Wondering what other people thought of Vietnam.
We have currently been in Vietnam since April 16 arriving in Hanoi in the morning after a quick flight from Bangkok. First impression was, I was stunned at how slow the taxi driver drove, but then I realized why. There were a million motorbikes to carreen through and honk at.
Hanoi was just to big, smelly and busy for our likes so we headed to Sapa. I loved Sapa and the people there (Buy From ME !!!!). We had good fun, but that was the last of it.
Then on a cheezy tour to Halong Bay, what a mess the harbour is, and the smog, we couldn't see all the Karsts because of it. Cat Ba was ok I guess, as we only stayed the night and left early in the morning.
Seems at every spot we were ignored, sneered at or ripped off by the Vietnamese people. To them we felt as though we are walking ATMs ready to dispense cash at there whim. I expect the taxi drivers are a little less than honest but this was the case with almost every transaction we tried to make here. I felt we were getting hosed everytime. We booked the sleeper train from Hanoi to Hue, they tried to get us to sit on the floor as the bunks were all taken by locals. We were only going to Nihn Bihn but we did pay full Farang price to have a sleeper seat. We refused only to be yelled at jeered and constantly made fun of the whole 3 hours we were on the bus.
I am not impressed with this attitude toward the tourists and was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience. So far we have traveled quite a bit and are on a RTW tour and 5 months and 5 countries into it. This has been the worst experiece so far.
We have met some nice people but they are a minority.
Please let me know your experiences in Vietnam.
cheers
Reply to this Hi, I have been in Vietnam (the south and central highlands) for about ten days and couldn't have had a more different experience to you. I have found the people to be incredibly friendly and welcoming. I have so far visited the Mekong, Saigon, Dalat and am now in BMT. Granted, much of the time you are being charged more than the locals would be, but you probably earn six times what they do, and barterring is all part of the culture here. You never pay the first price you are offered, often nearer half that. I have been welcomed into people's homes and have eaten at locals bars and cafes, where the experience has always been one of total hospitality. From what I hear, Halong Bay experiences vary drastically depending on the tour group. I think Sinh Cafe and Kangaroo Cafe are the best, and the others can be a disappointment.. who did you go with? As I am travelling alone I have also been talking to a lot of westerners who are touring the country and have been here sometimes for several weeks. So far I have heard no horror stories.
The motorbikes are crazy in Saigon too, but for two reasons: firstly most people can't afford a car and secondly most of the young adults still live with their families as they can't afford to leave home, so they drive around for a sense of freedom, which means more bikes on the road in the evening than there needs to be. But try being in London in rush hour and it's worse! I haven't yet got to the north, so cannot compare experiences there. When you come further south get yourselves to Dalat and hook up with the easyriders. It's what I've been doing fpr the last two days, continuing tomorrow and it's been the most amazing experience.
I hope you manage to enjoy the rest of your time in Vietnam.
Reply to this Hi there, that's great you have had a good experience. I am finding the people are more friendly as we travel south. Halong Bay was through Viet Anh Hotel services. I wouldn't use them again. I did hear good things about Kangaroo Cafe and Handspan.
So far we are enjoying Hoi An and are booking a flight to Siem Reap for May 12. Thanks very much for your input and ideas we appreciate it.
cheers.
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