
billboards. Still it was good to be moving again passing up market resorts
& golf courses. 
Arriving in Danang I knew
the beach & waterfront areas are out of my price range & headed into
the city centre. I ended up at Anh Duong Hotel, 589 Dien Bien Phu & a $12
A/C room (after extensive bargaining). It would be poor value anywhere other
than Danang but for this city I think it’s a reasonable deal, especially as I
have a nice city & mountain view.
I took a stroll around
Danang in the afternoon & it’s a pleasant enough city but the traffic was
horrendous. Worryingly it’s been overcast all day & the mountains are grey
& shrouded in mist. I’m praying for a clear day tomorrow to enjoy the Hai
Van Pass at its best.
I awoke excited & keen
to tackle bucket list No3 – a ride over the Hai Van Pass but on opening the
curtains it was a grey, overcast day with the pass shrouded in mist. I’d really
been hoping for a clear day to enjoy this cycle route at its best.
All morning I lingered
hoping the weather would clear but just before midday decided I had to set off
despite the adverse weather conditions. A huge breakfast of pork, shrimp,
spring rolls, fried egg, vegetable, rice & soup fortified me nicely & crossing
the bridge out of Danang it wasn’t long before the inclines began. 
The road snaked its way
uphill on gentle gradients, the road signs reflected a gradient of 10% but I
thought it was between 6 to 8%, very manageable & indeed I didn’t have to employ
granny gear too often. As the road wound its way uphill with hairpin bends
& switchbacks it was an enjoyable ride despite the grey, overcast
conditions masking much of the scenery. On a clear day it must be a magnificent
ride. 
Traffic was extremely
light & lots of the passing motorcyclists gave me a toot & some words
of encouragement. 12km of gentle climbing to a height of 500 meters found me at
the pass & it was actually a lot easier than I’d expected (NB – I know my
estimated altitudes are often way off, but the 500 meter is a well documented
fact).
A wonderful freewheel
downhill through hairpin bends & switchbacks found me in Lang Co where I’d
planned to stay the night. Despite my late start it was only 2pm & I decided
I might as well put in the extra 66km to Hue. It meant using highway one as
seeking out back roads would have eaten up too much time. 
On a clear day the
following 60km might have been very pleasant cycling with a fairly majestic
mountain range providing a backdrop but a shroud of mist meant they weren’t at
their dramatic best. Instead, as is often the case on highway one, the overall
impression was of roadwork’s, traffic convoys & dusty shop houses. That’s not
to say I didn’t enjoy the final 60km, I was on a high having completed bucket
list No3 & was enjoying just being out there covering a decent distance
once again.
COMING SOON…ISH, Hue to
Hanoi via Halong Bay
30/03/15 – Danang to
Hue – 105km – Medium/ Difficult
I awoke excited & keen
to tackle bucket list No3 – a ride over the Hai Van Pass but on opening the
curtains it was a grey, overcast day with the pass shrouded in mist. I’d really
been hoping for a clear day to enjoy this cycle route at its best.
All morning I lingered
hoping the weather would clear but just before midday decided I had to set off
despite the adverse weather conditions. A huge breakfast of pork, shrimp,
spring rolls, fried egg, vegetable, rice & soup fortified me nicely & crossing
the bridge out of Danang it wasn’t long before the inclines began. 
The road snaked its way
uphill on gentle gradients, the road signs reflected a gradient of 10% but I
thought it was between 6 to 8%, very manageable & indeed I didn’t have to employ
granny gear too often. As the road wound its way uphill with hairpin bends
& switchbacks it was an enjoyable ride despite the grey, overcast
conditions masking much of the scenery. On a clear day it must be a magnificent
ride. 
Traffic was extremely
light & lots of the passing motorcyclists gave me a toot & some words
of encouragement. 12km of gentle climbing to a height of 500 meters found me at
the pass & it was actually a lot easier than I’d expected (NB – I know my
estimated altitudes are often way off, but the 500 meter is a well documented
fact).
A wonderful freewheel
downhill through hairpin bends & switchbacks found me in Lang Co where I’d
planned to stay the night. Despite my late start it was only 2pm & I decided
I might as well put in the extra 66km to Hue. It meant using highway one as
seeking out back roads would have eaten up too much time. 
On a clear day the
following 60km might have been very pleasant cycling with a fairly majestic
mountain range providing a backdrop but a shroud of mist meant they weren’t at
their dramatic best. Instead, as is often the case on highway one, the overall
impression was of roadwork’s, traffic convoys & dusty shop houses. That’s not
to say I didn’t enjoy the final 60km, I was on a high having completed bucket
list No3 & was enjoying just being out there covering a decent distance
once again.
CONCLUSIONS &
OVERALL COSTS;
Overall the highlight was
cycling from Dalat to Nha Trang. From Nha Trang to Quy Nhon is always a pleasure
with stunning scenery on route. Danang to Hue over the Hai Van pass was a disappointment
with the weather against me, I’m sure if it had been a clear day it would have
been a wonderful scenic cycle ride.
Everywhere the locals have
been friendly, helpful & in most cases very honest. Once again food, out
with the main tourist areas has been a distinct disappointment. Accommodation
has always been satisfactory & often incredibly good value. Road conditions
have varied greatly but other than climbing to Bao Loc I’ve never felt fear for
my safety even on the busier stretches of highway one.
I spent $827 in 35 days ie $23.63/day.
A very approximate breakdown would be;-
Accommodation - $10
Food - $5 to $6
Beer - $6 (ie 12 cans)
Miscellaneous - $2 to $3 (inc water, cigarettes etc)
