Gino's Travels

Thursday, 5 March 2026

Dalat to Quang Ngai

We left Dalat, Fiona wasn't feeling 100% after a barrage of injections the day before. As expected it was quite busy for a few miles but eventually we were on the Pass from Dalat to Nha trang which was brilliant, a few locals kept overtaking us when we slowed down to figure out how to pass trucks in front of us and the busses were right up our backsides blowing horns.

I have a theory, the Vietnam driving test goes like this , If you can read and write you pass to ride a motorcycle, if you can't write then get a car licence on the proviso that you will try to learn. If you can neither read or write then you get a truck licence and if your IQ is so low that it's immeasurable then you can drive a bus but only with the proviso you pass a horn blowing course!

Anyway I digress we turned off the Nha Trang road to take some smaller roads to Van gia we stayed in the Hillarea hotel which was nice but at night ( we were starving) we couldn't find anything to eat, we stopped at a cafe which only sold.soft drinks and asked where we could get food ( having been turned away from Two restaurants already because they were closed). We were told there was nothing open, then one of their colleagues appeared carrying a carry out! We asked about that and they kindly gave us it whilst they went away to get more for themselves. Meanwhile I had phoned callum to get someone to translate for us which ended up confusing everyone.

We were still hungry so we walked about 200 metres along the beach and we found a cafe, we ordered a chicken sandwich combo which came with a coke and we got a hamburger combo! Even the bill said chicken, no complaints. By then I wanted a beer, our hilarious hotel only sold soft drinks so we were directed to a house up the road which sold beer, a very rustic place but friendly and I got a cold beer so no complaints.

Wednesday we hugged the coast most of the way towards Quy Nhon ,another long day in the not comfortable saddle. On the way we stopped for petrol ( a recurring thing with the Hondas ) and managed to get an oil change at the garage next door, 2 litres of oil and both bikes oil changed for £7, pretty good. Our Hotel was very posh, to posh for the likes of us, funny the other guests looked down their noses at us which I quite like. A nice walk along the beach and food in a beachfront brewery place, very nice, loads of Europeans though, who didn't speak to us, braw!

And today Thusday another long treck up the coast and staying in a more local vibe, lunch in a supermarket car park, just like hame.

We've done around 800km so far in Vietnam and I can tell you it's been painful, actually quite enjoying getting the miles in and today I think we managed more than 500 metres before launching into tourettes because of the mental driving

Keepin on Keepin on

coming down the mountain

Nice

Petrol time

Another beach

At Night

Again

In a rustic bar

Beach again

Enjoying getting off the road

Getting a beer

View from hilarious hotel

Noodles for breakfast

Oil change

The following nights abode

Didn't fancy the pool, 22 stories high

Fiona got thrown oot from the security guard

Another night another beach

Keeping the red flag flying high

War memorial

Dinner here

very posh

Monday, 2 March 2026

Northward

We left the comfortable surroundings of Vung Tau to head north up the coast to Phan Thiet but as always we got lost and after we eventually got onto the seaside road which was great ,a stop for lunch at a seaside resort ,spaghetti bolognese. A bit further on we saw our town across the bay, then as soon as you see the city, bikes and other traffic multiply inexorably ,crazy ride to our very nice hotel, glad to get out of the heat and traffic .

An interesting meal across the road in a busy cafe where you order and cook the meal yourself on a wee bbq built into your table. Then a dram on the top floor of our hotel which had a rooftop disco going on (we were the only guests ) and had a see through part of the floor where you can see to the ground , not.for me.

Sunday, up and loaded the bikes to go the 180 km to Dalat, in the mountains, it took us a bit longer as there seemed to be a problem with our navigation and we ended up on small roads going round and round including going through roads closed signs ( just like the locals ) but eventually we got onto the mountain road, stunning, some parts were still under construction though but nothing like Laos. We stopped for a drink at the top of the pass in a smart cafe with a nice viewing platform and even had some hammocks where you could have a sleep! One couple turned up on their bike and she went and got changed into her pyjamas and then went for a snooze!

Before Dalat we went through a town about 7 miles long, the relative quiet we had on the main road had gone, craziness everywhere. Booked into our hotel, once again happy to get out of our bike gear.

Monday and it's injection time again, walked to the clinic along the road and we found out Fiona didn't get a tetanus so a bit of a palaver followed getting tested for any reaction to the vaccine before getting her rabies shot and then 3 shots of the tetanus Vaccine, nightmare for her and the waiting time between jags was a pain, but it's done and that's it for a week until the next rabies shot and a month till the next tetanus!

One memory of Vietnam will always be Fi getting bitten and having to get vaccinations all the way North. If we were time limited it would be a nightmare but we aren't so we are lucky.

keeping on keeping on

the photos are a bit mixed up but you should get the idea