Celebrating 25: A Bac Giang Native's Epic Cross-Vietnam Road Trip

Nguyễn Thị Yến, also known by her travel alias Yến Vi Vu, dedicated the entirety of 2022 to meticulously preparing for an ambitious cross-Vietnam journey. This special trip was planned to celebrate her 25th birthday and included buying a manual motorcycle and spending several months practicing to get completely comfortable with it before hitting the road.
Nguyễn Thị Yến (Yến Vi Vu) dedicated the entire year 2022 to preparing for her cross-Vietnam trip to celebrate her 25th birthday, which included buying a manual motorcycle and practicing riding it for several months to get acquainted.
This Gen Z Explorer Plans a Solo Cross-Vietnam Adventure to Celebrate Her 25th Birthday
With the mindset that while one is still young and energetic, not embarking on a 'trip of a lifetime' would undoubtedly lead to regrets sooner or later. Therefore, Nguyễn Thị Yến (Nickname: Yến Vi Vu, born in 1999, originally from Bắc Giang) decided to embark on a solo cross-Vietnam motorbike journey, welcoming her 25th birthday.
Yến Vi Vu graduated with a major in Multimedia Communications from the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology. Currently, Yến works as a full-time Travel Content Creator, a job perfectly suited for someone with such a passion for travel and exploration.

Yến Vi Vu set off at the beginning of 2023 and has already completed two-thirds of her journey.
To date, Yến has traveled through 46 provinces and cities across Vietnam, the 'S-shaped land.' After exploring all 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam, Yến plans to venture into other countries in Southeast Asia.
The youth of this Bắc Giang native has become all the more vibrant. The experiences she gains from each trip are truly invaluable.
The motivation that spurred Yến Vi Vu to undertake this 'trip of a lifetime' across Vietnam originated from her trip to An Giang with friends in 2020.
"We stayed at a homestay, and the homestay owner was the one who inspired me to travel across Vietnam.
She and her daughter had traveled across Vietnam for 5 months by motorbike, starting from An Giang in 2018. The photos pasted on the wall, tracing Vietnam's S-shaped map, and her stories drew me into that journey before I even realized it.
However, at that time, I was a student, so I didn't have much financial stability or life experience. So I nurtured the dream of doing it before I turned 25, because after graduating, I'd start working and could save more money," Yến recalled.

She bought a manual motorcycle and practiced riding it for three months prior.
Between 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Yến to postpone her trip. During that time, the young woman from Bắc Giang diligently worked, gained life experience, and built connections through social media.
She then dedicated all of 2022 to preparing for her 10-month journey. Yến Vi Vu shared that there were quite a few things she needed to get done before setting off:
- Create a detailed itinerary and budget. Check the list of necessary items to see what was already owned or needed to be purchased. Yến prepared 20 million VND for the trip, enough to cover the first few months. After that, she planned to work remotely while traveling to fund the rest of her journey.
- Motorbike: Buy a motorbike 4 months in advance to get used to the manual transmission, test it on several routes like Ba Vì, Mộc Châu, Bắc Giang. Check for minor issues and perform maintenance before the trip.
- Clothing and personal items: A thin blanket, basic motorbike repair tools, engine oil, rain gear, shoes and sandals.
- Work equipment: Camera, phone, drone, chargers, power bank, laptop, memory cards, tripod...
- Connect with friends in various provinces and cities.
Yến Vi Vu confided: "There were two things I was most concerned about when traveling solo across Vietnam by motorbike. Firstly, I was afraid of encountering bad people, potentially being robbed, bullied, or experiencing something unpleasant.
Secondly, I worried about my motorbike breaking down on the road. As a woman, I don't know much about motorbikes, especially manual ones. And it's not everywhere you can find a specialized manual motorbike repair shop."
300 Days of Solo Wandering and Some Heart-Stopping Experiences
Yến Vi Vu was fortunate that her family supported her passion for travel. A month before setting off, during a family meal, Yến shared her plans for the cross-Vietnam trip.
Initially, her mother and older sister were worried, asking for detailed plans and expressing apprehension about their daughter traveling alone for such a long time, fearing potential issues.
"After I answered all their questions, everyone seemed more at ease and supportive of my journey. My father simply said, 'You're young and healthy, so go see the world.' Actually, for three years prior, I had traveled quite a bit and uploaded videos to my YouTube channel. My parents and nephews at home often watched them.
My parents saw my love for travel, that I learned a lot and matured through my trips, so they supported me."

Her exploration of the Northern and Northwestern mountains brought many unforgettable memories.
Yến Vi Vu departed on January 30, 2023 (the 9th day of Tết). To date, she has completed over half of her journey (7 out of 10 months), and everything is still on schedule.
During her days exploring the Northern and Northwestern regions, Yến Vi Vu collected many interesting and memorable experiences. She marveled at the majestic mountain scenery and floating clouds in places like Tà Xùa, Hà Giang, Sơn La, and Lai Châu.
She tasted local mountain specialties and learned about the unique cultures of highland ethnic minorities like the H'Mông, Tày, Nùng, and Thái through the stories of the people she met. Yến also eagerly participated in jungle treks, hiking, tree planting, waterfall sliding, and kayaking.
Heading down to Central Vietnam, Yến was once again captivated by the mountainous landscapes of Western Quảng Trị, Lý Sơn Island, and the ancient charm of Hội An. The kind-hearted people of Quảng region and the Central Vietnamese cuisine also left a deep, fond impression on the travel blogger from Bắc Giang.

Lý Sơn Island (Quảng Ngãi) — Wild and poetic
Yến shared an unforgettable memory from when she rode her motorbike from Điện Biên to Bắc Yên, Sơn La. The 250km journey took over 6 hours of continuous riding.
"After having lunch in Điện Biên, I departed at 11 AM, thinking it would be fine. However, I got caught up in taking photos along the way and occasionally browsing social media, which took up a lot of time. By 5 PM, I only reached Sơn La, and it was starting to get dark.
The road from Cò Nòi junction to Bắc Yên was winding, steep, and deserted, with only a few scattered houses. I rode with a growing sense of trepidation.
About 5km from Bắc Yên, as I was going uphill, my wheel suddenly swerved. Could it be a flat tire? I quickly pulled over, my mind racing through possible solutions: calling for help since I knew someone in Bắc Yên, or turning back downhill to find a local house and ask for a place to stay...
When I turned on my phone's flashlight, I saw that the wheel was perfectly fine, but there were oil tracks on the road. It turned out I had ridden over an oil spill, which made the wheel slip. I breathed a sigh of relief and continued my ride to Bắc Yên.
The lesson I learned was to always allow extra travel time, take breaks along the way, and account for potential mishaps so you don't end up riding in the dark. Always find a safe place to sleep before 5 PM. Don't be reckless, because safety comes first!"
Currently, the female travel blogger is continuing her cross-Vietnam journey to mark her 25th birthday milestone. Traveling alone might seem unusual in the eyes of many.
But for Yến, setting foot in new lands and immersing herself in discovery alongside strangers is an experience truly worth trying.
That feeling of freedom, enjoying life, and enriching one's knowledge with invaluable experiences is something not everyone gets to do.

Seven-Mau Coconut Forest - Hội An

Hội An Ancient Town

Bãi Xếp Quy Nhơn
Yến Vi Vu connected with friends across the country during her motorbike adventure and received a great deal of support.
Bac Ninh 5288 view
Update day : 13/08/2023
Source : phunuvietnam.vn Affiliate links
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