If travellers happen to meet Mihai, born in 1988, while he is wearing a motorcycle helmet and asking for directions on a roadside in Vietnam, few would guess that the man speaking flawless Vietnamese is actually from Romania.
Only when he removes his helmet, revealing his European features, do people realise they have been chatting with a foreigner.
Mihai is working in Hanoi (Photo: Provided by Mihai).
Mihai first arrived in Vietnam 18 years ago on a university scholarship. It was also the first time he had ever left Romania. What was meant to be a short period of study has turned into a journey spanning nearly two decades.
His decision to study in Vietnam grew out of a fascination with Asian art and culture. Traditional East and Southeast Asian art, together with images of lush mountains and tropical forests, inspired him to apply for a scholarship.
Nearly two decades later, Mihai still vividly remembers looking out of the aircraft window as he approached Vietnam for the first time, seeing the country's coastline, green mountains and forests below. Before leaving Romania, he had already immersed himself in Vietnamese films, documentaries, history books, literature and stories shared by a family member who had visited the country.
"I had prepared myself well, so when I arrived in Hanoi I didn't experience culture shock. Instead, I felt as though I had known this place for a long time," he recalled.
For Mihai, road trips are not about reaching the destination as quickly as possible, but about enjoying every stretch of road and the scenery along the way (Photo: Provided by Mihai).
After studying Vietnamese for a year, Mihai enrolled at Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts, where he completed a five-year degree taught entirely in Vietnamese alongside local students. He said he would have learned the language even if the programme had been delivered in English.
"If you are going to live in another country for more than six months, you should at least be able to communicate in the local language," he said.
Rather than stopping at conversational fluency, Mihai set himself the goal of reading newspapers, watching television and following current affairs in Vietnamese. He said his determination was driven by curiosity, a love of challenges, respect for local people and the belief that languages can "open many doors".
Just three months after beginning Vietnamese lessons, Mihai joined a two-day trip to Ha Long. Although the tour guides all spoke English, he deliberately chose to speak Vietnamese, asking fellow travellers about their names, ages, favourite dishes and everyday lives.
After graduating, Mihai settled in Hanoi, where he continues to live and work. What has kept him in Vietnam is not only its famous landmarks but also the country's everyday rhythm of life, roadside iced tea stalls, pavement cafés, fresh orange juice carts and small rural grocery shops where owners often invite strangers to sit down for a drink.
"In the West, if you want coffee you usually have to go into a café. In Vietnam, every few hundred metres you can find iced tea, coffee or coconut water. To me, that's something uniquely Vietnamese," he said.
Soon after starting university, Mihai learned to ride a motorbike, opening the door to years of exploring the country on two wheels.
Mihai likes coastal roads and often brings his own motorbike on island trips (Photo: Provided by Mihai).
His first journey took him from Hanoi to Tam Dao, about 80 kilometres away. At the time, he did not own a smartphone. Before leaving, he studied Google Maps on a computer, then relied on road signs and directions from local residents.
"Our parents' generation travelled like that. If they could do it, so could I," he said.
His next trip covered about 145 kilometres from Hanoi to Mai Chau. While his classmates travelled by coach for an art field trip, Mihai asked permission to ride there alone on his motorbike.
Over the years, his approach to travelling has changed.
"In the beginning, I would think about where to eat, where to stay or what work I still had to finish. Now I simply focus on each bend in the road, the smell of leaves after the rain, the birds, the insects and even my own breathing."
"My journeys are a bit like meditation," he added.
Mihai is particularly drawn to remote mountain roads, where he can stop to listen to nature before looking down at villages, rice fields and buffalo grazing in the valleys below. He is equally fond of coastal roads where mountains meet the sea. Besides Hai Van Pass, he counts Ca Pass and Luong Son Pass among his favourites.
"I can spend hours looking at mountains or the ocean. It's not because I get bored. I simply enjoy seeing the landscape from a different perspective," he said.
Through his Mihai Travel Vlog channel, he hopes to introduce lesser-known destinations and inspire Vietnamese people to explore more of their own country ((Photo: Provided by Mihai).
Mistaken for a local
Among Vietnam's many destinations, the country's islands hold a special place in Mihai's heart. He has taken his motorbike to Cat Ba, Cu Lao Cham, Ly Son, Phu Quy, Phu Quoc and Con Dao, despite the additional cost and the long ferry journeys required.
He prefers bringing his own motorcycle because most rental shops on the islands only offer automatic scooters, while he favours manual and clutch motorcycles, which he believes handle steep and winding roads more effectively.
Of all the islands he has visited, Cu Lao Cham remains his favourite. He said it strikes the perfect balance, neither too small nor too developed, while still offering everything visitors need. Its close proximity to Hoi An, his favourite destination in Vietnam, makes it even more appealing.
The island's 20-kilometre coastal road winds around mountain slopes before opening onto sweeping views of the sea. Mihai particularly enjoys Bai Ong, Bai Xep and Bai Chong. Each time he visits, he rides around the island at least three times simply to appreciate the scenery.
Over the past 18 years, Mihai has travelled through all 34 provinces and centrally administered cities in Vietnam. He has ridden from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City three times and reached both Lung Cu, Vietnam's northernmost point, and Dat Mui at the country's southern tip.
"If I had to recommend one route that captures the beauty of Vietnam, I would start from Hanoi, follow the Ho Chi Minh Road, then continue along the coast from Hue to Hoi An before heading to Nha Trang, Dalat and finally Ho Chi Minh City," he said.
Mihai said simple things such as iced tea, pavement coffee and Vietnamese hospitality are why he has remained attached to Vietnam (Photo: Provided by Mihai).
One of Mihai's most memorable experiences has been being mistaken for a Vietnamese local.
When travelling, he usually covers his face to protect himself from the sun. After stopping to ask for directions or take a break at a roadside stall, he often speaks such natural Vietnamese that people assume he is Vietnamese. Only when he removes his helmet and face covering do they realise otherwise.
"Many people freeze for a few seconds before we both burst out laughing. Then we take photos together and exchange Zalo or Facebook contacts. That's how I've made many new friends," he said.
Throughout his travels, Mihai says what has impressed him most is the kindness and generosity of Vietnamese people. Strangers have given him petrol when he ran out of fuel, helped push his motorcycle out of deep mud and repeatedly invited him into their homes for meals.
Through his journeys and his Mihai Travel Vlog channel, he hopes to introduce lesser-known roads and destinations while inspiring more Vietnamese people to explore their own country.
"Vietnam still has so many beautiful places. If someone watches my videos and feels inspired to pack a backpack and set off, I'll be very happy," he said.
Although he has already visited every province and centrally administered city in Vietnam, Mihai has no intention of stopping. His next destination is the Central Highlands, where he plans to spend four to five days exploring at a slower pace and enjoying the region's renowned coffee.
"Travelling around Vietnam is like an addiction. I've almost never felt like a tourist here. I don't know why, but I've always felt that I belong here. Of course I love Romania, but whenever I return home, after just a week or two I find myself wanting to come back to Vietnam," he said.
