Planning a road trip back to my hometown for Tet (Lunar New Year)

About 2-3 weeks before Tet (Lunar New Year), members of travel groups on Facebook start calling each other, forming groups to ride their motorbikes back to their hometowns for Tet.

According to a survey in the Ho Chi Minh City area, the three most discussed routes are: from Ho Chi Minh City to Central Vietnam, via coastal areas; from Ho Chi Minh City to the Central Highlands, with two routes, either to Da Lat or to Dak Nong and Dak Lak; and from Ho Chi Minh City to the provinces in the Mekong Delta.

This year, trekking groups started their trips on the 24th day of the lunar calendar (February 3rd). The routes mainly lasted 2 days and 1 night or 1 day and 1 night.

Calls to form groups to ride back home for Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations are buzzing on travel groups as the holiday approaches.

Nho Trung, who works in Ho Chi Minh City, shared on January 14th on a motorbike travel group that he was looking for fellow motorbike riders to help him get back to his hometown for Tet (Lunar New Year). Trung's hometown is in Quang Nam , and this is the first time he's ridden a motorbike home instead of taking a bus or plane like in previous years. He believes that riding a long distance home, along coastal roads, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, allowing him to admire beautiful scenery that isn't visible from other modes of transport.

Trung plans to travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Quang Nam on the 24th day of the lunar calendar (February 3rd). After two weeks of searching for travel companions, Trung's group currently consists of three people driving two vehicles. The group will start from Saigon and end in Tam Ky city, Quang Nam province. There are many routes along this route, but the group chose to follow coastal roads rather than driving entirely on the national highway to allow for easier stops to admire the scenery.

The group plans to depart at 6:00 AM on February 3rd, travel until 5-6 PM the same day, then stop in Phu Yen, a popular tourist destination in the central coastal region, and stay overnight. The journey will continue the following day, with an expected arrival in Quang Nam around noon on February 4th.

Trung estimates the fuel costs for the nearly 900 km journey to be around 1.4 million VND. Depending on the type of vehicle and fuel consumption, some cars only require about 400,000 VND. Other expenses such as food and accommodation depend on individual needs.

"There are plenty of accommodations along the route from Ho Chi Minh City to Quang Nam because it passes through famous tourist provinces like Binh Thuan and Phu Yen," Trung said.

Since it was his first time driving long distances back to his hometown, Trung's biggest concern was safety. He said that driving at the correct speed, maintaining control, and wearing full protective gear were of paramount importance.

Mr. Chien, currently living in Ho Chi Minh City, said that this year he will also ride his motorbike home to Quang Tri during Tet. These days he is "calling" for fellow motorbike riders to join him on the same route. Mr. Chien shared that his motorbike trip back home will take him through 10 coastal provinces in Central Vietnam: Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Hue, and Quang Tri.

Besides this coastal route, you can also head towards the Central Highlands, conquering the Indochina Tripoint in Kon Tum and the easternmost point of Vietnam. The total route is 1,200 km, but the continuous travel time to complete it is approximately 18-22 hours.

The Bau Trang road in Hoa Thang commune, Bac Binh district, Binh Thuan province is a popular check-in spot for many tourists.

Mr. Chien estimates the cost at 600,000-800,000 VND, including fuel and three meals a day. He and his group of friends will depart at 4 PM on December 26th (lunar calendar), driving through the night, and are expected to arrive in Quang Tri around December 27th.

"Because we'll be traveling long distances continuously, we require participants to have motorcycles with engines of 150cc or more. We'll only stop to refuel after traveling 150-200 km," Chiến said.

Regarding safety criteria, he requires group members to wear good quality helmets with 3/4 or full-face visors, full protective gear, and seat cushions.

Minh Quan, a content producer specializing in automotive-related content in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the trend of traveling back to one's hometown for Tet (Lunar New Year) emerged a few years ago but remains popular in travel groups during long holidays like April 30th - May 1st or Lunar New Year.

Anh Quân while riding his motorbike in Than Uyên town, Lai Châu province.

Not only during Tet (Lunar New Year), but almost every holiday, Mr. Quan drives back to his hometown in Can Tho. He says the route to the Mekong Delta is quite short, mostly national highways, and doesn't have as many attractive scenic spots as the Ho Chi Minh City - Central Vietnam or Ho Chi Minh City - Central Highlands routes.

"From Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho, you'll pass a section of road near the Trung Luong intersection (Tien Giang). Here, there's a small forest with many tall, large trees that's quite unique. This scene might be familiar to many people from other places, but it's unusual for people in the Mekong Delta because the forests there are mostly low, small trees," Mr. Quan said.

He said that each time he drives back to his hometown, he usually goes with a group of 2-3 friends on motorcycles. Having traveled many long distances, Mr. Quan believes that each group should have a maximum of 4 motorcycles, and the group leader needs to be experienced in leading the convoy. If there are more people, they should drive in a zigzag pattern to better observe the situation ahead. In addition, they need to carry all necessary identification documents and comply with road safety regulations.

TB (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/lap-tour-phuot-ve-que-an-tet-371695.html