F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck and Hunter S. Thompson all added a unique twist to the American Dream ethos: The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas… Well, Cua Lo Beach has its own, real-life version of the American Dream and it features Nguyen Dam Van and his younger brother Minh. Theirs is a story of success, borne of hard-work, vision and perseverance. Only this American Dream classic is made in Viet Nam…

Hoang Anh served as my translator (he’s currently enrolled at Virginia Tech University). We met with his uncle Van (actually three uncles, an aunt and a gaggle of cousins) to discuss the success story of the Van Minh bus company.

Van was born in 1976, just after the end of the Vietnam War (Minh was born two years later). Their parents gave them the names Van (Literature) and Minh (Bright), which when combined translates into: Civilized.

“Our parents were projecting, in our names, the hopes of most Vietnamese at the time,” Van began. “Viet Nam was rising from the ashes of war, seeking a semblance of order and prosperity. They wished for us to be part of that process—the rebuilding of Viet Nam. It was a dream shared by many Vietnamese who were living in a country of chaotic turmoil.”

Fast forward to 1998. Van and Minh are off to Germany to work as laborers in order to make money to help support their parents, three other brothers and five sisters.

“We worked hard but also paid attention to the German way of life, the order, the fastidious fashion in which their society operated. When we came home in 2003, we had both saved money and had learned a valuable cultural lesson in the process.”

Van and Minh were born in rural Yen Thanh. In 2002, while they were toiling away in Germany, their family moved to Cua Lo, seeking a better way of life.

“When we returned from Germany, Minh and I invested in a hotel. It was our first foray into the tourism trade. Cua Lo at the time was a popular beach getaway for residents of the Nghe An province and more importantly, tourists from Hanoi.”

Shortly after opening their hotel, Van and Minh started a full-service travel agency, booking transportation, hotels, tours—the whole shebang. And that’s when they had the idea to start their own bus company.

“At that time, the bus transportation culture in Viet Nam was a mess. There was little order, buses ran on no apparent schedule, people were picked up haphazardly along the side of the road as there were no designated bus stops. The buses were filthy, no bathrooms, little comfort—people were packed like sardines. We decided to change that. We took a page from the Western business model and instituted order, a system. Our buses were clean and comfortable—they ran on a schedule and they ran on time!”

Van and Minh currently run a fleet of sleeper buses (with fully reclinable beds), provide fresh blankets, pillows, air conditioning, WiFi and a bathroom. What started in 2007 with a single bus, now boasts over 100. They run 18 roundtrips to and from Hanoi each and every day (roundtrip tickets from Hanoi go for about $20)

“We recently added VIP buses which come with private rooms, televisions and headphones,” Van added with pride (roundtrip about $30).

I’d been a frequent traveler on Van Minh buses long before I met the owners. The fact of the matter is, if you’re traveling from Hanoi to Cua Lo, Vinh or Ha Tinh, Van Minh is the best option. Yes, you can fly from Hanoi to Vinh City but you don’t save that much time and you’ll spend ten times more money. Think about it. You get to the airport one or two hours before flight time. It takes another 45 minutes (and cost) to get to the airport from Hanoi proper. You’re in the air for an hour. You land in Vinh City and then must take a cab (about twenty-minutes) to Cua Lo (the cost of the cab alone is in line with a round-trip ticket from Hanoi and back on Van Minh).

What travelers should bear in mind is that Van Minh’s 6-hour trip from Hanoi to Cua Lo comes with the luxury of the sleeper and all the aforementioned creature-comfort accruements. And passengers are dropped off at their respective hotels!

Van Minh also offers (for about $3 dollars) a meal stop at a Vietnamese restaurant which serves a traditional, family style meal. This is a cultural extravagance most travelers will never experience (unless you’re invited into someone’s home). Frankly, it’s my favorite part of the trip. But I digress…

“I believe Cua Lo has a bright future as a tourist destination for Westerners,” Van opined. “A recent co-op deal with Vinh City (the capital of the Nghe An province) will provide us with greater promotion. There’s a sky-tram opening soon, which will take guests from the beach to Dao Ngu Island. A world-class water park is also in the works. There is development ahead but also a dedication to keeping the charm of our beautiful beachside getaway intact.”

Here’s the bottom line. If you’re in Hanoi and want to explore one of Vietnam’s finest beaches (dine on fresh seafood and immerse in Vietnamese culture), and you want to travel in comfort and affordability, then Van Minh is your ticket.