Unable to return to Vietnam or to Korea because of Covid-19, Phuong Nhi and Hwa Yong chose the Philippines to meet when this place opened to tourists.
In the spring, the mountainous province of Laguna has cool weather and warm sunny days, similar to Bao Loc and Lam Dong in Vietnam. This is where Ho Phuong Nhi (25 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) and her boyfriend Jung Hwa Yong (Incheon, South Korea) are staying for the past few days. They stayed at the homes of Filipino friends and were treated to lively parties with neighbors. For Nhi, it has been a long time since she has experienced this Covid-19 like never before.
On February 24, after 10 days of planning, Nhi departed from Ho Chi Minh City, and her boyfriend from Incheon. They made an appointment to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, to meet again after two years of separation due to travel restrictions, due to the impact of Covid-19. Both Vietnam and Korea have not yet opened their doors to tourism, so they have chosen the Philippines as their rendezvous point. “The moment we met at Manila airport, I broke down with happiness and dared to believe that the trip was real. Before that, even though I had prepared carefully for the first overseas trip after the epidemic, I was still worried that I would not be able to enter the country. scene,” Nhi said.
The couple then went with their Filipino friend to Saud Beach, San Fernando City. After traveling for about 13 hours, they reached one of the most beautiful beaches in Asia, where the water is clear and blue. On the way, they visit Paoay Church, one of the oldest churches in the country and declared a National Cultural Treasure in 1973 by the Government.
After a day at Saud Beach, they went to the Bangui wind farm. This is Nhi’s favorite place, not only because of the beautiful scenery but also a lot of friendly local children, they help you pose and take pictures. They also visited the ancient city of Vigan, Ilocos Sur province. With cobbled and cobblestone streets, the Spanish colonial architecture is preserved intact, this place is known as Europe in the heart of the Philippines.
Their schedules are arranged by friends, so every day is a surprise for them. In each place, Nhi and Hwa Yong’s friends will contact the locals so they can stay and experience the local culture. “The people here are so friendly that it amazes me. They always help enthusiastically, prepare meals, welcome us like part of their family. Maybe that’s why we feel here like a second home,” Nhi said.
Filipinos eat a lot of rice, at first Nhi was a bit surprised because in the morning they eat rice with eggs, sausages or cold meat. They treated two people with local specialties such as grilled fish, grilled squid… also once held a Korean barbecue party with soju. At that time, neighbors will participate, no one seems to hesitate because of the epidemic.
Two years of long-distance love because of Covid-19
Phuong Nhi, Hwa Yong met and fell in love 5 years ago. One is in Korea, the other is in Vietnam, but they always take the time to meet. In early 2020, when the Covid-19 epidemic began to break out in the world, regular flights from Korea to Vietnam were cut off.
“The past two years have been really difficult for us, and we have thought about breaking up many times because of the stress of a long-distance relationship. Before coming to the Philippines, we argued a lot, for the first time in 5 years we didn’t contact our partner. After that, this country opens its doors to tourists, it’s like giving an opportunity to both of us, so we can meet again and erase all distances,” Nhi said.
She shared that during the two years, they found all kinds of ways to go abroad, meet each other such as getting a marriage visa, applying for a Canadian visa… but none of them were possible. Initially, when the countries opened their doors, they intended to go to Thailand but chose the Philippines because the procedure to come here was simpler.
Because there is no direct flight, Nhi booked a flight ticket of Singapore Airlines and transited in Singapore, the cost was 14.5 million VND. The Philippines requires that the person on entry has a negative result for nCoV by RT-PCR method within 48 hours of departure, so she went to the hospital for testing one day before. Travelers must declare through the One Health Pass page 3 days before their flight.
Nhi noted that tourists should have a visa card or a bank account of at least VND 30 million, to avoid customs that think you come here and stay to work. Immigration is much harder for her now than it was before Covid-19, but travelers just need to be honest. You can write down your accommodation address, hotel and good trip schedule. After entering the country, visitors download PC-Covid, select the English section, but do not need to apply for a certificate of full vaccination.
Going to the Philippines, restaurants and hotels have reopened very bustling, the weather is like Ho Chi Minh City. All activities have taken place normally, people use masks in public places. “Perhaps this is the thing that makes me feel most peaceful, it seems to be unaffected by the epidemic,” Nhi said. Previously, she had prepared mentally that she might get sick here, so she brought many medicines, throat sprays and bought health insurance with content to pay for Covid-19 treatment.
Coming soon when Vietnam opens to tourism on March 15, Hwa Yong will return to celebrate Nhi’s birthday. “We are watching and looking forward to this day because we still have many plans and goals to do when we meet each other. All of that, with respect and trust, have helped us overcome difficulties”, Nhi said. speak. Before returning home, they will stay in Manila for a day, looking for more places to explore.
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