A young Vietnamese man who recently cycled 450 kilometres from Hanoi to visit General Giap’s tomb in Quang Binh Province plans to cycle around the world.

Nguyen Van Khiem, 24, from northern province of Thai Binh, is a fourth-year student at the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, and has made several long bicycle trips including one across the country and one spanning Indochina.

DtiNews caught up with Khiem after his latest journey to General Giap’s tomb.

How was your ride to General Giap’s tomb?

Everything went alright except for my mobile phone falling into the water. I had a chance to talk to many different people and realised that people’s hearts are all directed towards the nation’s hero.

Why did you decide to travel by bicycle?

I think there are several different ways to show one’s respect for a person. I opted to travel by bike because it saves on expense. I am also more active and can easily talk to others.

During the five-day holiday from April 30 to May 5, I was travelling for nearly three days.

The young man by the beach near Vung Ang in Ha Tinh Province

Were you worried to come such a long distance alone with just a little money?

People from previous generations traveled on long roads with heavy packs on their backs and took a lot of risks of being injured by bombs or gunshots in order to liberate the country. I have a bicycle and modern roads and have received people’s help along the way. Compared to people from past times I've had it easy.

I think that money is just a tool to facilitate my journey. In fact, I spent only VND450,000 (USD21.31) out of the VND750,000 (USD35.51) that I took along.

Will you continue to travel more?

Of course I’ll continue to travel. I intend to cycle around the world in the near future. If I can complete visa procedures to European countries, the US and Australia on time, I will start my journey in July.

Why did you decide to take such a big trip while most of your peers who just graduated university are occupied with finding jobs?

All I can say is that I have two strong legs and an enthusiastic heart. I want to experience new things, see new landscapes, study new cultures and mix with people from different nations around the world.

I hope that my journey will be an inspiration to young people, helping them realise that their dreams are attainable despite challenges.

Reaching his destination at General Giap’s tomb in Quang Binh Province

How have you prepared?

I’ve spent nearly one year learning the experience from those who have made similar trips before me. I also have been training and working on other necessary skills.

Now I’m raising funds for the journey. I’ll try my best to find small jobs along the way. I believe i can succeed.

Are you confident?

I’ve cycled across the country with members of the Green Summer Club; I've cycled through Laos, Cambodia and Thailand for 1.5 months. However,I still want to have new experiences. So, I decide to make a bigger plan.

I’m just facing some visa problems for Greece and Europe. Now I’m calling for help from relevant agencies to speed up the process.

Thank you very much and wish you a successful journey!