While sunbathing on the beach in Nha Trang, Louis, a visitor from the UK, unexpectedly met Mai, a travelling fruit seller he had spoken with a year earlier.
The European traveller greeted her with a smile. Mai immediately replied by singing the line “Hello, is it me you’re looking for?”, from the classic song Hello by Lionel Richie.
After exchanging greetings, the woman began introducing her fruit in song, cheerfully listing items such as “mango, pineapple, banana, watermelon”.
The brief encounter turned into an impromptu conversation filled with laughter on the beach.
According to Louis, a video he recorded of Mai’s unusual sales style during their first meeting last year attracted nearly 40 million views across social media platforms.
“Meeting her again felt like fate, so I wanted to make another video to share,” he told Dantri/Dtinews.
Having travelled to many countries, Louis said he had seen vendors use music to promote products before, but Mai’s performance stood out for its lively expressions and distinctive style.
“I think she is a genius in marketing,” he said. “Her simplicity probably touched the hearts of audiences around the world.”
He added that her voice was particularly striking, noting that she could sing loudly and hold musical notes well despite having no formal training.
During their first meeting, Louis bought mangoes, pineapples and bananas from her. This time, he mainly stayed to chat.
“Every time we meet, we end up laughing a lot,” he said.
Mai smiles for a photo with a tourist while selling her goods (Photo: Supplied).
The earlier video of Mai singing in English also caught the attention of David Scott, a South African musician known for remixing viral internet clips into new songs. Scott later contacted Louis to collaborate on turning the recording into a musical track.
Within 24 hours of the song’s release, Mai sent a message saying many tourists had recognised her after seeing the widely shared video.
“She thanked us and said she really liked the song,” Louis said.
The British traveller has since left Nha Trang and continued his trip to Hoi An. It is his second visit to Vietnam.
His first trip in 2025 lasted seven weeks. The country’s scenery, people and cuisine impressed him enough to return.
“Vietnam feels very different from London, so I wanted to come back to explore and experience it more,” he said.
Louis says he enjoys Vietnam's beautiful beaches, delicious food, and friendly people (Photo: Supplied).
Nha Trang is among his favourite destinations, offering not only beautiful beaches but also opportunities to meet new friends. He said local residents were consistently welcoming and friendly towards visitors.
“It’s a hidden gem because many people in the UK still don’t know about Nha Trang,” he said.
Vietnamese cuisine has been another highlight of his travels. Among the many dishes he tried, his favourite is bo ne, a sizzling beef dish served with eggs and tomato sauce.
“Vietnam has such a wide variety of fruit,” he added. “Back home I rarely eat fruit, but here I eat it all the time because it tastes so fresh.”
