Yuki Nakatani has travelled through Vietnam alone on a borrowed motorbike.
Japanese traveller Yuki Nakatani, 29, from Nagasaki, has captured attention after journeying alone across Vietnam on an old motorbike, travelling through remote regions over more than two months.
Her journey began in late July in Ho Chi Minh City and ended in Ha Giang in Tuyen Quang. She said Thailand was the first place where she tried riding a motorbike, but Vietnam was where she truly learned to control her journey on two wheels.
During her 70 days in Vietnam, she spent 40 days riding a borrowed motorbike north through the country. Travelling alone, she fell several times, but each time received help from locals.
“I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City with only a small backpack, light enough for a short trip. But it travelled with me all the way from the south to the northern mountains,” she said.
She said she was initially nervous but grew familiar with Vietnam’s traffic. She was stopped only once by traffic police, who she found friendly. Because traffic in Japan keeps to the left, turning left in Vietnam was confusing at first.
A memorable moment came when she accidentally crashed into a wall in a small town she cannot recall. “People rushed to help. They tied the broken motorbike with a rope and checked whether I was injured. Their kindness really touched me,” she said.
Although always prioritising safety, Nakatani was not afraid of challenges. She especially loved mountain passes, forest trails and small rural roads, where she could feel nature and local life up close.
Once, she rode more than 50km alone through landslides and mud in heavy rain with no mobile signal. “It was reckless, but I learned a lot. When the slopes were too steep, I asked nearby young people to ride the bike through. I also listened to locals’ advice to avoid dangerous routes,” she said.
What moved her most during her journey was the Vietnamese people’s friendliness and hospitality. Many stopped to speak with her, asked where she was from and were surprised that she was Japanese, saying she looked Vietnamese.
Locals showed her how to enjoy regional food, recommended places to stay and helped her repair her motorbike. When it broke down on the road, a local driver gave her a ride for a long distance. “He was so kind and drove very professionally. It is one of my best memories in Vietnam,” she recalled.
Nakatani said Vietnam impressed her with its diverse, accessible accommodation options, from small homestays to comfortable hotels. She could easily find a place to stay each night.
“Vietnam, the most fascinating country in Southeast Asia”
Nakatani described herself as curious and eager to explore unfamiliar places. In March 2023, after graduating from university and working for two years, she left Japan for Europe with a one-way ticket.
She continued her journey with only a small backpack, a few clothes, brushes and ink. She hitchhiked, stayed in strangers’ homes and lived in remote places where each day brought a new story.
After visiting Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, she travelled overland through China, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia, returned to Thailand, passed through Cambodia and finally arrived in Vietnam, where she spent 70 days exploring.
After a successful motorbike trip across Thailand, she felt confident enough to embark on a similar journey in Vietnam, where the landscapes and kind people felt “deeply connected” to her.
“When I wrote the word ‘love’ on small paper sheets and gave them to strangers, I felt like I received even more love in return. Perhaps that is why I am still travelling,” she said with a smile.
Before her trip, she knew little about Vietnam and had no expectations. But only a few weeks later, she was captivated.
“What impressed me most was the strong patriotism of the Vietnamese people. They are kind, and Vietnamese cuisine and culture are vibrant. Honestly, Vietnam is the most fascinating country I have visited in Southeast Asia,” she said.
Nakatani shares she's impressed by Vietnamese cuisine
For Nakatani, the trip was not only an exploration of nature but a journey inward. “I chose to travel alone because this was the last chapter of my Asia trip, and I wanted time to reflect on myself,” she said.