In 2023, Nguyen Ngoc Trung (Hai Phong) challenged himself with a backpacking trip from Vietnam to China. This year, he wants to challenge himself with newer routes, from Vietnam through Laos, to China, then back to Laos, and back to his homeland.
The journey begins with "meticulousness"
Although he was only away from Vietnam for 30 days, he had prepared his personal belongings for 3 months. Mr. Trung emphasized that he invested the most time in learning driving skills in China.
“Because China does not accept international driving licenses, I had to go to the police department of the neighboring country to study and get a temporary driving license. According to their regulations, I do not need to take the test later and they will issue a similar Vietnamese driving license within the validity of my visa,” the male tourist shared.
In addition, he also carefully maintained his beloved car, taking precautions against bad roads, mud, gravel and especially quicksand during the trip. At the same time, he brought along a tire repair kit and a repair kit.
Mr. Trung's luggage also includes protective clothing suitable for both hot and cold regions and basic medicines such as: anti-altitude sickness medicine to ensure days of driving at altitudes of more than 5,000m above sea level, good digestive medicine for energy replenishment and electrolyte replacement water continuously replenished after every hour of driving.
In Laos, Trung’s group did not stop for too long. Four cars followed each other to China with the desire to explore the diverse culture and natural beauty of their neighbor.
The biggest challenge for Trung on his 12,000km journey was probably when he drove on the G109 highway connecting Beijing to Lhasa. This was the most difficult part of the journey, 800km long. He encountered hailstorms that continued for about 45 minutes.
“Early in the morning of leaving Chongqing, the outside temperature suddenly increased from 26 degrees Celsius to 34 degrees Celsius within a distance of only 1km, then dropped and increased rapidly. Indeed, at that time, my body was very uncomfortable, but I had mentally prepared myself,” said Mr. Trung.
"Satisfying" the eyes, refreshing the mind
Every day, he drove 400 - 500km as planned. In the last three days, to meet the visa deadline, he drove 1,100km, 650km and 700km continuously. For Trung, the beautiful scenery along the way was countless; therefore, at each location, he usually spent 1 hour to admire and take souvenir photos. However, at some famous spots, he even spent 1 - 2 days lingering to learn about the culture and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
“I passed through the Dunhuang Desert in the western part of Gansu Province on the 15th day of my journey and stayed overnight there. This was the first time in my life that I experienced the desert. I was really surprised by the vastness of the space when I visited this tourist destination. For me, driving a 4-wheel ATV into the desert towards the edge of the salt lake or weaving through the caves and driving on the sand was an unforgettable experience,” he shared.
The Buddhist holy land of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, with its magnificent architectural works containing sacred Tibetan culture and history, truly overwhelmed Mr. Trung.
“Two famous places in Tibet, the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, are crowded with tourists. I went to explore another monastery, Keutsang, perched on a high mountain while driving on the highway. However, the road up was very difficult. It must be said that the ancients put a lot of effort into creating these great structures that we can admire today,” said the male tourist.
On this trip, Trung's number 1 goal is certainly to conquer Everest Base Camp (EBC), the first stop on the journey to conquer Mount Everest, located at the Northern Base Camp at an altitude of 5,150m in Tibet, China. Before starting the challenge, Trung was very nervous and worried because the increasing altitude and thin oxygen could easily make his body tired, even at risk of fainting. After a long journey, successfully conquering EBC, he could only describe himself as having experienced hundreds of different emotions in one day, but he was also very proud of having achieved his initial goal.
Mr. Trung's total cost for 30 days of backpacking was about 200 - 230 million VND.
“If you want to look back at yourself after a long time, you should travel. If you want to see how little knowledge you have, you should travel. China is a vast land, possessing experiences worth exploring. I will choose China for my next trip,” the male tourist shared.
