Sep 25, 2023
Riding through the Mekong Delta on Bicycles - We arranged the 3 day, 2 night Mekong Delta biking trip through Sinhbalo in HCMC. Our guide for the trip was Loc and he was key to making our trip a most excellent and safe dive into the world of Cuu Long (the river of nine dragons). He is originally from An Giang province in the delta and was a deep source of history and info. We spent the first night at the Coco Riverside Resort north of Tra Vinh which was an excellent $25 upgrade from the government-owned hotel in Tra Vinh that is part of the basic trip. It was beautiful, clean, tranquil, in the jungle and on one of the numerous canals in the delta. We think Sinhbalo should offer this as the standard lodging option. The second night we booked the Victoria Resort in Can Tho ourselves directly (low season deal) for the second night. It is classically luxurious. Just across a walking bridge from the heart of Can Tho and a raging deal in the low season. Loc showed us all kinds of out of the way paths, temples, sights, detours, etc. on our trip. We saw coconut peeling and processing, harvesting the milk, coconut caramel sugar getting made, rope production and a traditional boat repair facility all while avoiding the main roads (for the most part). We were invited to crash a wedding, take photos with the bride’s family and witness a Buddhist monk initiation ceremony at a Khmer temple that was mostly empty but for the initiate’s parents and a few monks. We met a small boat to check out both the Cai Riang floating market in Can Tho and then a cruise through some of the very small canals in the area. We were the only westerners we saw on the trip until Can Tho, and people of all ages said “hello!” constantly as we biked past. Loc also shared his people’s culture and a lot of insight into the burgeoning country of Vietnam. We highly recommend this trip!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 5, 2023
Family fun cycling in the Meekong delta - Cycling the laneways along the river was a highlight - each day had surprises - seeing locals picking fruit, building boats, weaving mats. Local guide Cong facilitated interactions, fruit tastings and conversations with the villagers - informative and fun. Thang skilfully negotiated the busy traffic and provided great support setting up and stowing bikes so that transitions were smooth and efficient. Cong designed routes taking into account our requests and cycling ability. We were very pleased with the trip and would recommend it to other families seeking a less touristy and active experience of the Mekong.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 7, 2020
Hello! Hello! Hello! 😀 in the Mekong Delta - My family of 3 (2 adults, 1 11 year old) enjoyed cycling through the Mekong Delta with Cong as our guide. You bicycle through different farming communities live amongst their crops—rice, dragon fruit, durian, jackfruit, bananas—and how they go to market with boat excursions on the Mekong River. One night is a rural homestay in a nice historic home and the other is urban in a hotel in Can Tho. The best part is cycling past all the homes and sharing a smile, a wave and a hello with the kids...who eagerly greet you too 😀 Be prepared for almost 40 degree heat and rougher, narrower (but pretty much flat) paths than you might be used to cycling at home. There’s always enough water and cool towels at each break 🥵 Bring your own snacks if you need more consistent fuel during the day. Cong was a very accommodating guide who worked to our needs as a private group 👍🏼
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 12, 2019
Wonderful cycle trip. - Just had an excellent 3 day trip through the Mekong Delta with Loc. I can honestly say there wasn't any thing I didn't enjoy. If I was to be picky then it was a bit stressful finding our own food on the first night... but with the help of Google maps and Google translate we managed to find a place with good food and 14 cold beers for 15 dollars... but no one in this town spoke english and I mean no one. I would also warn any one how is a bit squeamish and expect western facilities and views on animal welfare to maybe think twice. I found it to be a great adventure and we were looked after very well, there was lots to see and many interactions with locals. I highly recommend this trip to anyone with a spirit of adventure....
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 8, 2018
The highlight of my trip to Vietnam - This tour was the first thing I did in Vietnam and remained the highlight of the entire trip.
I happened to be the only guest on this tour after someone else cancelled. We rode about 110 km in three days, which is enough but not exhausting. We stopped often for delicious sugar cane juice, sticky rice cake or tea, and of course for lunch and dinner. Food on the Mekong Delta is my favorite in Vietnam.
The guide, Quang, wasn't only very knowledgeable and passionate about the Mekong Delta but also extremely accurate at organizing times, pick ups, boat trips etc. We never had to wait for the van or the boat. Bike rides were also wisely alternated with boat/van rides, or breaks, so that we never rode more than 15 - 20 km at a time. The homestay where we stayed the fist night was lovely and the food was outstanding as always. For the second night I was unfortunately booked in a 4 star hotel in Can Tho (while Quang and the driver had to sleep somewhere else) and dinner was in a fancy restaurant full of tourists where the food was by far not as good as at the homestay where we'd stayed the previous night. This was due to a misunderstanding in my correspondence with the booking office. They had mentioned I could choose between homestay and hotel but I never replied to that email and they never asked again.The hotel was ok, but I'd have preferred the homestay and the fact the Quang had to stay somewhere else made me feel bad.
The mountain bike I rode was in very good shape and I could easily get used to it in spite of being very different from the bike I'm used to ride at home. I had a hard time with the saddle on the first day but Quang was able to adjust it for me There was also a spare bike in the van and spare tires.
The heat was not as unbearable as I'd feared. There are trees for shade along the way and since you're constantly riding along the water there's always a slight breeze.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 21, 2018
Best cycling tour of the Mekong Delta with Loc - Just finished a brilliant 3 day Mekong Delta cycling tour with our family (3 kids aged 12, 14 and 16) organized with Sihnbalo. We had the best guide ever - Loc. You should definitely ask for him!! It was hard to say goodbye - he really made the trip special and he was so great with the kids. He spoke perfect English. He was funny and taught us so much about Vietnamese culture and history. He is a great rider and obviously changes his speed and route depending on how everyone is going. He did lots of little things to make the tour special like buying us fresh passion fruit juice, fresh coconut milk, dragonfruit, mango etc. He wanted to show us all aspects of the Delta. He even stopped so we could play a game of soccer with local kids! Loc also filmed us cycling and emailed us heaps of movies files which is just so kind. Sihnbalo’s 3 day Mekong delta cycling trip was a highlight of our time in Vietnam. The scenery changes over the three days so you see lots of different things and places. Cuong at Sihnbalo was so helpful. He booked a local bus for us from Can Tho to Chau Doc at the end of our tour ( because we were going on to Cambodia rather than returning to Saigon) and also booked us the speedboat from Chau Doc to Phnom Pehn which was so helpful. Really great company and we can highly recommend them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 11, 2018
A true Vietnamese Experience - We were a group of 8 who did the 2 nights/3 days cycling trip in the Mekong Delta and I can honestly say we all loved it! Our guide Loc was fantastic!! He speaks really good English which goes a long way into making an enjoyable trip. He was also very enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable about his country, had a great sense of humour and went out of his way to make our cycle in the Delta an unforgettable experience.
The general organisation of the trip was also excellent - all my emails were replied to promptly, our drivers were always on time to pick us up, the vehicles, bikes and helmets were all in a good condition and the restaurants chosen by Sinhbalo Tours along the way for our meals were fantastic. The meals themselves were a true reflection of Vietnamese food, there was more food than we could ever finish (and we all love food! ) and the meals were ABSOLUTELY delicious!!!
In between all our meals we also had ample opportunity to try all the various fruits grown in the Mekong Delta - eating fresh fruit straight off the trees. Yum!!
In a previous review I noted that somebody made a negative comment about the first night's eco-lodge. I loved the eco-lodge. It IS primitive and basic but it offers a really interesting experience to real life on the island. The showers are hot, the beers are cold and the sunset and sunrise are beautiful over the water. The beds and especially the pillows are hard but the linen is clean. My husband and I went for a walk to the local market very early in the morning and watched the locals setting up their wares at sunrise. Loc was having a 'compulsory' early morning iced coffee, followed by jasmine tea with the other men in the village (early morning coffee is apparently for the men only) and he invited us to join him at his expense which was a great experience.
Our 2nd night's accommodation at the Fortuneland Hotel was also excellent. It is a really smart hotel, with wonderful beds and for those who don't enjoy roughing it, this hotel makes up for the first night's eco-stay.
All in all, it was a wonderful 3 days. The riding is really chilled and very do-able with lots of stops along the way to stretch the legs. For those people who don't ride regularly I would suggest getting some Assos cream (bum barrier cream) for the chafing and invest in some cycling shorts. Last bit of advice - do not bother to take a cycling jersey with you. Sinhbalo give you one at the start of the tour, and the bags on the bikes are large enough to carry cameras, phones etc.
Well done to Sinhbalo Tours, Loc and our drivers for an excellent tour!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 15, 2017
3 Days - Mekong Delta - Great Trip - Great trip for my daughter and I - led by Loc - super guide - friendly, smart and accommodating to our needs. Took us through some fantastic areas while running across many nice people along the way - also some great food was had! The large pagoda on the last day was truly awesome! Beware eco-lodge - our first nights lodging - more primitive than anticipated!! - otherwise all good!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 4, 2017
Don't go anywhere else for cycling trips!! - Transportation, food, guide, the jungle roads, home cooked meal, everything was incredible way to start our vietnam trip.
It was filled with adventure, laughter, some sweat and plenty of good food.
Highly recommended to anyone who is considering a bike trip through the incredible Mekong Delta.
Special shout out to Leo for teaching us so much about Vietnamese economy and culture.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
