We are back in the flatland, in Holland. We have wonderful memories of our trip in Vietnam, we are very happy about the holiday. This was the first time we were on a biking holiday and we were very impressed by the smooth organisation of Vietnam Backroads. We are very happy about every aspect of the holiday and don't know anything we are not happy - not even when we think very hard on it. To be specific we are very happy about: - the information before the trip (website, e-mails, adjustments on standard program). - the bikes were of high quality and well maintained. To be honest we were a bit worried about it in advance as it is so important for the quality of the trip. Even when the bike size was not correct for me on the first day it was solved the next day with a larger frame size. - the mechanical skills of Van and Trang. They continuously optimized the bikes for us. - the routes and the maps by Van - they were really the backroads of Vietnam and we never had to bike on the busy and dangerous highways. The routes were easily adapted to the circumstances (longer or shorter trip). Combined with the mechanical skills this is for us the most unique features of this company. - the chosen hotels. The only hotel which fell al little out of tune was the one in Hanoi. - the information Trang gave to us about the history and culture of Vietnam. - the safe driving of Mr. Huang. In a way we were always happy to see him as we knew that he would have fresh water and fruits for us ready. During transfers we felt always very safe. One advice for booking the flight tickets: ask for the names as given in the passports, since a change can cause problems at in checking for the flights. Another thing is that one request for not taking any more pictures of your guests should have been enough, and three requests is too many. We're happy to recommend your company to anyone who wants to cycle in Vietnam. We're certainly to return to your company one day to have another trip in Vietnam or Cambodia Best regards, 23 May 2012

Yes - now safely back in the UK. Although there was some snow on the ground when we arrived home last weekend the temperature has just warmed up here and it is now slightly warmer than it was on our first day in Hanoi (17 degrees)!! We continued to have a great time on our Halong Bay cruise and were looked after well by your guide in Hanoi who also organised a final airport transfer for us. Mike and I have now reflected on the holiday and both of us were profoundly moved by the whole experience of Vietnam and Cambodia. In particular we found Vietnamese people to be very friendly and welcoming, the food amazing and the scenery spectacular and varied. We were delighted with the service we received from Vietnam Backroads right from the first contact with you through to the biking trip and the end in Hanoi. It is hard to be critical because we know how much effort you all put in and we feel the trip was really good value for money. Mike and I both think that the trip was even better because Van was with us. As the owner he was able to decide to give us even more out of the trip (e.g food stops) than perhaps Harry could decide on his own on a set budget. The bikes were great, well maintained and the team did everything for us including lending us gloves/sleeves! We went to some wonderful restaurants which we would never have found on our own and were amazed at the quality and quantity of food we were able to order within the package price (and more importantly Van/Harry would order for us which made life really easy and ensured we got to try local specialties). Similarly the drink stops were well organised and much more frequent than we anticipated and the unexpected fruit stops were great. The biking routes were brilliant and we felt we really got a chance to see the 'real' Vietnam. Finally, the team was very flexible in changing itinerary/hotels (e.g Hanoi) at short notice. It is very difficult to find areas for improvement....on a minor point the hotel we moved to in Hanoi, although set in a spectacular location, was a bit run down and unfortunately they had drained the swimming pool for the season. However this had no impact on the trip as the weather continued cloudy until we left! We can’t think of anything else we would change!! All in all a brilliant trip and we hope to come back and do Laos at some time with you. Please give our regards to Van and Harry and show them the attached pictures. We would recommend Vietnam Backroads to anyone travelling to Vietnam and if you are able to send us some of your new cycling shirts we would happily wear them as an advert for the company. 1st - 14th April 2013

It was really well organised and the route taking us through different landscapes and settings was great - Dat was great. Very good guide, knowledgeable, easy to get on with, looked after us extremely well and made sure we enjoyed ourselves and tried lots of local food. Patient (especially with me taking photo's, and trying to make it up the pass!) and very good at setting the right pace - Cuong (I have likely spelt his name incorrectly - sorry). We felt very safe with him at the wheel, and I am trying to adopt his patience with driving now I am back behind the wheel - Very happy with the accommodation. I think I chose the two stars when I booked, but the majority of the accommodation was four stars. If this is normal practice than you should advertise that, as that makes the tour better value for money - Bikes - would have liked to have been able to adjust the handle bars (higher) - The boat trip in Nha Trang was not our cup of tea (party boat). It would have been good to know beforehand what kind of trip it was so we could have chosen to do that, or something else on our own that day. 8 - 19 Dec 2015 Birgitte and Fiona from Australia Biking Saigon - Hue - Hanoi 13D/12N Thank you Quang, We are home now unfortunately, having just spent our first week back at work. Matt and I thoroughly enjoyed our Vietnam Backroads trip, despite my feedback. Our tour guide Dat and Mr Van were fantastic in immediately recognizing my limitations and adjusted the cycling routes and distances accordingly to more closely suit my abilities. The tour itself was good value for money and extremely well organised with high quality, centrally located hotels and a never ending supply of delicious local food! We loved our time in Vietnam and agree that cycling Vietnam Backroads is definitely the best way to see the country. We would certainly consider another trip with you (at a shorter distance!) and recommend Vietnam Backroads to friends and family. 16th - 29th Mar 2014

It was a great trip, a great way to see Vietnam, experience the culture and learn about its history. We saw so many things we would not have seen driving by car. The trails and back roads we took helped us to see so much of the way of life of the people of Vietnam. We enjoyed the food so much, got to try many new things and specialties of the country. Loc was an excellent guide, took great care of us, his English was excellent and he was very knowledgeable the history of the country. Cuong was an excellent driver in the crazy traffic of Vietnam. He was also very helpful with bike set up and helping us with picnics. Great tour, great itinerary with lots of diversity. Everyday was an adventure! 01 - 14 April, 2016

This was indeed a very unique experience I always felt safe and Dat looked after us very well. Thanks to Dat, I learned a lot about culture, politics, food, way of life in Vietnam. Thank again for taking us on back roads to see, experience the real Vietnam. 18 Oct, 2014

nights We really enjoyed our tour especially the combination of small trails + small roads. Thang introduced us to a lot of different foods which was great. He was a fantastic guide, explaining the sights, local customs and culture and anything we wanted to know. The bikes are much better than on a tour with a different company. Overall, Great experience. 1 - 2 - -3 Jan 2015

Very enjoyable tour with Dat with good vacation, boat, homestay, floating market + of course riding! Suggest you inform us to bring bike shorts + gloves or have available to purchase. Also best if helmets are fitted us properly before we leave bike shop. Thank you very much Dat for our personal tour. We enjoyed your knowledge + the way you shared with us. All the best with you carreer + family. April 22 - 23 -24, 2015

This tour has been the highlight of our holiday to Vietnam. Well organised throughout. Phuc is an excellent guide and could not have done any more to make our holiday any better. 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 May, 2017

The videos do look really good, and we really loved the trip we took with you. In terms of specific feedback, the things we look back on and will cherish the most was the simple interactions we had with the local Vietnamese people and the places where they worked and lived. Obviously every client is going to have different desires, but for people like us I would encourage more of that interaction. It was part of our failing that we didn’t know any of the Vietnamese language, but perhaps a bit more translation with some people to allow a small amount of communications would have been helpful. Thanks again for an awesome trip, and we are also looking forward to receiving the cycling jerseys from you so we can show it off to our cycling friends! : ) 24-28 May 2013 Cameron and Libby Storm from Australia Countryside Discovery Bike Tour 5D/4N The trip has been a fun and interesting experience. The guide tailor made best route to suit us. Dat has been extraordinary; very friendly, knowledgeable and keen to show us Mekong's specialties. very good English and communication skill, and very considerate. 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 July, 2017

We thoroughly enjoy the total experience and our guide, Dat, was one of the best we have encountered in all our year of travel. He was always cheerful, informative to the welfare of us all older cyclists! He was always polite and displayed a good sense of humor. We were particularly enjoyed his stories. We were particularly impressed with the care our driver took. Especially in some busy traffic situations and our speed bumps. We always felt safe, and never had to wait for him. 21 - 22 - 23 - 24, June, 2017

Good program of activities- We saw so much that we couldn't have seen if were independent travelers. Dat was an excellent guide- We enjoyed his company, he had a great depth of knowledge about the various localities and agriculture which he shared very intelligently. He made the trip a gourmet experience- One that we hadn't expected- by finding new, different and safe snacks and meals at every opportunity. We are not expert, or young, cyclists and Dat varied the program and routes to suit our speed/ fitness/ abilities, so we finished each day tired but happy. We appreciated Mr Loc's driving because he was wise and cautious, sticking to road rules and making us feel safe, even in the most difficult traffic and on bumpy roads. 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 June, 2017

Really enjoyed the tour and was the lost way to see the Mekong way of life and beautiful scenery. Phuc was an excellent guide and Viet was friendly and good driver. The lunch on both days was a great soup, early good quality local food. The bikes and equipment were good quality and we were supplied with anything we needed. Phuc was really patient with us and flexible to our needs. He was friendly and informative which enhanced the experience. The organization was good. Viet was always waiting for us at the end. Only slight disappointment was the arrival at West hotel in Can Tho, there was no record our booth and we did not feel welcome as a result. Everything else on the tour was just right. 7 - 8 - 9 Nov, 2017

This tour felt really special. We wanted some line away from the main tourist sites to see the daily life of people living in the Mekong Delta and this trip was perfect for that we saw very few other tourists on our route. Phuc had great local knowledge of the area and comfortable the bikes were excellent and we really enjoyed all the local food that we tried. Being able to do a tour of just two people was perfect for us because we could go at our own pace and decide with Phuc how far we wanted to cycle. 7 - 8 - 9 Nov, 2017

Dat was an excellent guide, giving interesting information about what we saw as we cycled. I think he was able to judge the fitness of our group and get thee daily distances about right. His choices of meal stops were good and he was keen to ensure we had enough to eat, taking into account the mixed preferences of our group( two meat eaters and two non meat eaters). The bikes were of good quality! 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 Nov, 2017

Dat is an excellent ambassador for the country of Vietnam and the Backdoads tour company. His knowledge of the plants and crops was great and he allowed us to stop and see, smell wherever possible. He expertly guided us through local cuisine and balanced the need of a picky vegetarian very well. I would say that some days the mileage did seem in the afternoon, about making up the distance so if might be worth offering same option will difference distance. On the cultural side Dat was very patent answering our questions and then looking for examples to show us when he saw them, this really makes us feel appreciated. 07 - 08 - 09 - 10 - 11 - 12 -13 Nov, 2017

Meandering the Mekong Delta by bike 7D/6N We touched the living in Mekong Delta, Vietnam. It was a pleasure to take part on this trip. Unbelievable Trip! We saw so much more than we expected. We immersed ourselves in the Mekong Delta with its people, culture, foods and fruits. We did not know what to expect in the beginning and were amazed about the tour. Our bike guide and driver went above and beyond for us. Thank you for that. We really enjoyed ourselves! Its wonderful how much and how many different things we saw and experienced during this trip. 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 Nov, 2017

We have just completed a five-day cycling tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc island. Being extremely seasoned travellers and in our 60’s (i.e. because our age and maturity), we were somewhat anxious about cycling in Vietnam where we have never been before. Well, it has proved to the best cycling trip we have ever taken! Every detail was meticulously planned and executed so that nothing was left to chance. The van was always there to meet us, where and when was prearranged. The cycles were first class and having accidentally left our gel saddle covers at home, the company obliged with another pair. Nothing was too much trouble for this company and its staff. The scenery was spectacular. By covering most of the 200 k on small back-roads no more than 3 metres wide, we hardly encountered a four-wheeled vehicle and consequently were able to pass through an unending stream of local family and business life with every turn of a corner and traverse of one of the hundreds of bridges. Dat (our guide) took us to see bricks being made in the same way as probably for 100 years. We saw the most beautiful lacquer products being manufactured, all mostly by hand. We saw and tasted varieties of fish, fruit and vegetables that even our fairly experiences palates had never met before. The five hotels at which we were booked into were all highly acceptable and two of them were as good as any we have ever stayed in. If only we could have lingered longer! On the one hand, we wish the trip could have gone on for another week, exploring Cambodia and other parts of Vietnam. On the other hand alas, our aching bodies would have probably cried out for mercy if we had chosen to go much further, but they will recover soon whilst the memories will last forever! Thank you so much Mr Van, Dat (the exceptional guide) and Loc (the utterly reliable driver). This tour company is highly recommended by us for those of you who want to experience by bicycle the real Vietnam and its’ beautiful people. John and Tina, Cyprus 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 December, 2017

Viet was an excellent, always good services and concerned for us. His English was perfect. He was fun of information and always able to answer questions. Overall the trip was superb. Loc was a very careful and good driver, we appreciated that. The only little problem was the height of the saddle of my friend. Maybe more attention should have been paid to that. 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 Nov, 2017

The trip was very good indeed. It lived up to all our expectations and more. Tha choosed some beautiful routes so that the day to day tours has different contents. Very good. He took very good care of us and was very observant of our needs. So was the driver. Also very good service. The bikes were quite good and very appropriate for the purpose. The hotels were above our expectations and more upclass than we normally use. You could downscale on that part without reducing the value of the tour. The second evening in Cao Lanh we had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. The food was good but it is a very boring place to eat. Better use an restaurant nearby. Victoria lodge was fantastic! Thanks for showing us that. In all a very good trip. We can only recommend your company. 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 Nov, 2017

We were keen to spend a few days in HCMC before a few more in Con Dao. Vietnam Backroads provided the perfect way to bridge the time and distance in between. We did a four-day cycling tour from HCMC to Soc Trang. Mr Cong and Van the Man were the perfect guides, providing a well-planned trip, insightful commentary, thorough service and great care – “BRIDGE! LOW GEAR! LOW GEAR!” A Mekong Delta local, Mr Cong provided wonderful insights into the country. The ultimate organiser, Mr Van charted the perfect course and helped us to renegotiate our travel plans when our ferry trip to Con Dao was cancelled due to bad weather – even letting us hitch a ride with them back to HCMC. As we were a small group, the program was very flexible and relaxed. A constant highlight was the extraordinary food that would be prepared for us in the small villages we’d pass through – often with no warning of our arrival. The bikes were modern and well set up and maintained. Our driver Mr Nghia was never far away with an endless supply of chilled water, refresher towels and his welcoming air-conditioned van! We certainly had a great time travelling and exploring another side of Vietnam with Vietnam Backroads, and recommend them to anyone keen to experience the country at the perfect pace and perspective of a bicycle. 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 Dec, 2017