Trip Report from Vibrant Vietnam

I've just landed back into Vancouver from Vibrant Vietnam. I'm still pretty jetlagged, but the memories are very vivid in my mind, so I have to capture them in words now before I fall back into western life too quickly.

We were just a small group this time, a journalist from Flare Magazine, who will be writing a story on our BikeHike Adventures Paddle and Play Vietnam trip this coming October, and 2 other solo male travellers. In total, there were 6 of us, 2 guides, 1 driver and 3 clients, not a bad guest to staff ratio is it?

We started our adventure in Hanoi, in the northern part of Vietnam. I absolutely love Hanoi. It's a chaotic city where just crossing the road is an adventure. There are hundreds of motorbikes and rickshaws on the streets in no orderly fashion, no lanes, no rules, they just drive forward. I was impressed to see that there is a new helmet law in place and also a maximum of 2 people on a motorbike at one time, unless they are young children. Then you're allowed up to 4.

Crossing the road in Hanoi is one of the first things you must learn upon arrival. You just have to walk into the thick of it and the motorbikes and rickshaws will maneouver around you. You can't run, or hesitate, you just have to walk with confidence. I actually enjoy it now, it's a sense of accomplishment to get to the other side and see how they weave around you.

We spent our first day in Hanoi exploring the city on rickshaw and visiting the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and managed to get a foot massage in before we got onto our night train up to Lao Cai. Massages are one of the big highlights of Vietnam, they are everywhere and I managed to get 6 of them on a 12 day trip. That's traveling in style.

Upon arrival into Lao Cai it was pouring rain and I told the group that we'd have breakfast and by the time we finished the sun would be shining for us. Low and behold, the sun came out just as we were sipping the last of our very strong Vietnamese green tea. We jumped on our bikes then set off for a 3 day bike trip from Lao Cai to Bac Ha.

Our first day of biking concluded with a boat trip down a peaceful river that cuts through a rugged canyon. We ended up in a small village where we spent the night with a Tai family in their home. The accommodation in a homestay is basic, but the experience is completely authentic. They cooked a delicious meal for us on a wood fire on the ground of the kitchen floor. There were at least 7 different dishes, and the group was amazed how our local host could whip up so many special dishes with such basic amenities. Everything we ate was fresh and organic.

We wandered through the village and met the local people herding their water buffalos and pigs, and even helped a guy who was stuck in the mud on his motorbike. We visited a few family homes and went to the local store to by some warm beer. There is no electricity in this village, so warm Tiger beer was the best we could get and it tasted so good.



The next two days of biking were equally rewarding with loads of cultural encounters along the way. Everyone rides bicycles here and the local people truly love to ride up beside us and pedal along side. We had so many cultural encounters. Around every bend in Vietnam is an interesting site. Tourism is growing here, as their economy is doing very well, but we stay well off the beaten track and have authentic cultural encounters.

We were invited into a family home where they were making fresh sticky rice cakes, of course we got to try them. We went to the Sunday market in Bac Ha. Now if you want some interesting dishes to try, this was the place. Some of the specialties were monkey brain, all of the insides of a horse, python fat, dog, bee syrup, fresh blood of a pig, amongst all sorts of other things that I couldn't even recognize. I personally am not that adventurous when it comes to food, but one must remember that this is real life of the indigenous groups of Vietnam, so it's fascinating to see, even if it's a little hard to stomach.

We ended our biking with a transfer up to Sapa, a beautiful town nestled in the mountains. Some of the group commented how the setting could have been the Swiss Alps with the misty clouds hanging over the mountainside carved with rice terraces.

We set off on foot from Sapa for 2 days of trekking and a second homestay with another family. This area had a few other indigenous groups, Red Tzao, Tai and Hmong. We hiked along the rims of the muddy rice paddies and past water buffalos plowing the fields. We visited a couple of schools where we dropped off some supplies. We soaked in steamy hotsprings and feasted on sweet potatoes baked in a fire, provided by a hospitable woman who lives in the area. I think all of us lost our balance at one point trying to walk the edge of the rice paddies and landed in the thick of the mud. But when we got back to Sapa we got our shoes cleaned in 2 hours and they looked almost brand new.

The last leg of our adventure was a 3 day soujourn to Halong Bay where we paddled sea kayaks to the many limestone karsts rising out of the sea. There are villages on the water where people live with their many dogs. They survive on fishing in this area and tourism provides many jobs as well.

Two of the big highlights that stand out for me here was a night paddle to view the phosphorescence. It was magical. Dipping our paddles into the sea was like waiving a wand into the water with magical dust. With the stars up above and the phosphorescence below it was a heavenly experience.

The other moment that was priceless was stopping our kayaks on a small stretch of whitesand beach that we knew would be taken in the high tide. We went for a dip in the Red China Sea and Mike said, "oh how I'd love a cold beer in the Red China Sea". There was nothing around us and all of a sudden, a woman appears out of nowhere, with a boat full of beer and snacks. Ask and you shall receive, isn't that the power of attraction.

Our journey ended back in Hanoi where we had a final evening to get massages, pedicures, enjoy the night markets, shop until we dropped and feast on great Vietnamese cuisine.

I really love Vietnam, but I do see it changing rapidly as the economy is booming. If you're considering a trip to Vietnam in the near future, try to get their soon as it still has the gentle and wonderful authentic experiences and on BikeHike Adventures we ensure that we stay well away from the mainstream tourism areas. For details on our Paddle and Play Adventure, visit http://www.bikehike.com/vietnam/vietnam_trip01.html

Until next time,
Trish Sare