Her solo journey lasted 45 days, with major stops in nine provinces and cities: Hanoi, Son La, Hue, Da Nang, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, HCMC, An Giang, and Ca Mau.

What made the trip particularly remarkable was that, despite suffering from severe motion sickness, Nhung chose to travel almost entirely by long-distance coach bus throughout the journey. 

However, she flew home from HCMC to Hai Phong after completing the trip. The entire journey cost about VND40 million.

Since her university days, Nhung had loved traveling and exploring new places. She often signed up for volunteer programs that allowed her to visit different parts of the country.

In 2022, a seven-day self-drive motorbike trip through Tuyen Quang (formerly part of the Ha Giang region) and Cao Bang became a turning point.

"I met many travelers riding from South to North. Some were over 60 years old but were still traveling long distances to explore the country's beauty. I admired them so much, and from then on I promised myself that one day I would take my own journey across Vietnam," Nhung recalled.

After the Lunar New Year, she began saving money for the trip. Later, she shared her plan with her family and received far more support than she had expected.

On April 6, Nhung began her journey from Hai Phong to Son La before returning to Hanoi and continuing south to Central Vietnam.

"I used to suffer terribly from motion sickness. Whenever I traveled on a seated coach, I'd end up vomiting and feeling exhausted. But sleeper buses made it much easier because I could sleep through the journey and wake up at my destination. After this trip, my fear of traveling by road has eased considerably," she said.

To save money, Nhung booked coach tickets through online travel apps. Once she arrived at each destination, she used ride-hailing motorbike services, rented motorcycles, or tried local forms of transportation, such as cyclos in Hue.

She usually booked accommodation shortly before arriving at her next destination, carefully reading guest reviews beforehand. Since she was traveling alone, safety was always her top priority. During parts of her trip through the Central Highlands and HCMC, she stayed with relatives, significantly reducing her accommodation and food expenses.

Thanks to careful planning, including researching destinations, preparing her itinerary, and looking after her health, the trip went largely according to plan.

The only major setback occurred when she developed a high fever while traveling by coach from An Giang to Ca Mau.

"By the time I reached Ca Mau, I was so ill that I had to stay in a hotel for two days before recovering enough to continue. When you travel alone, getting sick is probably the biggest challenge, so everyone should have a backup plan," she advised.

To stay safe, she regularly updated her family on her itinerary, returned to her accommodation before 8 pm, and avoided stopping in isolated areas.

More than beautiful scenery

Among all the places she visited, the Central Highlands left the deepest impression.

Initially, Nhung had planned to spend only one day in Dak Lak to visit relatives. However, after accompanying her uncle to the fields, swimming in streams, and visiting Pa Me Ecological Village, she became fascinated by the region's lifestyle and indigenous culture.

"Before coming to the Central Highlands, I thought the region was only known for its red basalt soil, coffee, and cocoa. I was surprised to discover that longan and lychee also grow very well there. Every village has its own unique traditions and culture," she said.

The place that impressed her the most was the Buon Ma Thuot Prison Historical Site, where many Vietnamese patriots were imprisoned in 1930 and 1931. The site was recognized as a National Historical Site in 1980.

Returning home with countless beautiful photographs, Nhung said the most unforgettable part of the journey was meeting kind-hearted people across Vietnam.

While traveling in the Mekong Delta, she fulfilled a simple wish of relaxing in a hammock while drinking fresh coconut water. Along the way, she also met many generous strangers.

In Ca Mau, a local motorbike taxi driver enthusiastically showed her around numerous attractions. At one destination, he even refused to accept payment because he simply wanted to help a young traveler who had come all the way from northern Vietnam.

Linh Trang