Accommodation is the one area where costs can quickly escalate and for longer trips even a tenner a night soon adds up soon adds up to several thousand pounds .
To reduce accommodation costs I tend to rely on the kindness that people always show me when I cycle. I am always amazed at how generous people are to strangers in offering a bed for the night, or somewhere to pitch their tent. Having a safe place to get some rest and recuperation every now and then is always a god send. A website called Warm Showers really epitomises this spirit; people who are willing to host touring cyclists sign up to the website and provide their contact information. Many of the hosts are themselves cyclists, with the main benefit being that they really understanding your needs – getting a hot shower, get the laundry done, and the sharing of a few adventure stories over a cold beer.
I have had the pleasure of hosting Warm Shower cyclists on their cycle tours through Vietnam and Colombia and have been on the receiving end of other cyclists hospitality in many countries. Not only are the people I have stayed with been fantastic hosts but many hosts know the best ‘off road’ cycling routes in the areas where they live, and their advice is always invaluable in the planning of my route.
The majority of the decisions on where to spend each night are made on the day, and normally just depend on where I am in the hour before it gets dark. I think that the only times that I tend to plan ahead is when I am staying with friends/Warm Shower hosts, or if I take a day or two off the bike and so like to have somewhere I can leave my kit.
In Asia accommodation is cheap and so the tent tends to stay underwraps except for ’emergencies’. Plus, July coincides with the time when the monsoon season really gets going in South East Asia and the humidity levels rise to the extent that you feel like you are cycling in a sauna. The thought of camping in these conditions is not remotely appealing and so I only break the tent out as a last resort.
If you plan to cycle in Asia during the dry season then camping places are currently springing up all over the place. A recent trend has seen a number of tented eco-resorts pop up where you have the option of staying in cabins or pre-erected tents. The tents come supplied with all that you need – mattress, bedding, and an electric fan. If ‘wild’ beach camping is your thing then I would definitely take a look at Tom’s website – Vietnam Coracle for ideas if you are planning on camping in Vietnam.
Instead when in Asia I take advantage of the wide availability of cheap hotels that you can find everywhere. In Vietnam, local hotels are advertised as Nha Nghi’s which literally translates as ‘rest house’. They are generally cosy, family-run places with lots of local character. A couple of years ago, I cycled from Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam to Bangkok in Thailand, passing through Cambodia en route. Each country had their own version of the Nha Nghi, and it doesn’t matter if you take the roads less travelled as you can be confident of finding a place to sleep at the end of a long day in the saddle.
Many Nha Nghi’s rent the rooms by the hour for just a few dollars. In Vietnam, this has led to them gaining a reputation as ‘love hotels’ because the majority of young people still live with their families until they are married, and so often make use of the Nha Nghi’s for a bit of privacy. The advantage for the cyclist is that it allows the affordable option of having a nap and a shower during the hottest part of the day, before continuing refreshed in the cooler temperatures of the late afternoon.
In New Zealand, South America and Europe the price of accommodation significantly rises and so when cycling through these countries my main accommodation option is wild camping. This aspect of the trip is always amazing – just stopping at a beautiful spot in the wilderness and setting up the tent for the night; blood red sunsets, full moons, awesome star shows and wonderful sunrises. This part of any cycling trip never disappointments.
For a complete list of prices and places where I have stayed for every night I have been on a cycling trip please click on the “Where have I slept?” tab on the tool bar or click here. Each table lists the country and the type/price of accommodation; if you click on the location of each night this will open a separate google map to show you exactly where I stayed.
To contact me about any of the trips that I have cycled through a specific city/country please leave a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as I can, or alternatively click here to email me direct!
For a complete breakdown of the myriad of additional expenses that you may incur if you set about planning your own cycling adventure click on the following links or use the ‘Kit Lists and Costs’ tab at the top of the page:
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Bike associated costs
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Equipment associated costs
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Flight associated costs
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Visa associated costs
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Insurance associated costs
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Vaccination associated costs
Finally, if you have read my other pages, you will already know that I record my journey via blog posts. So, if you haven’t already signed up I would love it if you would ‘join’ me on my journey as I cycle around the world by adding your email address to the form at the foot of this page to receive automatic updates.