The Best Time to Cycle in Vietnam
The time between October and February is the best time for biking tours in Vietnam because the weather is cool and rarely rains. You should avoid summer months when the temperature can reach over 40°C. If you do a cycle trip in summer you should get up early and stop by a coffee shop or street-side restaurant to take a nap at noon and avoid the heat.
The Best & Worst Places to Cycle in Vietnam
The big highway which connects the north and south Vietnam is considered one of the worst places to cycle in Vietnam because of the highest number of trucks and busses. While the Mekong Delta is one of the best choices for cycles with hundreds of small roads you can turn off to and get off the beaten track. Traffic there is less intense and people are super hospitable.
Foods for Cyclers
Vietnamese cuisine is so tasty you can find cheap foods everywhere along your cycling holidays. Banh Mi is available along the street and is one of the best choices for breakfast. There are a lot of options for lunch such as Bun, Pho (beef or chicken noodle soup with vegetables), etc. The price of a bowl of Pho is around $1.
Vietnamese Phrases for Cyclers
During the journey you can meet many Vietnamese people, some of them can wave their hands and say “hello” to you. The simplest way to respond is saying “ hello” with a smile, but if you can say some Vietnamese sentences like “Xin chào” or “ Cảm ơn” that ‘s much greater. In case you want to ask someone direction you should use the phrases “ ở đâu”, it sounds like “o dough”. But the best way to find direction is by writing it down because it is quite hard for foreigners to pronounce Vietnamese, or using Google Maps.
Other Tips
Cycling in Vietnam you may have to be faced with some problems such as being ripped off, being lost, etc. If you are lost you can ask locals for help, if you lost your bike you can take an independent mini-bus, which serve as the town to town transport in most of the country. Many cyclers may be ripped off when buying something, so the solution is that once you have a sense of how much things should cost, you can bargain for a reasonable price. We operate a variety of Vietnam tour packages. Check out our recommended Vietnam cycling tours, if you do not find any suitable tours or day trips, please contact our experts. We will help you tailor a unique cycling tour that is exclusively for you.