2 hours ago, tigerbeer said:

care to elaborate how Hanoi has more of interest than Malaysia generally? 

Hanoi is essentially just like any other South Chinese cities. Its architecture, food, people and culture.  

 

With the exception of the language.

On 3/26/2018 at 12:53 PM, EricTh said:

Hanoi is essentially just like any other South Chinese cities. Its architecture, food, people and culture.  

 

With the exception of the language.

Care to elaborate, say with some mention of the "other South Chinese cities" which Hanoi certainly is not? This kind of inflamatory comment has no constructive purpose.

On ‎3‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 9:56 AM, tigerbeer said:

care to elaborate how Hanoi has more of interest than Malaysia generally? 

If you can be  bothered to go to a travel site like www.travelfish.com for example you will soon found out why.

 

The way to do Vietnam for me is what I did 25 years ago flew into Hanoi,spent a week and then catch the re unification train south and hop off at places like Hoi An ,Hue,etc rejoin the train , get off at Nha Trang and zip up to Dalat by van or bus, its cooler and mountainous, from there down to Saigon and home.

 

25 years ago was the best of it. Today friends tell me its just like any other country that has attracted milions of tourists but if its your first time you wont have to compare.

8 minutes ago, Sparkles said:

friends tell me its just like any other country that has attracted milions of tourists

absurd

4 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

absurd

I am relating to  what the cost of living is now in Vietnam to what I enjoyed  25 years ago, especially the value of the Dong where the Vietnamese economy is  now booming .I stayed in home stay type mini hotels for $US 2.50 a night back then.Now with the major explosion of tourism numbers  costs of everything has gone up dramatically.25 years ago 1 $A dollar was worth 50 Dong now I think you get 17 Dong for your $A.

 

Happens to every country that becomes a tourist hot spot  ,how is that "absurd" ?

I am relating to  what the cost of living is now in Vietnam to what I enjoyed  25 years ago, especially the value of the Dong where the Vietnamese economy is  now booming .I stayed in home stay type mini hotels for $US 2.50 a night back then.Now with the major explosion of tourism numbers  costs of everything has gone up dramatically.25 years ago 1 $A dollar was worth 50 Dong now I think you get 17 Dong for your $A.
 
Happens to every country that becomes a tourist hot spot  ,how is that "absurd" ?

I would say it is still cheap there.

15 hours ago, Sparkles said:

If you can be  bothered to go to a travel site like www.travelfish.com for example you will soon found out why.

 

The way to do Vietnam for me is what I did 25 years ago flew into Hanoi,spent a week and then catch the re unification train south and hop off at places like Hoi An ,Hue,etc rejoin the train , get off at Nha Trang and zip up to Dalat by van or bus, its cooler and mountainous, from there down to Saigon and home.

 

25 years ago was the best of it. Today friends tell me its just like any other country that has attracted milions of tourists but if its your first time you wont have to compare.

that still does not explain how and why it has more interest than Malaysia. 

14 hours ago, Sparkles said:

Now with the major explosion of tourism numbers  costs of everything has gone up dramatically.25 years

Where in the world have the costs not gone up dramatically in the past 25 years?

There are three flights from CM to Vietnam. Dong Hoi(Jetstar), HCM(Vietjet) and Bangkok Airways to Hanoi. So if you are thinking Bangkok Airways are not so cheap look at the other two destinations and do an open jaw into Hanoi home from HCM? Take a domestic flight to or from Hanoi. Take the train. Only use Bangkok Airways for one the flights? Build up a bigger trip than just a Hanoi return?

      I have no idea of the costs in Vietnam at the moment but i do know of two vietnamese who flew to CM for a holiday last week, on the Vietjet flight from Saigon. They hired a local photographer for a day, did the normal tourist stuff and said CM was much cheaper than Vietnam especially for the photographer. 

On 15/2/2561 at 10:35 PM, EricTh said:

I would love to go to Hanoi if the fare is as cheap as Airasia. 

 

Why the negative impression of Hanoi from the members here? Care to elaborate?

 

I'm not negative about Ha Noi, been there many times a year for many years in the past to teach an International MBA program, great students, nothing negative at all, had some great times exploring many things in Ha Noi, especially the old quarter around the lake. And great food, local beer not too bad also.