The locals in Vietnam have some expressions or terms to refer to “backpacking”. They say “phượt” or “du lịch tự túc” as “independent travel”, “du lịch ba lô” as “backpacking”, and “du lịch bụi” as “dusty travel”. And the rise of “dusty travel” in Vietnam seems to never end.

Vietnam – the country of Dusty Travel

“Dusty travel” in a sense of backpacking perfectly fits in the place and context of Vietnam. Vietnam caters everyone’s needs from being known as an oasis of relaxation, famous for epic adventures, to offering all the unique experience, not to mention such delicious feasts for your eyes with a perfect blend or balance of flavors. Vietnam is now a backpacker hub and has become one of the most prominent travel destinations in Asia on account of cheap cost of living, friendly and exciting vibes, a wide selection of off-the-beaten-track spots, and much more. In one word, Vietnam is the “Dusty travel” heaven.

However, (or also) in another sense of “Dusty travel”, its literal meaning is “dusty” or “dust”– “bụi” and “travel” – “du lịch”, which means we travel while breathing the dust in. While a lot of people have been writing about living, working, and traveling in Vietnam regarding all the excellent travel highlights, we rarely get to read articles about one of the most undeniable drawbacks – the air pollution in Vietnam, especially in big cities such as Hanoi, and Saigon (HCMC). The air quality index (AQI) has been very high, normally from 150 – 220, ranking on the top of the world sometimes at over 300.

The air quality gets that worse due to lots of reasons, such as the burning traditions taken from Chinese culture on special lunar days, the breakout of fire in a light warehouse releasing a high amount of fluorescent last year, the excessive amount of pollution resulted from motorbikes (around 7 mill bikes and 500K cars in a big city here!) and cars on the road, the northeastern trade winds carrying all the industrial dirt and dust from China and Hanoi’s neighboring provinces, and much more.

So what’s the solution? 

First of all, it is highly recommended to install AQ tracking apps like Airvisual just so you know on which days the AQI in the city is so high that you can avoid by staying indoors. Especially if you are traveling with a baby, an elderly family member, a pregnant woman or someone that has moderate to severe breathing problems, you should be more careful and well-prepared.

If air pollution does not constitute the number one concern, it is as just moderate as it could be. In Hanoi and Saigon, you may have to learn to wear a mask or have your hand cover your mouth while getting a full exposure to the traffic flow out there. Also, doing some outdoor exercises during the day might not be ideal, either. These tiny particles of pollution can burrow deep into the lungs and cause a range of severe health problems. It may result in occasional coughs, sneeze, sore throat, and even worse, some severe respiratory health problems like bronchitis, or lung inflammation. It’s not a fun reality, but it’s the truth.

If you tend to live here long-term, consider using an air filter indoors. But chances are it is going to take more of a toll on your health. However, just as long as you get out of Vietnam’s two biggest cities, you can see the air quality in Vietnam is getting better. It doesn’t mean you have to head for some remote rice paddy villages to get some fresh air, but you can start thinking about other city options including Da Nang, Hoi An, Da Lat, Can Tho, etc.

Regardless, while air pollution can be a problem in Vietnam, don’t let it hold you back from checking this country.