Go to experience
People who like to “travel” can be anyone, but most of them are young people, have a modern lifestyle and like to share. In the past, it was only for people with economic conditions, but recently it has appeared for many students. Because the cost for each “hug” trip is usually very cheap. Just spending a few hundred thousand Dong can satisfy a trip.
The desire to experience and explore makes more and more young people seek out backpacking trips.
Duc Anh (University of Architecture) shared: "To serve our studies and also to satisfy our passion for discovery and experience, we joined the backpacking group.
Whenever we have free time, we arrange time to go, maybe for a few days, or even a week, depending on the time off from school. Going a lot is quite expensive, so we choose to travel with a group to save money.”
Exploration trips by motorbike are often more attractive to young people because of its convenience and advantages. Duc Anh added: Each motorbike trip brings a new feeling, you can touch every branch of tree and blade of grass along the road, feel the change of scenery, watch the sky and clouds, breathe the scent of trees and grass, the air; immerse yourself in nature and feel with all your senses.
When seeing a beautiful landscape, backpackers can freely stop to admire, take pictures, rest, and even find a suitable location and stop to set up camp there.
The important thing for “backpackers” before each trip is to “post” recruitment for “xe-om” pairs: usually the driver is a man and the motorbike taxi is a woman sitting in the same car. There are also some strong-willed women willing to drive on trips of thousands of kilometers.
Ngan An - a female student at the University of Architecture - excitedly talked about her trips: "Before, I was very shy and afraid of ghosts and the dark, but since joining the backpacking group, that is no longer a concern for me.
We like backpacking in the highlands because we want to conquer rugged mountains, interesting places that no one has set foot on, and still retain the pristine beauty of nature, which is always the destination of our backpacking group."
“After each trip, I always have many emotions about my homeland. And especially, backpacking is to experience life, practice courage, exchange and make friends…” – Duc Anh shared.
Danger lurks
Save memories on the roads we pass through
Backpacking always has a high risk because no one is 100% sure of their safety, especially when young people choose dangerous and steep mountainous areas as their destination.
The danger can also come from the backpackers themselves. Young people often think simply “pack up and go” without knowing what the route they will have to go through. Some even see this as an opportunity to show off their “good driving skills”, trying to speed, recklessly overtake… accidents are inevitable.
Talking about the dangers of her first backpacking trip, Kieu Thanh still shivers and turns pale. When asked if she will continue to be present on future backpacking trips, her girlfriend immediately said “no”.
“That was the first and last trip of my life because there were so many terrifying memories on the trip that I can never forget,” Kieu Thanh affirmed.
There have been many accidents, even missing cases, that have occurred during backpacking trips. Most recently, backpackers and the online community were heartbroken by the news that female student Thu Hien (Hanoi University of Commerce) passed away in a traffic accident on the evening of December 6 on National Highway 6, near Thung Khe Pass (Hoa Binh) while riding a motorbike with a group of 60 people to Moc Chau.
As a long-time member of the phuot.vn forum, Nguyen Quoc Cuong commented: “Traveling has many good purposes, helping young people learn more things and face challenges on the journey. However, no matter what the reason, risking your life is too foolish.”
According to Cuong, "backpacking" in the true sense, backpackers always put the safety of themselves and those around them first by carefully preparing for human resources, logistics as well as cultural knowledge, familiarity with the terrain... will create trips full of experiences but not risky, helping each person to renew themselves, change the atmosphere and recharge their life energy.
To avoid unfortunate accidents that may occur during the trip, each group must also organize a very tight formation to avoid getting lost and support each other. The formation is usually divided into 3 groups: The vanguard are experienced people, go first, decide the itinerary and arrange food and accommodation for the whole group. The platoon is the group that often wanders around, likes to take pictures, and consists of inexperienced people. This group can turn left and right freely, as long as it does not overtake the vanguard and fall behind the rearguard. The rearguard must always go last, keep all the repair equipment and lock the tail of the group.
