Vietnam Wrap-Up

This story was posted under the categories: Big Asia Trip, Cycling South-East Asia, Vietnam

 Vietnam has long been the wildcard in our asia trip. It remained unsure whether we would go right up until january. As we decided to cycle from then on, we also decided that we would visit (South) Vietnam and we’re very happy to have done so. Vietnam is a lovely country, in the middle of evolution from a war-wrecked nation into a capitalistic empire.The first thing we noticed upon entiring Vietnam’s Mekong Delta was the activity. The Vietnamese we’re all out and about, working their land, riding to and from places. The land was green, softdrinks generally available and the people always in for a good laugh and a joke. It was a real pleasure being there after lazy and dusty Cambodia.

People

The people of Vietnam are a special breed. Like most asians they are very open, smiling, enjoy a good laugh and a beer. However their mood can change as swiftly and go into capitalist and opportunist mode, resulting in hard negotiating and scrupulous overcharging. They turn into arrogant money-machines and the smiles turn into agitation and even agression. At one time, we had a discussion over the price of our drinks. When they quadruppled the price they had initially given, we refused to pay the extra. Things got heated and we had to hop on our bikes and get away to avoid messy affairs.

Now don’t be alarmed, this is the exception and whenever they’re not thinking about money, the Vietnamese are really enjoyable and sweet. We call it a Hate-Love relationship.

Country

It was very wrong of us to doubt about Vietnam as a travelling destination. It is certainly one of the (if not THE) most versatile and capturing country that we visited. In the month that we bicycled from the far South (Mekong Delta) to the center of the country(Hue) , we passed from rice fields over metropoles, beaches, deserts, mountains and ancient cities.

The best part of Vietnam is the current state of the country. It is developing rapidly and there are sprangling cities and villages everywhere. They are just beginning to build shopping malls, but there’s no McDonals, KFC, Pizza Hut etc yet. There’s accomodation going from the old guesthouses in which you can sleep for 3 USD over the standard low key hotel (10-15 USD) and the luxury resorts (50 USD, way above our budget . There are hot and trendy cafes, next door to the traditional coffee house where you sit on plastic chairs and sip your Vietnamese Cafe Sua Da. So there’s a bit for everybody and there’s always something to satisfy your needs.

Our favourite sights:

Ride from Mui Ne to Phan Ri: definitely the most beautiful ride we did in Vietnam. Read all about it in our South Vietnam Coast post.

Mekong Delta: lush and green, bustling with energy and a network of excellent cycling roads between banana trees and rice fields. You can read it all in our Mekong Delta story.

Getting lost around Dalat: while Dalat is a kitchy tourist ghetto, the surrounding forest remained untouched and if you have a bike and aren’t afraid to get terribly lost, you can make the most amazing mountain rides.

A special mention for La Gi. It’s a small fishermen’s village halfway on the Southern beach. Not on the tourist radar yet, but offering a nice old quarter, a beach and a fishing port. Drop by on the way to Mui Ne and spend a night!

Food

Vietnamese food is said to be the best in Asia, or at least a close second to Thailand. While we really tried to find that great taste, we must unfortunately report that we haven’t found it. Noodle soups have been a daily item on our menu, sometimes even two times per day. Even the culinary capitals of Hoi An and Hue didn’t really bring a lot of surprises. The only ones worth mentioning are:

Bhan Nam: a thin layer of rice cake dressed with dried shrimps and sweet fish sauce, steamed and served in a banane leaf.

Bhan Meo: half-egg sized rice cakes served in a bowl of sweetened fish sauce and some extra’s (like dried onions). The experience largely depends on the sauce and we haven’t found any that tasted so absolutely delicious as the one we had in Phan Ri.

Vietnamese coffee: served very strong in a glass and usually mixed with sweetened condensed milk. It’s also very popular in Ice version, where you pour your coffee in a glass of ice.

Conclusions

South-Vietnam has been a fantastic experience and it’s the perfect country for independent travelling. There’s places to sleep just about everywhere, cafe’s all over the place and a big diversity in scenery. One of our must-see destinations!