|
|
 |
|
|
| |
Original Question
Hope someone can answer my questions. I am cycling from china to
Singapore, and i will be taking Highway 1 through VietNam. I have cycled part of this before going in the opposite
direction and the wind was terrible. I could only cycle about 5-kilometres an hour.
So my question is, is the
wind the same all the time? Hoping to have a tailwind the whole way!
My other question is related to sleeping
outdoors. I have read in a few places (I think maybe in the Lonely Planet Cycling Vietnam Cambodia and Laos guidebook)
that you can sleep in wats.
It didn't go into any detail about this, has anyone done it? I want to
save as much on accommodation as I can as my budget is very limited.
I was hoping to take my mosquito net
along and maybe a hammock. Has anyone spent any nights outdoors? I have heard you can get into trouble from the police
for sleeping outside in 'Nam.
cycling
2004 MAY 26
Response 1
When I brought my bike to VietNam last year, I was planning to spend a few nights outdoor, sleep in someone’s house,
wat, temple, pagoda or church during my bike tour from Dong Ha to Sai Gon along Highway 1, not so much to save on
accommodation but for the experience and the sense of adventure.
But when I arrived in VietNam I faced a
different reality.
You usually get tailwind by going North-South. I average cycled 15-kilometres, up to 25-kilometres
on some stretch for about 30 minutes or so.
I did not spend a single night outdoor or in someone’s house or
outdoor, but by observation and talking with people in the villages this is what I found:
|
|
It’s not clear that camping is illegal in VietNam but I saw no camping ground or anyone (tourists and locals
alike) sleeping outdoor.
The Vietnamese don’t like the police and they don’t want to have anything to do with
the police so they hesitate to let a stranger sleep in their house or outside of their house without informing the
authority.
I was welcome but did not want to put any burden on them. The situation at the wat or
church may be different but the way I figure I should donate a few dollars for using their facility and that could cover
a night at some guesthouse.
I did not see the police along Highway 1 except at some check points and at the
toll boots. I suppose that you could spend the night at some remote spot in the woods or under a big tree and no one
around to bother you, but it was so eerie and uncomfortable for me to do it. |
I understand that your budget is limited but prepare to spend USD$5/night for accommodation in VietNam as you
will find out sleeping outdoor is not feasible. USD$5/night is fairy easy to find anywhere in VietNam. USD$3/night is
also possible.
One more thing, forget about LP Cycling VietNam, Cambodia and Laos guidebook, it’s a
joke.
Whoever wrote that book did not cycle a single mile in VietNam!
TravelingKid
2004 MAY 26
Response 2
I've never been to VietNam precisely
because everyone tells me the cops there get in your face all the time. Go to less - or maybe more - civilised places;
Cambodia and Laos would do.
You won't get robbed or arrested there (so, more civilised then) though most
folks will still try to talk you out of sleeping in the trees, because of tigers, bandits, evil spirits, etc.
Keep your plan secret, move with all discretion (ha ha ha, you'll stand out from a mile away, white boy, but try anyway)
or find yourself a local buddy with a similarly adventurous spirit, then find yourself a secluded piece of forest to
hang your hammock and mosquito net, and prepare to spend a pretty rough night indeed; it rains at night, and mosquitoes
aren't stupid, they always find a way.
Be aware that there aren’t that many secluded bits of forest left;
there's always a farm or a trail full of people picking up bamboo shoots.
But, all in all, it's an excellent
experience and who really needs sleep anyway?
As for sleeping in temples, I don’t know. They close them up at
night. The monks may disapprove.
Laos may be the best place to do this for two reasons: the Laotians enjoy a
good joke, and to them a Foreigner sleeping in the trees certainly qualifies, and they enjoy a good drink in the
evening, so sleeping out in the road is not completely out of their experience.
Mobile_One
2004 MAY 26
Response 3
Tigers can climb trees ... as can bandits. Haven't yet had a cop in my face in
VietNam, though I wouldn't say the same for California.
Travelling cheap is one thing, but visiting Third
World countries and being too cheap to stay in a USD$3 per night guesthouse seems a bit selfish to me.
DaveJavu
2004 MAY 26
Response 4
I visited VietNam twice for total of
3 months and never had any problem with the police. They did not get in my face. Not once that I was stopped for any
reason. Actually, I felt safe every time I saw the police on the road, they waved at me and I waved back. I think the
cops in the US are whole lot worse than cops in VietNam.
So not to worry, come to VietNam and find out for
yourself.
TravelingKid
2004 MAY 26
Response 5
With my
very limited experience as a short time tourist, agree with post #4. The cops were friendly to me and helpful when I was
lost- which was a frequent occurrence walking around in Ha Noi.
Staying at a wat would be a great
experience but please consider contributing to their costs by making a donation. About the same amount you'd pay for a
cheap guesthouse.
custard
2004 MAY 26
Response 6
In
Laos, I would suggest you to talk to elder monks or befriends with younger monks and ask them if u can stay in the
wat for the nights. At least they should be able to help in talking with the elder monks regarding the matter.
I don't see any reason why they would not let you do that. Well. I have not been back to Laos since 1986, things might
have changed, but I doubt very much that there is a rule preventing people from camping in the temple.
MCRD1025A
2004 MAY 30
WomPom
It is a fact the police will stop you
camping - by finding you accommodation in some residence - as they are required to do by law.
WomPom has a
camper trailer and can only use it by pulling in to a First Nations village - paying rent to the village - and even
then, sleep is subject to the whims of the Police.
People are reluctant to invite Foreigners in to their homes
overnight as they have to make a report to the Police, similar to every hotel and guesthouse every night, which brings
them in to contact with the government - which they try to avoid at all costs, particularly the H'mong. |
|
|
|
|
Close
Have new information?
Contact Us! |
