The 52-year-old man has traveled across Vietnam many times and explored Southeast Asian countries such as: Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia. However, the two trips to Tibet and Xinjiang (China) left Mr. Phan with many deep impressions.
Holding your breath" to conquer the land in the clouds
At the end of May 2024, Mr. Phung Le Phan and his friends who shared a passion for travel began a trip to Tibet by motorbike. Nearly 2 months before departure, he and the group found a reputable organizer to support the itinerary and accommodation.
“To save time for the journey ahead, our group sent motorbikes from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi by air, then drove to Lao Cai to complete exit procedures. However, the paperwork incident caused the group to be stuck for another 3 days,” Mr. Phan recounted.
Mr. Phan's group decided to speed up the progress, running straight from the Ha Khau border gate to Kunming to get there.
Shangrila (Northwest of Yunnan province). One day, his "war horse" ran nearly 1,000km.
The first time setting foot in China by motorbike, the man could not help but be overwhelmed by the overlapping mountains and winding roads amidst majestic nature. There are beautiful road sections to the point that the whole group has to constantly stop to admire the scenery.
“Previously, in Tibet, there were only 2 motorbike groups of Vietnamese people backpacking, but in the Kailash Mountain area, I also feel proud to be one of the first people. People there were also surprised to see the Vietnamese delegation arrive,” he shared.
Not only challenging because of the long and difficult distance, Tibet also made the whole group "hold their breath" many times because of the harsh weather. According to Mr. Phan, the temperature during the day has a very large difference, in the early morning it sometimes drops to about -5 to 7 degrees Celsius, but by noon it can rise to 26 - 27 degrees Celsius.
Ending the 16-day journey, the whole group stopped in Lhasa city and then boarded a plane back to Vietnam, bringing unforgettable memories of the "roof of the world".
Traveling in the majestic nature
The trip to Tibet closed but opened up Mr. Phan's desire to explore other famous routes of China.
In July 2025, the man continued his journey to conquer Xinjiang. This time, the group chose to depart in early autumn. This is the time when the forest begins to turn leaves, the snow is not yet thick, quite favorable for travel.
After visiting the Great Wall of China, Mr. Phan returned to Tianjin city to receive his motorbike transported from Vietnam, officially starting his journey to explore Northwest China.
“One of the most memorable experiences for me was conquering Ban Long Co Dao pass, with more than 600 consecutive turns. From the top of the pass down to the foot of the pass, the temperature changed suddenly, we had to stop to rest to make our bodies adapt and avoid heat shock,” he recalled.
Backpackers also pass through Doc Kho Cong Lo (Duku Highway). This is a road crossing the grasslands on the mountain peak, only open for a few months each year. Tourists are allowed to drive through but are not allowed to stop.
Throughout the journey, Mr. Phan tried to set foot in most of the famous destinations of Xinjiang. He was particularly impressed with the route of more than 400km to Kanas Lake, an area bordering Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, along with the vast scenery of the Nalati grasslands.
After the Tibet trip, the whole group also had more experience, so the travel was smooth.
Preparing for the "expansion" journey
Traveling by motorbike brings a very different experience compared to ordinary trips. Therefore, each journey requires careful research.
Mr. Phan shared: "Unlike many countries that only need an international driver's license to travel by motorbike, China has its own regulations. Therefore, I prepared an additional guarantee and driver's license translation to be issued a temporary driver's license lasting 3 months.
According to him, newcomers to large displacement motorcycles should participate in driving skills training courses to get used to and handle situations. Once you have a platform, conquering long roads or complex terrain will be safer and more confident.
Mr. Phan said that each car line has its own advantages, depending on the needs and financial capacity of each person. In case the car encounters problems, he can handle the basic errors himself or contact a company specialist for remote guidance.
Besides the car, protective gear is also an investment that cannot be saved. I always prepare a good quality helmet, gloves, high-heeled shoes, wear-resistant protective clothing and a heat-retaining set to cope with the cold weather in the high mountains," the backpacker said.
In his luggage, Mr. Phan always has a bag containing essential items such as a charger, personal medical box, and car repair kit. For long trips, he brings a sleeping bag or folding chair for use when needed.
Mr. Phan said that the 16-day Tibetan conquest cost about 120 million VND, the 23-day journey to explore Xinjiang has a total cost of 180 million VND. The main expense comes from hiring local organizing units, because the group always has logistics vehicles, drivers and tour guides accompanying them, averaging about 10 million VND/day.
Conversely, the cost of food and accommodation in China is quite reasonable. Throughout the journey, Mr. Phan's group mainly went to the market, bought food and cooked.
If there is no incident, he travels about 400 - 500km each day, departing at 8 am. Because it is late at night, many days the whole group eats dinner, strolls around the market and then returns to their accommodation when it is almost midnight.
After 2 long journeys, Mr. Phan said he has more motivation to explore new lands. For the 52-year-old man, the passion for travel will continue, "until he can no longer travel".
