 |
| Venus Huang Shares Distressing Airport Ride Experience in Ho Chi Minh City, Left Her Stranded With 18kg Luggage (Photo: Venus Huang) |
What was meant to be a routine trip to the airport turned into a stressful race against time for Taiwanese actress Venus Huang Xuan. The 40-year-old actress recently shared a detailed account of what she described as a deeply unsettling ride-hailing experience in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, which ultimately forced her to carry her 18kg luggage and run to the airport to avoid missing her flight.
According to Venus Huang, the incident began when she booked a Grab car to the airport, only for a motorcycle to arrive instead. When she questioned the mismatch, the rider firmly insisted that he was her assigned driver.
After checking her booking details on her phone, the rider allegedly reached over and cancelled the original order himself, which the app later recorded as a passenger-initiated cancellation.
With little time to spare, the situation quickly escalated.
Venus Huang said the rider placed her carry-on luggage onto the motorcycle and gestured animatedly, explaining in Vietnamese that heavy traffic made a bike the faster option.
By this point, the fare for a new booking had surged to around 1.5 times the original price.
Seeing that her navigation app showed a faster estimated travel time by motorcycle, she reluctantly agreed to continue.
However, the ride soon became tense.
Venus Huang stated that the rider insisted on the higher fare, and only agreed to proceed after she firmly said she would pay the original car price of 91,000 VND.
Despite this, the rider allegedly travelled at an unusually slow speed.
When she asked him to hurry as they were running late, he reportedly stopped and demanded additional payment, resuming the journey only after she agreed to pay more.
The journey, which should have taken around 25 minutes, dragged on to nearly 50.
Venus Huang also described the rider’s erratic behaviour on the road, which left her increasingly anxious throughout the trip.
Just when she thought they were nearing the airport, the rider stopped near an elevated roadway and claimed they had arrived.
 |
Using a translation app, Venus Huang explained that she needed to go to Terminal 2.
The rider, however, gestured for her to walk the rest of the way.
Exhausted and desperate to make her flight, she handed over 120,000 VND, including the additional amount previously demanded.
The rider allegedly refused to release her luggage and insisted on an even higher sum before she managed to retrieve her bag and walk away.
Things did not get easier from there.
Venus Huang claimed that nearby drivers quoted her highly inflated prices for the short remaining distance.
Unwilling to risk another dispute, she carried her 18kg luggage on her back and followed directions from kind passers-by, making her way to the terminal on foot.
By the time she reached the airport, she was dangerously close to missing her flight.
Venus Huang said she sprinted through the terminal, rushed through check-in just before counters closed, and ran again through immigration to board her plane in time.
After returning home, Venus Huang filed a complaint with Grab, noting that the original driver’s account was still linked to the booking and should be traceable.
However, she admitted she had little confidence that the issue would be properly resolved, saying that holding such behaviour accountable through complaints often feels extremely difficult.
Despite the ordeal, Venus Huang stressed that she does not view the incident as representative of Vietnam as a whole.
She reiterated her love for the country’s food, accommodations, and the many warm and helpful locals she encountered, adding that she would happily visit again in the future.
She also shared a firm reminder for fellow travellers: always allow extra time when heading to the airport in unfamiliar cities and stay alert, as some individuals may take advantage of passengers who are in a rush, unfamiliar with local language, or about to leave the country.
Netizens and fans had mixed reactions following Venus Huangs post. Some expressed anger and sympathy, urging ride-hailing platforms to strengthen safety checks and accountability.
Others shared similar airport-related experiences abroad, while a portion of commenters advised travellers to stick strictly to in-app rules and avoid agreeing to off-platform changes at all costs.
What do you think about her experience? Have you ever faced something similar while travelling abroad, or do you have tips to avoid situations like this?