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Alilles on Tour
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Alilles on Tour

Een 273-daags avontuur van Alilles Meer informatie
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  • Het begin van de reis
    3 maart 2023
  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    211

    Ho Chi Minh City

    25 maart 2023, Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    HCMC, you were A LOT! Even though we found some of your sweet (local) spots it was sad to see that you‘ve lost so much of your charm during the past 10 years. Prime example: my sweet spot from 10 years ago was turned into a big, empty, bad house music-blasting nightclub - what a shame but well, that‘s how life is.
    Still, we adored the locals and fully enjoyed exploring the local food- and nightlife! See ya again HCMC, now off to the cold mountains of Dalat    Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    21

    Dalat

    31 maart 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Finally proud bike owners! Welcome to the family Babette and Ignazius ❤️ we enjoyed the colder rainy climate in Dalat (long pants and sleeves necessary - bit of a shock after HCMCs 35 degrees). Interesting that we did not encounter a lot of tourists in Dalat, and we had to communicate mainly via the translator app and/or hand and feet for the first time on our trip. Very good exercise for the upcoming destinations ;)Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger

    Phan Rang

    1 april 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Small but wealthy town where we treated ourselves for a few days. Searched for ancient hindu temples which do not exist (thanks for nothing, google maps) and found sand dunes. Tourists spotted in Phan Rang: 1 couple on a bike. Looking forward to a scenic ride on the coastline before heading to(wards) Pleiku!Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    1

    All the way to Pleiku

    5 april 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Aiming for Pleiku in central Vietnam, we left Phan Trang. Riding bikes in Vietnam rewards you with amazing sceneries and insights in the daily life of the locals, and the freedom you gain by touring with your own bike is priceless! BUT boy, it‘s exhausting to ride long distances in this climate (especially as slower riders), so we make sure to check any crash-for-the-night possibilities along our route beforehand. Well, so far that came out… interesting:
    - Dien Khan - Dien Dong: A resort with a capacity for well over 100 guests, a pool, sitting areas at the river side and lots of different animals within the resort, and we were the only guests 😂
    - Song Hinh- Ea Ly (where things got really „authentic“): The hotel was probably a hookers place coupled with a karaoke bar, noone spoke any english and everyone was excited about us tourists/about the big guy with the big beard. As a result we got free beer, free food and lots of drink-it-up challenges from the bunch of drunken vietnamese guys next to us, and Gilles’ popularity in the small village resulted in 4 selfies he had to take with the locals (a fifth selfie had to be taken on our way to the village, so 5 selfies in total - not a bad quote!).

    Let‘s see what Pleiku brings! :)    Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger

    Pleiku

    6 april 2023, Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Pleiku also does not seem to harbour a lot of tourists at the moment (but they still seem to be used to them - no selfies for Gilles this time). It‘s a fine little city mostly used as a base to go to the Kon Ka Kinh National park - extra footprint for our ‚trek‘ there. It was cute and the climate was nicer than in other places with refreshing 20 degrees in the evenings. We loved the freshly grilled duck and had an interesting new food experience with a full shared plate of I-have-no-idea-what-it-was.Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    1

    Kon Ka Kinh National Park

    7 april 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Kon Ka Kinh National Park is the place to be when visiting Pleiku. It is said to have beautiful and untouched djungle animal wildlife, flora and fauna, so of course we had to trek it! Hoewever, no 2-day-trek was available because apparently there are not enough tourists around… so we took what we could get and hired a guide (as it‘s not possible to go without a guide) for a day-tour up the mountain - at least that‘s what we asked for. Turns out they expect rain every afternoon in the park and they do not go to the mountain at all, also the guide fixed a return time with our taxi driver at 15:00, so our trek was 3/4 VERY slow wandering around (killing time, as it seemed) and 1/4 a rather dangerous climb to the „big waterfall“. Well, we saw some beetles, a snake and experienced the nasty leeches everyone talked about and even though it was a short and slow trek we really enjoyed the little piece of djungle and getting away from the everpresent honking horns of the cars in a vietnamese city. So in the end we enjoyed our time there :)Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger

    Road to Danang

    10 april 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Our favorite route so far ❤️ djungle on the left, river on the right, crossing many cute villages with even cuter inhabitants. Overnight crashes in Plei Kan and in Kham Duc before arriving in Danang and being back to the tourist area in Vietnam.Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    113

    Danang

    14 april 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Back to the tourist area! Everything is a bit more pricey in Danang but we were willing to afford some luxury after being in central vietnam for days - such as a rooftop (mini)pool, burgers and beers on the beach, and finally one of the most delicious kebabs Gilles ever had (the home-made hummus was to die for, too 🤤)! We got to experience the very first flat tire for Ignazius but as usual the Vietnamese were quick and easy to help us. Also very lovely to have Simon on the crew now ❤️ let‘s fetz to Hoi An next to get some business done!Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    1

    Hoi An

    19 april 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Hoi An was as amazing as I remembered - even though it was a bit more crowded (and the tourists way younger 🙃) than in my memories. Still, the city did not and never will cease to amaze me/us. We got suits and shoes tailored (don’t underestimate the stress all these fittings bring though), enjoyed the walks through the beautiful old town of Hoi An and had some pretty neat cocktails in a fancy bar 💸 all worth the money!! We managed to finally find My Son (cool ruins) and the visa run went fine,too. Now we have another 30 days to spend cruising through vietnam ❤️Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    1

    Covering distance

    24 april 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    With Simon’s departure arriving rapidly (😢), we really had to cover some distance to get to Hanoi in time. The rides were great, the food in the random places we had lunch (snail pho was frikking delicious!) and crashed for the night was good and the hotels okay (even though the aircons really messed with Alina’s lungs - being sick and riding 200km a day is not fun, let me tell ya). Also, my lady babette got a new heel which was done within 20 minutes (shoutout to all vietnamese mechanics!) and was driving fast and smooth as ever ❤️ exhausting but fun and interesting days off the tourist routes! Next stop Tam Coc!Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    1

    Tam Coc

    26 april 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Tam coc is said to be the halong bay of central Vietnam and it does deserve the name! It‘s a beautiful landscape full of carst mountains and rivers, making every ride a scenic experience. The village itself is very touristy (wirh a good backpacker scene) but was still enjoyable. We decided for the least popular boat tour of the three available in the area and it was lovely (and yes, they are rowing you around with their feet). Unfortunately, we could not do the (said-to-be) most scenic boat tour as Alinas cold became worse :( and once in tam coc one has ro visit the dragon viewpoint for sunset - as seen in the picture we were not the only ones with that idea :) glad noone for hurt or fell down!
    Still a very nice place to be and kick back your feet with good food and good beer (and awful drinks, but that was to be expected in backpacker bars ;)).    Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger

    Most fun worst day riding into Hanoi

    29 april 2023, Vietnam

    This last ride with Simon (in)to Hanoi deserves a special post because we’ve never had such a fun awful day. It all started well, we had a passable breakfast at the Tam Coc lake and finished up packing to start our ride. Coming out of the bungalow to load our packs onto Babette, Ignazius and Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (Simons bike) it started POURING - well, not that of a big deal as we are well equipped and had some experience with driving in the rain (even it will be the first time riding in that kind of downpour). So we loaded our bikes and tadaaa, we noticed that one of Babettes back mirrow has vanished and was nowhere to be found 🙃 (sidenote: certainly not a good idea to drive without a back mirror in Viernam). So we located a mechanics as a first stop, I got a new mirror for double the usual price and we were once again ready to ride through the storm.
    All went quite well until that one highway where my (metal!) phoneholder MID-DRIVE decided that it has had enough and wants to break free - including my phone, of course. A full break, a run to the accidents side and several mindful cars steering around my phone later I arrive at the site just in time to see a frikking SUV happily running over my phone with such precision it is hard to believe that it was not intentional (thank you for that, asshole). Well, good-bye brand new iPhone 13, now I‘m again dependent on my friends for navigation, and this when riding into Hanoi. FUN.
    But it was what it was and we kept moving and the closer we came to Hanoi the crazier the traffic became - and not only in terms of numbers of participants. Imagine you’re riding a normal bidirectional street with two lanes - and everyone just completely ignores that the second lane is actually for going the other direction. Like not giving any Fs at all! 😂 Of course we’re on the lane which was apparently not existent. After that, driving in Hanoi city itself, which we thought we will never ever dare at the beginning of our trip, was all peace and love 😂 Well deserved days of not riding a bike in Hanoi ahead!    Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    11321

    Hanoi I

    30 april 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Hanoi was our last station together with Simon, so of course we needed to go out both cheap and not-so-cheap. It was holidays for the Vietnamese (and with holidays I mean they have 4 days off, of which 2 days fall on the weekend), so the whole city was hustling and bustling with Vietnamese people - even more than with tourists. We ate very good, drank very good and had a very lovely time overall. It was good to be in one place for a couple of days and discover many of Hanois sweet spots. We definitely prefer Hanoi over HCMC! A sweet goodbye for Simon ❤️Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    1111

    Mu Cang Chai

    4 mei 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    With a bit of a heavy heart we had decided that we will not take Babette and Ignazius with us to Laos, but also that before we let them go, we will take them to a last epic ride to Mu Cang Chai in northern Vietnam. The Mu Cang Chai area was recommended to us by a very lovely shop lady in Hoi An as the most beautiful and least touristy area where you can see the famous rice fields of the north. Her recommendation did not disappoint!!
    The first day of riding and the first night at a big (but empty) hotel was a flop and threw us off a bit: it was super humid and rainy, the hotel had mold EVERYWHERE (especially on the pillows and certainly also in the aircon - gross) and the beer we were served was all dirty and long expired. However, this made us get up early for the second day of riding and we were rewarded with a beautiful ride up to La Pan Tan. Finding a supercute homestay where we were allowed to stay, even though they were officially closed for bookings because they had their family over, was simply the cherry on the top. Our hosts Nam and Sang and their whole family were kind, excellent cooks and very interesting to talk to. We had a big bungalow with a balcony overlooking the rice fields - a truly relaxing place and exactly what we needed after almost 2 months of the loudness and smog of Vietnam. If you ever visit northern Vietnam, go to La Pan Tan!    Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger

    Hanoi II

    7 mei 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    After our last beautiful tour to La Pan Tan with Babette and Ignazius it was time to get back to Hanoi and to say goodbye to both our beloved bikes and Vietnam as a whole. Selling the two bikes came with a big loss (which was expected as we bought them for waaaay to much money 💸), but hey, it was fast! And we were happy nevertheless, as after almost two months in Vietnam, we were kinda tired of it - but don’t tell them we said that :-).
    Still, it took us almost three days to organize our next destination, but thankfully Hanoi has plenty of pretty spots to discover without getting bored. Laos, here we come!    Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    1

    Vientiane, Laos

    9 mei 2023, Laos ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    We decided against doing the 26 hours bus ride from Hanoi to Vientiane and take a flight - a very good decision as 1) Alina had stomach issues and 2) we later met people who did it and it’s an overall awful experience, apparently 😄. Bullet dodget!
    Arriving in Vientiane was a bit of a shock - after living with everpresent horns, deafening loud music and screaming people for so long (fun fact: Vietnam is one of the most densely populated countries in the world!), Laos greeted us with absolute silence and creepily few people - see the second picture of a very happy boy who missed and finally rediscovered the quiet 🥰
    Vientiane was little as I remembered, superquiet even in its busyness, locals and tourists mixed alike, and so many sad dead spots. You could really tell already from Vientiane how hard Laos was hit by Covid and it’s not funso see. We anyways enjoyed Vientiane very much, and a special mentioning to the great food (and head-sized beers 🍺) they have!    Meer informatie

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  • AlillesAlilles on TourReiziger
    1

    Luang Prabang

    11 mei 2023, Laos ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of laos and a UNESCO world heritage site, is a laid-back little town. Located on a peninsula between the Mekong River and the Nam Khan River it provides beautiful views all around, the fusion of the Lao traditional style with the french colonial architecture only adds to its beauty - and not to forget all the colourful blooming trees growing all over the small town. It is a tourist hotspot for sure, which means we were again back to the comfort of having western foods, but also back to the more western prices. The weather gods being kind to Laos and bringing some heavy rain further forced us to have a break and to do some reading, planning and relaxing (poor us, I know).
    Even though it is very touristic (one of the three hotspots in Laos) we still highly recommend to visit Luang Prabang 🌺 see next post for the famous Kuan Si Waterfall!    Meer informatie

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