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You’ll look sweet on a (Vietnamese) bicycle made for two
Vietnam has become one of South-East Asia’s most popular honeymoon destinations during the last decade, with some seriously lavish hotels springing up along its lovely coast. But we don’t all feel comfortable being waited on while we do nothing much. For more active couples, not given to flopping around in the sun, a Vietnam honeymoon can offer a whole other side - several, in fact, but perhaps the country’s least familiar face is the one you can see from a saddle.
It’s best to avoid cycling in Vietnam’s major cities - Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) - unless you’re both cycle couriers, in which case you probably don’t want to spend your honeymoon negotiating crazy traffic anyway. Road rules here are “flexible” to say the least - cars change direction at any moment without warning. You have to pay to park your bike, too, which can get pricey if you’re doing much sightseeing.
You’re better off touring around the smaller towns, like historic Hue & Hoi An, or (perhaps best of all) heading out into the countryside. In a country where there is most definitely a “beaten path” or two, cycling in rural Vietnam lets you discover aspects of the place that few get to see, especially if you arrange homestay accommodation within rural villages.
It is sometimes possible to take your bike on the North-South Vietnam train, which runs all the way along the coast from Hanoi to HCMC, but space is limited. If you don’t feel up to cycling the country’s entire length, you’re better off hiring separately at each of your stopping points.
Many cyclists choose their own route - it’s no different to backpacking, really, providing you do your research first & don’t go off half-cocked. You definitely need some experience with bike trekking, not to mention a hydration pack & decent all weather gear, before heading off independently here. Vietnam’s climate changes drastically depending on the time of year & where you are.
If you’re not so enthusiastic about a full-on wilderness ride, several companies run cycle tours throughout Vietnam, although make sure you choose one whose operatives have actually <em>been</em> to the country. A few have been suspected of parachuting clients into Hanoi & sending them peddling off along major motor highways chosen from a map.
Iconic Sapa
One of the most iconic cycling regions in Vietnam is Sapa, a mountainous area about 10 hours north-west of Hanoi by train. Sapa is defined by its lush green misty valleys, often terraced with steep rice paddies. Several ethnic tribes have, somewhat miraculously, continued to live here, in the same traditional rural fashion, for centuries. The region is comfortably cool & damp but high up, so you need to be fit enough to cycle at fairly high altitudes.
It’s worth it, though - the views are astonishing, with habitats ranging from alpine vegetation to acres of dwarf bamboo, depending on the altitude. You’ll encounter many tribespeople going about their daily business, too. Sapa is used to visitors - you may be surprised by how well some of the tribespeople speak English - but manages to stay true to itself nonetheless.
BIO
Suzie Saw is a freelance travel writer who has totted the globe with her family as a teen and then decided to carry on that adventure as she became an adult. See so many places and experiencing all the wonderful cultures has given Suzie a great outlook on life.