Touring
Touring the Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc Island
Touring the Mekong Delta with Vietnam Cycling Tours, you will explore the Mekong's untouched countryside, ethnic Khmers hamlets, stay at the authentic homestay, ride through untouched rural into a non-tourist town of Soc Trang and Bac Lieu. Explore Phu Quoc Islands, Tra Su forest and other historical, and see the floating markets before flying home with good memory.
Bac Lieu,the town had been famous since the Bac Lieu's Prince Tran Trinh Huy, the son of the most prosperous landlord family who used the family's money notes to cook porridge to get beautiful girls' attention. His father imported almost all building materials from France, and the house was built in 1919 by French Architecture. The place is particular colonial architecture in the city centre, face to river and easy to be seen, and it is the most tourist attraction in town. Bac Lieu, Mekong Delta's first offshore wind farm, was developed on a 540ha site in the East Dam region of southern Vietnam and the 99.2MW. Construction commenced in September 2010, and the first phase was grid-connected in May 2013. The wind farm became fully operational in January 2016.
Phu Quoc islands have dozens of excellent blue water, sandy beaches, and many outdoor activities; snorkelling, fishing, scuba diving, the world's longest cable car connecting to islands. The night markets and historical sites, prisons of Phu Quoc, waterfalls and colourful fishing villages are daily trips offered by local travel agencies.
The mighty Mekong River flows for about 4180 kilometres (2600 miles) from its origins in the Tibetan highlands of western China to the pacific ocean. Vietnamese called "The River of Nine Dragons" in Mekong Delta, and it is also known as the "Rice Bowl of Vietnam". Many un-touched provinces are new to tourists, and they are a bit far from tourist spots or popular tourist attractions.
Why did Vietnam Backroads tailored-make itineraries to help you to explore them all? How did the team do that? It's simply that our team scouted and found them very interesting. Especially for biking trips because most rural areas are undeveloped, and locals rarely see westerners. You could smell and taste scenery, landscape, and Khmer, Chinese, and Vietnamese cultures throughout the bike trip touring the Mekong Delta. Mekong Cycling Tours
Our team with support vehicles pick you up at hotels in the city centre. After a couple of hours drive out of crowded Ho Chi Minh to Ben Tre, at the rural village to start our adventure bike tour in Mekong Delta into the Mekong's untouched countryside. Ben Tre has a complicated network of river and rustic pathways. We bike along country roads, villages, and narrow lanes through farmlands of; nursery and ornamental to Cho Lach Dist. Stay a night at a beautiful homestay-resort
After your breakfast at homestay, do check out the hotel for a 30-minute transfer to Cai Mon. We will start to bike through Ben Tre to Tra Vinh. Our guide leads you to ride on smooth paths through villages of bonsai garden, stop at beautiful local farmlands so that you could learn how locals were growing different kinds of plant. And will have more photos taken at flower and bonsai villages. Then we continue exploring the fascinating rural of Ben Tre, pedalling down concrete paths and narrow lanes, past water palm and coconut plantations and fields of sugarcane. There will be many stops at typical workshops producing coconut oils and fibers. We will take a ferry to Tra Vinh, the province of Ethnic Khmer. After lunch in town, we continue biking forward to Tieu Can. Here is your opportunity for weaving unique countryside, passing beautiful temples and ethnic Khmer villages. Our support vehicles will pick us up in Tieu Can township. Enjoy an hour and a half to Soc Trang city. Two more ferries take us across Dung Islet to Dai Ngai to get the Soc Trang city in the late afternoon.
After a healthy breakfast at the hotel, our support vehicles will take us to the rural area, Just about 15-minute drives, and we all get back the saddle to rock the road. It is a beautiful travel experience day that the ride would be divided into two separate parts. In the morning, we cycle into lively countryside villages, bike through fertile farmland, past villages filled with large shrimp and fish farms on both path side. We are following with two ferries cross-river branches and keep cycling to Vinh Chau. Enjoy a big lunch at a nice restaurant before a transfer to the outskirts of Bac Lieu. In the afternoon, we ride through the peaceful rural farmland of Ethnic Khmers, where chilli pepper, sweet potato, eggplant, and other vegetables are grown here. Then we stay on track along canals to Bac Lieu city.
It's a long way from Bac Lieu to Rach Gia, so our guide will choose the best routes and cut off the rest so that we could enjoy as much as possible. Ride further to hamlets to experience the local peaceful lifestyle, graceful landscapes. There are several monkey bridges linking canals to canals, natural creeks in the real countryside. We must walk over instead of cycle. Farmers live mainly on cultivating and duck raising farms. Keep on biking as we reach Nga Nam floating market at noontime. Board a sampan rowing boat see what the locals are exchanging goods. Nga Nam township (five different branches meet each other) is famous for its floating market because it's a real one with small sampan boats. The floating market is located at a place/point where five river branches meet each other called Nga Nam. It is far from the big cities and tourist towns, so it's hard for travellers to see this market in the early morning. However, there is not any standard hotel in this tiny town. Please don't lose an opportunity! This market opens every day and the whole day as well. Of course! It will more busy than the rest of the day. The canals and tributaries are full of small sampan boats and motorboats every day. After lunch in town, we will have a vehicle transfer to Rach Gia, check-in the hotel, enjoy swimming by the pool and sunset.
After breakfast, we check out the hotel for a 15-minute vehicle drive to the dock and board a modern super speedboat to Phu Quoc Island. The journey takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach Bai Vong dock. Get on our private bus to the hotel resort, relax until lunchtime. Enjoy sandy beach the rest of the day.
We will start our boat ride at 9:00 am from the hotel. First, our bus will take us to a local market near the fishing village, visit Ngoc Hien Pearl Farm. This Pearl Farm raises Australian stock and now belongs Ngoc Hien. Then we get to the harbour to board a beautiful wooden boat, enjoy ocean views to the island for fishing, and dock at beautiful Island for swimming, snorkelling where it is home to corals. Lunch is on board on our journey to Bai Sao. It's a peaceful island, with turquoise water and white sand. Spend more time relaxing on the beach before we return to the hotel at about 4:00 pm.
After a big breakfast, we tour a day trip by bus; the political prison; prison was built in 1967-68 by US Army Engineers for South Vietnam before 1975. Then we enjoy returning ticket the world longest cable car to the Islands. The cable-car ride from Phu Quoc to Pineapple Island takes about 15 minutes each way. Here is the opportunity you enjoy the fantastic views; long fishing villages, large seafood farms on blue water, green islands, harbour, and An Thoi fishing port. Please be ready with your camera to capture photos as much as possible. It seems likely you are on a helicopter. We will spend an hour in Pineapple Island; enjoy yourself walking through amazing parks, have fun, and other exciting activities the island offers on. Get back to the cable car, return to the main island. Enjoy delicious lunch at a famous restaurant before we board a 1:30 pm Super Dong speedboat to Ha Tien- border town. Just an hour and 15 minutes to reach Ha Tien. Check-in the hotel, enjoy swimming and sunset until dine with your guide in the evening.
Have breakfast, check out, enjoy an hour and a half vehicle driving along the Cambodian border to Lac Quoi village, where the bikes are ready for the ride. We ride on the back road, cross the rice paddy, and follow the ring road Nuoc mountain to Ba Chuc village. We visited Ba Chuc, the location that Pol Pot’s killed over 3,000 people in 1978. There is memorial worship with several shreds of evidence on display. After a short break and visit this place, We will ready for off-road cycling. Enjoy rice paddy along the mountains, ride on the undulating back road, past line-palm trees, Khmer hamlets, and farmland of tapioca. This is the way we enjoy the fabulous ride to Tra Su Cajuput Natural Reserve. Tra Su is a forest of plants and animals. Enjoy a specialities lunch in the forest before we get a boat trip. It enables us to explore the plants and animal life of storks, cormorants, hens, bats, and more. Taste coffee, and take a nap until fantastic time to carry on a cycling adventure to Chau Doc. Option to have a vehicle transfer to Chau Doc.
Can Tho is about 130km, and it the capital city as it the heart of the Mekong Delta. In the morning, we ride in the fantastic countryside, ride through Muslim villages along the Basac River, visit the main colourful Mosque. However, the Muslim Chams living around Chau Doc practice a rustic form of Sunni Islam from Malaysia in the mid-19th century. Passing stilt houses and tiny market on track along the river. Share space with locals travelling on the small ferry crossing the river. This morning is about 30km. A transfer takes us to Long Xuyen city for lunch. The afternoon ride starts in Binh Thuy rural village. We follow dirt track and concrete paths along natural creeks, lush green countryside, farmland to rural Cai Rang Dist, And a transfer to Can Tho city.
Can Tho is a city in southern Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region. Set on the south bank of the Hau River, it’s known for its canal network and nearby floating markets. The busy Ninh Kieu waterfront is a hub for boat trips on surrounding waterways. After your breakfast, we do check out, get on board at Ninh Kieu pier for a motorboat ride to Cai Rang floating market. This market is real. Small boats are retailers, and the big boats are wholesales. Locals exchange farm products from boats to boats while tourists come to see them in action. Then a vehicle transfers us to Binh Minh, a rural District. Then everyone will be ready for the last half-day of cycling. We will explore the lush green countryside and charming villages of Vinh Long, visit a local business, using water hyacinths to make dust bins, handbags, hats, indoor sandals and so on. We will carry our last ride to Ba Cang village, and we will have lunch on the way returning to Saigon. Tour End!
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta, Vietnam, has complicated rural path network systems, well-developed and maintenance by governments. The region comprises 12 provinces: Long An, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, An Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau, along with the Mekong Delta Capital of Can Tho. All country back roads are asphalt, concrete paths connecting villages to villages as it's a rural transports. The rest are dirt tracks, so do not worry about exploring the Mekong Delta by bicycle, even you are a beginner. Depending on each province's regions, lowlands, or jungles, and rural villages, our hand-picked routes are the best for your biking trips. Mekong Bike Tours
Flexible route - The most important key is to your trip
You do not have to ride the exact kilometer distance as it's showing on the daily biking of each itinerary. It will be flexible as you want. Even you could choose the longest distance that more than 80km per day if a whole day ride. You could spend more time cycling if you think the biking distance is too short! Or you can enjoy short routes and spend more time taking photos, stopping at villages/ small markets, or the home of locals to find something interesting.
Throughout the Mekong Delta and its rivers with thousand branches! You will ride on various roads; flat trails, paths, rural roads, and country back roads where they are too small for vehicles. However, the Mekong Delta River network has natural creeks and canals that small ferry boats are such essential ways of travelling in the countryside, and riders have no choice!
Cycling routes
We tailor-make unique bike trips depend on the specific route and terrain of your tour. Vietnam Backroads is the first cycle tour operator to explore and build up many adventure trips to Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Rach Gia, Vi Thanh, Cao Lanh, and Sadec and remote villages. Our top cycle tour operator and the pathfinder are Mr Van, nicknamed "Van the man" Each cycling route has to be meticulously well-scouted, investigated, scouted out, and mapped out beforehand by Mr. Van the man. Our guides are licensed, well trained in bike maintenance and navigation and know all routes as they are on their hands. All bike guides can tailor a custom route suitable to your wish and levels of cycling skills.
How were the backup vehicles support cyclists on the trip?
Most routes are small, narrow, just wide enough for two bicycles OR mopeds. There are vehicles to support riders on the entire trip (van/minibus to take up all cyclists and truck to carry all bikes and spare bikes), but they are too big to drive on, follow riders along through the countryside. Do remember! All support vehicles are permanently closed and not far from the group. Where are the support vehicles during the trip? Depends on routes, vehicles sometimes move along the high roads, second highways, or country roads as close to riders as possible. If one of the riders wants to relax on A/C vehicle, the tour leaders will find the shortest route that leads he/she to the support vehicles that are always on standby. That is very easy and also the way Vietnam Backroads organized.
- The weather in Mekong Delta has two distinct seasons. Rainy season from May to last November, and the dry season from May to last April. The weather will be more relaxed from November to February. In general, the preferred travel time is from August to April in both the dry and wet seasons. It will be more humid, a little bit hot from May to July, and farmers start to make rice crops this time of the year. Travellers can take bicycle tours in the wettest months from the last of May to August because the rains usually come in short, heavy showers, mainly in the afternoon, and only lasts for an hour, then sunshine turns back to normal.
Private Support Vehicles
We organize cycling holidays, cycling adventure trips and mountain biking tours. All are flexible with luxury, fully air-conditioned vehicles to support riders on the entire journey. It depends on how many riders are in the group, and the vehicle support services will be well-arranged to satisfy your travels. There are air-conditioned 16-seat van/minibuses to take up all riders, luggage, and a truck to hold all bikes during the trip.
Every morning, the vehicles will transfer you out of the bustling city, and then you will ride to explore the stunning countryside, and you will back on the vehicles to avoid traffic in town when the daily's ride ends in the late afternoon.
Every 20 - 25 km, the support vehicles will be waiting at the high road if you are tired and really would love to ride on A/C van. Your guide will escort you to vehicles easily because many country back roads are linked to the main roadways where keeping vehicles are on standby.
Then you can relax on a support vehicle when others in the group can continue cycling as long as they wish! You will meet the others at the next point/ destination where you love to re-join the group and continue to ride.
All your luggage/ suitcase and day bags are safe on the vehicles and well kept by the company's drivers and its team.
2 to 4 riders in a group
There is only one A/C 16 seater van to take up all riders, luggage & suitcases, and bikes. There are four rows of seating for passengers on the A/C 16 seater van. Two people sit on each row. The third row is for luggage and suitcases. The last row of seats will be folded up, so all bikes will be uploaded here.
A medium group tour: from 5 to 7 people
There will be two vehicles to support riders on the entire trip. One 16 seater van to take up all riders, luggage & suitcases. Another truck to carry all bikes, spare bikes, tool kits, icebox to keep cold drinks, and so on
A large group tour: 8 to 14 people
One minibus to take up all riders, including luggage & suitcases, and one truck to carry all bikes, spare bikes, water, cold drinks, and snacks...Iceboxes
A group has more than 15 riders and more than 20 people
We provide two vans and one minibus, and one truck to escort large groups of riders and help ensure their safety. Our pro guide will motivate a team with support vehicles to bring the best services to riders.
Giant MTB & Trek Hybrid MTB Bikes & Gears
Trek Hybrid MTB Bikes - Wheelsize 700c x45/1.95 - Gravel tires
Giant MTB Bikes - Wheelsize 27.5 x 1.95
Back roads in the Delta
Dear Mr Van,
Thank you for taking care of us all to the finest detail. You are certainly in right job and we are grateful to you and your professionalism.
Thank you to you and your team for all your hard work organising + looking after us ... and thank you for sharing your beautiful country. 04 - 15 November 2019