A Vietnamese family's 190-day journey around the world.

Six months and a journey around the world.

The world tour started on April 23rd and ended on October 31st, 2023. Over a period of six months, Duc Vinh's family traveled through two Asian countries (Japan, South Korea), more than a dozen European countries (France, Spain, England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Monaco…) and two American countries (Canada, USA).

Since 2008, the photographer has spent his time traveling extensively, partly for personal experiences of landscapes and architecture, and partly for his work as a photographer in Europe. However, this extended trip was the most special experience because he and his wife took unpaid leave from work, unlike their previous short vacations.

“The biggest reason is that my daughter is two and a half years old, and if we don't go now, she'll start school in September, and I don't know when we'll have another long break like this. Next, traveling with children under three years old has many advantages, the biggest being the cost (airfare is still calculated at child prices, hotels only require double rooms and a crib...). Also, around three years old, children start eating adult food, can walk on their own, and even if they need to be carried, they're not too heavy, so we can take turns carrying them while hiking. Finally, my family and I agree: Money can be earned back, but opportunities and time cannot,” Mr. Duc Vinh confided.

From the age of four months, Duc Vinh's family has been "training" their little daughter for short trips lasting three to four days, or even up to two weeks, with at least four or five such trips each year. Previously, the family has also taken short trips to Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and other countries.

Connecting with family through trips.

For a long road trip with young children, Duc Vinh always tries to arrange the schedule as efficiently as possible. The whole family almost never leaves early or returns late, only going out during "business hours" from 9 am to 7 pm and resting and eating meals on time.

According to the photographer, people often worry that young children are too young to enjoy traveling with their parents and that it will only feel like a grueling ordeal, and this is not wrong. Adults enjoy traveling because of the scenery, culture, or even the food at each place they visit, but children, especially young ones, don't fully understand this. Therefore, at each destination, his family always tries to find ways to make it interesting for their children, sparking their curiosity and connecting each place with the knowledge they already have.

When visiting Seoul, with its famous Marble Mountains, Duc Vinh's daughter always imagines herself as a princess in a castle palace. When traveling to the American West with its deserts, she lives in the world of the dinosaur cartoon "The Land Before Time." And in Canada, with its snow-capped forests, she transforms into Elsa…

According to Duc Vinh, you should "draw" and "create activities" to motivate children to travel with you in different ways according to their age. It might be a little mentally challenging, but it will be much more relaxing in terms of spirit and energy. From there, the child can play, have fun, and enjoy the entire trip with the family in their own way.

"Don't put too much pressure on your children to remember the trip the way adults do. They will 'remember' the trip in their own way, regardless of their age. Consider the trip primarily for us, those who want to create as many memories as possible with our family and our children," the photographer expressed.

Regarding travel expenses for 190 days, Mr. Duc Vinh allocated approximately 40% to hotels, 35% to transportation costs (airfare, train/bus tickets, fuel, tolls), and the remainder to food and other miscellaneous expenses. His family saved a considerable amount by using road trips for almost the entire itinerary.

Offering advice to families with young children who also want to go on long trips, Duc Vinh wrote: “If you can go, go now. No trip is 100% smooth sailing, and no preparation is perfect without flaws. Don't wait for a better 'opportunity'; if the current 'opportunity' is, to some extent, the difficulties can all be overcome.”

Let's admire the road trip around the world of photographer Dang Duc Vinh's family:

Phuong Mai is a reporter for Travellive Magazine in Hanoi.

Phuong Mai