Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post recently featured rare photographs of Vietnam from over 30 years ago, capturing the country at the dawn of its tourism opening.

The images were accompanied by a personal essay from British traveler Simon O’Reilly, who shared vivid memories from his first visit in 1994.

At that time, Vietnam had only recently opened its doors to international travelers following major economic reforms in the late 1980s. Foreign visitors could freely choose where to travel and stay.

An instant millionaire

Simon’s first stop was Ho Chi Minh City, where he and a friend stayed in a six-story hotel overlooking a bustling street.

The ground floor housed a small café selling strong Vietnamese drip coffee and local canned beer. Outside were stalls offering Zippo lighters, jewelry made from bullet casings, and other quirky souvenirs.

They exchanged a small amount of USD into Vietnamese dong - at the time, 100 USD equaled one million VND.

The largest banknote available was 5,000 VND, meaning they were handed thick stacks of cash and jokingly called themselves “instant millionaires.”

The duo planned to travel northward along the coast by bus or train to reach Hanoi. The train was crowded but surprisingly comfortable.

“My most vivid memory of the train was waking up in the early morning to the smell of dried squid being grilled on tiny charcoal stoves placed between the seats. The aroma filled the carriage,” Simon recalled.

At one point, they boarded an old, cramped bus packed with people and luggage. After only a couple of hours, the bus broke down, forcing all passengers to disembark while the driver and assistant hammered away under the chassis to make repairs.

A sign that read ‘Mines’

“One day, we saw hammocks for sale and had the idea of sleeping under the stars on a remote beach. After renting two motorbikes in Da Nang, we rode off to find two palm trees close enough together to hang our hammocks,” Simon shared.

It was dark, the headlights were dim, and they stumbled over sand dunes until finally finding a secluded beach to spend the night.

The next morning, after a sleepless night in the hammock, they went searching for coffee. As they turned around to leave, morning sunlight illuminated a wooden sign they had missed the night before. It read: “Mines.”

“We swallowed hard and sped away on our bikes. Fortunately, there was no explosion, and we soon spotted some huts in the distance,” he said.

Their motorbikes ran out of fuel just as they reached a small village. Assuming they would have to walk for hours, they were soon greeted by curious children who rushed out to “investigate” the foreign visitors.

“We had a conversation in which both sides spoke entirely different languages but still understood each other,” Simon laughed.

Soon, the adults arrived with a large bottle of gasoline, water, and snacks. Though Simon and his friend offered to pay, the villagers firmly refused.

“It’s hard to describe how warm and generous Vietnamese people are. Despite their modest lives, they were incredibly hospitable, honest, and deeply proud of who they are,” Simon recalled with gratitude.

Throughout their journey, Simon and his friend were often invited to meals by locals who never asked for money in return. However, the pair never made it to Hanoi as planned.

As they traveled northward, the southern sunshine gave 

Do An