An Enthralling Bike Ride to The Land of Blue Dragons

“We will have to take the bikes on our shoulders, and cross the stream”-

announced one of our biking-tour coordinators, as we reached a shallow river canal which is actually a branch of the mighty Mekong River. We had only scraps of perceptions about how our biking trip in Vietnam was going to be, however, nowhere in our wildest of dreams did we ever imagine that after crossing the canal, we had to ride for almost 7 to 8 Kilometres being half drenched almost up to our waists. This might seem to be quite challenging for the ones who seek luxury, but, several instances like these, work as catalysts that spice up a biking trip and make it enthralling in a true sense.

As a true adventure lover, I have always considered biking as a major reason of my happiness. For me, nothing can be comparable with the joy of seeing the world from the saddle because it not only gives me an opportunity to perceive the nature from a different viewpoint, but it also makes me feel energized and liberated. This is what has persuaded me to go on cycling expeditions around several popular biking trails of the world.

 With serene countryside and spectacular riverside landscapes, Vietnam has always worked as an ideal destination for bikers. Thus, when one of my friends came up with a suggestion to head off to Vietnam, I did not think twice and started packing for the trip which later turned out to be a valuable chapter in my bicycle diary.

Owing to the language barriers, we decided to opt for Vietnam Bike Tours offered by a renowned tour operator of the country. Our journey was about to start from Hanoi and nothing could have been better than pedalling through the busy streets of the Capital city.

Hanoi

Image by Leon_Ting from Pixabay

We wanted to travel as much as we could on the first day and this is why we started off early. As we went past the busy streets of the city, we came across several three wheel cabs which are popularly known as “cyclos”. The streets were full of French mansions and restaurants where people were busy cooking in their courtyards. The hustle of the streets was one of a kind and the best thing about Hanoi was that it never wanted to take rest.

Hue

Image by ThanhNamNguyen from Pixabay

Unlike Hanoi, Hue is comparatively quite and it provides the bikers entire scope to free their arms and enjoy the breeze. As we rode past the countryside, we took a stop near a school where all the kids were dancing to some popular native tune. Later, we came to know that it was a part of the local festival and the thing that caught our attention at the first go was the smiling faces of the small kids. Travelling along the serene rice fields of the region was a jaw dropping experience for all of us.

Saigon and Can Tho

Image by Haynie C. from Pixabay

The best part of the entire trip was the time that we spent while biking from Saigon to Can Tho. Along the way, we came across picturesque landscapes which were worth witnessing. And as far as Can Tho is concerned, it is undoubtedly one of the best locations where a bikers dream is sure to come true. Amazing riverside lifestyle, beautiful floating markets on the Mekong River and diverse cultures are few things that make Can Tho, a biker’s paradise.

My entire biking experience of Vietnam was largely different from the ones I gained in other parts of the world. With unmatched simplicity and colourful customs, it managed to portray the true Asian charm in front of eyes. I hope to return to this nation again someday, with a desire to fulfil my lust for adventure, yet again. 

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My Unforgettable Story to Untrammeled Stretches of Laos in a Cycle

Adventure is in my blood. During my childhood, I often implored my father to take me for cycle ride in the cool mornings. He always supported me and kept all my wishes. When I grew up, I eagerly heard adventurous stories of mountain hiking and cycling from my elder brother. All these things induced the seed of adventure within me. Everyone used to call me a bookworm because I used to spend most of the time reading adventurous books and biographies.

Image by igormattio from Pixabay

After attaining maturity, I left home for adventures. After doing lot of research on various biking tours around the world, my first choice was exploring the cities of France, and then I visited the cities like Melbourne and Sydney. All the tours gave me pleasure but still I was missing something. One day at night I was browsing information about the places of Southeast Asia, and I discovered that Laos is one of the unexplored yet beautiful places for the backpackers. Some of the tour agencies were offering cycling trips to Laos and I just called one of them.

Laos: A Popular Cycling Destination

I read about the country Laos in my geography book. It is a landlocked country preserving its rich culture and beauty. The mountains and the hilly roads offer great cycling adventures. I never felt this country can be so perfect for cycle rides. Though I have gone for numerous cycle rides to the countries like France, Australia and U.S.A, but there was a magnet in Laos that was attracting me. The silent mountain valleys and the lonely river banks call for adventure. It is true that Cycling tours across Laos are great and memorable.

Cycling Around Luang Prabang

Image by travelphotographer from Pixabay

My cycling ride started from Luang Prabang. The main city is located on a peninsula between the Nam Khan and Mekong River. Our team started cycling among the busiest streets and first visited the golden monasteries and temples. I just loved the small monks who were playing in the near the shrines. I wish I could bring one of them to my home. We rode to the waterfalls and had a bath in the clear waters. It made us all energetic. Then our next destination was Wat Xieng Thong, which is an ancient pagoda built in 16th century. Traveling through the roads and villages, I saw wooden houses with decorative hangings of wood on the balconies. The locals sitting on the balconies waved hands towards us. The feeling was very nice.

Next day, we rode to Pak Ou Caves, which was north to Luang Prabang. We kept our cycles on the entrance of the caves and entered to explore the inner beauty. I was surprised to see the hundreds of miniature sculptures of Buddha inside the caves. Each and every statue reveals different postures. We enjoyed cycling in this place for 1 and half days; then we headed towards Vientiane.

Vientiane to Vang Vieng

Image by Nguyen Do from Pixabay

I reached Vientiane, the Laotian capital in my cycle. It is located on the Mekong River bank. I found similarity of this place with France as it was a French colony previously. Our team visited the main attraction of this town, “the city of sandalwood” which is a huge Buddhist stupa. This stupa is popularly known as Pha That Luang. I previously heard about Wat Si Muang, which is famous for silk. I turned my cycle to this city and visited some of the silk garment stores. Our team stayed in this city for one day, and our next day journey was towards Vang Vieng.

 I was excited to visit the limestone karst hills. There our team enjoyed kayaking and tubing in the relaxed weather. We dined in Hmong village. We loved the local food. We also climbed the limestone rocks. It was a great feeling to reach the top of the peak and view the entire city from that height.

Phonsavan to Bokeo Nature Reserve

My next trip was towards Phonsavan. I found it to be a good place to explore the American grasslands in a Lao style. I found the resemblance of this place with ‘Prairies’ where the cowboys move around wearing violet and brown cowboy hats. I wished to wear those dresses and click photos, but there was very less time. When I was leaving this place in the cycle, I got down from my cycle to see the Plain of Jars. Huge stone jars scattered all around the place. The place was quite mysterious because even a single inhabitant does not know the original cause of making these Jars. I wrapped up my journey with a visit to the Bokeo Nature Reserve.

As I love animals, I visited this wildlife park. Our team stayed in the wooden cottages. It was just a superb experience I have ever gone through. My Two-Day stay in this reserve was the best time in my whole trip. Our gang explored the entire forest and we met with the black gibbons. They were sweet yet massive. I also saw animals like elephants, bear, and buffaloes. Here I got some time to click pictures of the wild animals and the forest. At last, making an oath to myself to visit this place again, I returned to Luang Prabang.

Image by อดิศร กรมศรี from Pixabay

I am proud to say that Laos is a country worth a visit. Though I have traveled to many developed countries, I never met such loving locals who were too much friendly with us. This country is quite isolated, but it became one of my favorite places. The mystic beauty and eye-catching landscapes lure me. Still when I turn the pages of my trip album, I find myself in one of the roads of Laos. Cycling tours to Laos were fantastic. I wish to go to this place again and again. Whenever I get a chance, I will surely say…Laos here I come!!!

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