Unlike other backpackers who usually follow a fixed route, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh (29 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) chose a circular journey, exploring Vietnam from North to South, then turning to Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and returning to Vietnam via Ha Tien border gate. The total time for this journey is 65 days.
Tuyet Minh shared that she does not like to plan or research the destination in detail. Instead, she wants to explore and experience everything in her own way.
The petite girl on the car traveled 15,000 km across 4 countries.
The courage to adventure on the long road
Starting from the capital Hanoi, Tuyet Minh moved north, exploring famous places such as Tam Dao, Cat Ba Island, Thai Nguyen, Mong Cai, Binh Lieu, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai. Here, Minh conquered Fansipan peak by road and discovered the unique cultural beauty of ethnic minorities.
After that, Tuyet Minh turned to Laos, starting her journey to explore the land of a million elephants. From Tay Trang border gate, Minh traveled through Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane and Pakse. On this route, Minh encountered many challenges such as bad roads, dense fog, storms...
Arrived in Laos with excitement.
Tuyet Minh recalls: "This road is really a nightmare for me because I only run at a steady speed of 10 - 15 km/h, and in beautiful sections I can move up to 40 km/h and cross forests, mountain passes and container trucks alone. At that time, I just wanted to find a place to sleep, but it was really difficult. From Vientiane to Pakse is about 670 km, 15 hours of continuous driving until late at night but I didn't feel tired, it was like every time I ran, I felt happy and joyful. But really, after that day, I felt tired, my arms and legs were limp, my fingertips felt like they were about to fall off, my whole body was sore as if I had just gone boxing."
After conquering the 20 km stretch from 4000 Islands (Si Phan Don) to Stungsteng border gate, Tuyet Minh continued to enter Cambodia and move to Siemrep (about 300 km), this stretch of road also brought her many challenges and unforgettable experiences.
The car accompanies through many unforgettable roads.
Minh tried to leave early to save time, but some unexpected sections of the road made it difficult for her. When dusk fell, Minh was still lost at the edge of the forest on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. Minh later learned that this was the disputed area of the Preah Vihear temple, where border guards regularly patrolled.
The bad road, thick fog, and lack of phone signal made Minh feel worried and scared. She did not dare to stay to take pictures, but just tried to run out of the area quickly, hoping to avoid traffic problems and find a residential area before dark.
Kampong Phluk floating village in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
After arriving in Siem Reap, Minh found a hotel and parked her car to continue traveling by bus to Bangkok, Thailand. Her purpose in Bangkok was to experience street food and challenge herself with driving a motorbike "on the wrong side" - a unique cultural feature of Thailand. After that, she returned to Siem Reap to explore the mysterious Angkor temples.
Tuyet Minh's journey in Cambodia did not stop at Siem Reap, but also extended to Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and Kampot. However, the weather was not favorable during her time in Cambodia and Thailand. The storm season made it difficult for Minh to travel, even forcing her to cancel her plans to visit some places.
Culture and cuisine are what capture the hearts of backpackers.
Each country in the 65-day journey gave Tuyet Minh its own unique impression.
In Laos, she was particularly impressed with the ancient capital of Luang Prabang. This place attracts tourists with its peaceful, poetic beauty with the gentle Mekong River, majestic mountain ranges and the alms-begging rituals of monks every morning. What surprised Tuyet Minh the most was the traffic awareness of Lao people. They patiently waited for red lights, yielded to each other on the road, creating a civilized and polite atmosphere.
Cambodia fascinates female backpackers with its mysterious temples.
Cambodia conquered Tuyet Minh again with its ancient and mysterious architectural works. Angkor Wat with its majestic temples, the ancient tree roots embracing Ta Prohm temple and the mysterious smile of Bayon temple brought visitors back to thousands of years of history and mysterious stories of the ancient Khmer people.
Located on the border with Vietnam, Bokor gives Tuyet Minh the feeling of being lost in Da Lat with its cool climate, friendly monkeys and ancient moss-covered temples.
Unique fried grasshopper dish.
Regarding cuisine, Tuyet Minh enjoyed the typical dishes of each country. She said: "In Laos, I experienced dishes similar to those of Thailand, but the taste in Laos is probably saltier. I really love papaya salad with crab, so I eat it almost everywhere I go. In Laos, there is also Lao pho made from rice flour served with shredded roast pork with a clear and slightly sour broth that is quite impressive."
Cambodia is famous for its unique dishes such as grasshoppers and crickets fried with garlic. The dish of salted and chili-dried mussels made Tuyet Minh fall in love with its harmonious salty and spicy taste, but also made her "half-crying, half-laughing" because she had to bite hard to open the mussels' mouths.
Pocket travel experience in Southeast Asian countries
With a total cost of 35 million VND for the entire 65-day journey, Tuyet Minh traveled through 4 Southeast Asian countries, experiencing diverse routes and unique cultures. The average cost per day ranges from 200,000 to 500,000 VND, of which accommodation, food and gas are the main expenses.
One of the peaceful scenes on the trip.
"I choose to stay at cheap hostels in Vietnam and dorms in other countries to save money. Regarding food, I am quite comfortable, not forcing myself to be too frugal. There are days when I only eat one meal because I am busy traveling, but there are also days when I enjoy many local specialties. Gasoline costs are also quite low because my Sonic is fuel-efficient, consuming only 45 km/liter. With a 4-liter tank, I can travel a distance of 170-180 km, depending on how much I control the throttle," Tuyet Minh shared.
However, Tuyet Minh's journey also encountered some difficulties, especially the issue of vehicle registration at the Lao border gate. Because the vehicle was not in her name, she encountered problems and had to convince the officers to allow her to bring the vehicle to the neighboring country.
The Sonic car that Tuyet Minh often jokingly calls her "horse" has successfully completed its journey across these 4 countries.
Despite the difficulties, Tuyet Minh still felt extremely lucky to have completed the 65-day journey without any major damage. She was happy to be able to live her passion, overcome her own limits and receive enthusiastic support from the backpacking community.
Based on her own experience, Tuyet Minh advises women who intend to travel alone to prepare carefully about vehicles, luggage and limit traveling at night. She also reminds everyone to always stay optimistic and be ready to face challenges on the journey.
