19 April 2017

Daily Diary 30.03.17 - 18.04.17



Daily notes from the second leg of our Vietnamese motorbike tour, Hanoi - Sagon (most recent first!) ... 


  • 18.04.17 Dalat - Saigon (290km, 6 hours, +50,000 VND petrol) // Notes - WE DID IT! One last (very big) push and our motorbike tour of this incredible country has come to an end. Longest ride, worst rain storm and the worst traffic on the way into the city, but now we are resting our bums and reminiscing about the adventures of the past 6 weeks spent on the road. Final stats blog post coming soon. WOO! 
  • 16.04.17 Nha Trang - Dalat (142km, 3.5 hours, +50,000 VND petrol) // Notes - We are a day behind schedule as Dod was very poorly in Nha Trang, but today we made it back on the road for our last mountainous ride. Nearly all up hill and many scary lorries but we arrived unscathed, although very tired. Only one ride to go, but first time to explore the beautiful Dalat!
  • 13.04.17 Nhon Hai - Nha Trang (239km, 5.5 hours, +100,000 VND petrol) // Notes - Longest ride yet today, but felt nice and easy as roads clear and fast. Arrived in Nha Trang with plans to stay 2 nights. 
  • 11.04.17 Sa Huynh - Nhon Hai Beach Hostel (128km, 3 hours, +40,000 VND petrol) Gorgous ride along the coast. Really felt the drastic differences between landscapes in this incredible country. From flat roads running alongside the sandy beaches to winding mountain side roads looking over steep drops to the ocean we had it all. Originally we stopped at what was marked as a campsite on our map but after speaking to five people working at the resort and frantically pointing at the tent and grass all we got was 'no'. So we moved onto a small fishing town about 30km along called Nhon Hai. Luckily there is one hostel right on the beach offering cheap dorm rooms (the beach is too busy with fisherman to camp!). We've woken up this morning and decided to stay an extra night as it's so peaceful and beautiful! I've already read an entire book, written one blog post and started the next since we arrived at 1 o'clock yesterday. No pressure feels good after a few long days on the road.
  • 10.04.17 Tam Thanh - Sa Huynh (122km, 2.5 hours, +50,000 VND petrol) // Notes - Spent the morning walking around a local fishing village full of street art, so beautiful! Then back on the road around 10am. Scorcher today, was a struggle on highway 1 for the first hour or so as lots of big lorries steaming through don't help with the heat. Better after some lunch and a few ice teas! Stopped in a guesthouse for the night near the beach as in need of a shower! 
  • 09.04.17 Hoi An - Tam Thanh (60km, 1.5 hours) // Notes - Lovely ride along the coast today. Arrived in a small fishing village and found a kind man who will let us set up our tent for free outside his hostel - so we have some shade this time! It's intensely hot now, such a contrast from the last 2 months. Having to apply factor 50 whilst on the bike, Dod's watch tan line is hilarious!! 
  • 07.04.17 Danang - Hoi An (29km, 45 minutes, +50,000 VND petrol) // Notes - Just a little way along the coast today to the hand made city, time for some tailoring! Staying here for a few nights as Dod has ordered a suit and me a dress for weddings come up this summer. Also right on the beach so time to top of the tan!
  • 06.04.17 Hue - Danang (98km, 2 hours, +50,000 VND petrol (for an emergency litre s the top of the mountain!)) // Notes - Wow. The Hai Van Pass was breathtaking. 19 kilometres of road that winds around a fortress of mountains, and provides scenery I can't begin to describe! Photos don't cut it either. Definate change in the climate here, the coat is finally off and being used as a pillow for my sore bum. Also we found somewhere to camp! Guerilla camping sesh no.1 complete. After paying a lady in a roadside restaurant 30,000 Dong to look after our bike we trekked down to a small stretch of beach and set up camp for the evening. Waking up this morning was glorious, reminded me of our desert adventure in India plus the roaring ocean waves. 
  • 04.04.17 Cua Trung - Hue (105km, 2 hours, +50,000 VND petrol) // Notes - Ahh coastal roads at last! Well, half coastal half highway 1 but the sun was shining and that's all that matters after 4 days of rain. Staying in Hue for 2 nights as it's a fairly large city (the former capital!) so lots to see. 
  • 03.04.17 Phong Nha - Cua Tung (122km, 2 hours, +50,000 VND petrol) // Notes - Started the day in the Paradise Cave which was incredible!! Then back on the bike in the bloody rain! We gave in and purchased 2 of those ridiculous ponchos that go right down to the floor in an attempt to keep our legs dry (& in the hope that the rain would typically stop and we wouldn't need them). We needed them. Only a short drive today though, stopped in a small seaside town tonight to go and see some wartime tunnels tomorrow morning. Had the best fish of my life for dinner! Still no camping in this weather, pretty stormy and don't think the £25 tent would hold up. 
  • 02.04.17 Pho Chau - Phong Nha (203km, 5 hours, +50,000 VND petrol) // Notes - Oooh bums are hurting today! And we are very soggy, again. When will be meet the sunshine?! Stayed dry for the first bit but we were hit by rain for a few hours midway through. Also did my first bit of driving since the fall in Thailand! Going to try and do a small amount each day when the roads are flat & quiet to build my confidence.
  • 01.04.17 Nong Cong - Pho Chau (193km, 5 hours, +50,000 VND petrol) // Notes - Started the day with a walk around Ben En national park which was stunning. We saw some wild hogs and I nearly walked into a poisonous spider's web!! Then embarked on a very long one, though this time on a much nicer roads. 
  • 31.03.17 Ninh Binh - Nong Cong (89km, 2 hours) // Notes - Rain bloody rain! Horrible drive on highway 1 so busy roads and the rain made it 10 x harder. We made it though, very soggy & dirty but found a cheap hotel to clean ourselves up in. No chance we are camping tonight!   
  • 30.03.17 Hanoi - Ninh Binh (95km, 2 hours, +40,000 VND petrol) // Notes - Had to brave the Hanoi traffic for the third and final time, well done Dod for keeping it cool! On the highway all the way today so fairly speedy ride. Temperature already feeling slightly warmer but still so gloomy. In a guest house tonight as fairly big city so no camp-able grass, hopefully will be pitching tomorrow night!

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