Asia - Looking for a Cycling Guide in Vietnam

After completing a 4 day cycling trip in Nepal I am now looking to do a much longer ride in Vietnam. I don't want to join any group tour but just get on the bike and go where ever the road takes me.

The Nepal trip taught me a few things.

1. A days riding for some people is only a few hours for others.
2. Changing plans will always happen, so having fixed stops each night doesn't work for me.
3. The guide is what makes the ride, but (s)he makes almost nothing out of the trip and the operator makes 95%.

So this time I plan to just hire a guide for 2 weeks and head off. I will pay for their time and will pay as I go for all expenses.

Can anyone provide the contact details of a guide without going through a tour operator?

Thanks

Just curious...how far are you hoping to ride in two weeks time in Vietnam? Are you talking Hanoi to Saigon? I've just recently heard of these bicycling trips (in general). It's not something I would do, but it does sound interesting. ^

Just curious...how far are you hoping to ride in two weeks time in Vietnam? Are you talking Hanoi to Saigon? I've just recently heard of these bicycling trips (in general). It's not something I would do, but it does sound interesting. ^

Based on current research I believe to easily do SGN to HAN with some days spent at the same location with short rides to visit some areas of interest

70-90 miles a day for 14 days sounds pretty... punishing to me. But each to their own!

Might be worth contacting one of the places that does non-profit tours (like Common Ground Tours, from a brief google) and ask where they find their guides.

70-90 miles a day for 14 days sounds pretty... punishing to me. But each to their own!

Might be worth contacting one of the places that does non-profit tours (like Common Ground Tours, from a brief google) and ask where they find their guides.

I didn't want to go via an existing operator as they only want me to sign up through them. Thanks anyway.

I didn't want to go via an existing operator as they only want me to sign up through them. Thanks anyway.

Everything is a negotiation here. The big commercial operators probably won't be much help but there are plenty of small outfits who may well, after trying it on a bit, direct you where you want to go with just a small commission.

By the way, I actually met a group of students doing just this (albeit HAN to SGN), last night. Some of them had got pretty sick yesterday morning from the food a bit further north from here... I think it was the 8th day of their ride. They were aiming to average 90km a day, with stops, to take a month to do the ride. They also pointed out that not a single day that far had gone as planned...

Everything is a negotiation here. The big commercial operators probably won't be much help but there are plenty of small outfits who may well, after trying it on a bit, direct you where you want to go with just a small commission.

By the way, I actually met a group of students doing just this (albeit HAN to SGN), last night. Some of them had got pretty sick yesterday morning from the food a bit further north from here... I think it was the 8th day of their ride. They were aiming to average 90km a day, with stops, to take a month to do the ride. They also pointed out that not a single day that far had gone as planned...

Thanks. I'm in no rush so if it takes twice as long, so be it. Looks like I'm either going to do it alone or contact an operator for just a guide.

Thanks. I'm in no rush so if it takes twice as long, so be it. Looks like I'm either going to do it alone or contact an operator for just a guide.
In that case, make sure you apply for a longer visa, not a 30 day visa.
Should be a "fun" trip and full of adventure!