Phong Nha in Central Vietnam is definitely worth the journey inland with plenty of attractions and activities for almost every type of traveler. Already been jungle trekking and caving in Phong Nha? Looking for something else to soak up another day in this lush mountain paradise? How about a self-guided Phong Nha bicycle tour? Here is a short write up on five points of interest easily reached by bicycle. A fun day and end it with a sunset? Sounds perfect to me!

Easy Tiger and affiliate hostels rent bikes for free as long as you’re a guest of theirs. They also allow you to rent and return your bike to any of the affiliated hostels. This means you can start and finish in different places if you want!. So it is quite easy to take advantage of this. From town, heading east is the quickest and easiest way to get on the circuit that hits many points of interest on a Phong Nha bicycle.

Please note: Some links below are affiliate links. I earn a small amount through certain purchases you make, this does not increase the cost for you and helps support this site.

 

Phong Nha Bomb Crater Bar

About half an hour of riding alongside the river on a pothole-filled asphalt road finds Bomb Crater Bar. As I left early in the morning, this bar was shut on my first passing. I did return the next day for a sunset beer and a great chat about travel with the Western and Vietnamese co-owners. This is a beautiful place for sunset, as the sun dips behind the not-too-far-off mountains, casting beautiful reflections and silhouettes of long tail boats putting up and down the river. Sometimes there are water buffaloes grazing the area as well! Just a word of warning, riding back after sunset along the bumpy road now has sleeping cows. While they are stationary, they come out of nowhere being so dark!

 

Phong Nha Duck Stop

Around another half hour peddle along some bumpy dirt roads gets you to the ‘Duck Stop’. This name pretty much speaks for itself. Lots of ducks here, unfortunately, there were no ducklings at this time. What was unexpected was the children, who screamed in excitement as we pulled up outside of their gate. They rushed over to park my bike full of laughter and genuine excitement. They fought over each other to teach me how to shell and eat local peanuts, Vietnamese style – with salt and peppercorns. Food and cold drinks are available here as well.

 

Restaurant to prepare your own chicken…from scratch

One of the more infamous places making its way around the hostel was the restaurant that allows you to catch, kill, clean and cook your own chicken to eat. As the story goes, the first tourist to visit this area was handed a chicken and a meat cleaver. Apparently, the locals didn’t understand why this foreigner didn’t know how to prepare his own chicken. Caught off guard, this man was just as shocked in return. Nowadays, you have the option of the “full experience” or, the restaurant can prepare the meal for you, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy a beer. This isn’t too far along the road from the Duck Stop and quite close to the Pub with Cold Beer. However, the hills do get a little steep in parts from here on.

 

Pub With Cold Beer in Phong Nha

The Vietnamese can be very literal with their business names in English, and this one is no exception. It’s a pub, with cold beer. Legend has it the owner of this pub was the first along this tiny rural dirt road to buy a fridge. As it is custom to drink warm beer over ice in Vietnam. Word spread about this pub pretty quickly and with good reason. The beer is nice and cold!

I rode this little loop within monsoon season. Even though the path was dry and dusty there was a river overflowing that caused me and partner to turn back. This roadblock of rushing water was not too far from the Pub with Cold Beer, or the Wild Board Eco Farm, which is also on this loop.

 

Phong Nha Farm Stay Hostel

Farm Stay Hostel is one of Easy Tiger’s sister hostels. We left our bikes here for no charge and arranged a cheap moto-taxi back into town to Easy Tiger Hostel. This was of course after a few happy hour beers and a stunning sunset over flat rice paddy fields and mountains off into the distance. What made it even more special was the number of ducks waddling and quacking through the rice fields on their way home as the sun set behind the hills. There was a constant stream of ducks, easily into the hundreds!

 

Phong Nha Bicycle Tour Info

Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you click through one of these links and make a purchase, I receive a small commission. This does not increase the price for you in any way, and is a great way to help support this site. If you have any questions at all, please contact me.

This loop was around 11km long and it was roughly an extra 15-minute cycle along a highway to Farm Stay Hostel for sunset. Most of it was an easy peddle, but there are some steeper hills along the route.

If you’re looking to stay in Phong Nha, Easy Tiger is my recommendation if you’re after a more lively hostel. There’s usually free beer and plenty of other travelers to talk to. They also do a free run down of available treks offered throughout the National Park. Book Easy Tiger Hostel Here!

For a more relaxed setting, Farm Stay Hostel is also an option. You can be right there when the ducks cross the field at sunset. You can book Phong Nha Farm Stay Hostel Here!

Both Farm Stay Hostel and Shambala Hostel are sister hostels of Easy Tiger, allowing to return your Phong Nha bicycle to any of the three locations, no matter which one you are a guest of.

As mentioned, I traveled in monsoon season (July), so this story wouldn’t be completed unless I got saturated by a storm. It would rain most afternoons, sometimes coming seemingly out of clear blue skies. Roads can become incredibly slippery, and while my rented Phong Nha Bicycle was in great shape, take them slick corners a little slower than usual. I took a dry bag and a waterproof phone case on a lanyard; it saved my phone on more than one occasion.

There are quite a few children along the track. It is frequented enough by tourists that these children are very forthcoming. They aren’t shy. One group of five kids, all under the age of 10, road blocked our bikes and started asking for “money” in English. It wasn’t aggressive or anything at all, it was just abrupt. Not only is giving children money not necessarily in their best long-term interests – as they opt for easy money, rather than attending school. It can also be a little unexpected and even a bit intimidating. My point is, they are not thieves at all. However, keeping your valuables out of sight might not be such a bad idea!

 

Phong Nha Bicycle Tour Map

 

Phong Nha Bicycle Tour Highlights

-Just riding along the dirt roads had beautiful scenery.

-Since this is a self-guided tour, only stopping at the places you want is a great advantage.

-Sunset is beautiful, both at the Bomb Crater Bar and Phong Nha Farm Stay Hostel. I cheated and did both, no regrets!

For other beautiful Central Vietnam sights, visit the UNESCO town of Hoi An, Vietnam’s most underrated city of Da Nang, or Ho Thuy Tien – Hue’s abandoned water theme park! How to get from Hoi An to Hue? Try Vietnam’s Easy Rider tour of the Hai Van Pass.

 

I’d love to hear about your experience through the town of Phong Nha. What were your highlights? Questions? Comments? Drop me a message below! 🙂

 

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