One of the Best countries in Asia…
Hopefully, you’ve read about all the reasons I love Vietnam. Here are some things to be ‘weary’ of though, so these potential ‘surprises’ don’t disappoint you.
Vietnam isn’t really ready for Western tourism…
Toilets (mostly) have been upgraded to “W.C.” (Western toilets) and the few squatters that remain are an option for the locals. Of course every now and then you can expect to squat, but usually in little towns public places and restaurants only. Hotels and even the (horrid) trains have flushers.
I say trains are “horrid” for a few reasons:
- Don’t expect to sleep on a train (they blare TV–but if you get a “sleeper” and you share it with friends (4-sleeper) that is pretty good and you can sleep)
- Don’t expect the train to be clean (“apple juice” (?) spilled along the floor = common)
- Don’t expect to pay the same price as the Vietnamese (eg. the Train staff will charge you 1000% more than the locals in keeping with the “short nose, good price” mentality).
Don’t expect hotels to have VISA or debit machines. Tailors regularly do, but the hotels expect everyone to pay in USD or VND (dong) in a massive tax dodge where they keep claiming that they “normally have VISA” (they don’t) and they claim that it is “just broken today”.
Also make sure you do your own math and check the VND to USD conversion rate yourself.
Also, always write down what price they quoted you for laundry price/kg, and they you hold them to it…and that they don’t confuse your bill with “your friends”….
the whole “checkout” affair from even very nice hotels is a bit dodgy.
Booking Tours can be seriously tedious. For instance, in my 2007 Tour Guide Book of Vietnam, they caution you against using booking with the “wrong Sinh Cafe”.
Since this publication however, about 100 other “Sinh Cafes” have opened up! And let me tell you, some of them are WAYYYY WRONG.
There is no “patent” law or business registration regulation in Vietnam to disable other companies from taking the same name.
As such, a successful company can be mimicked MANY MANY times–and with ZERO control over the quality of their product.
You might hear that “Sinh Cafe” is conscientious, reputable tour agency. But make sure you get the right address–and that they haven’t moved.
You have to be really careful booking tours–at the best end, they will provide everything they promise for the quoted price–but at the worst end, they will take your money and hoodwink you without any law protection or cleft of conscience.
This is the trickiest part about tour booking. Use your own judgment and rely on the advice of travelers. As a traveler–make sure you post about the services, accommodation and customer service you experience (eg. Trip Advisor).
The Vietnamese proudly tout their rave reviews (eg. Lonely Planet recommendations) and they are VERY internet saavy –word of mouth carries clout, so use it–and spread it around!
1 Comment. Leave new
I have traveled to Nam six times and found much of what you wrote is true but as I have been a guest of over 30 countries I found that to expect what you have listed above is but one persons view as the main thing to keep in mind is your not in a Western country thus expecting to find such is just not realistic. If a person visiting Nam expects to find such things as the laws, not being cheated when buying items, having a private rail car than you need to open your wallet and pay for all four beds on a sleeper train so you will be alone. As for paying for any items and the cost being higher, the same is true for any Vietnamese as I have seen locals being cheated but mostly if your from the North and visit the South, they know by the the sound of your voice and th difference in some words that you are not a local and they are overcharged as well.
As for tours, it all depends on what your willing to spend. You will forsure get what your pay for.
Few hotels will offer you the same rate as a local but you can find some that do have fixed prices.
When you dine out, take a moment to check both the English and Vietnamese side and chances you will notice the same food listed on the Vietnamese side to be cheaper. If you are handed only a English menu, keep it but ask for a VN menu and you can order either way from the VN menu. Same food but cheaper.
Changing money if the hardest part and would take to much time to get into but note you can loose a great deal if you pick the wrong time or wrong place. The rate changes daily and being Western you can expect to be cheated.
I offer this thought. Take time to enjoy the differences and understand you are a guest. It is the differences that keep me wanted to see more with each visit.
Closing: keep your money and cell in your front pocket and avoid wearing gold or holding a cam as these draw the eyes of the theifs. I tend to hold my cam between my wife and I in that it makes it much harder for a person running from behind you to grab it as you leave them little room.
Have fun, keep within the law as being Western will not save you.