With a pickup truck and her pet dog, 23-year-old Nguyen Ngan (from Vung Tau, Ba Ria - Vung Tau) took a 10-day "healing" trip, passing through a series of beautiful, pristine beaches in Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam.

"My luggage consisted of only a few sets of clothes and my pet dog. I just kept on traveling, looking for deserted, pristine beaches to enjoy the view, leisurely put down the table and chairs, and sip a cup of coffee. Nature helped me balance my mood," Ngan shared.

Images of Ngan’s trip received thousands of interactions on social networking sites. Viewers were not only fascinated by the images Ngan captured of the beauty of nature, but also admired the optimism and cheerful spirit of the 23-year-old girl.

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Nguyen Ngan and her little dog in Phu Yen. Photo: NVCC

Ngan shared that she is a nature lover and loves to travel. At the age of 18, she moved from Vung Tau to Hanoi to study at the Foreign Trade University. During her 4 years there, every 2-3 weeks, Ngan would go with her friends or alone to the northern mountainous provinces to explore the beautiful scenery, learn about the culture and life of the indigenous people.

"During summer vacations, I take the time to travel here and there with my family and relatives," Ngan said.

In early 2024, Ngan encountered some psychological problems when she just graduated. She had not found a suitable job, and her relationship was troubled. The girl decided to travel to heal and find new inspiration for life. "I don't know how long I will go, how many provinces I will go to. I want to experience freely," Ngan shared.

"Freedom but absolute safety," she added.

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Ngan drove a pickup truck alone to travel to 'heal'. Photo: NVCC

Before the trip, Ngan spent a lot of time checking and maintaining the pickup truck. In the car, Ngan equipped a tire pressure monitoring kit, some repair tools, and pepper spray, just in case of dangerous situations. On the journey, every 200 - 300km, Ngan checked the tires once.

"The personal items I brought were minimal, just enough for my needs. Before leaving, I also prepared some finances to make the trip go smoothly," Ngan said.

A few days before the trip, Ngan consulted travel experience sharing articles on groups. The 23-year-old girl said that because she is in good health and has experience driving long distances, Ngan did not make detailed plans for each day. Each day, she drives an average of 150 - 200km.

"If I know the driving distance is too long and I pass through an area with few places to eat, I will buy snacks and leave them in the car. When I get to a place where I can stop and have a nice view, I will stop the car, put out an umbrella, lower the seats and then sit down to eat and rest. During the drive, whenever I feel sleepy, I will find a place to stop and take a nap," Ngan said.

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Ngan stopped the car, lowered the table and chairs to sit down and rest, admiring the scenery of Quy Nhon beach. Photo: NVCC
Ca Na road fascinates Ngan because of the creative harmony of nature between the ocean, mountains, forests and sky. Photo: NVCC
Ngan especially loves the wild scenery of Phu Yen's sea. On her journey, she spent 3 nights in Phu Yen. Photo: NVCC

During the day, Ngan often chooses to go to deserted, pristine beaches, but in the evening, she starts to look for the city center to book a room and experience the bustling nightlife atmosphere. "I usually book a room the night before, but sometimes I find a room on the app when I get there.

In addition to comfort and safety, I will find a place that accepts pets. A good night's sleep is very important, it determines health, endurance and safety throughout the trip," Ngan said.

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Traveling alone, but Ngan does not feel bored. She takes photos by herself with a tripod, remote control...

Ngan calculated that the total cost of the trip was about 15 million VND. Of that, a significant portion was spent on eating and enjoying local cuisine. Instead of reading online reviews, Ngan often chose restaurants that seemed to have been around for a long time and were popular with locals.

"My favorite dish when traveling through these provinces is chicken rice. When I go to Nha Trang and Phu Yen, I always look for chicken rice restaurants that are popular with locals to enjoy. Phu Yen tourism is not yet too developed, but the cuisine is delicious and cheap with many delicious dishes such as banh xeo, bun mam, tuna... Quy Nhon has mai fish salad, banh hoi...", Ngan shared.

A little experience of Ngan is that if she sees a delicious restaurant with a friendly owner, she will ask them about other typical dishes, as well as the address to go enjoy them.

After the trip, Ngan felt like all her worries were gone and she was full of energy to start her work. Ngan also realized that the best way to "heal" is to return to nature.

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