The 9X couple Vo Thuy Linh (from Nghe An) - Tran Cong Hieu (Quang Ninh) have been in love for 15 years, holding hands and traveling through 36 countries in 5 continents with the desire to feel more deeply about the people, culture, and history of strange lands.
In front of the world's largest waterfall, Victoria Falls, located between Zimbabwe and Zambia - Photo: NVCC
They don't just check in and sightsee.
Thuy Linh graduated from Foreign Trade University and is currently a life coach, while her partner Cong Hieu graduated from National Economics University (Hanoi) and is currently a pilot for Vietnam Airlines.
The two fell in love during their college years and officially got married in 2017. They both share the same quote: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
The dream of traveling to all the countries in the world is a long journey, requiring careful preparation in terms of health, finance, time and family. The most important thing for us is not the number of countries visited, but the meaningful value and full emotions from each trip.
VO THUY LINH
Overcoming "thousands of thorns"
The young couple confided to Tuoi Tre: "Traveling here and there is the way for us to live more fully when we step out into the world, experience and feel with all our senses - something that no image or story can replace."
The journey to discover new lands is not always rosy but always comes with unforeseen obstacles.
Set foot on the equator in Uganda
The couple Thuy Linh - Cong Hieu said that the first obstacle was the visa issue: "There are countries where we cannot apply for an e-visa or a visa stamped from Vietnam in advance, forcing us to wait many days in a third country.
Cultural and customary barriers are common obstacles. When we come to Afghanistan, we are very concerned about how to dress appropriately to avoid causing misunderstandings or offending the local people's customs. If we are not careful, we can be misunderstood or fall into serious situations."
The next difficulty is ensuring health, changing living environment, eating unfamiliar food... Linh said:
"During our trip through many countries in Central Asia or Africa, we often had stomach aches after eating local food, and even encountered severe food poisoning."
Another obstacle is that many remote areas do not have Internet, the terrain is difficult, and map information is inaccurate, causing Linh - Hieu's group and their friends who love to travel to get lost, even going wrong and right into dangerous cliffs.
However, Linh and Hieu said that traveling together helps them overcome "thousands of obstacles" more easily on their journey to explore the world: "Long trips help us learn to understand each other deeply, support each other, and agree to handle unexpected difficulties and unforeseen situations from getting lost, having a broken car, or not being able to find a place to sleep overnight."
Thuy Linh happily said that she was lucky to have Hieu with her so that he could take pictures, share her feelings and be the support that made her feel most secure. "The only disadvantage is that sometimes we have some small disagreements on the journey.
This tested our ability to compromise and listen from both sides. Everything was resolved and the more we traveled, the more we appreciated each other."
Linh - Hieu in front of the temple in the capital Kabul (Afghanistan)
Secrets to "delicious - nutritious - cheap - safe" travel
If counting individually, Thuy Linh has been to 50 countries, Cong Hieu 45 countries.
The two revealed that they always apply basic principles to optimize costs and ensure safety, specifically planning the trip early and carefully (hunting for cheap tickets, booking low-cost hotels in advance, booking sightseeing tickets, domestic tours in advance...); being flexible with time (not going during peak season to save money and avoid crowds); learning about the culture and customs (respecting the place you go to and avoiding unnecessary incidents) and always buying travel insurance (protecting yourself from unforeseen risks).
With the people of Burundi - the poorest country in the world
When asked about the fact that many people love to travel but not everyone can afford it, Linh and Hieu shared: "My husband and I both come from ordinary families with limited resources, so every trip is a result of our combined efforts to save money.
Since we were students, we have worked part-time to pay for our own domestic trips. When we go to work, we focus on working hard to gradually achieve our goal of experiencing more distant lands."
Cong Hieu affirmed: "From practical experience, we see that the important thing is not having a lot of money but knowing how to prioritize experiences and plan according to your budget. Any journey can begin, as long as you truly love and strive for the goal."
The couple cited the 28-hour sleeper bus ride from Hanoi to Luang Prabang, with a ticket costing VND500,000 - 600,000 per person. They shared the joys and sorrows of sleeping in tents and sharing instant noodles in the middle of nowhere on the cold mountains of Kyrgyzstan, and the once-in-a-lifetime experience of diving with whale sharks in the Exmouth Ranges (Australia).
After traveling through 13 African countries from Uganda, Botswana to Mozambique, Malawi... and passing through a series of Caribbean island nations such as Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Puerto Rico and Haiti..., Linh - Hieu couple plans to conquer the Scandinavian mountain range in Northern European countries with a group of friends in 2025.
Thuy Linh said she had to train her body by jogging and trekking up Ham Lon mountain in Tam Dao range (Soc Son, Hanoi) near her home in mid-January 2025.
"The mountain climbing journey is not only a lesson in perseverance, but also a reminder that when there is companionship, seemingly insurmountable difficulties become easier," Linh shared.
Wheel of life
Thuy Linh and Cong Hieu said they live by the "Wheel of Life" concept - which means finding balance in life: "We believe that exploring experiences is an indispensable part of the "wheel of life".
Not only does traveling recharge your batteries and broaden your mind, it can also be a powerful source of inspiration for your work, even bringing new business ideas and opening up new opportunities.
For us, success is not only about career achievements, but also about the ability to live each moment to the fullest, to explore ourselves and the world around us. Traveling helps us balance this - between achieving our goals and enjoying life in a meaningful way.
We hope our story can be shared with young people who are passionate about traveling and choose to live their own way."
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/doi-9x-tiet-kiem-de-kham-pha-the-gioi-20250204003645485.htm
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