"71-year-old man - 64-year-old woman" drives motorbike to conquer 20 roads in Vietnam

(Dan Tri) - In their old age, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Cam and his wife still regularly travel everywhere. For them, each trip is a time to rejuvenate and become closer.

Talking to Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Cam (born in 1954, Hung Phu ward, HCMC) said that he and his wife had just completed a trip from HCMC to Buon Ma Thuot ( Dak Lak ).

The photos of the couple riding a motorbike together, smiling brightly, surprised many people when they learned that Mr. Cam was 71 years old and his wife was 64 years old.

At this age, instead of living comfortably with his children and grandchildren, Mr. Cam and his wife chose to pursue their passion of traveling across Vietnam by motorbike.

Mr. Cam and his wife have just finished a trip from Ho Chi Minh City - Buon Ma Thuot (Photo: Character provided).

"Our trip plan this time was Buon Ma Thuot - Nha Trang ( Khanh Hoa ) - Da Lat (Lam Dong), but because of the storm, we only went to Buon Ma Thuot for a few days and then returned to Ho Chi Minh City," he shared.

The trip 20 years ago

Mr. Cam's passion for traveling began in 2005, when he turned 51. At that time, a desire suddenly arose in his heart to roam the historic Truong Son road. He decided to drive his Future - the motorbike that had been with him for many years - from Ho Chi Minh City to the Central region.

Without careful calculation or detailed planning, he went just because he wanted to know and try. The journey lasted nearly a month, leaving him with many unforgettable memories.

In Quang Tri (formerly Quang Binh ), Mr. Cam once slept in the market because he couldn't find a motel in time. Turning on the TV and hearing the weather forecast of a storm hitting the Central region, he innocently thought, "Let's try going to Hue to see the storm once."

"I never expected that as soon as I set foot in Hue, I would be stuck in the middle of a historic storm," he said.

The city lost power, the streets were flooded, and restaurants and shops were closed. He had to rent a hotel room without electricity or food to survive many nights. The police also blocked the roads, not allowing anyone to leave the city because it was too dangerous.

"Those days I felt both scared and… amused. Going on a trip was like taking shelter from a storm," he recalls.

Mr. Cam has been involved in traveling since 2005 (Photo: Character provided).

After 4 days stuck in Hue, the storm cleared, Mr. Cam continued on his way and faced another challenge: a landslide on a pass in Lam Dong.

"I was running when I heard a loud landslide and rocks and soil falling right in front of me. That's when I felt scared and quickly turned around. Later I realized how lucky I was. If I had been a little slower, I don't know what would have happened," he recalled.

The first journey lasted 25 days, full of events but also full of excitement, marking the turning point that made Mr. Cam passionate about long-distance trips until now.

From lonely "backpacker" to lifelong companion

For many years, Mr. Cam traveled alone, because his wife was busy taking care of business in Ho Chi Minh City. It was only in 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic caused business to stagnate, that Mr. Cam's wife agreed to go on the trip with her husband.

Mr. Cam said that at first his wife was afraid of the long distance, afraid of the sun, afraid of the rain... but he encouraged her for a long time, and she finally agreed. On the first backpacking trips with his wife, Mr. Cam took her to nearby places such as Vung Tau (now part of Ho Chi Minh City), Phan Thiet (now part of Lam Dong).

"She gradually got used to it and started to like backpacking without realizing it. Now, as long as her husband says "let's go", she'll pack her things right away," he said with a laugh.

After the Covid-19 outbreak affected his business, Mr. Cam's wife decided to put her business on hold and go on a trip with her husband (Photo: Nguyen Le Duy An).

His wife's company made Mr. Cam's later trips more meaningful. He said that in the past, he traveled freely, but sometimes he felt sad. But now that his wife is with him, things are different. He and his wife take pictures, talk and laugh happily as they travel, making every trip full of memories.

According to Mr. Cam, loving nature, plants, exploring and admiring the scenery along the way are prerequisites to starting a backpacking trip. Backpacking with your wife requires gentleness, indulgence, sweetness, patience and taking the time to take photos for her.

He smiled and said: "Women have to carry a lot of things and take a long time to get ready. If you want to go together, you have to please them, don't nag. In return, you have a companion for life."

Up to now, the couple has made about 20 trips near and far (Photo: Nguyen Le Duy An).

Before each trip, Mr. Cam's wife is the one who chooses clothes for both of them, coordinating them neatly. The image of the elderly couple wearing matching outfits, sitting on a motorbike in the middle of the mountains or by the blue sea makes many people admire. "Everyone compliments us on how well we dress, thanks to her careful selection," he proudly said.

Up to now, Mr. Cam and his wife have had about 20 trips near and far, stretching from the Northwest, Central Highlands to coastal areas. Among them, the most memorable memory for him was the trip to Mang Den (now Quang Ngai).

Here, another backpacker happened to capture the moment of the couple on the motorbike, then posted it on social media. The photo went viral, making Mr. Cam and his wife known to many people, who expressed admiration.

"Children are very happy to see that their parents are still healthy and can still travel. I myself feel lucky because my wife and I can travel here and there, because I also have many friends who want to go, but health, money, time... do not allow it," said Mr. Cam.

Mr. Cam said that after each trip, he and his wife feel closer and have more memories (Photo: Nguyen Le Duy An).

Despite their advanced age, the couple still do not feel tired after long trips. He even said that sometimes as soon as they get home, they immediately want to continue. "Thinking about the beautiful scenery, all the tiredness seems to disappear," he confided.

At an age when many people choose to retire, Mr. Cam and his wife are still tirelessly on the road. The backpacks tied to the back of the motorbike, the matching outfits and the bright smiles on the sunny and windy roads have become a familiar image of the couple.

"We are not going to conquer anything formidable, we simply want to see more lands, more beauty of our homeland. We are going to see that we are still young and to strengthen our relationship," said Mr. Cam.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/chang-71-tuoi-nang-64-tuoi-lai-mo-to-chinh-phuc-20-cung-duong-viet-nam-20250826180556145.htm