Green Interview Series: Huỳnh Thắng and the amazing Cào Cào Adventures 🚴♂️
I have the chance to know about Cào Cào Adventures, a unique cycling group in Sai Gon with engaging activities for all members. One of their most popular activities is the Cycling tour around different cities in the South of Vietnam, promoting cycling tourism as a way to enjoy the nature and create memorable travelling experiences, unlike the traditional tourism.
Trâm Anh: First of all, thank you for participating in the Green Interview Series today! For the first question, I would like to ask you to share with us some information about yourself and Cào Cào Adventures? Could you also share with us how you get inspired to start the group and the unique cycling tour?
Huỳnh Thắng: I was born in Quảng Bình, 38 years old. I have been living and working in Saigon for 16 years, including 10 years working for Grasshopper Adventures Asia (GAA) – one of the best bike tour companies in Asia, where I had a chance to work with many talented people.
When Covid-19 hit the world last year, we were jobless as foreign tourists could not travel anymore. At first, we just gathered all the closed tour guides to go around by bike. Then we opened up to community rides to encourage people to join for exercise. That’s how Cào Cào Adventures (CCA) was born in September 2020 with the support from my colleagues at GAA. We just celebrated the second birthday of CCA online last month.
Trâm Anh: As you must be a cycling expert, could you share with me some benefits of cycling?
Huỳnh Thắng: Cycling has many benefits. I can list some such as:
Improve mental well-being
Strengthens immune system
Promotes weight loss
Build muscle
Helps have better lung health
Cuts heart disease and cancer risks
Improves navigation skills
Improves sex life
Helps sleep better
Boosts brain power
Improves spacial awareness
Trâm Anh: I have seen wonderful photos of your cycling tours, they look amazing! Could you share with us your greatest successes so far at Cào Cào Adventures? Could you share with us a particular story?
Huỳnh Thắng: My greatest successes so far at CCA are that I could keep up the passion with bike tours for both myself and my colleagues during the pandemic. We have encountered different times together. At the same time, we could spread that passion to the community. Within 2 years, the members of CCA have been increasing speedily, from a few at the beginning to nearly 6,000 members now.
Trâm Anh: Cycling tours are a new growing concept worldwide, and I believe your group is one of the leading ones in Vietnam. Why do you think clients would choose your tours instead of the traditional ones? Are you clients mainly those who care about nature?
Huỳnh Thắng: Our main clients are those who care about nature but also like to explore nature. They are mostly working in offices during weekdays so they would like to have some fresh air and visit new places on weekends. We always try to organize tours with different experience and combine SUP, trekking, camping, yoga for overnight tours.
Trâm Anh: Cycling tours definitely have a lower carbon footprint compared to the traditional tours with big coaches, commercial flights, etc. What other benefits, in terms of environment and sustainability, that cycling tours bring to the community?
Huỳnh Thắng: Cycling tours can reduce noise pollution and congestion, reduce the need for new parking lots and roadways, save valuable green space from development, etc.
Trâm Anh: For the last question, could you please share with us your plans for Cào Cào Adventures in the near future? Do you have any plan to integrate more sustainability factors into the future plan for Cào Cào Adventures?
Huỳnh Thắng: My plans for CCA are creating more interesting and exciting tours with different experiences such as tours to the North to explore new natural places and tours to Mekong Delta, developing our Leaders to be more professional.
Sustainability is always our priority. We encourage our members to bring 2 bottles when we go on tours, one for water and another one for sugar-cane juice or soft drinks when we stop by for a break. This way, we will not throw plastic glasses or bottles into the environment.
I hope you enjoy the interview and I strongly recommend you to join the Cào Cào Adventures for future tours and activities. As the lockdown in Sai Gon is over, Cào Cào Adventures is planning for so many more exciting tours to make up for the last 5 months staying at home! Cycling tourism is without doubt the most sustainable future for tourism, as not only tourists can enjoy the nature in a different angle and keep fit at the same time, there is no fume, no fuel burnt, no noise affecting the environment.
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