Just after all tourist restrictions in Vietnam were eased a couple of weeks earlier, many young people have set out to make up for the year 2021. Some accept to work while traveling.

Located some 45 kilometers away from Hanoi's center, Quan Son Lake in My Duc District is an ideal destination for a short espace. Photo: Ngan Thuong

Just back from a trip to Danang, Bich Dao, a freelancer who specialized in content marketing from Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi is already planning a “trekking mission” to Bach Moc Luong Tu, a mountain peak with an altitude of over 3,000m, located between two northwest provinces of Lai Chau and Lao Cai.

That would be Dao’s fourth trip since the past Tet Holiday in February 2022. In just over two months, she and her friends toured Nhiu Co San mountain peak and Sapa in Lao Cai Province, Dalat in the southern province of Lam Dong and Son Doong Cave in the central province of Quang Binh. She took this as a way to satisfy her passion for travel, especially after a year of staying at home due to Covid-19.

“Each of our trips lasted about three days and two nights. We like mountainous attractions and exploring the rivers and caves. Being able to travel again after Covid-19, I am really excited and happy, and just want to go more and more,” Dao said.

Travel for ‘pandemic revenge’

Similar to Bich Dao, Minh Phuong, a student from Hanoi University is also getting ready for her 4th trip within several weeks since mid-February.

The chosen destination this time is the northern mountain province of Ha Giang, as she desires to experience the Ma Pi Leng Pass, Nho Que River, as well as the cool weather right in the season of brilliant red silk-cotton flowers.

Bich Dao explored the nature of Tapuleng Forest in Lai Chau Province. Photo: Bich Dao

“Right after the Tet holiday, my friends and I left for Dalat for four days and three nights. About two weeks after that, I spend a few days playing in Ho Chi Minh City. By early March, having just returned home for a short while and not yet unpacked my suitcase, I went on to book a plane ticket for another four-day three-night trip to Buon Ma Thuot City.

In the near future, I will travel to Ha Giang again, spending the first months of the year only on traveling,” she said.

Phuong is making use of the beginning of the year for traveling when her friends are not too busy because most of the students in Hanoi still learning via online platforms.

Phuong is just back from her trip to Dalat. She is currently planning to trek on Con Dao Island.

A group of young travelers does trekking to explore a mountainous area in Quang Binh Province. Photo: Tran Cuong

It has also been the time for Hoang Lam, a staff who works in the field of hospitality in Hanoi to tour from North to South to quench his thirst for travel.

Having just experienced the typical frosty weather of the northern winter, Lam decided with his friends and colleagues to choose the central coasts - particularly, Quy Nhon in the central coast province of Binh Dinh and the central city of Danang - as their holiday destinations.

“The weather in these places is very nice in the first months of the year, suitable for having fun and starting a new year full of energy. Actually, right in February, when the pandemic had cooled down, I already traveled to many places,” Lam said.

He also shared that early next week, he will make his third trip to the northern province of Ninh Binh and then Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang.

“I often spend about three days and two nights on each trip. My job is quite flexible in terms of time, so I can work online to accomplish my tasks,” he said.

Lam is enjoying the warm weather in Quy Nhon. Unfortunately, after this trip, he contracted Covid-19.

Cloud hunting on Ta Xua Mountain in Bac Yen Town, Son La Province is also a favorite activity of young travelers to discover the Northern part of Vietnam. Photo: My Anh Ly

Lam admitted that he is no longer too worried about the pandemic as before but still could not give up facemasks and disinfection when traveling. He also chose to stay in isolated resorts and have fun on uncrowded beaches only.

But just as Lam feared, despite his active prevention, he still acquired the coronavirus after the trip to Quy Nhon.

“I got home and tested positive for the Covid-19 virus, but thanks to three vaccine doses and good health, I quickly recovered. But becoming a patient was definitely not what I wanted. The post-Covid-19  sequels persist with significant impacts on life,” he said.

Lam said he is mentally prepared for “living with the pandemic”. He believes that people worldwide cannot avoid the risk of coronavirus transmission “and the best way to prevent the disease is to improve your health through exercise and nutrition,” he stated.

“I'm a sports enthusiast, I spend time every day exercising and have nutritious meals to increase my resistance. I don’t want to be too stressed by the pandemic to enjoy a normal life,” Lam said.

As for Bich Dao, tourism has been active again, but still not as stable as before the pandemic. Going out amid the pandemic is not only a “bet” on the risk of infection, but also on other unpredictable perils.

“For example, I used to book a hotel room in Ha Giang, but they [the hotel representatives] contacted me to apologize and refund my deposit. The reason was that they have to close because of many cases of Covid-19 among the staff. I sympathize with them and find another place to stay, but imagine being notified only one day before departure,” she stated.

These two young ethnic girls are in front of their house in Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province. Photo: My Anh Ly

As the number of Covid-19 patients nationwide has currently dropped sharply, to 9.8 million people, meanwhile the number of people who had already recovered from the illness is nearly eight million, Dao believes that normal life will return soon.