Our experience from 1 of the great novel activities inwards the portion – Mountain biking inwards Phong Nha.
“Stay to the right, or you lot volition sink.” H5N1 audio flake of advice that I was determined to follow. I pedalled furiously towards the flooded trail, aiming to the right inwards the hopes of avoiding a abrupt disappearance into the dingy abyss.
Hugging the border of the dirt rails as well as hence closely that the overhanging shrubs scraped against my skin, all eyes were on me every bit I tried my hardest to range the other side of the pool without becoming bogged.
As my front end wheel chop-chop sunk deeper into the water, I knew the task was almost impossible. Quickly my front end hub was submersed, as well as my feet were presently to follow.
Resistance increased as well as my legs burned every bit I battled the slop. Only a few to a greater extent than rotations as well as I would hopefully live out of the treacherous situation…
Check out our novel guide filled with the best Vietnam Travel Tips.
Mountain Biking In Phong Nha
The Quang Binh tell inwards Central Vietnam is chop-chop developing the reputation every bit the run a endangerment uppercase of Southeast Asia.
Gargantuan limestone caverns beg exploration beneath the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.
Hordes of tourists are flocking to the expanse to venture within these ancient caves. Now to a greater extent than exciting activities are available for those searching for to a greater extent than pursuits on the surface.
One such experience is mount biking inwards Phong Nha, which offers a mix of tough off-road trails, rural surroundings, historic sights as well as enchanting scenery.
The human being behind the Phong Nha Adventure Cycling company is Shi, a Vietnamese legend from a neighbouring hamlet who leads the mount wheel tours inwards Phong Nha.
Although he is at 1 time based inwards Hue, he spends a great bargain of fourth dimension taking adventurous travellers through the best off-road terrain inwards the region.
I had heard a lot well-nigh his mount wheel tours, as well as hence when the chance came upwardly to banking enterprise check out the Ho Chi Minh Trails with him, I was pumped.
Our little grouping met at the Easy Tiger Hostel, where Private Shi (as he is known) measured us upwardly as well as matched our sizes to the right mount bikes.
Shi deliberately kept the briefing short, slyly mentioning that it was “only” 40km of off-roading nosotros would remove hold to tackle.
My legs began quivering with trepidation every bit I all of a abrupt realised that the exclusively wheel I had been on inwards the final few months is 1 with a 110cc motor inwards it. This was going to live a long day.
Knowing that nosotros would demand some unloosen energy for the day’s undertaking, nosotros rode out to Ho Khanh’s Homestay for 1 of his famous chocolate coffees.
Ho Khanh is the human being who discovered Hang Son Doong – the world’s largest cave – dorsum inwards 1991 piece he was illegally logging inwards the jungle.
Now he is the Pb porter for Oxalis, the society that runs tours to Hang Son Doong, piece assisting the British Cave Research Association inwards exploring novel caverns inwards the region.
Feeling the buzz from coming together the local legend, as well as the strong caffeine hit, nosotros rode S as well as boarded a sparse timber boat used to carry passengers, motorbikes, as well as this fourth dimension mount bikes, across the Son River.
Shi regaled us with anecdotes of some of the to a greater extent than peculiar happenings during the Vietnam/American War; some tragic, some hilarious.
Reaching the other side, nosotros rode through a little hamlet to a chorus of “hellos” from the scores of children playing games exterior their houses.
We exited the community, rode through vacant peanut fields as well as merged with 1 of the master Ho Chi Minh Trails.
Used to carry supplies from the North to the South during the war, these trails were known every bit 1 of the greatest armed forces technology scientific discipline achievements of the 20th century.
Now they are utilised yesteryear farmers as well as villagers every bit access roads. For over 3km nosotros pedalled our means through sludge as well as soil, fording large puddles as well as dodging jagged rocks.
Roadside craters were solemn reminders of the devastating b0mings that took identify hither exclusively a generation ago.
Once nosotros emerged from the historic trails, nosotros rode our mount bikes through vast pastures encompassed yesteryear the typical karst scenery that Phong Nha is known for.
Local farmers as well as buffalo worked the fields inwards much the same means that they remove hold for centuries. While the balance of the populace develops rapidly, hither inwards Quang Binh many things remain unchanged.
Eventually Shi directed us onto the famous Ho Chi Minh Highway West. We followed its (thankfully) apartment surface every bit it ran parallel to the Chay River, yesteryear Hang Toi, or the “Dark Cave” every bit it is known inwards English.
Our luncheon halt was at the Nuoc Mooc Eco Trail, where an hush-hush river springs upwardly to the surface. The rootage of this carving waterway is unknown, but many local men believe it begins across the border inwards Laos.
The nature reserve is a pleasant identify to boot dorsum as well as relax inwards nature, as well as that is just what nosotros did piece our luncheon was served to us right side yesteryear side to the river.
After nosotros hungrily wolfed downwards our delicious Vietnamese spread, including freshwater shrimp caught that morning time from the river, nosotros had an hr to explore Nuoc Mooc.
Wandering along the lush jungle on ii feet was a welcome recess from beingness on ii wheels.
Stomachs filled as well as legs slightly recovered, nosotros mounted the bikes as well as beelined our means dorsum towards Phong Nha. The refreshing pavement wasn’t to final though, every bit Shi veered us dorsum onto a dirt path weaving through some other village.
The buildings all of a abrupt vanished, every bit did our trail, as well as nosotros ended upwardly riding across grassed paddocks as well as through narrow paste trees. If it weren’t for Shi’s capable navigation skills, nosotros for certain would remove hold believed nosotros were lost.
Soon nosotros pulled upwardly side yesteryear side to a slit inwards the limestone cliffs. This was the fabled “Wine Cave”, which the locals used every bit a makeshift distillery to create a strong home-brew during the war.
Phong Nha continues to deliver surprising as well as fascinating history some every corner. We scrambled upwardly some rocks for ameliorate vistas, earlier setting off again.
Daylight hours dwindling, the twilight heaven transformed into a vibrant painting, sunbeams non bad through breaks inwards the clouds.
The barren earth’s brownish shades grew deeper every bit the Sun lowered towards the mount peaks.
We rode our bikes through rustic hamlets, as well as crossed the Son as well as Chay Rivers 1 time to a greater extent than on the means dorsum to Phong Nha town.
Arriving inwards town nosotros dismounted the mount bikes as well as cheered inwards unison. Despite the exhausted legs, the day’s tour had been incredible.
Private Shi had done a remarkable chore of imparting every bit much local noesis every bit possible. In his ain words, “More than the CIA volition e'er tell you.”
While the grandeur of the massive caves hiding with the jungles of the national park attracts thousands of visitors, the farmlands inwards the neighbouring expanse remain relatively untouched.
The mount biking inwards Phong Nha took us deep into the pump of it as well as left us longing to venture dorsum out on ii wheels to relive the experience.
Just don’t forget to maintain pedalling when you lot honor yourself crank deep inwards the swallowing mud…
How To Book Your Mountain Bike Tour In Phong Nha
Tourist numbers to the Quang Binh tell are booming, as well as every bit such facilities as well as activities are beingness established almost daily.
The mount biking inwards Phong Nha is withal relatively new, as well as volition no dubiousness grow inwards popularity every bit to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than people start coming to town.
Unfortunately a lot of travellers acquire inwards in Phong Nha with a express amount of time, important yesteryear the fourth dimension they listen well-nigh some of the other attractions on offer, it is besides late.
Make certain you lot do your interrogation earlier coming, remove hold a few days upwardly your sleeve as well as consider jumping on a mount biking tour.
If you lot are interested inwards mount biking inwards Phong Nha on 1 of Private Shi’s tours every bit 1 of your things to do inwards Vietnam, you lot tin volume it through his website, or yesteryear contacting him yesteryear e-mail or phone:
- Phong Nha Adventure Cycling
Phone – +84 (0) 98 555 5827
Email – privateshi (dot) phongnhacycling (at) gmail (dot) com
Web – http://phongnhacycling.jimdo.com/
Alternatively you lot tin volume the mount biking inwards Phong Nha at the next places inwards town:
- Bamboo Cafe
Phone – +84 (0) 52 367 8777
Email – phongnha.bamboocafe (at) gmail (dot) com
Web – http://phongnhabamboocafe.com/
- Easy Tiger
Phone – +84 (0) 52 367 7844
Email – easytigerphongnha (at) gmail (dot) com
Web – http://www.easytigerhostel.com/
- Phong Nha Farmstay
Phone – +84 (0) 52 367 5135
Email – phongnhafarmstay (at) gmail (dot) com
Web – http://phong-nha-cave.com/
Need accommodation inwards Phong Nha? Book hither with Booking.com
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