Western tourists point out the advantages and disadvantages of Vietnamese sleeper buses

Sleeper buses in Vietnam are designed according to the height of Vietnamese people, so Western passengers often do not have enough space to stretch their legs, but in return the ticket price is cheap.

"I traveled to Vietnam and wished someone had warned me about what it was really like to ride a sleeper bus," Mia Challiner, a British KOL (internet influencer) shared her experience of riding a sleeper bus from Hanoi to Hoi An. Mia said that when she saw the 20-hour travel time, she found it "quite interesting."

Before getting in the car, Mia showered at the hotel because she was afraid the car wouldn't stop along the road. She also brought snacks including bottled water and diet drinks.

Western tourists argue about the benefits of taking sleeper buses in Vietnam — Mia shares her experience sleeping in a bed. Video : *Tiktok/miachalliner*

The sleeper bus has bunk beds. When booking, Mia and her brother chose the top bunk and quickly realized it was a "silly" decision. There was no storage space on the bus. The female tourist is 1m85 tall, the bed on the bus was not long enough to stretch her legs. She called it a "disaster" because she slept with her legs bent the entire way. The female tourist was given a blanket and water by the bus company but did not use it because the bus did not have a toilet.

At 12am, while sleeping, Mia was awakened by the bus staff announcing that passengers could get off and rest. The female tourist followed everyone, thinking that this was a stop for food and drinks, but quickly realized that there was only enough time to use the restroom.

There was wifi on the bus, so Mia called her parents while eating salad on the bed and told them about the trip. "They laughed at me," Mia said. The bus then stopped at 3am for another bathroom break, this time on the side of the road.

At 6am, the passengers were asked to get off the bus and board another bus. They sat for another two hours to reach Hoi An. From there, Mia and her brother took a bus to the hotel. She said that in the 20 hours on the bus, she only slept for 2 hours.

The British tourist's post attracted more than 3 million views a week after it was posted and more than 300 comments. Many people agreed with Mia's point of view and said that not having a toilet on the bus was "a nightmare".

In addition, many tourists have spoken out in defense of sleeper buses in Vietnam. Remy Gumbs, 27, another British tourist, said "you can't expect luxury when the ticket price is so cheap." Gumbs had been in Vietnam for a month and booked a sleeper bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne, a 15-hour trip. She pointed out the advantage of this type of transportation is that it is cheap, a reasonable solution for tourists on a budget.

Sleeper buses are also the most popular means of transport for female tourists when traveling to Southeast Asia. The female tourist said that she "will definitely recommend sleeper buses in Vietnam to other tourists" because of the economic benefits they bring.

For Canadian tourist Aron Spray, overnight sleeper buses in Vietnam are safe for women, although drivers sometimes pick up passengers along the way, making the journey longer. Tour travelers can get better quality buses that stop at rest stops for passengers to use the restroom and buy refreshments.

"Every country should have long-distance sleeper buses. The UK should have them, especially the UK-Spain route, it would be much cheaper," one traveler commented.

Others said the Mia's interior was better than any they'd driven. "It's a nice place to sleep. People need to realise we're travelling to different countries with different infrastructure," another added.

Anh Minh (According to DM )

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