Recently updated on June 27th, 2025 at 11:23 am
When U.S. travelers Lawrence and his nieces, Alex and Avery, embarked on a guided trip through Vietnam, they expected breathtaking sights and rich history – but travel offers so much more when you open yourself up to new experiences and cultures.
While this American family has always believed in the value of investing in travel, they didn’t anticipate how deeply Vietnam would shift their perspectives as they explored the buzzing streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, and the the tranquil waters of Ha Long Bay and the Mekong Delta.
Let’s take a look at 8 lessons they learnt on their Vietnam trip, and the lasting impact it will have on each of them.
1. They felt deeply welcomed by the Vietnamese people
“They’re such a kind and warm and generous people,” says Lawrence. “They invited us into their homes. We had lunch together and walked through their villages. They were all accommodating and very welcoming.
“[I enjoyed the] juxtaposition between the big cities in the north and the south and the smaller cities in Central, central Vietnam with the Mekong Delta it. [The tour] provided a good balance for all three.”
“My highlight would be the Vietnamese people. This is such a vibrant and beautiful culture, and they’re so inviting. They really made my experience amazing,” says Avery.
2. It opened them up to new perspectives
“I think that investing in traveling is important because it offers you experiences that you can’t just get from being at home,” says Alex. “There’s only so much you can learn within a classroom. There’s only much so much you can learn from people who actually aren’t a part of that culture.
“It’s important to go and experience it for yourself. You slowly realize how much you’re adapting and how you’re changing the more you encounter people that aren’t like you.”
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3. It helped them grow as people
“If you want to grow as a person, and if you truly value your life and the lives of others and unity within this world, then it’s really important to make sure you expose yourself to everyone in it,” says Alex.
Her uncle Lawrence added: “If you stay in one place, you’ve stagnated your growth, and you don’t know who you could possibly become until you start to travel.”
Lawrence says you start to do things you never imagined possible – from talking to strangers to being challenged – and that is opens new ideas, new possibilities. He considers travel and investment. “I’m 68 I can do all this all the way to my 80s.”
4. It challenged what they thought they knew
Avery says she appreciated learning about historic events and hearing first-hand accounts of what happened from a local perspective.
“I believe that it’s important to invest in travel, because it’s allowed me to see the importance of understanding two different sides to the same story,” she says. “Especially in a country like Vietnam, who we’ve had political relationship, with for the past decades.
“When we went to the museum today, and just the way they talked about the events that happened in their country, which was very different than how we were taught.”
5. They discovered the value of perspective
“[Travel] reminds you that what’s going on in your small part of the world isn’t everything,” says Alex. “I’m personally about to graduate. I’ve been very stressed about what’s what’s my future is going to hold, and just everything’s very unsure.
“But coming here has really helped calm that…it’s helped me to realize that nothing’s certain, and that’s not a bad thing.
“This world [is] so diverse, and there are so many different kinds of people, so many different opportunities – traveling helps remind you of all of that.”
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6. Lawrence saw a future in Vietnam…
“You’re not tied to your country,” says Lawrence. “You can be mobile…by traveling the world and finding out what your heart and your soul and your body screams at you.”
“I was looking at countries to maybe be an expat and to move to, and Vietnam was on a list of 23 countries that I was doing the research on.
“It’s definitely moved to the top of the list now. The only thing that gives me trepidation is learning Vietnamese – but that would be an immersive experience!”
7. It was a chance to disconnect and relax
“Part of this trip was a hands-on kind of evaluation, but the other side of that coin is that I’ve been able to completely disconnect from the news and everything going on in the US,” says Lawrence.
“The only thing I’ve checked on since being here is who won the last golf tournament in the PGA. That’s it. And that’s a beautiful thing.”
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8. And yet feel connected to the world
“I’m very grateful for this experience traveling to Vietnam because it’s allowed me to realize how connected we are to the rest of the world, and that our problems are not as unique as the media might make them out to be,” says Avery.
“A lot of countries go through political turmoil where their people feel divided and alienated, but like in the beauty of Vietnam you can become unified, you can find a common ground.”
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Are you considering a Vietnam trip soon? Let us know in the comments…