Nguyen Thi Yen (Yen Vi Vu), a Travel Content Creator, has decided to travel across Vietnam by motorbike alone since the beginning of 2023. Up to now, Yen has visited 46 provinces and cities on the "S-shaped strip of land". After exploring all 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam, she plans to experience countries in the Southeast Asian region.
"Thanks to this trip, I have become stronger, everything is not as difficult as I thought. Having a goal, making a plan and being determined to do it will help me achieve it. I can say that now I feel like I am gradually moving towards 'Independence - Freedom - Happiness'", Yen Vi Vu confided.
Yen Vi Vu started in early 2023 and has completed 2/3 of the journey so far.
Inspiration comes naturally
In early 2020, a trip to An Giang with a group of friends completely changed Yen's life. This journey not only brought her to a new land but also gave her strong inspiration to embark on a challenging adventure: traveling across Vietnam alone.
Staying at a homestay in An Giang, Yen had the opportunity to meet and interact with the homestay owner. Unexpectedly, the story behind this owner was the biggest inspiration for Yen to decide to carry out her own cross-Vietnam project. "She and her daughter traveled across Vietnam for 5 months by motorbike starting from An Giang in 2018. The photos posted on the wall following the S-shaped map of Vietnam and the stories she told made me get caught up in that journey without realizing it," Yen said.
With the homestay owner in An Giang, the person who gave Yen the motivation to travel across Vietnam.
The biggest motivation for Yen to travel is her family. Yen always wants to be the pride of her family. In a conversation with Travellive, Yen shared: “When I go to the company, my mother often brags to the teachers that she has a daughter who travels here and there to make YouTube videos and then opens her videos for everyone to see. I will go to more places and record clips for my parents at home to watch. When I have more conditions, I will take the whole family along.”
What is difficulty, when we are always full of…
Before starting her journey across Vietnam, Yen had to face many challenges. One of the first difficulties was using a manual motorbike. Yen spent time and effort to practice driving, testing the roads in the North such as Hanoi - Bac Giang, Ba Vi and Moc Chau. This not only helped her become more confident in driving a motorbike, but also served as good preparation for the upcoming journey.
The second difficulty that Yen faced was convincing tourism businesses and related fields to cooperate in communication and sponsorship. Before embarking on the journey, Yen made a very dedicated "Across Vietnam alone" profile, conveying her determination, passion and ability. Before leaving, she also received cooperation approval from 2-3 units.
With an optimistic, strong and determined spirit, Yen Vi Vu always overcomes all difficulties throughout the journey.
During her journey across Vietnam, Yen faced a series of difficulties. The weather changed constantly, from the cold of the Northern mountains to the intense heat of the Central region, and even the rainy season in the Central Highlands. These difficulties challenged Yen both physically and mentally. In addition, bad roads, rocks, and bumpy terrain also created significant challenges in driving.
Not only that, different culinary tastes in different regions also created difficulties for Yen. Some days she felt indigestion or uncomfortable with different tastes. In addition, Yen's motorbike also had problems such as a nail in Hue, a burnt spark plug in Da Nang, and a broken clutch before climbing Violak Pass. However, thanks to her optimism and determination, she overcame these difficulties strongly.
Dao people's meal.
Discovering cuisine is also the most authentic way to learn about culture.
Unforgettable memories make a great journey
“I don’t have a most impressive place because every place I’ve been to has its own beauty and story. If I talk about each province, I have something to tell about that place. But there are some memories that I will definitely never forget,” Yen recalls.
That day, Yen drove from Dien Bien City to Bac Yen, Son La, a distance of 250 km, according to Google map it would take more than 6 hours of continuous driving. After having lunch in Dien Bien, she left at 11 am, expecting to arrive around 7-8 pm, which was not too late. Because she was engrossed in taking photos along the way and occasionally surfing social networks, it took time, she arrived at Son La City at 5 pm, it was already dark.
The road from Co Noi intersection to Bac Yen is steep and deserted, with only a few houses here and there. Yen was driving with fear. When she was about 5 km from Bac Yen, while going uphill, her tire wobbled. At that moment, she was only worried about getting a flat tire. She quickly stopped the car, thinking of solutions to deal with it, such as calling for help because she had acquaintances in Bac Yen, or turning the car downhill to find a house and ask to stay overnight... When she turned on the phone's flashlight, she saw that the tire was fine, but there were car tire tracks on the road. It turned out that Yen's car had run into the oil tanker's tracks, so it got slippery and wobbled. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and continue to Bac Yen.
She has inspired many young people who are passionate about traveling.
The motorbike has been with her across the country.
Another memory was in Ba To, Quang Ngai, where Yen stopped to rest from the midday sun. At around 1 pm, the water seller advised Yen to move before it rained. Because the rainy season in the Central Highlands brings thunderstorms every afternoon. Yen saw the dark clouds starting to gather so she quickly set off.
When she got to Ba Tieu, she stopped to buy a phone tripod. As soon as she put down the kickstand, the bike fell over and broke the clutch. She asked the people at the nearby repair shop. When she got there, the repairman said they didn't have this clutch, so he went to find it at other shops. Only then did Yen remember that she had brought a spare clutch. So she asked the repairman to replace it for her. After going up the pass for a while, it started to rain. Wearing a thick raincoat, she rushed through the heavy rain. When she got to Po E commune, the rain was heavy and accompanied by thunder and lightning, so she stopped at a water shop to take shelter. The rainwater flowed like a flood, murky. It wasn't until around 3:30 pm that Yen was able to continue.
Yen Vi Vu is in the far west of A Pa Chai.
In that story, Yen continued: “One day in Bai Xep, Quy Nhon, while I was walking along the rocky beach to take pictures, my camera fell into a puddle of seawater. Electronic devices exposed to salt will corrode their components, so I had to say goodbye to my friend who had accompanied me on my trips for the past 3 years.”
The memorable memories of the journey across Vietnam are not only interesting stories but also valuable lessons. Recalling these experiences, Yen realized that optimism and determination are two important factors that help her overcome all obstacles. Each memorable memory is like a brick that contributes to building a meaningful and interesting journey of a girl crossing Vietnam alone.
On the road in Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh.
When a girl travels alone, she must always keep in mind: Safety first!
- Don't go out at night, late afternoon and have to find a place to rest overnight.
- Always stay awake, do not use stimulants.
- Be wary of strangers. When driving on deserted roads, pay attention to see if anyone is following you. - Only stop in crowded places. Only accept help or guidance from people you feel are sincere.
- Avoid deserted roads, anticipate possible risks, if you can't handle them yourself, don't take the risk.
- Take care of your health by eating well, sleeping enough, drinking enough water, instead of drinking soft drinks or carbonated drinks, you should drink filtered water.
- Improve survival skills, life skills, communication skills, financial and time management.
Some pictures of Yen's journey:
Yen in Mang Den.
Burning sunny days on Ly Son Island.
Netting on the Bay Mau coconut forest, Hoi An.
A corner of Hoi An.
Hunting clouds in Lao Than.
Bay Mau Coconut Forest seen from above.
Check in at Me Homestay.
