Vietnam cycling tour - 2000km unsupported cycling challenge from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City

I have been back in the UK now for one full day and Ho Chi Minh City, never mind Hanoi... seams like a long time ago already, but there will certainly be memories from my time in Vietnam that I will never forget as long as I live. I have been asked a couple of times already since I arrived back in the UK... ''So, what was the one thing you liked best about Vietnam then?''.... The city's/tourist areas spring to mind, Da Nang, Dong Hoi, Hue, Hoi An and of course Hanoi and Saigon where all amazing places. The real remote sections of the Ho Chi Minh trial where also spectacular, Water buffalo being used to plow fields, our little bee hive discovery on day 4, crossing Phong Nha-Ke bang national park, coffee and tea plantations galore... the list is endless with lots of answers I could give but the best bit about Vietnam for me was an easy answer -  The people. So friendly, so helpful and seemingly and maybe a little surprisingly, so happy too. The children especially whe

On finally arriving in Ho Chi Minh City I was glad we had finished the tour. We had spent 19 days cycling & staying in different accommodation every night with the one planned rest day in Hue. Because we had put extra kilometres in cycling combining various days we also had an extra unscheduled stop off and rest day in Danang, an afternoon & evening stay over in Hoi An, a rest day in Buon Ma Thuot & an additional stop off and rest day in Dalat. Vietnam is a really diverse country in all aspects, from the lower temperatures and rain in the North to the sun baked beaches on the coasts and the further south you get, to the scenery and how it changed so much every few hundred kilometres. The Vietnamese people despite going through much hardship many years ago I had found to be so friendly, helpful and engaging, especially in rural areas along the HCM trail. I will never forget the children's smiles, waves and Helloooooows. So many experiences and memories I have gained o