A couple in Lam Dong decided to sell their wedding gold to travel around the country for more than two months, creating a memorable honeymoon.
With the same amount of money, instead of choosing to travel to Europe for a few days like many other couples, Minh Khoa (29 years old) and Thuy Ai (28 years old) in Lam Dong chose to travel to all 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam. "We think that if we want to explore the world, we should understand our own country first," the couple shared.
Khoa and Ai studied in the same college class and worked at the same company after graduation. On January 1st of this year, they got married after 10 years of knowing each other.
Wedding photo of couple Minh Khoa and Thuy Ai.
The idea of traveling across Vietnam came from Ai, to enjoy their honeymoon and celebrate their 10th anniversary. Luckily, both of their superiors and colleagues enthusiastically supported them so that they could work online while making the trip.
Khoa and Ai planned their 11,000km trip by private car two months in advance. They set off on March 11, traveling for a total of 71 days at a cost of 109 million VND. Part of this money came from selling wedding gold, the rest from savings.
During more than two months of traveling across the country, the couple experienced almost all the coastal routes from Kien Giang to Quang Ninh; set foot on the two poles, the southernmost (Dat Mui, Ca Mau) and the northernmost (Lung Cu, Ha Giang); visited the first and last two points of the country, Sa Vi Cape (Mong Cai City, Quang Ninh) - Ca Mau Cape (Ngoc Hien District, Ca Mau); climbed Fansipan peak - the highest mountain in Indochina; visited the Indochina junction; the starting and ending points of the Ho Chi Minh trail; experienced the four great mountain passes (Ma Pi Leng, O Quy Ho, Khau Pha, Pha Din).
They also participated in the flag lowering ceremony at President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum; visited the places printed on the banknotes with denominations of 20,000 VND (Cau Pagoda, Hoi An City, Quang Nam), 50,000 VND (Nghinh Luong Dinh, Phu Van Lau, Hue City), 200,000 VND (Dinh Huong Islet, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh) and 500,000 VND (Thatched House in Sen Village, Nam Dan District, Nghe An).
When they visit each region, Khoa and Ai try to experience the typical activities there such as picking plums in Moc Chau; exploring caves in Quang Binh; going to floating markets, visiting fruit orchards in the West; watching flying frogs and jumping fish in Cu Lao Son, Can Tho. The couple also enjoy some local specialties such as Vung Ang jumping squid, Pa pinh top (grilled folded fish) of the Thai ethnic group in Son La, and Lang Son roasted duck.
Thanks to careful preparation, the trip went quite smoothly, with only a few times getting lost. The most memorable was when we followed a trail on the mountainside to the northernmost point in Ha Giang, we got lost near the border and had to turn back to find another way.
After the trip, both of their knowledge of Vietnamese geography and culture improved significantly. This is also a more intuitive and memorable way to acquire knowledge than learning from books. When visiting some historical sites, Khoa and Ai listened to the explanations of local guides. "Each event was narrated in a realistic and vivid way, with historical evidence right before my eyes, which moved me and left a deep impression on my mind," Thuy Ai shared.
When asked which is the most beautiful province or place, both shook their heads because they could not answer. For them, the North is blessed with majestic landscapes, the Central is a paradise of islands and seas, the Central Highlands has the beauty of mountains and forests, and the South has the beauty of rivers and the friendliness of the people.
"But the coastal route from Vung Tau to Quang Ninh is worth experiencing," Thuy Ai suggested.
Minh Khoa and Thuy Ai at Eo Gio (Binh Dinh)
What makes them unhappy is the littering at many tourist spots and the situation of soliciting and overcharging tourists, which makes them lose sympathy. Khoa and Ai talked to a few foreign visitors, they expressed their impression of Vietnam's landscape, but not many said they would return. "We feel sad that the country is blessed by nature but the investment and management of the tourism industry is limited, missing out on development opportunities," Khoa said.
This is a meaningful trip for both of us before turning 30, with a like-minded partner. "My husband and I do not regret selling our wedding gold because what the trip brought us cannot be bought with money," Ai said. The couple plans to take many more trips in the future to learn new knowledge and explore more beautiful landscapes of the country.
Quynh Mai
Photo courtesy of NVCC
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