Solo Ride – Vietnam

Woke up at 8am after a really good night’s sleep. Breakfast at the hotel was a decent buffet – I had a fried egg, bread, and coffee.

I then headed out on the motorbike to Datanla Falls, a beautiful forested hillside near Đà Lạt with walking trails along streams and waterfalls. The main draw, though, is the Alpine Coaster. You ride in small carts, controlling your speed with a manual break as you twist around bends, dip over slopes, and zoom past the scenery. There are two tracks, a short one and a long one – I did them both! The ride was a blast, and the walk down to the waterfall and along the stream was peaceful and beautiful.

After that, I explored a bit more on the motorbike and found a perfect spot for coffee with a great view.

Back at the hotel, I treated myself to a 90-minute hot stone massage at a local spa – absolute bliss.

In the evening, I wandered into Đà Lạt for food and the night market and enjoyed the sights and smells of the many stalls selling street food.

Da Lat has a great evening vibe. A younger me might have hit a few bars, but I wanted to feel fresh for an early start on the bike tomorrow, so I’m back at the hotel for an early night and a book.

Tomorrow’s plan is to set off around 7am and probably head straight to Nha Trang, skipping Phần Ráng as originally planned. It’s still a very long way to Hanoi, and I’m eager to see the little blue dot on my map move further north – but I’ll make a final decision in the morning.

Nha Trang is a lively coastal city, famous for its beaches and seafood – a nice change of scenery from the highlands. The rain usually hits around 2pm, so I’m hoping to cover the 200km in about six hours and get there before a downpour.

All in all, a very restful day – but if I want to get to Hanoi on time – I’m going to have to pick up the pace and there can’t be too many more days like this!