The Person Behind the Plans
Three months in Vietnam
changed everything.
I arrived in Hanoi with a rough plan and left three months later with an obsession. Not with Vietnam as a destination — with Vietnam as a place, in all its complexity, chaos, and extraordinary beauty.

3+
Months in Vietnam
14
Provinces Explored
3,000
km by Motorbike
50+
Travelers Helped
My Story
Why I Know the Real Vietnam
I didn't do a packaged two-week tour. I spent three months riding across Vietnam on a motorbike — no schedule, one bag, and a map I almost never agreed to open. I followed the small roads, the ones that aren't in any guidebook, and every time they led to a remote village, I stopped.
Those villages were the reason I came. People opened their homes to me before they even asked where I was from. I slept on mats on the floor of families who didn't speak a word of English, and still we sat for hours around the table — pointing, laughing, trying to understand each other. They were the best nights of the whole trip.
Some days the road simply beat me — a tire blowing out in the middle of nowhere, rain turning a dirt track to mud, mountain passes that took hours. I got through it alone, and every time I reached the other side I felt a little more at home in this place.
I climbed mountains until the clouds were below me, and rode all the way to the country's edges — to the borders themselves, where Vietnam ends and something else begins. And along the way, in nearly every village, there were the kids: chasing the motorbike, giving high-fives, teaching me words I forgot instantly and laughing at my accent. You can't fake those moments. You just have to be there.
When I got back, friends started asking how to plan their own trips. Then complete strangers. The places I recommended, the routes, the small tips from having actually been there — it was completely different from anything you can find in a guidebook.
So I built this. Not a tour company — I don't handle bookings or profit from your purchases. Just someone who got to know Vietnam from the inside, happy to help you see it the way I did.
Why Work With Me
What I Bring to Your Trip
There are a lot of Vietnam travel resources out there. Here's what makes first-hand knowledge different.
Off-the-Beaten-Path Knowledge
I've spent months specifically seeking out places that don't appear in guidebooks or travel blogs. My knowledge of remote northern villages, inner-cave systems, and unknown coastal spots is built from direct experience.
Backpacking Expertise
I traveled entirely on a backpacker's budget — $20–25/day. I know every trick for stretching a budget without missing anything essential: night buses, local guesthouses, street food strategies, bike vs. bus decisions.
Local Culture Understanding
Three months of genuine interaction with Vietnamese people — not through tour operators, but through shared meals, roadside breakdowns, market conversations, and homestays — gives me cultural context that guidebooks can't replicate.
Budget & Adventure Travel
Whether you want to do Vietnam for $20/day or $80/day, I know how to maximize experience at every price point. The best experiences I had were almost always the cheap ones.
Personalized Planning
I don't use templates. Every itinerary I build starts from scratch with your specific dates, budget, interests, and fitness level. Cookie-cutter Vietnam tours are not what I do.
Honest, Practical Guidance
I'll tell you what a place is really like — not what the Instagram version looks like. If somewhere is overrated, I'll say so and offer you something better. I'd rather help you have a genuine experience.
The Journey
Three Months in Vietnam
A rough chronology of how I moved through the country and what I found along the way.
Jan 2024 · Hanoi
Arrival — the deep end
Landed in Hanoi with a one-way ticket and a roughly-sketched plan. Spent the first two weeks getting my bearings in the Old Quarter, learning traffic, eating everything.
Feb 2024 · Ha Giang
The north revealed itself
Rented a motorbike and rode the Ha Giang loop over 6 days. The Ma Pi Leng pass broke my understanding of what landscape could look like. Got invited to a Hmong family home for rice wine and never made it to my next stop.
Mar 2024 · Mù Cang Chải
Finding the secret terraces
Took a wrong turn and ended up on a mountain road overlooking terraces that weren't in any guide I'd read. Spent three days here instead of one. Still the most beautiful thing I've seen in Vietnam.
Apr 2024 · Hội An & Đà Nẵng
Central Vietnam and the coast
Hoi An in shoulder season — still magical, far less crowded. Found the rice paddy bicycle routes that the day-trippers never reach. Ate four different bánh mì in one day purely for research purposes.
May 2024 · Phong Nha
Underground Vietnam
Two weeks based in Phong Nha exploring the cave systems. The Tu Lan cave swimming experience — headlamps, underground rivers, jungle sinkholes — is unlike anything else on the planet.
Jun–Jul 2024 · Central Highlands
The forgotten interior
Buon Ma Thuot, Kon Tum, the highlands coffee plantations, ethnic minority villages. Almost nobody goes here. The roads are empty, the scenery is extraordinary, and you're completely off the tourist economy.
Aug 2024 · Mekong Delta
Water world
Rented a bicycle on an outer island and spent days just getting lost in waterways and fruit orchards. The Cai Rang floating market at 5am, before the tour boats arrived, felt like a different century.
Ready to Go?
Let's plan your
perfect Vietnam trip.
Tell me your dates, your budget, and what kind of traveler you are. I'll take care of the rest.