Road trips out of Saigon

Vung Tau would be a good experience

ssuprnova wrote:

Hey everyone, do you know of any viable weekend road trip destinations close to HCMC? Say, 4-5 hours one way maximum?

Where can you go by motorbike that's off the beaten path? I'm thinking anything from beaches, mountains, and forests to temples and farms.

Binh Phuoc provence,Tay Ninh,Con Gio,Dong Nai,Phan Thiet,Ben Tre and the list goes on.  If you have your own bike, just pack up and head out into the provences. Grab a book like Vietnam tourist guidebook, which is put out by Vietnam tourism administration. You can also use a tablet or smartphone map, they usually have places of interest marked on them. If you do come to Vung Tau, send me a PM and I can show you around the countryside.

Yeah I've just come back from Mui Ne. I might head to Vung Tau the coming weekend, so I'll definitely inbox you about that, colinoscapee.

Now the thing is that the official tourism info is notoriously unreliable. Take Ba Dai beach, for example: touted as a picturesque spot with yellow sand, while travelers' photos all show concrete slabs and garbage everywhere. I'm hoping to get some reliable info from people who've been to these places.

"Binh Phuoc provence,Tay Ninh,Con Gio,Dong Nai,Phan Thiet,Ben Tre and the list goes on."

Where is the list? And what's in those towns? For Tay Ninh all I found on the net is that there is a big temple, otherwise a town like thousands of other in VN. Is there anything special about any of those places?

Well off the beaten track means exactly that, its off the beaten track usually not many tourist highlights.If your looking for highlights mabye stick to the well worn track.

colinoscapee wrote:

Well off the beaten track means exactly that, its off the beaten track usually not many tourist highlights.If your looking for highlights mabye stick to the well worn track.

I've done alot of these already.  Really enjoy off the beaten track self-tourism tours.  But as colinoscapee said, there's really not much to do; more to see really.  The "doing" stuff is on the well-worn track because those places have a tourism economy. 

So it's more of a motorbike touring the countryside versus a motorbike crawl through HCMC's busy streets.  You at least get fresh air instead of sniffing someone's exhaust fumes.  You definitely need to go with someone because these places are a little more risky than the well-known paths.

You can also try a "target/destination" tour.  Which is, I want to go see X at this place and then just mosey slowly to get to that point, enjoy the journey and once there eat at a local restaurant, then turn around to go home.  The focus is on the journey itself while the target/destination just serves as a turn-around point.

Based on a 4-hour driving time, you can give yourself a 160-mile radius around HCMC (average speed 40kph to account for stops), here are a few ideas: 

The Đồng Nai Dam (it plugs up the Đồng Nai River and creates one of the largest water reservoirs (man-made lake) in Southern Việt Nam.

Mỹ Thuận Bridge in Tiền Giang Province.

The Cambodian border in Tây Ninh Province (no need to go across, just go to it).

The Mountains of Bình Thuận Province.  There are a few mountain passes that link Bình Thuận Province with Lâm Đồng Province that are picturesque.

Once again, the targets isn't as important as the journey.  I once targeted the Cambodian border but wanted to go through Củ Chi District to get there.  I got lost and ended up wandering around Củ Chi for several hours.  I didn't make it to my turn-around point but the exploring around Củ Chi was a good experience.

.

colinoscapee wrote:

Well off the beaten track means exactly that, its off the beaten track usually not many tourist highlights.If your looking for highlights mabye stick to the well worn track.

Fair enough, but I still feel that there are some places that are worth seeing where there are few organized tours. Plenty of places not worth seeing where tour groups bring you, as well.

THD thanks for the recos, I definitely like the "target/destination" idea.

Ssuprnova, one vote for Dalat. Let go there, it takes you 2 more hours one way (6 hrs in total). If you need a travel companion on the trip, please text me.

Rgs,
Kiku

kiku_hana wrote:

Ssuprnova, one vote for Dalat. Let go there, it takes you 2 more hours one way (6 hrs in total). If you need a travel companion on the trip, please text me.

Rgs,
Kiku

I think your estimate is maybe 2 hours off.  Try 8 hours one way

from http://wikitravel.org/en/Dalat
From Ho Chi Minh City, the bus ride is about 7 hours (9 hours if there is bad traffic leaving Saigon).

And that was by bus.  ssuprnova wants to do it by motorbike.  I can tell you that motorbikes drive alot slower than those tour buses.  I once left Biên Hòa at 4 A.M. to go to Đà Lạt; I made it there after 11 AM, so 7 hours.  Need to tack on an hour or so if you're coming from HCMC as it is 300 KM between the two cities. 

Anyhow, I think he's looking for a place to go sightseeing that only takes one day (no need to rent a hotel room and can get back in time for work the next morning).  Hence the 4-5 hour maximum notation in his original post.  Also Đà Lạt is too beautiful to just go there and turn-around in the same day.

Yeah, Dalat is a bit too far. I am looking at overnight trips as well, though.

As to the bike being slower than buses... it depends. Came back from Mui Ne in 4 hours door to door, including a 30 minute rest break to chill in a hammock. But then again I left on Sunday morning when there is little traffic. The stretch between D2 and Bien Hoa is the worst!

Kiku, I'll inbox you about that.

TDM in Binh Duong, has a few remarkable 19thd century houses, (even all the interior is original). Still provate owned , but you're welcome to visit. TDM has the largets Budha (sleeping) in Vietnam. An interesting Chinese old temple (Matsu Temple). Wonderfull bamboo architecture, (coffee shop; wind and water) by the same architect who designed the Vietnam Pavilion at the world expo in Shanghai. Near TDM one has the "Iron Triangle" (a communist stronghold during the war) Within the Iron triangle one can find a unique Bambou - arboretum. Dang Nan is a religious theme park, The rubber tree forests in the north are endless. Known as Hotel- Michelin, (once the biggest rubber tree forest in the world).....etc etc etc. In teh south an old railway bridge (the rail has disappearde) designed by Gustav Eifel,,,, Yes the one of the statue of Liberty and the Paris tower.

Do what I do, jump on your bike and drive down roads to see whats down there. You would be surprised as to what is hidden off the main roads, it all comes down to what interests you. I like seeing the locals just going about their daily business, or finding a nice spot to eat banh xeo on the edge of a dirt road with bugger all around except countryside. I have found numerous roads here in Ba Ria Vung Tau, which run through areas with large lakes, all found by driving off the main roads.

ssuprnova wrote:

...

As to the bike being slower than buses... it depends. Came back from Mui Ne in 4 hours door to door, including a 30 minute rest break to chill in a hammock. But then again I left on Sunday morning when there is little traffic. The stretch between D2 and Bien Hoa is the worst!

...

Well, legally, motorbikes can do max 50 kph on rural highways.  Light buses up to 30 passengers can kick it up to 80 kph (heavier buses up to 60 kph).

Per http://distancecalculator.himmera.com/d … 04961.html
Distance from Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City is 229 km (142.29 mi) - required time: 4 hours 17 mins

So with your 3.5 hours of driving a motorbike, you did 229 km / 3.5 hrs = 65.43 kph 


(even without a 30 minute rest break, your average speed would have been 57.25 kph).

When there's little traffic at night, think those bus drivers will stay below the limit.  Like you, they probably floor it.

http://www.thanhniennews.com/index/page … ality.aspx
“All long-distance bus drivers frequently drive at terribly high speeds. They rarely drive under 100 kph even on sections with 60 kph speed limits,” said the driver from the northern province of Ninh Binh.

So I'm sure that a bus (any bus really) has done it in 2.5 hours compared to your 3.5. 

Jan Vandenweghe wrote:

TDM in Binh Duong...

Since you didn't define the acronym in your post, to anybody new to the area, TDM = Thủ Dầu Một.  It is a city-size classification and is the provincial seat of Bình Dương Province.

Thanks for all the info, especially to Jan and THD.

I'm going on a little foray to Can Gio tomorrow. Does anyone have the scoop on driving there and what to do? Seems like a polarizing place, since quite a few people have told me to skip the monkey island proper. Thoughts or suggestions?

When you head into Con Gio, you will have a road that takes you down to the seaside where all the natives gather and eat, its called Con Gio resort. If you dont turn you will end up in a small town at the end of the road, its quite a nice little place, many trees and quite friendly people. Head down to one of the beach access areas and you will see Vung Tau just across the water.. Not a great deal to see, but its quite relaxing.

colinoscapee wrote:

Do what I do, jump on your bike and drive down roads to see whats down there. You would be surprised as to what is hidden off the main roads, it all comes down to what interests you. I like seeing the locals just going about their daily business, or finding a nice spot to eat banh xeo on the edge of a dirt road with bugger all around except countryside. I have found numerous roads here in Ba Ria Vung Tau, which run through areas with large lakes, all found by driving off the main roads.

When you head into Con Gio, you will have a road that takes you down to the seaside where all the natives gather and eat, its called Con Gio resort. If you dont turn you will end up in a small town at the end of the road, its quite a nice little place, many trees and quite friendly people. Head down to one of the beach access areas and you will see Vung Tau just across the water.. Not a great deal to see, but its quite relaxing.

It's actually Can Gio, not Con Gio.

This is EXACTLY what I do, and have done here many times. Be adventurous. Don't worry so much about all the posts you've read here about viscous marauders lurking on the side of the road, just waiting to jump out and machete your arm and steal your motorbike. The chances of that happening are about the same as getting struck by lightning. Just be prepared, and be careful, and enjoy exploring Vietnam. The Vietnamese in the countryside LOVE to see foreigners come by - it's a special treat for them. I like to stop at the little coffee stands along the roads and get mobbed by the local children. Just watch your wallet and valuables and you'll be fine.

saigonmonkey wrote:

.. Don't worry so much about all the posts you've read here about viscous marauders lurking on the side of the road, just waiting to jump out and machete your arm and steal your motorbike. The chances of that happening are about the same as getting struck by lightning. ...

However, the chances increases exponentially when you own a Honda SH.  Were you referring to this incident that happened last year?

http://www.thanhniennews.com/index/page … -city.aspx

The first time two robbers on a motorbike slashed her right arm with a giant hatchet, 28-year-old Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thuy tried to keep driving her scooter as she screamed.

“They said: ‘How dare you shout?'—and then they hacked my wrist again,” Thuy said, reliving her horrific November 24 experience that took place around 8 p.m. on Phu My Bridge, which connects districts 2 and 7 in Ho Chi Minh City.

When Thuy crashed, her right hand was dangling precariously from her arm by a piece of skin. She held it with her other hand as she ran away terror-stricken and crying for help.

“Two other men approached, asking me if I'd been robbed, and then suddenly snatched my handbag and fled,” she said from her bed at the city's Hospital of Traumatology and Orthotics.

The four robbers failed to start Thuy's Honda SH motorbike and only managed to steal the woman's purse, nearly amputating her hand in the process. Passerby Dang Van No took Thuy to the hospital.

If you like climbing, you can discover Black Lady mountain in Tay Ninh Province, 110 km from HCMC. The mountain is famed for the its beautiful temples and theme park.

Or you can dicover the Life in the Mekong Delta, that revolves much around the river, and all the villages are often accessible by river as well as by road. Consider a trip to sleepy Ben Tre just over the river from My Tho or Khmer-culture influenced Soc Trang in the very southwest to get that real life feeling.

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

saigonmonkey wrote:

.. Don't worry so much about all the posts you've read here about viscous marauders lurking on the side of the road, just waiting to jump out and machete your arm and steal your motorbike. The chances of that happening are about the same as getting struck by lightning. ...

However, the chances increases exponentially when you own a Honda SH.  Were you referring to this incident that happened last year?

Yes, I was, and I even started a thread about it last year. But I think the imported SH 150i, which costs about $8500 USD new, is the one that is the most desired by thieves, because used imports can command up to $6000 USD. At the time I posted that thread, I erroneously thought that only the SH 125i was made in Vietnam, and stated I would not buy a SH due to the risks involved. Thanks to laidbackfreak, who informed me that the SH 150i is also made in Vietnam, I've now bought a VN 150i. The VN domestic-made model costs about half as much as the import, making it probably less desirable to thieves, and they are becoming more and more common, making the probability that mine will be a target a little closer to that lightning strike.

saigonmonkey wrote:

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

saigonmonkey wrote:

.. Don't worry so much about all the posts you've read here about viscous marauders lurking on the side of the road, just waiting to jump out and machete your arm and steal your motorbike. The chances of that happening are about the same as getting struck by lightning. ...

However, the chances increases exponentially when you own a Honda SH.  Were you referring to this incident that happened last year?

Yes, I was, and I even started a thread about it last year. But I think the imported SH 150i, which costs about $8500 USD new, is the one that is the most desired by thieves, because used imports can command up to $6000 USD. At the time I posted that thread, I erroneously thought that only the SH 125i was made in Vietnam, and stated I would not buy a SH due to the risks involved. Thanks to laidbackfreak, who informed me that the SH 150i is also made in Vietnam, I've now bought a VN 150i. The VN domestic-made model costs about half as much as the import, making it probably less desirable to thieves, and they are becoming more and more common, making the probability that mine will be a target a little closer to that lightning strike.

This (not the hatchet incident, but theft in general) was a factor in my motorbike purchasing decision as well.  I knew the insurance policy was nothing more than a piece of paper in the event my motorbike was stolen, so I bought something that no thief would want to steal.  Unfortunately, no chick would come near it either....so

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

so I bought something that no thief would want to steal.  Unfortunately, no chick would come near it either....so

That's why I kept my Honda Wave, for rides during bad weather, or into risky territory. But I think I read somewhere on this forum that the Honda Wave is actually the most-stolen motorbike in Vietnam! Funny that I've forgotten to take the key from mine several times, thought I'd lost it, only to go back to the bike, and there it was, bike and all. Doubt I'll get away with that with the SH.

Back on topic, the SH is much more comfortable for those road trips out of Saigon than the Wave. I've ridden my Wave from Saigon to Can Tho twice, and it took about a day for me to start feeling my arse again.

Saigon, do your normally touch your ass after riding a bike