A young woman from Ben Tre Province in southern Vietnam has captured the attention of the online community by sharing her first solo motorcycle trip across the country.

Khanh Ngoc decided to reward herself with a cross-country trip at the age of 25, a journey she had been planning for over a year. 

It was her first-ever long-distance trip.

She started her 3,000-km journey from Ben Tre to Hanoi in late September on her reliable Honda Future, which was handed over from her mother.

Before setting off, Ngoc took the time to ensure her motorcycle was in top condition by changing the oil and replacing the tires.

However, unlike many other backpackers, she chose not to bring any repair tools -- a risky choice but one she was not worried about as she planned to stick to the main roads. 

She also believed that carrying tools would only add weight to her luggage without offering any real solution in case of emergency given that she did not actually know how to fix her bike herself.

As a solo traveler, Ngoc took extra care by seeking advice from online communities. 

She always made sure to return to her accommodation before dark, except when in busy urban areas.

She packed light, carrying only the essentials, including an iPhone, Apple Watch, and a tripod for filming.

For accommodations, she relied on booking apps and used Google Maps to find places to stay, typically reserving rooms the afternoon or evening before her stop.

Unforgettable experiences

Ngoc’s decision to travel across the country came at a time when many travelers avoid long trips due to the rainy season, which has almost ended now.

Despite the weather, she felt it was the perfect time to explore the north, with its rice fields, mountains, and hills. 

She eagerly planned her adventure, bought plane tickets, and arranged to send her motorbike to Hanoi. 

But life was unpredictable.

The day she was scheduled to fly turned out to be the day super typhoon Yagi made landfall in northern Vietnam in early September.

“And everyone knows what happens after a storm,” she said.

While the storm impacted her plans, she was not willing to throw away all the effort and money she had invested.

Instead, she decided to change her route and head back to Ben Tre from Hanoi, as her mother’s motorbike was already safe in Hanoi.

She postponed her trip by 10 days, only to face another obstacle -- typhoon Soulik, which was expected to hit the central region in September just as she was about to depart.

“I felt like I was being chased by storms,” she laughed. 

Luckily, the storm was not too severe, and she was able to spend time waiting it out in Hanoi.

She also spent time volunteering in Yen Bai Province’s Mu Cang Chai District while waiting for the weather in the central region to calm down before continuing her north-south journey.

Fortunately, during her travels through the north and parts of the central region, she managed to avoide rain, only encountering light showers once she reached Binh Dinh Province in the south-central part. 

“The raincoat I bought barely got used,” she said, “except for one brief moment in Da Lat when I wore it for just five minutes.”

Despite some scary moments, like driving the coastal road from Quang Ngai Province to Binh Dinh Province at night with nearly no gas and passing through sand dunes and cemeteries in the dark, the overall journey was filled with fantastic memories. 

One of the most memorable parts of the trip was visiting the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province, where she met two friendly travelers from Da Nang.

Other highlights included climbing Fairy Mountain in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province while wearing sandals, meeting two enthusiastic young men who guided her down the mountain and took her out to eat, crossing the Vietnam-Laos border to try Lao dishes, and meeting a fellow biker from Ho Chi Minh City in Quang Ngai, where they were invited to eat conch at Yen Cave. 

Ngoc also enjoyed watching the sunrise at a seaside home in Binh Dinh and chasing clouds in Quang Tri Province.

One of Ngoc’s biggest regrets was not having spent more time researching some of her destinations. 

“There were a few places I only learned about after I returned home,” she said.

She also found it challenging to adjust to the routine of early mornings for sunrises and late afternoons for sunsets. 

Long rides in the afternoon left her feeling “quite sleepy.”

“There wasn’t much time, so I didn’t get to experience as much life and culture in the provinces as I would have liked,” she shared.

Out of her comfort zone

After her first trip across Vietnam, Ngoc admitted that “traveling alone can sometimes be scary,” but overall, it was “interesting and fun.”

At 25, she experienced the thrill of independence for the first time -- “taking care of everything myself, planning my own schedule, eating alone, doing whatever I wanted to, going wherever I wanted to.”

Along the way, she also met new people and discovered that the world around her is not just filled with challenges, but also with kindness and beauty.

“I stepped out of my comfort zone a little,” Ngoc reflected. 

“I didn’t rely on anyone, and I enjoyed the freedom to do what I wanted to. 

“Having a companion would have been great, but I realized that I could still do it on my own.”

But there were also moments of uncertainty. 

“Sometimes I thought, ‘what am I even doing this for? Just to take pictures and get tired? What if something goes wrong?’” she said. 

But despite these doubts, she pushed forward. 

“I decided to keep going because I liked it and I wanted to,” Ngoc said. 

“Plus the things that were happening around me gave me the encouragement I needed. 

“If others could do it, so could I. 

“And I did it.”

Looking ahead, Ngoc is eager to continue exploring. 

“There are still so many places in Vietnam that are new to me,” she said.

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