Cycling Vietnam
 

we're interested in cyling vietnam from hanoi to ho chi minh. does anyone recommend any outfitters?

That is a long, long ride. Have you done other 1200+ mile trips. Also there are mountains. Good luck!! We saw few bicycles on the roads, only in the cities. Everybody has scooter, room for 3people plus 2 pigs, or chickens, or even a water buffalo.

We just did a different type of trip with an outfitter that does not do the entire nation but rather just select parts. We did the 5 day Mekong Delta trip.

We'd highly recommend this company, but I don't think it's what you are looking for.

http://www.cycling-vietnam.com/index.html

Personally having experienced traffic on main routes in Vietnam, I think you'd be nuts to even consider the idea. I also highly recommend the book Catfish and Mandela. It's about a Vietkieu who returns to Vietnam and bicycles the length of the country.

Wow, it would be great! It's a very long way to get to HCMC from Hanoi. It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes by plane, 34 hours by train. You should bring enough necessities like clothes, drinks, snacks money...You can stop and sleep in a hotel at night. You also should take a look at weather forecash to know what to bring. Good luck on your great trip! Remember to come back and tell us how long you can go from HN to HCM by bike.

Cycling trips from Hanoi to Saigon are quite common in the UK as a means of raising money for charity. The basic concept is that you raise sponsorship (usually £2-3k per person)and you get the trip for free. It is obviously run in groupsand believe the trips last 15 - 21 days. A good book to read is Three Moons in Vietnam.

Some friends of ours biked from Saigon to Hanoi with their teenage daughter in December and had a fantastic experience. They went with Butterfield and Robinson. I do not know who their local outfitter was. But they were very impressed with them. I can ask. They had very reliable back up vechicles, great guides and everyting went without a hitch. They were very enthustic about the trip - but were tired by the time they arrived in Hanoi.
Sally

To JulieS and anyone else with experience cycling in Vietnam:

I'm very interested in Cycling-Vietnam, as they seem a bit more low key and go to less traveled areas. You said you would recommend them -- can you give me some details? When did you go? How long was your trip? Were all arrangements satisfactory -- i.e. technical support with bikes, accommodations, meals, etc. Was the guide well informed?
Thanks for any info!
Magdalen

Hi Magdalene--

Cycling-Vietnam was a fabulous trip and I highly recommend them! We did the 5 day Mekong Delta trip. We had a huge van and 3 people to support the 2 of us. However, if you're looking for luxury accomodations, this isn't it. I'm in the midst of trying to put a trip report together but have had way too many things going on in my personal life to be able to take much time to finish. Maybe this week-end I'll get a chance to post it.