🌟 Vani (or Vanilla) – The Heart and Soul Behind Truly Voyage
Some people build companies. Others build legacies of joy. Vani, the founder of Truly Voyage, is one of the rare few who does both — with sincerity in her heart, sparkle in her eyes, and an unwavering love for the people she meets.
🌾 Roots in the Countryside – Where It All Began
Vani’s story begins in a peaceful farming village in Vietnam, where the days started with the crow of roosters and ended with the golden glow of sunset over endless rice fields. Life was simple, yet rich in its own quiet way — neighbors knew each other by name, children played barefoot in the dust, and every season brought its own rhythms of planting and harvest.
Her childhood was not without hardship. At just ten years old, Vani worked alongside her parents to help build their modest home — a small space that held more love than its four walls could contain. It was here she learned the values that would stay with her forever: resilience, humility, and gratitude for life’s smallest blessings. She grew up watching her parents share what little they had with others, and from them she inherited a belief that kindness is the greatest wealth a person can possess.
Vani, back in the village where her dreams began, sharing laughter with the children who now walk the same winding paths she once did.
🤝 A Heart for Giving – The Volunteer Years
By eighteen, she stepped into her first volunteer journey — a door that opened her to a wider world, one woven with kindness, connection, and the joy of giving.
She poured herself into every project: building schools in remote villages, bringing clean water to highland communities, baking cakes for underprivileged children, teaching English to ethnic minority students, filming cultural and museum stories in English, and caring for disabled children at a center in Ba Vi. Every drop of sweat, every shared smile became part of dozens of community projects that touched lives and hearts.
For six years — from high school through university — her youth was a continuous stream of community work: organizing cultural exchanges between Kinh and ethnic minorities, connecting Vietnamese youth with international friends, and creating moments of understanding that transcended borders. Those journeys, painted with the colors of youth — tears and laughter, sacrifice and love.
Volunteer trips gave her countless smiles, but also carried away many tears. As a young woman full of ambition, she witnessed the harsh realities of life in the mountains — families struggling with poverty, children walking barefoot for 10 kilometers over steep passes just to reach school. In the biting cold of winter, many wore nothing more than thin shirts and shorts. Yet, despite it all, the children’s faces glowed with laughter and joy. Watching them, she silently promised herself: one day she would live a good life, work hard for her country and her homeland, and find a way to ease those hardships, especially for the children.
Her volunteering also became a bridge to the wider world. She built friendships with people from Japan, Singapore, Europe, and beyond — showing them her Vietnam, not just as a tourist destination, but as a home. Through these exchanges, she learned that kindness and culture could transcend borders, and that sharing her roots was as powerful as discovering new ones.
Bringing smiles to highland children during a volunteer project — one of many that shaped her heart.
Vani, lovingly baking cookies with her own hands — a sweet gift from the heart for her volunteer work
🌏 Stepping Into the World – A Life-Changing Journey to Japan
As a diligent student always at the top of her class, Vani began dreaming of studying abroad in the United States when she was in grade 10. While pursuing this goal, she actively participated in volunteer activities from the age of 17.
She received 50% scholarship offers from two universities, but with her family working as laborers, she could only go if she received a full scholarship. When that chance didn’t come, she felt the sadness of letting go of her American dream — but she didn’t stop moving forward. She continued dedicating herself to community activities, learning from fresh graduates, supporting international students, and steadily improving her English.
Her perseverance bore fruit in 2014, when she received a full volunteer scholarship for a three-month volunteer study abroad program in Japan. That experience completely changed her life. She discovered that beyond her passion for study, she deeply loved bringing happiness to people by organizing meaningful activities for the community.
In Japan on a volunteer scholarship — the trip that changed her life forever.
When she returned from Japan, with her improved English skills and her dream of creating joyful journeys for others, she decided to try a career she never thought she could do: inbound tourism sales. At first, she believed she wasn’t suitable — sales seemed to require tricks she didn’t have. But she chose honesty instead. And it was this sincerity that made countless customers love her, treating her like family.
Japan left a lasting mark on her. She admired the country’s precision, discipline, and deep respect for tradition — values that resonated with her own upbringing. But more than that, she realized something essential: no matter the culture, no matter the country, people connect through the simplest gestures of kindness. That truth became a compass she would follow in everything she did.
🛤 From Passion to Profession – Discovering Tourism
Upon returning to Vietnam, Vani decided to follow her curiosity into tourism. At first, the idea intimidated her. Sales in inbound travel seemed like a world of contracts, commissions, and competition — far from the altruistic work she had known. But she approached it with the same sincerity she brought to her volunteer work.
She didn’t just “sell tours.” She listened to her guests. She learned their stories, their preferences, their dreams for their trip. Therefore, her love for international tourism only grew stronger and more enduring. She poured herself into her work, answering customers almost instantly — rarely letting anyone wait more than five minutes during working hours. And even late at night, at 2 or 4 in the morning, she could often be found at the airport, personally welcoming guests with a smile.
Vani, radiant in her smile and proud in the elegance of Vietnam’s traditional áo dài, in front of Hoan Kiem Lake and The Huc bridge - the icon of Ha Noi city
All of that effort was never just about profit or closing deals. It was about devoting her youth to something bigger: bringing international friends to Vietnam’s cultural lands, high mountains, and vast seas. Through her work, more and more travelers chose Vietnam, contributing to the country’s economy and to the lives of people in remote areas who still faced hardship, yet carried with them a proud and unshakable cultural identity.
For her, this was not simply a career — it was a lifelong path of gratitude, a way to honor her country, her homeland, and her family. At the same time, she wishes every traveler to carry home not just good memories, but a deeper connection to Vietnam and the diverse cultures of Asia. For her, each journey is a chance to build bridges — between homeland and world, between one heart and another. She believes that when we do good, it creates ripples: one kind act inspiring another, one happy journey blossoming into many more. It is a lesson she carries from her parents, from her volunteer days, and even from the guests themselves, who continue to inspire her in return. In her own words, “Every guest is another life I get to live.” Over the years, she’s lived more than 10,000 lives — through the eyes of travelers who left a little piece of their hearts in Vietnam, and took a piece of Vietnam home with them.
💪 Resilience After the Pandemic – Growth and Reflection
After the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vani became a mother to a baby boy she lovingly calls Moon. She returned to her former company and, alongside seven other shareholders — including her husband — helped grow it from 7 million VND/month in revenue to 30 billion/month in just two years.
Vani with her trusted husband — her steadfast partner in life and the co-founder of Truly Voyage, walking beside her on every step of the journey
But as the company grew, she began to feel something slipping away. Even salespeople were no longer allowed to meet customers when they came to the office. She asked herself, “Is this still the path I want?”
It was a period of intense learning and achievement, but also reflection. As the company grew, so did the gap between her and the guests. The personal touch, the small details, the intimate connections — the very things that had inspired her to enter tourism — were getting lost. And for Vani, that was non-negotiable.
In one of the biggest decisions of her life, she left the place she had helped build for nearly 10 years — one of the market’s top travel companies — to start something entirely new.
🚀 A New Beginning – The Birth of Truly Voyage
In a leap of faith, Vani and her husband decided to walk away from the company she had helped shape for nearly a decade. She returned to her roots — not geographically, but spiritually — and founded Truly Voyage, her “second child.” Small, full of potential, and carrying the same innocence and hope as her little boy, Moon.
She didn’t want a big machine. She wanted something personal, something that allowed her to know every guest’s name, remember their favorite food, and send them home with stories that would last a lifetime. From day one, Truly Voyage was built on love, authenticity, and the belief that the smallest gestures often leave the deepest impressions. She knew that through this company, she could help guests — fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts from all walks of life — feel what she has always felt for Vietnam: pride, longing, and love.
For Vani, every trip is more than a journey — it is a heartfelt meeting: a connection between people, between cultures, between emotions. Each itinerary she designs carries a personal touch, infused with warmth, kindness, and the joy of sharing. The team she built shares the same heartbeat: they light up when hearing guests’ happy stories, when seeing majestic Vietnamese landscapes through their eyes, when watching them enjoy Vietnamese food, and when capturing the bright smiles of local people. That joy, that truth, is what Truly Voyage brings to every guest.
Every gesture, every gift, every shared activity is her way of offering a piece of Vietnam’s soul — rustic, genuine, and deeply moving. So that when the journey ends, visitors carry home not only beautiful memories, but also the lingering heartbeat of a Vietnam that is rich, vibrant, and full of love.
Vani with happy guests, turning a simple trip into a lifelong memory
A cheerful selfie with Vani — capturing not just smiles, but the warmth of friendship on the journey
Vani, in the gorgeous áo dài, welcoming a family at the airport — a simple gesture filled with the beauty of Vietnamese tradition and heartfelt hospitality
Welcoming travelers in graceful áo dài — a symbol of Vietnamese hospitality.
💖 The Spirit of Truly Voyage
Ask Vani what makes Truly Voyage different, and she will tell you: “It’s not about where you go. It’s about how you feel while you’re there.”
Every itinerary is crafted with care and precision, ensuring each experience feels authentic, delicate, and unforgettable. Her itineraries are living love letters to Vietnam. She weaves in cultural experiences that touch the senses — lanterns glowing in Hoi An, royal costumes in Hue, the aroma of Saigon coffee drifting through a quiet street. Guests are welcomed like family, and each moment is crafted with care.
Each member of Truly Voyage are not just planners but listeners. They treasure every smile, every word of gratitude, every memory shared by guests — reminders of why they dedicate their hearts to this work. For them, each journey is an act of love, connecting souls long after the trip has ended.
The Truly Voyage team — hearts united in their love for culture, people, and connection.
For Vani, every journey is an exchange of happiness. She believes that when travelers leave Vietnam with a smile and a story, they carry a piece of the country’s soul with them — and that is the most precious souvenir of all.
When you are ready to experience Vietnam through the eyes of someone who loves it deeply, Truly Voyage will be here — ready to walk beside you.
If you wish to meet Vani — a girl who loves her people, her homeland, and her culture, who laughs and cries with every story you share — come to Hanoi, Vietnam. Reach out to us, and you will discover a Vietnam that is even more tender, more welcoming, and filled with unforgettable emotions.
📧 Email: sales@trulyvoyage.com
🌐 Website: www.trulyvoyage.com
May your travels always be filled with kindness, beauty, and memories worth treasuring.
