So far, 25-year-old Khanh Nguyen and her husband, 29-year-old Thibault Clemenceau, have finished one-fourth of their France-Vietnam journey, raising $5,000 along the way.

Khanh Nguyen, a native of southern Vung Tau Town, and her husband set out nearly 3 months ago on their honeymoon trip from his hometown, Vendée in the western-central region of France.

The couple plan to finish their journey next March in HCMC. Along the way, they are raising money to help disadvantaged children in the city.

They have chosen winding mountain routes over normal roads to explore better the natural beauty on the way, as well as to meet new friends.

Thibault said it was more strenuous but safer to traverse mountain roads because there are fewer high-speeding vehicles. The highest mountain top the couple have so far reached is 1,419 meters above sea level.

The couple cycle around 50 kilometers a day on average. If the weather is good, they can cover as much as 90-100 kilometers. They apply for visas as they go. They have cycled for over 4,000 kilometers through 8 countries. If they encounter dangerous terrain, they will take the train.

Normally, they rest for the night at locations well known among international cycling communities. However, several times, they have had to pitch their tent outdoors at temperatures 3-4 Celsius degrees below zero.

Thibault said they look forward to reaching Vietnam and spending time with family, not to mention try all of their favorite Vietnamese dishes.