Wanderly Wagon's Guestbook

Great Story! I was able to do this too when I went to Mexico. It was awesome. Congrats! http://mslistologist.com/?p=18

All Hail Darren!
Well, D., been following your travels and your blog. I was so glad to read your last paragraph and that you haven't condemned an entire country after your last, ahem, unpleasant experience.. There are so many travelers who expect the new country to bend to their will; to serve their every need and fancy. You are a good ambassador for your own country. Am proud of ya.

wat day do
i c u like my home town da favala dat is my project home/ansesary and my people im proud dat u take the time to go n visit n witness da life styol out side of da U.S thank u for careing yo firend jason gold

Vietnamese
Would not recommend Vietnam to any one. Was there for about a month last year. The people are the worst that I have encountered so far in my trips overseas. They are rude, dishonest, and prone to be violent. There are so many scams going on. Am sure there are exceptions. There are some good Vietnamese. But still probably because of their history of violence and wars with foreign countries, Vietnamese have forgotten to be good and honest to foreigners. Also had a sad experience during my Halong Bay tour. One we got was inferior to what we paid for. This also happened on our other tours. Also the attractions of Vietnam are not really awesome or spectacular. The beaches and countryside of Thailand and the Philippines are far more picturesque and pretty. The ruins of Angkor Vat are truly awesome. And the temples of Myanmar are a sight to behold. For the pagodas, nothing beats China.

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Really it's too painful journey,i like Vietnam becoz Vietnam is a marmite country.everyone has a different opnion. i have positive one.

Marmite...yeah!!
Hi, guys. I empathise with you. VN is a most frustrating country. But, once you get in tune with doing things their way (but on your own terms), it sort of works. IMHO, using hostels/GH as a place for info will always result in agony. Not only do they want a cut (in itself no problem), but because you have little recourse to them if anything goes wrong, they travel mob they use will also know to treat you as fair game. Try to book with the actual operator. For bus trips, I always use Sinh Cafe (www.sinhcafevn.com), as they appear to have the most reliable vehicles. Similarly, for train trips, go to VN railways. etc... As for accommodation / dining / etc., try to get away from where the other tourists are hanging out. You tend to get treated with more cheerfulness, and ripped off less. I have learnt that in VN, if I want a good experience, I'll not get it where tourists are merely trying to get the same as what they are comfortable with at home. So, a bar full of westerners isn't a VN experience, so I suggest you avoid. etc., etc. I do hope you get to go to SaPa - it's a beautiful part of the world. Go see what I wrote at: http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/vietnam/7390_visiting-sapa Hope things get better for you. Cheers,

Vietnam
I guess everyone has different experiences, but I felt I should write in response to the last, very general comment by Paul and Emma. I really enjoyed Vietnam the both times I was there. Like all places there is good and bad everywhere you go but I can honestly say that I had a great time. It was certainly more commercialised than say Laos or Cambodia, but I enjoyed it because of that difference, to be able to compare it to other places along the way - the diversity, the history and the people made it all worth visiting (which is why we travel, I guess). I spent about 6 weeks there (and 10 months in Asia) in total, travelling all over the country and didn't encounter any more problems than elsewhere in the region. Wanderly Wagon - I hope the rest of your trip improves! Happy travels... .

Vietnam
I believe you youself don't want your country to be divided into the North and the South. Millions of Vietnamese died for the determination "Vietnam is one country". Today I can go everywhere in Vietnam, from the northernmost point to the southernmost point. When you visit Hue city, I suggest you join a one day DMZ tour and see the river which used to be the demarcation line during 1954-1975. My father had to wait for 21 years until he could cross that river and went back home to see his parents in southern Vietnam. If you ask every family in Vietnam, there are always some touching stories about how they feel and what they lost in the wars. Vietnamese are forgiving but they don't forget. I also suggest you read my blog http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/blog-256948.html there is a speech of Mr Bill Clinton at the National University in Hanoi about the relationship of Vietnam and the USA.

New Light!
Yes, Angkor Wat has some scammers...I remember...but I also had great experiences in this country, although, outside of A.W I found most locals just kept to themselves. What are your plans for Phnom Penh? It rained while we were there, so we ate a "special" pizza and walked around the city. Are you going to the prison/school where Pol Pot tortured his prisoners? It's probably the most eerie place I've ever visited. Happy and safe travels! ~ws