How safe is Vietnam?
Vietnam's rich heritage has been overlooked by most westerners due to its brief but turbulent history of the late 20th century. However, Vietnam has a long fascinating history and an extraordinarly refined culture. Vietnam is considered one of the world's safest destinations for travelers and the Vietnamese are an extremely warm and friendly people.
Why should we travel with Bike Vietnam?
Bike Vietnam specializes in biking adventures to Vietnam and Cambodia exclusively. Owner and operator Mike Smith personally leads every tour. This means the highest level of professionalism, customer service and expertise is guaranteed on every tour. Bike Vietnam's itineraries include the most spectacular and fascinating sites in every area traveled with an emphasis on gaining historical and cultural insights.
What cycling skills do I need?
Most people with a reasonable fitness level will have no problem riding all or most of the day. The terrain we ride is gentle and the mileage moderate. There is always an air conditioned support vehicle nearby and you are welcome to climb in whenever you like. We stop frequently to enjoy the sites and the scenery.
Is there much traffic?
We have designed our routes to to take advantage of the most scenic back roads possible but you will encounter traffic. Most of the traffic in Vietnam consists of small motorcycles. We will give a full briefing on road safety and cycling etiquette before you begin pedaling.
How is the food?
The Vietnamese have some of the best food in the world. There are markets everywhere that supply an incredable assortment of fresh,locally grown fruits and vegetables as well as fresh caught fish. The people of Vietnam enjoy a diet of interesting healthy food----No McDonalds here.
Should I purchase Travel Insurance?
We strongly suggest purchasing travel insurance. To get a comparative analysis of the top insurance providers go to http://www.insuremytrip.com. For a specific recommendation, consider Travel Guard International, http://www.travelguardinternational.com.
Is disease a problem?
Disease is very low risk in the areas that we vistit. For current information go to the web site for the Centers for Disease Control ; http://www.cdc.gov). Another web site to try , http://www.traveldoctor.info.
Hotel Quality?
We have selected the finest hotels along our route. Most are very comfortable 4 star hotels with first rate amenities and professional, friendly employees.
Can you arrange private or custom tours?
A high percentage of our tours are specially arranged for families and small-groups of friends. Let us help design, and make the arrangements for, a custom-tailored itinerary for your private journey.
What will the weather be like?
Vietnam is a long country that crosses several climate zones but most of the country enjoys a tropical climate. There is very little temperature variation in Ho Chi Minh City while Hanoi is cooler in the winter, though still very pleasant. Vietnam does experience a monsoon season and we try to schedule all our trips during the drier time of year, December-February. You can expect warm temperatures between 70-90 degrees. 80's are common in the South and 70's are common in the North during our season. Rain is uncommon on our trips.
What airline should I use?
Check your local hub first when you are ready to book your flights. Korean Air is based at Dulles, which often means better fares and more direct flights. Cathay Pacific has the most direct routing from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Other carriers that you you should check out are Singapore Airlines, Air China, United (now direct from San Francisco), Lufthansa, and Thai Airways. Many of our guests report having good results using a web site called www.kayak.com to search for flights
When making travel arrangements, remember that you will cross the International Dateline. This means you will lose a day on your arrival in Vietnam, but you will gain it on the return (arriving the same day as you depart).
Who took the photos
The photos are taken by Mike Smith and his good friend Juergen Richter (who, in spite of having somewhat inferior equipment, has managed to take some great photos).
FAQs
