Mountain bike holiday in Vietnam

What makes a mountain bike holiday in Vietnam unique?

When you think of mountain biking, you might picture downhill racing in the Alps or technical single tracks in the Ardennes. A mountain bike holiday in Vietnam is different. It is a voyage of discovery where the mountain bike (MTB) is the means to penetrate deep into the landscape. The tarmac in Vietnam has improved significantly in recent years, but as soon as you leave the main roads, you enter a network of gravel roads, dirt tracks, and old concrete connecting roads between villages. This is the terrain where the MTB is king.

What makes cycling in Vietnam on a mountain bike unique is the accessibility. Where a road bike or a standard touring bike has to stop because the road becomes too poor, you pedal on. This means you reach areas where there are hardly any other tourists. You cycle through the back garden of Vietnam. The routes are often a mix of cross-country (XC) riding and adventurous touring. You don’t need to be a technical prodigy jumping over boulders, but you do need to enjoy a challenge and not be afraid of a bit of dust or mud.

Physical preparation: How demanding is it?

We are often asked: “How fit do I need to be?” Let’s be honest, a mountain bike holiday in Vietnam is more strenuous than a cycling trip through the Mekong Delta or along the coast. You are dealing with elevation, heat, and a surface that offers more rolling resistance than tarmac. A basic level of fitness is required. You need to be comfortable cycling rides of 3 to 4 hours with regular climbs.

The gradient in Vietnam can be erratic. Roads are sometimes built without taking a steady incline into account. A slope can suddenly be 12% or more. That requires perseverance and good use of your gears.

The rise of the e-mountain bike

Is your fitness not quite top-notch, or do you want to cycle together with a stronger partner? Good news: the e-mountain bike is on the rise in Vietnam. An increasing number of rental companies and partners of CvA Travel are offering electric mountain bikes. This makes the mountains of the north accessible to everyone. You still have to pedal and steer, but the motor helps you over the steepest sections. This takes the ‘pain’ out of climbing and allows you to enjoy the surroundings more. Feel free to ask us about the possibilities.

Technique vs. Fitness

For most of the routes we offer, fitness is more important than technique. You don’t need to be able to do jumps or master bunny hops. It is handy, however, if you have experience with changing gears at the right moment (before the hill, not on it) and braking on descents (modulated, not dragging). If you have never cycled on unpaved terrain before, we recommend taking a clinic in the Netherlands or Belgium before you leave. That will give you just that little bit of extra confidence.

Single tracks and pine forests

To the north and south of Dalat, you will find paths winding through the forests. It sometimes almost feels like cycling in the South of France, until you pass a coffee plantation or see a Buddhist temple. For mountain bikers who enjoy a bit of a technical challenge – roots, small drops, short steep climbs – this is the place to be. Specific routes have also been built here by the local community.

Coffee plantations and waterfalls

The region around Dalat and Buon Ma Thuot is the coffee granary of Vietnam. You cycle for kilometres amongst the coffee bushes. During the flowering season, it smells wonderfully of jasmine; during the harvest season (autumn), the beans are laid out to dry. A popular route is the descent from the highlands to the coast (for example, to Nha Trang or Mui Ne). This is a ride where you go from cool mountain air to tropical beach heat in a single day, predominantly downhill!

Encounters off the beaten track

The most beautiful thing about a mountain bike holiday in Vietnam is not the bike, but where the bike takes you. You reach the villages of ethnic minorities such as the Hmong, Dao, Tay, and Nung. These people often live in areas that are difficult for buses and cars to access. As a cyclist, you are an attraction, but not an intruder. You arrive slowly, you are visible and approachable.

In the remote villages, you see traditional life up close. Women in colourful traditional dress working with hemp, men ploughing the land with water buffalo, and children enthusiastically shouting “Hello!” and running alongside you. Because you are on a mountain bike, you can stop wherever you like. There is no window between you and the world.

Travelling respectfully

At CvA travel, we believe it is important that these encounters are respectful. We do not cycle straight through private gardens and we always ask permission before taking a photo. Our routes are chosen in such a way that we support the local economy, for example by having lunch at a local eatery in a mountain village or by staying overnight in a homestay.

The homestay experience

On many of our mountain bike trips, you spend the night in ‘homestays’. These are traditional stilt houses where the family has prepared rooms for guests. Do not expect great luxury, but do expect a warm welcome, a mattress under a mosquito net, and a fantastic communal meal with the family. After a day of toiling on the pedals, there is nothing better than raising a toast together with a glass of rice wine (‘happy water’) and exchanging stories, often using hand gestures.