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Go and experience it!
Those who enjoy backpacking can be anyone, but the majority are young people with modern lifestyles who like to share experiences. Previously, it was only for those with financial means, but recently, many students have joined the trend. This is because the cost of a backpacking trip is usually very cheap. Just a few hundred thousand dong is enough to enjoy a backpacking adventure.
The desire for new experiences and exploration is driving more and more young people to seek out backpacking trips.
Duc Anh (Architecture University) shared: “To support our studies and also to satisfy our passion for exploration and experience, we joined a backpacking group.”
"Whenever we have free time, we arrange to go on trips, sometimes for a few days, sometimes even a whole week, depending on our school break. Traveling so often is quite expensive, so we choose to go on 'backpacking' trips to save money."
Motorbike trips are often more appealing to young people because of their convenience and advantages. Duc Anh added: "Each motorbike trip brings a new feeling; you can touch every branch and blade of grass along the road, feel the changing scenery, gaze at the sky and clouds, breathe in the fragrance of plants and fresh air; immerse yourself in nature and experience it with all your senses."
When they see a beautiful landscape, travelers are completely free to stop, admire it, take photos, rest, and even, if they find a suitable spot, set up camp there.
A key practice for backpackers before each trip is to "recruit" passenger-driver pairs: usually a male driver and a female passenger. Exceptionally, there are also strong-willed women willing to drive themselves on long journeys of thousands of kilometers.
Ngan An, a female student from the University of Architecture, excitedly recounted her trips: "Before, I was very timid and afraid of ghosts and the dark, but since joining the backpacking group, that's no longer a concern for me."
"We love backpacking in the highlands because we want to conquer rugged mountain ranges, explore fascinating places untouched by human feet, and discover pristine natural landscapes—that's the ultimate goal for our backpacking group."
“Every trip leaves behind many emotions about my homeland. And especially, backpacking is about experiencing life, honing my character, socializing, and making friends…” – Duc Anh shared.
Danger lurks
Preserve memories along the routes you travel.
Motorcycle touring always carries a high risk because no one can be 100% sure of their own safety, especially when young people choose rugged, mountainous areas as their destination.
The danger can also come from the travelers themselves. Young people often think simply of "packing their bags and going" without researching the route they will be traveling. Some even see it as an opportunity to show off their driving skills, speeding recklessly, overtaking dangerously... accidents are inevitable.
When talking about the dangers of her first backpacking trip, Kieu Thanh still shudders and turns pale. When asked if she would continue to participate in future backpacking trips, she immediately said "no".
"That was the first and last trip of my life because there were so many terrifying experiences during the trip that I can never forget," Kiều Thanh affirmed.
Numerous accidents, and even disappearances, have occurred during motorbike trips. Most recently, motorbike enthusiasts and the online community were heartbroken by the news that Thu Hien, a female student from Hanoi University of Commerce, died in a traffic accident on the evening of December 6th on National Highway 6, near Thung Khe Pass (Hoa Binh province), while riding a motorbike with a group of 60 people on a motorbike trip to Moc Chau.
Nguyen Quoc Cuong, a long-time member of the phuot.vn forum, commented: "Backpacking has many good purposes, helping young people learn new things and face challenges on the journey. However, regardless of the reason, risking one's life is extremely foolish."
According to Cuong, true backpacking, where travelers always prioritize their own safety and the safety of those around them by meticulously preparing in terms of personnel, logistics, cultural knowledge, and familiarity with the terrain, will create trips full of experiences but not risky, helping each person to refresh themselves, change the atmosphere, and recharge their energy.
To avoid unfortunate accidents during trips, each trekking group must organize themselves very tightly to prevent getting lost and to support each other. Usually, the group is divided into three teams: The vanguard consists of experienced members who scout ahead, decide on the route, and arrange food and accommodation for the whole group. The middle team is the more adventurous, wandering group who enjoy taking photos, and consists of less experienced members. This group can take turns freely, as long as they don't overtake the vanguard or fall behind the rear guard. The rear guard always follows behind, carrying all the repair tools and securing the back of the group.
