Japanese girl travels across Vietnam alone, falls off bike in the middle of the road, whole village comes out to help

(Dan Tri) - Thailand was the first place Japanese girl Yuki Nakatani drove a motorbike, but Vietnam is where she truly took control of her journey.

70-day journey across Vietnam alone

Recently, the image of Japanese girl Yuki Nakatani (born 1996, from Nagasaki) traveling alone on an old motorbike across Vietnam's roads has impressed and intrigued many people.

Yuki's journey across Vietnam started from Ho Chi Minh City to the old Ha Giang , now in Tuyen Quang province. She shared that Thailand was the first place she tried riding a motorbike, but Vietnam was where she truly mastered her journey with this two-wheeled vehicle.

Yuki Nakatani left a stable job in Japan to travel to many countries (Photo: Character provided).

“In Thailand, I went with a friend, he drove from Chiang Mai to the Malaysian border, and I drove from there to Bangkok. It was my first motorbike trip in my life,” she said.

Yuki spent a total of 70 days in Vietnam, starting from the end of July. Of those, 40 days were spent traveling across the country on a motorbike borrowed from a friend. She traveled alone, fell off the bike a few times, but at each place, she received enthusiastic help from the people around her.

“I came to Ho Chi Minh City with only a small 28l backpack - luggage so light that I thought it was only for a short trip. But then, it accompanied me across the country, from the sunny South to the cloudy mountains of the North, for dozens of days without rest.

“I was worried at first, but I gradually got used to the traffic in Vietnam. The traffic police only stopped me once, and they were very friendly. In Japan, cars drive on the left, so when I turned left in Vietnam, I was a bit confused,” she said.

One of Yuki’s most memorable experiences was when she accidentally crashed her car into a wall in a small town – whose name she still doesn’t remember. “People rushed to help me. They tied up the broken car with ropes and asked if I was hurt. I was really touched by their kindness,” she recalls.

Japanese girl travels alone across Vietnam by motorbike (Photo: Character provided).

Although safety is always a top priority, Yuki is not afraid of challenges. The female tourist especially loves mountain passes, small paths through the forest, where she can clearly feel the nature and the life of the indigenous people. Once, she had to drive alone for more than 50km through a landslide, muddy road, in pouring rain, and without phone signal.

“It was very reckless, but I learned a lot from those moments. When I was moving, if there were steep slopes, I would ask young people nearby to help me pass by. I also listened to the advice of the locals and avoided dangerous roads,” she said.

On her journey across Vietnam, what touched Yuki the most was the friendliness and hospitality of the Vietnamese people. She said many people stopped to talk to her, asked where she was going and where she came from, and expressed surprise when they learned she was Japanese, because she looked quite Vietnamese.

When they found out she was a foreign tourist, people didn’t hesitate to show her how to eat local food, recommend places to stay, and even help her find a place to fix her car. Once, when her car broke down on the road, a local driver stopped and gave her a long ride.

“He was very nice and drove very professionally. It was one of my best memories in Vietnam,” she recalled.

For the girl from Nagasaki, Vietnam also left an impression with its diverse and accessible accommodation services, from small and pretty homestays to comfortable hotels. That is why, every night, she can easily find a place to rest.

"Vietnam - The most interesting country in Southeast Asia"

Yuki shared that she is always curious and eager to explore lands and landscapes she has never set foot on. In March 2023, after graduating from university and working for two years, she decided to leave her stable job in Japan, ending her safe daily life to travel alone to Europe with a one-way ticket.

Yuki instructs a friend in calligraphy (Photo: Character provided).

During four months in a strange land, Yuki wrote calligraphy - an art she had pursued since the age of 7 - and sold it on the streets to make a living. It was this journey that made her realize something simple yet profound: This world is full of love.

Soon, she set off on an adventure around the world, armed with a small backpack, a few clothes, a brush, and Chinese ink. Yuki hitchhiked, slept in strangers' homes, and lived in faraway lands where each day unfolded a new story.

Having set foot in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, in May 2024, Yuki traveled by land through China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, then back to Thailand, crossed Cambodia and finally arrived in Vietnam - where she spent 70 days exploring and finding herself.

Yuki wants to travel everywhere to find himself (Photo: Character provided).

Yuki had previously hitchhiked more than 400 times on her travels. When she tried switching to a bicycle in China, she realized that the climate and terrain of Southeast Asia made exploring by bicycle too strenuous. So she chose a motorbike - a vehicle that was both flexible and allowed her to take the initiative in her own journeys.

After a successful trip across Thailand, Yuki was confident enough to continue a similar journey in Vietnam, where among the sun, wind, mountains, rivers and kind people, she found a rare harmony.

“When I write the word ‘love’ on small pieces of paper and give them to strangers wherever I go, I feel like I receive love in return. Perhaps that is the reason why I keep going,” she said with a smile.

Yuki confessed that before the trip, she did not know much about Vietnam, so she did not have specific expectations. But after only a few weeks, this country made her heart flutter.

“What impressed me most was the strong patriotism of the Vietnamese people. They are very kind, and the cuisine and culture in Vietnam are extremely rich. Honestly, Vietnam is the most interesting country I have ever been to in Southeast Asia,” she shared.

For Yuki, the trip across Vietnam is not only a journey to explore the landscape but also a quiet moment to reflect on herself. “I chose this journey to go alone, because it is the last leg of my trip to Asia and I want to have time to reflect on myself,” she said.

Japanese female tourist is passionate about Vietnamese cuisine (Photo: Provided by character).

On long journeys, what Yuki is most passionate about is Vietnamese cuisine. She loves small roadside stalls, simple meals full of the flavors of her homeland. At the end of the 70-day journey, Yuki not only brought back photos and memories, but also the feeling of being healed, connected and living life to the fullest.

“From the South to the North, I got to try so many delicious dishes - that was one of the most memorable parts of my journey. I like the countryside and the mountains, so there were some adventurous experiences. But if you choose to travel by coast or highway, I believe that even women traveling alone can explore Vietnam safely and completely,” she said.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/co-gai-nhat-di-xuyen-viet-mot-minh-nga-xe-giua-duong-duoc-ca-lang-ra-giup-20251028190832893.htm