VietNamNet Bridge - Jerome and Linda and their two small sons have traveled to many countries in Asia by bike or hitchhike. Staying in Vietnam for a month, they visited the Mekong Delta and then traveled from the South to North.

The Jerome family on the Pamir Highway in Central Asia. Photo: NVCC

Before coming to Vietnam, this family had travelled by various means of transport through many countries. This long journey comes from the family’s wish of having time together.

Living in the city of Grenolle, in southeastern France, Linda Bufficere was a craft trader whose time was always occupied with work. When her sons Martin and Simon reached the ages of 5 and 3, Linda told her husband Jerome of her plan of traveling together to bring the family closer. The couple chose Asia to tour, to meet local craft artisans and to find an outlet for their crafts.

The couple decided to suspend their business in a year and took their children to Asia last July. They travelled light and spent an average of 30 Euro per day for accommodation and travel, including visa costs for the whole family. To save money, the couple often hitchhiked or used trains or bikes. They also asked to stay at the homes of members of the Couch Surfing network, which offers free lodging in many countries.

The couple ride along the Mekong River. Photo: NVCC

From France, the family went to Russia and Kazakhstan by train. After arriving in Kyrgystan, they hitchhiked to western China. Then the family took a train to Tibet and Nepal and then took a bus to cross the Himalayas to India. After over three months in India, they went to Bangladesh. From here they flew to Thailand. They bought two bikes to take their kids around Thailand and through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, for a distance of about 3,000 kilometers.

Linda said her family's trip has provided them with many unforgettable experiences. At the border between China and Kazakhstan, Chinese border guards did not give a lift to the family but asked them to get a taxi to a city that is 200 km from the border. However, the couple did not want to spend the money to take a taxi so they camped at the border for a day. Then the Chinese border guards intercepted two trucks on the road to take the family to the border city.

On the road to Tibet, the couple did not know about the rules that tourists must travel in groups of at least 4 people of the same nationality, but the family was lucky enough to have 4 people, so they indeed were allowed to enter Tibet.  

In Asian countries, apart from enjoying the beautiful scenery, the couple met with local craft artisans to help them improve their product designs and to look for business partners.

Jerome’s family enjoys Vietnamese cuisines. Photo: NVCC

Linda and Jerome said their children were happy to experience the cuisine, beautiful scenery and people on the way. Linda said if the kids were at home they would have been more secure but thanks to the trip, the kids have learned many things.

Jerome said that his children faced risks such as food poisoning in China, high fever in Tibet, and malaria in India but the couple remained calm and helped the children get through the tough times.

In Vietnam during the past month, the family visited the Mekong Delta and traveled throughout the country. After leaving Vietnam, the couple will head back to China, then on to Mongolia, and finally take a train back to Europe in July.

Pha Le