Having Fun in Vietnam

I had to decide, after leaving Ho Chi Minh City, whether I’d cycle the famous Ho Chi Minh Trail or take the coast road.  I looked at the profile of the mountains on the HCM Trail and the possibility of diving in the coastal cities.  The decision was easy – avoid the crazy mountains, take the flatter route and go diving!  With that I set course on the QL1 which goes from HCMC to Hanoi mostly along the coast. 

On the road to Mui Ne

The first major stop was Mui Ne but on the way I had some fun!  I discovered the wonderful Vietnamese concept for a roadside cafe.  Called Cafe Võng – translated means Cafe Hammock. What a delight for weary cyclists!  Anywhere you see this sign it means you can rest and relax

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It is so tempting just to have a little nap there.  Then a little further along the road from La Gie to Mui Ne there is a town called Phan Thiet. A very pretty seaside resort.  Nice ride with rolling hills. 

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I only had 23kms to go when I came across a castle in a resort.  Curiosity got the better of me so I stopped to investigate.

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Apparently the castle is a replica of one in the Napa Valley and all of the wine sold in the castle is imported from that region in USA.  So I signed up for the cellar tour and wine tasting.  For the first time in very nearly six months I enjoyed some excellent wine accompanied by soft, gooey, super Brie cheese imported from France.  Absolute heaven!  For a while I forgot I still had over an hours’ ride to complete before Mui Ne.

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Mui Ne

But Mui Ne called and surprisingly I hardly noticed the kms fly by.  I stayed some 15 kms past Mui Ne village in a beach campsite.  It was a delight.  $1.00 (USD) per night for a bed in a dorm and the beach right on the doorstep. 24 hour bar and restaurant.  What’s not to love?  Even Bobbie had a place inside next to my bed.

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Nha Trang

Mui Ne was fun but more adventures awaited me.  I cycled on to Nha Trang, a beautiful and very popular seaside resort.  As I rode in I counted 10 huge new hotels being built and more under construction in the downtown area.  I discovered that this is the favourite holiday destination for Russians.

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I stopped for a few days to dive and relax.  Here I met some really great fellow travelers and we went out one evening to paint the town red. 

I crawled into bed around 03:00 and the next morning discovered muscles I had not used for ages, all sore from dancing – well not exactly dancing – more like jumping up and down to house music (or whatever it is called these days). 

I found excellent draft beer – some of it craft beer and some sold by a beautiful Russian lady at a street stall.  I visited both outlets often.

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Nha Trang is well known for seafood.  I had a fabulous seafood hotpot dinner with fellow hostel dweller and diver, Xiaoyun, and a crayfish  bought from a street food vendor.

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I thoroughly enjoyed Nha Trang.  My next post will be diving in Nha Trang and Hoi An