Pay a visit to Vietnam

Oct 11 2004

Sarah Cade Has An Exhilarating Trip Through Vietnam By Bike...

The idea of joining the swarms of bikes on Vietnam's crowded roads was at first intimidating. But it soon became one of the most exhilarating travel experiences I have ever had.

The ribbons of ramshackle villages and the brilliant green rice paddies dotted with women working in traditional conical hats came alive as school children raced us on their shopper-style bicycles, while trucks, rickshaws and mopeds blasted us with their horns.

You don't have to be a fitness fanatic to enjoy a cycling holiday in Vietnam, but the roads are chaotic and this isn't a trip for the faint-hearted.

Rocks, potholes, drying rice and coffee, excited children, chickens, dogs and water buffaloes all demand your undivided attention on the road.

Our bike ride began in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, and ended in Hanoi, taking in major attractions like the beaches of Nha Trang, the ancient town of Hoi An, the Imperial City of Hue and the stunning limestone pillars of Ha Long Bay.

Ho Chi Minh City teems with life and I was overwhelmed by the vitality and friendliness of the people.

Women in conical hats sell food from baskets balanced over their shoulders and bustling markets sell a fascinating array of livestock, fruit and fake designer goods, with make-shift cafes assembled on street corners.

No stay in Saigon is complete without a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels, 40 miles outside the city.

This 250km-long maze of tunnels under the jungle floor is where the locals disappeared from view in the Vietnam war.

Our last destination was the former Vietnamese capital of Hue which is dominated by the Imperial City, once the magnificent and ornate home of the Nguyen dynasty.

An overnight train journey took us 500km along the Reunification Railway to Phu Ly, a small town in north Vietnam, where we embarked on a two-day cycle ride to Cat Ba Island.

Set on the edge of Ha Long Bay, we watched the sunset over a handful of the 3,000 limestone islands and pillars that dominate this spectacular coastline.

Subtle differences between the cultures of northern and southern Vietnam revealed themselves in Hanoi.

Wide boulevards, colonial architecture, a Parisian-style opera house and cafe culture were strong reminders of the French, ejected in 1954.

Yet the obedient single file queue of thousands of patient Vietnamese, to see the mausoleum where Communist leader Ho Chi Minh is embalmed, was a powerful message that the country's independence is fiercely treasured.

Back in England, I've not stopped telling friends about this fascinating adventure through a beautiful country which is developing at a staggering pace. Go now, before Western influences take over.