A fateful love

Serguei Koudriachov, 37, French nationality, first visited Phu Quoc as a tourist in 2015. Deeply in love with the island’s peaceful beauty, he promised himself he would return 10 years later.

In March 2025, Serguei kept that promise. On this return trip, he found the “destiny” of his life, a simple, down-to-earth woman with a strong personality.

For Trinh Ha, 43, originally from Hoa Binh, now Phu Tho province, Serguei’s wife, that destiny was even more intriguing. Ha always loved freedom and an adventurous lifestyle.

She previously worked in accounting. In July 2017, she quit her job to travel and explore. In 2019, she moved to Phu Quoc to start a business.

Ha said she was always open to love but hesitant about marriage, fearing a restrictive life. That fear faded only after she met Serguei.

Ha runs a restaurant and provides experiential tourism services in Phu Quoc. One day, seeing Serguei’s group passing by, she approached them to learn about the needs of foreign visitors. After talking, Serguei agreed to join her experiential tour.

“We went on a forest trek. He gave me a jacket and clearly said, ‘It’s a good one, still new, not a fake.’

I brought a small knife to pry oysters, prepare fish, set up hammocks. Along the way, we talked a lot about trees, waste, and the environment. On the second day, he said, ‘I like you.’ I heard it, but didn’t think much of it,” Ha recalled.

During the trip, Serguei unfortunately had a stomachache after eating grilled fish. He was deeply touched by Ha’s attentive care.

On the last days of the tour, while Ha rested in a hammock in the forest, Serguei went exploring and found a hotel. He rented a room with two beds and texted Ha: “I rented a nice room with two beds. Let’s rest, you need sleep.”

Ha hesitated for a while. In the end, she decided to go with him and found that the room indeed had two separate beds. His honesty left a strong impression on her.

They ended the tour with their own reflections. A few days later, Serguei quietly bought a ring and proposed in a very special way.

“On his way back from buying the ring, he ran into me at the market. He quickly put the ring on my finger. I sped off on my motorbike so fast that I didn’t even hear what he said. Our love came so gently like that,” Ha said.

A marriage far from imagination

Even after falling in love, Ha still did not think about marriage. Serguei seemed to sense that and often asked her: “Do you really love me?” or “It seems I love you very much, but you only love me a little?”

Ha replied: “I love you sincerely, but honestly, I don’t intend to get married. Married life feels too confining.”

Serguei did not give up. He showed his seriousness by introducing Ha to his family. Every time he called his parents in France, he would say: “I already have a wife in Vietnam.”

He also helped Ha a great deal with her work. With experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry and fluency in four languages - English, French, Russian and Spanish, he helped her improve existing services and turn new ideas into reality.

Eventually, Serguei’s sincerity and dedication won Ha over. In May 2025, she took him to Phu Tho to meet her family and held a wedding ceremony.

On that occasion, six members of the groom’s family came from France, including his parents, relatives, and siblings.

“When we went for wedding photos, the makeup artist made me look too heavy, and he was startled. He said, ‘Please give my wife back to me. She’s very beautiful, don’t do theatrical makeup like that,’” Ha laughed.

On the wedding day, Ha wore a rented wedding dress costing VND600,000, but in the groom’s eyes, she was the most beautiful bride.

Witnessing their son and daughter-in-law become a couple, Serguei's parents were very moved. His father told the bride: “Just be yourself.” His mother gave her a necklace with two interlocking hearts, symbolizing a lasting marriage.

After the wedding, the couple returned to live and work in Phu Quoc. Marriage turned out to be completely different from what she had imagined. She is loved and free to do the things she likes.

The couple works together and enjoys life together. Whenever he sees his wife spinning in work, Serguei reminds her: “Slow down and enjoy life.”

Ha Nguyen