Chergui arrived in Vietnam on August 6, ahead of the official Miss World 2026 schedule. She used the first few days to meet the Moroccan Embassy team in Hanoi before the festivities began.
Her official entry into the competition came August 9, when the Miss World organization welcomed the contestants at the airport. As is customary at the pageant, each contestant arrives with her country’s flag in her luggage. For the occasion, Chergui chose to wear a traditional Vietnamese outfit as a tribute to the host country, she told Le360.
A roughly two-hour bus ride then took the contestants to their hotel in Quảng Ninh province. Activities began as soon as they stepped off the bus, with no time to rest.
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The first activity was a visit to a social assistance center in the province, where people with disabilities work. The contestants then gathered at the hotel for a welcome dinner after being divided into continental groups in advance.
“We were starting to get to know each other,” Chergui recalled. She also described the first informal interviews held that same evening, with each contestant asked about her charity project. The evening ended with a performance by Vietnamese artists.
Official speeches also marked the first day, including an address by Lê Văn Ánh, vice chairman of the Quảng Ninh Provincial People’s Committee, the province that is home to Ha Long Bay.
August 10 was devoted to work with the event’s sponsors. Some contestants went through a series of photo shoots while others attended fittings for the opening ceremony.
The original plan called for a customized ao dai, a traditional Vietnamese dress, for each delegation, decorated with the national flag and an iconic monument from the country. For Morocco, the outfit was supposed to feature Rabat’s Kasbah of the Udayas.
But arranging a custom outfit for each delegation proved more complicated than expected, and mistakes appeared in the outfits for some countries.
“It’s complicated to manage all the countries,” Chergui said.
The project was eventually abandoned in favor of a more traditional collection of ao dai designed by Vietnamese designer Do Trinh Hoai Nam.
August 11 was marked by rehearsals for the opening ceremony, first at the hotel and then outdoors at the Ha Long Bay site, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The long days sometimes began as early as 5 a.m.
“Sometimes, we have to start at 6 a.m., so we have to get up at 5 a.m.,” Chergui said. She described days structured around lunch, afternoon work and evening work, “without really any rest.”
“We felt like stars”: crowds and glamour in Ha Long
The opening ceremony of the 73rd edition of Miss World was held August 12 in the Bai Chay area of Ha Long. It brought together all the contestants, representing countries and territories around the world.
The program featured Vietnamese songs, dances and performances before the contestants took part in a parade, first in traditional outfits with conical hats in hand and then in evening gowns for the Evening Gown segment. For the latter, Chergui chose a dress that “was inspired by Vietnam.”
Before the ceremony, the contestants had dinner at a restaurant that partnered with the event, where many fans came to meet them.
“We really felt like stars, because everyone is there, the whole city is there to meet the Misses,” Chergui recalled, describing an atmosphere similar to a movie premiere.
Immediately after the opening ceremony, the contestants hit the road again, this time at night, heading to their next destination, about three hours away by bus. Their luggage had already been sent ahead. The only instruction was to keep a small suitcase with a change of clothes and makeup for the following day.
The destination was Hai Phong, where the contestants settled into the Dream Dragon Resort, a five-star hotel within the Dragon Ocean tourism complex in Do Son.
The day after their arrival, August 13, saw the sash ceremony. Chergui wore a Moroccan caftan for the occasion.
Earlier in the day, the contestants had taken part in tourism activities divided into continental groups, with golf for some and nature activities for others. Her group took part in a planting activity in the local mangrove, in the presence of wildlife from the area.
The evening ended with a dinner, which she described as a kind of “nice evening.”
The following day was devoted to more tourism activities within the complex, including an aquatic park and a golf course, again as part of efforts to promote the site.
A dream stop in Ha Long Bay before the big leap
The following days continued to combine tourism activities with commitments to sponsors.
Saturday, August 15, was devoted to more photo shoots for the hotel to promote its various facilities. The afternoon was reserved for tourism activities and the evening for rehearsals.
On Sunday, August 16, the contestants enjoyed a boat trip on Ha Long Bay aboard a vessel named Catherine, where they spent the day taking in the scenery. A dance party on board preceded their return to the hotel, where more rehearsals were waiting for them.
Monday, August 17, marked the start of the first pageant challenges. Some contestants began filmed individual interviews with the jury focusing on their charity projects. Chergui has not yet taken part in hers.
The morning featured the pageant’s culinary challenge, a team competition that she compared to “Top Chef.” Nine teams of contestants were formed at the start of the challenge and gradually reduced to two, before one team won the competition by preparing a Vietnamese dish for the final, which was broadcast live on YouTube.
According to the schedule given to the contestants, a parade is planned for Tuesday, August 18, set to a song titled “Hello the World, welcome to Vietnam,” in collaboration with Vietnamese designers.
A flight to the competition’s next destination is then scheduled for the following day. The sporting challenge, meanwhile, remains pending. It was initially scheduled for August 17, but the schedule changed.
