Why I Chose Vietnam For My First Solo Trip: Reconnecting With My Cultural Roots

Exploring my Roots: My First Solo Trip to Vietnam

Embarking on my first solo trip, I wanted to choose a destination where I felt safe and somewhat familiar. Given my Vietnamese heritage and upbringing, Vietnam seemed like the perfect choice. Although I’ve lived in Australia my entire life, my parents raised me speaking Vietnamese at home, so I can understand and hold decent conversations in the language. My familiarity with the culture and language gave me a comforting foundation for my solo adventure. The fact that I also planned out every minute of this trip from how I’ll be exchanging money and where to get a sim card to how I’ll get from the airport to the hotel and what my itinerary was for each day made me feel less anxious about the journey.

Growing up, I visited Vietnam several times, but only to see family. I never truly explored the country. My parents fled Vietnam for a better life in Australia and, to this day, hold a negative view of their homeland. They believed it to be unsafe with high crime rates and advised me to choose a different country. However, I was determined to go to Vietnam. I wanted to reconnect with my roots, learn more about the history, culture, food, and people of my home country. I saw various sources claiming that Vietnam was 100% female solo safe, so I knew my parents were just projecting what they remembered from 30 years ago.

Defying Expectations and Exploring the North

The Northern Vietnamese accent is very different from the Southern Vietnamese accent, so I was initially worried about communication issues when heading to North Vietnam. However, I reminded myself that people from all over the world travel across the country comfortably without speaking a lick of Vietnamese. I realized I was just making excuses to stay in my comfort zone. I remember shaking as I confirmed my flight to Hanoi. Also, originally from South Vietnam, I was taught by my parents to avoid North Vietnam due to political reasons, but they never explained why. This only fueled my curiosity to explore the North, and I’m so glad I did because it became the highlight of my trip.

I stumbled upon videos of the “Ha Giang loop” on TikTok, and was immediately intrigued as people quoted, “it is the best thing you could do in SEA.” The idea of a motorbike tour where I could ride on the back of a bike all day, soaking in the breathtaking landscapes, was surreal. I saw videos of tourists interacting with locals eager to share their culture, getting princess treatment from their drivers, and having the best time partying every night, and I was immediately sold. I did the 4D3N Ha Giang Loop with Mamas and it really was the best thing I did in Vietnam! I plan to redo the loop again at the end of this year because it’s truly so amazing!

Mai (pictured on left), a sweet girl Vietnamese girl, from a remote village of Ha Giang Loop who braided my hair and put pretty flowers in them!

Discovering the Thrill of Backpacking and Meeting New People at Hostels

My research for planning the Vietnam trip began on TikTok, where I first encountered the concept of “backpacking.” Vietnam is a top destination for backpackers due to its affordability, variety of activities, and delicious food. This discovery led me to the idea of staying in hostels, which I learned were the best places to meet fellow travelers with similar interests in exploring new cultures and cuisines. Another perk was that hostels in Vietnam cost less than $15 AUD per night, including breakfast. The idea of solo traveling became less scary as I realized there were many other solo travelers just like me. I was excited to meet new people, share experiences, and create everlasting memories.

I’m a socially awkward person and struggle to approach people, especially when everyone has already formed their own groups. However, in hostels, everyone is super friendly and often feels the same way too. I remember a group of people inviting me to join them, and initially, I felt very intimidated and out of place. But then I learned that everyone there had just met each other a few hours ago. Because we all knew we might never see each other again, we were able to be ourselves and even share some deep, dark secrets. Whenever I discovered that someone was solo traveling, it made me happy because it gave us something to talk about. I would ask about their experiences, what made them choose solo travel, and why they chose Vietnam. I went from being scared to meet new people to feeling sad that I had to inevitably say goodbye to the new connections I made.

I met these people on the first day that I landed in Ho Chi Minh and we celebrated the most wholesome New Years together! This was definitely outside of my comfort zone because every New Years, I would choose to stay at home instead of watching the fireworks with friends (like a true introverted homebody).

Future Plans

Returning home from a life-changing trip was bittersweet. Saying goodbye to a group of amazing girls I met on the Ha Giang Loop tour was tough, especially since they continued their journey together towards South Vietnam while I had to head home. This experience made me realise that I want to travel and backpack through Southeast Asia whilst I am still young. So, I’ve decided to quit my job in October 2024, which is perfect weather for SEA, and start my adventure in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. Who knows, I might explore all the countries in Southeast Asia! My love for photography and documenting life led me to start this travel blog, where I can reflect on my journey and share helpful itineraries and travel tips with others. To kick things off, here’s my ultimate 1-month itinerary for Vietnam.