Western tourists paddle SUP on the river and are welcomed by the entire Western neighborhood

At around 5:00 p.m. on February 8, Ms. Bich Lieu, living in Tri Ton, went to the area at the edge of a small river (locals often call it “Tan Tuyen Melaleuca forest”) and met a Hungarian tourist, about 50 years old, who was SUP boarding. There were no tourists in this area, so a foreigner appeared, surprising Ms. Lieu.

The male tourist said he was traveling in a group to explore Vietnam. He paddled a SUP down the Hau River, while the other members rode bicycles. By February 8, he had been SUPing for about three weeks. Because he was so tired, he asked Ms. Lieu to let her sleep in the area near the river’s edge, and did not ask to go inside the house to avoid disturbing everyone.

After discussing with the family, everyone decided to invite tourists to rest in a hut along the river, a place often used for cooling and taking a lunch break.

“Hearing that a foreigner was coming, the whole neighborhood came out to greet him and see if he was missing anything,” Ms. Lieu said. After arranging her accommodation, the Hungarian tourist also walked around the neighborhood and enjoyed playing with her 15-month-old daughter. The male tourist shared that where he lives, people do not let strangers come into contact with children as freely as in Vietnam. The friendliness of the people in the neighborhood surprised him.

In the evening, a family cooked dinner to invite male tourists, even “appointed” a person who could communicate well in English to chat, creating a comfortable feeling for the foreign guests.

At around 7:00 a.m. the next day, the male tourist left and was greeted by the whole neighborhood and helped pack up his things. Before leaving, tourists also sent everyone a few small gift bags, mainly candies bought in Vietnam, and repeatedly said thank you.

“He came to my neighborhood, stayed overnight, and in the morning the whole neighborhood went to see him off like a relative going abroad to work,” Ms. Lieu said with a smile, saying that hospitality is always noticeable among people in the West.

The video about the male tourist was shared by Ms. Lieu online, receiving a lot of attention from the community. Many people sent their thanks to the families in the neighborhood who thoughtfully welcomed the male tourists, contributing to spreading the friendly image of Vietnamese people to the international community.

In addition, many comments also expressed surprise at the Hungarian male tourist’s journey, and warned of the dangers of traveling alone on the river for many days. Ms. Lieu said that according to plan, this Western visitor went to the gate area of ​​the former Kien Giang province.

Many accidental encounters between Western tourists and locals have also attracted attention in the past. In October 2025, a pair of Western tourists were cycling and exhausted, so they were invited in by a family holding a funeral in Hue. A month earlier, a Korean female tourist was also unexpectedly invited to dinner by the owner of a jewelry store in Hoi An when she stopped by to buy things.