Malaysian tourist's cross-Vietnam train trip

Returning to Vietnam after 16 years, Winston Siaw explored the S-shaped land by Thong Nhat train, a 13-day trip that cost 400 USD.

Malaysian tourist Winston Siaw, who works in the media industry in Singapore, took a cross-Vietnam train trip in early August. This was his second solo trip to Vietnam. The 13-day trip, departing from Ho Chi Minh City and ending in Hanoi, passed through many famous tourist destinations along the S-shaped land such as Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An, and Ha Long Bay.

Sharing the reason for exploring Vietnam by train, Winston said "I wanted to learn about the centuries-old North-South railway and slowly enjoy the scenery along the way".

Tourist Winston Siaw on the Reunification train. Photo: Bike Journey

Winston first visited Vietnam 16 years ago and cycled solo across the S-shaped country. That trip marked his “first attempt” at a cross-border bicycle tour. “It was an unforgettable experience,” Winston said. In 2007, he departed from Singapore and took a flight to Bangkok, Thailand. In Bangkok, he bought a mountain bike and a camping tent, preparing for a three-month cycling tour through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

Winston says adventure travel is his passion. He started by traveling solo, and then took it to the next level by cycling across borders. In the future, he plans to explore the world by motorbike or van.

In recent years, Winston has developed a new hobby: traveling by train. The North-South Reunification Train of Vietnam, which has appeared frequently in the international media this year, has "impressed" him. The images of "the feeling of watching the natural scenery through the glass window on the train" have urged Winston to come to Vietnam "after more than a decade of not seeing it again".

From Singapore, he took a flight to Ho Chi Minh City and then bought a train ticket to start his journey from south to north. Returning to Ho Chi Minh City after 16 years, he found the city "developing at a dizzying speed, more modern and friendly". In 2007, Winston had an experience of "unstable" traffic in Saigon, so he did not feel much of the beauty of this city.

"When I was cycling on the street, I was constantly urged by the sound of car horns behind me. I had to try to cross the street with chaotic traffic in an unstable mood. Returning to Saigon after 16 years, the city has changed a lot, I also feel the beauty here more clearly," said Winston.

He spent two days in Ho Chi Minh City, then bought his train ticket online. Winston said that many international tourists had traveled across Vietnam on the Thong Nhat train, so it was "easy" to find posts about the North-South train online.

He found buying train tickets online "quick and convenient". However, as security staff at the train station "checked tickets and allowed passengers onto the platform only half an hour before the train departed", Winston "didn't have much time to take photos of the train and the station".

"In Vietnam, sleeper trains are divided into individual rooms. Passengers have to share a room with strangers throughout the journey. Unlike trains in Malaysia or Thailand, the train consists of sleeper cars without compartments," said Winston.

A Malaysian male tourist commented that the ship was well-equipped with good facilities, clean toilets, creating a feeling of "comfort throughout the journey".

The North-South Reunification train passes through many local stations, which Winston enjoys. At each stop, he slowly "observes the daily lives of local people", enjoys the "magical moments" of watching sunrises and sunsets on the train, and connects and chats with new people in the same compartment.

Winston stopped in Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Ha Long Bay and Hanoi. At each destination, he spent two days exploring on his own without a tour guide. Winston shared that he has a lot of experience traveling alone in many countries around the world. In 2010, he cycled for a year and a half from Singapore to London, England, passing through Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, China, Mongolia, Russia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and France. In 2013, he spent three months cycling from Tokyo to Hokkaido, Japan.

Winston cycling in Hoi An ancient town. Photo: Bike Journey

This year's trip across Vietnam was much "easier" than his previous journeys. What attracted Winston to this trip were "friendly people, rich nature and delicious food". The S-shaped strip of land is attractive because of "rustic rural landscapes, beautiful coastlines, most impressively the majestic terrain of Ha Long Bay", Winston said.

Hoi An in the early morning also "fascinated" a Malaysian male tourist. At a time when most tourists were still asleep, Winston was able to watch the sunrise in the old town, encounter locals doing morning exercises and workers making a living from early morning in a peaceful setting.

Winston's total cost of traveling across Vietnam by train was about $400, not including airfare and "valuable experiences in return."

"I believe that Vietnam tourism can further improve its infrastructure and enhance the quality of its services. For example, the North-South train could improve the privacy of passengers by adding curtains to each bed," Winston said. He has no plans for a third trip to Vietnam, but "will definitely come back to explore more regions."

Bich Phuong

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/khach-malaysia-trai-nghiem-du-lich-xuyen-viet-bang-tau-hoa-4669022.html