Vietnam trip

[Dustdevil]

56 minutes ago, madmen said:

Doing a tour of Thailand is 1000 times more fun especially for singles. Vietnam is OK for couples but boring as for singles... couldn't Wait to get back to LOS!

Not boring if you have a gf there or manage to make acquaintance with one. They're incredibly beautiful.

[Nakmuay887]

It is an amazing country with such a unique culture and tough, proud people. Enjoy your holiday!

[phkauf]

I have been to VN over 20 times and can't really think of a bad experience (other than taxi nonsense). As others said, use GRAB or Vinasun or Mai Linh taxis only - even my local friends do the same.

As an American, you can apply for a visa online - https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/trang-chu-ttdt .  The other links are not government companies some good, some not. 

Food tastes vary, but in my opinion the food is as good if not better than Thai. Socialism has produced a great thing in Vietnam since a beer costs the same as a coke - now that's equality!

Try to see some of the countryside, amazing mountains and beaches. 

The locals are super nice and very willing to engage in conversation, if only to practice English. I have been on the receiving end of quite a few drinks from people I have met. Since the language has been romanized, it's easy to find things unlike in Thailand where you need to learn the alphabet.

 

[BritManToo]

8 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

Not boring if you have a gf there or manage to make acquaintance with one. They're incredibly beautiful.

I never had any problems finding a Viet gf ..... for an hour.

[Letseng]

On 12/28/2019 at 8:12 AM, Hans007 said:

Food in Vietnam " mediocre'...mmmmm i thought it was vokking good!!! Secobd the fact that english is badly spoken...but that also goes for Thailand imho.

 

Waiting for visa took 1.5 hrs at airport....i had letter of recomendation on forhand...with pics. I have been waiting longer sometimes at bkk airport...haha.

 

Hans.

I worked in VN for some years. Loved the food. But I lived in the sticks and cooking was VN not for tourists.

[JRUSA]

Reception, my gf met me out front with a dozen roses. I have been coming to Vietnam since 2007, never had any of the issues you stated. In the past never spent more than 30 minutes waiting for my visa. Now with online application even easier.

i go out alone sometimes and never felt I was ripped off, yes English is rare but usually someone speaks enough. 
 

on a side note my wife books tours, hotel, airfare, pick up and return to airport. She can also be a guide and accompany you or your group, contact me here and I’ll let her know. She’s on Line,WhatsApp, WeChat, zeloi think it is. Probably others to.

[Andycoops]

Fantastic!

[madmen]

55 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

Not boring if you have a gf there or manage to make acquaintance with one. They're incredibly beautiful.

like I said its for couples only. I don't NEED a GF just a vast choice for a night and LOS is unbeatable

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

1 hour ago, alex8912 said:

Use grab taxi. My cab ride 2 weeks ago from District 1 to airport was 75,000 dong. You overpaid. Bus is 20,000 I took it from airport to District one. I preferred door to door service in a/c taxi of course. 

 

I said from the airport, not from D1. Different fares due to traffic and time. But I agree about the fare to the airport. In a Grab taxi from my hotel near Bitexco Tower to Pasteur, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and Nguyen Van Troi is 86,000 to 96,000 to the airport from 8 am. From the airport I don't bother with Grab and take a lineup taxi. The airport roads are always very chaotic and D1-bound streets very busy. It's always the same route to Ho Tung Mau, same early afternoon time and roughly the same fare. Taxi from the airport door to hotel door is as I said.

[Mansell]

was there in May with family....only time somebody tried to rip us off was the taxi to hotel in Danang. I wasn’t sure we were at right hotel so I went inside and the receptionist told me what I should be paying the taxi. Went outside and just gave him what she said, he shut up and take the money bye bye. Took a tour with family and we were charged to much for youngest boy but had no idea. The tour guide told me and said we would be reimbursed at the hotel....which is what happened. Had no trouble with English in Danang, Hue, or anywhere. We ate Indian and Mexican food which was really good, and the price for four was way cheaper than Thailand. Hotels were great with the best buffet breakfast I’ve had anywhere. Great country, and lovely people. Enjoy your trip. 

[thenewgoo]

Just arrived back from my first trip to Vietnam today. I have a headache from the cars and motorbikes beeping their way along the roads. Everybody will rip you off if they can - it makes Thailand look civilised. Stick to the 7/11 style mini-marts - I paid 4 different prices for the same pack of cigarettes. I will say however, people adhere to road rules - our taxi stuck to 60 kph even on the wide open road and I barely noticed a motorbike rider without a helmet on. I wish they would take a few zeros off their dong - sometimes difficult to get your head around. Friendliness on par with Thailand, maybe a little less friendly if anything. Good luck crossing roads - remember to look left first!

[Ej2562]

I felt that there is still much animosity towards Americans(USA).

I visited HCMC last year. Did not have any problems with rip offs.

Food at the Street food market is fantastic. Stayed there 3 days. US citizens are required  to get a visa to enter Vietnam.  Most European countries are not required to get a visa to visit there. So the government changed it's thinking about the US fighting there.

[Pravda]

On 12/28/2019 at 8:56 AM, samuttodd said:

OK, We have elected to do an exploratory run into Viet territory.    I will provide a complete written report with updates when we have been placed in theatre. 

Please don't 

[Destiny1990]

Hey Wow nice the positivity is finally back.

Where in Thailand is this place exactly so i visit it myself !

oh my goodness this upbeat vibe its its about Vietnam sorry my bad.

Edited December 29, 2019 by Destiny1990

[SiSePuede419]

"I wish they would take a few zeros off their dong"

 

That's what she said. ????

 

The V.C. got a little uppity, so I called in an airstrike on Charley.  Calmed them down pretty quick. ????

Edited December 29, 2019 by SiSePuede419

[lordblackader]

Really depends on where - HCMC is ripoff central whereas Hanoi you have far less problems. To be fair though, the same thing can be said for places in Thailand as well - as long as you know what to look for you can get by without any major drama even in HCMC. 

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

2 hours ago, Ej2562 said:

I felt that there is still much animosity towards Americans(USA).

I visited HCMC last year. Did not have any problems with rip offs.

Food at the Street food market is fantastic. Stayed there 3 days. US citizens are required  to get a visa to enter Vietnam.  Most European countries are not required to get a visa to visit there. So the government changed it's thinking about the US fighting there.

 

Actually, you are misreading the visa situation. Only a few Euro nationalities get a visa waiver but it's only for a 15-day stay. Canadians, Aussies, Kiwis and dozens of others have to pay like Americans do.

 

Americans, however, get a great deal for a bit over $200US for a 1-year multi-entry visa, having to leave every 90 days. It's due to a reciprocity agreement between US and VN. The rest of us must shell out $350 to $650 or more for anywhere from 6 months or 1 year.

 

I think the animosity is in your head. Most Americans I knew when I lived in VN loved it there, as do your former  allies, the Australians. Vietnam has a huge young population and they only have time for the present and the future, getting a good job and helping their families. They don't dwell in the past.

 

 

[tutsiwarrior]

indeed, VN women are the most stunningly beautiful in Asia...

 

on a consulting assignment in 2006 'come over here babe and gimme some of that commie sugar...' 'commie sugar??? ye wanna put it in those terms then hold off and unhand me imperialist dog!!! (she had excellent english language skills amongst other things)...I ain't yer goddam banh mi crumpet!!!...'

 

the story of marital ruin foretold...

 

 

Edited December 29, 2019 by tutsiwarrior

[oobar]

A few years back, my wife and I (both Americans) were going through a crowded market in Saigon, when a guy pushing a bicycle suddenly rammed it into me.  As I caugh the handlebars to fend it off, my wife yelled at me to look out from behind.  An entire little pack of tiny women, working in cahoots with the bicycle guy, had their hands all over my butt, trying to snatch my billfold from my back pocket.  I was a lot bigger than they were, and when I wheeled on them, they scattered in all directions.  Still, it was a great trip, and we have gone back several times since then.  We still laugh about the lame robbery attempt.

[alex8912]

6 hours ago, Ej2562 said:

I felt that there is still much animosity towards Americans(USA).

I visited HCMC last year. Did not have any problems with rip offs.

Food at the Street food market is fantastic. Stayed there 3 days. US citizens are required  to get a visa to enter Vietnam.  Most European countries are not required to get a visa to visit there. So the government changed it's thinking about the US fighting there.

Can you explain this animosity? Nearly the whole population is too young to remember or care. USA citizens can zip right through the regular immigration line with easy to get e visa for 30 days. Other countries, many less than you think, get ONLY two weeks. As another poster mentioned Americans get the great easy to get one year METV. For someone who spent just 3 days there you sure can tell a story. FYI I was just there 2 weeks ago and twice before that. How in the world did you experience any anti American stuff? Oh yah I’m not talking about the museums. 

[Huckenfell]

On 12/28/2019 at 8:21 AM, ChristianBlessing said:

My (American) wife and I will be traveling for our third trip to Vietnam. Our previous two trips were lengthy and fun. Never once were did we feel taken advantage of or treated disrespectfully. We enjoyed the local cuisine both on the street and in the restaurants. And, as always, we learned a few useful words and phrases and had our phone apps at the ready. Attempting the language is a nearly sure-fire way to evoke a smile or more. Enjoy your trip.

After what America did to Viet Nam and its villagers, this says a lot for the Vietnamese people.

[ronaldo0]

Thai wife and I went for a week to hoi an and couldn’t have been treated better everywhere we went from hotels, restaurants,markets,using taxis etc.

Staff in hotel were all well mannered and helpful and most spoke good English , in market areas all the shop sellers seemed to be very chatty and helpful and no problem if you didn’t buy , taxis all helpful and got to and from destinations without fear of crashing or being ripped off .

Reminded me of what it was like here about 12 year ago and would highly recommend Vietnam and go back in a second !

[tomauasia]

Don't take your dog

[Ron jeremy]

13 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I never had any problems finding a Viet gf ..... for an hour.

12 hours ago, madmen said:

like I said its for couples only. I don't NEED a GF just a vast choice for a night and LOS is unbeatable

Couples only????? Where were u????

u can lead a horse to water ?????

if u can't find the water, stay in Thailand . 

Yes u r right, for the ease of finding hookers. 

Thats why God invented Thailand, so fat ugly guys can get laid too!

[ThaiFelix]

Only been to HCMC some 3 years ago.  Found the Vietnamese to be far friendlier than Thais, the food excellent and no problems at airport as I had arranged visa online beforehand.  The only time a ripoff was attempted was when the wife and I took a pedicab tour with a couple of Cambodians.  They attempted to quadruple the agreed price at the end of tour but I stood my ground and they backed down, albeit after some time.  I would certainly not hesitate to go again.

[sandyf]

17 hours ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

Actually, you are misreading the visa situation. Only a few Euro nationalities get a visa waiver but it's only for a 15-day stay. Canadians, Aussies, Kiwis and dozens of others have to pay like Americans do.

Quite. I went to HCMC a few weeks back with a friend of mine who was over here on holiday from the UK. Although he lives in Northern Ireland he has an Irish passport and had to get a visa.

[Mansell]

20 hours ago, thenewgoo said:

Just arrived back from my first trip to Vietnam today. I have a headache from the cars and motorbikes beeping their way along the roads. Everybody will rip you off if they can - it makes Thailand look civilised. Stick to the 7/11 style mini-marts - I paid 4 different prices for the same pack of cigarettes. I will say however, people adhere to road rules - our taxi stuck to 60 kph even on the wide open road and I barely noticed a motorbike rider without a helmet on. I wish they would take a few zeros off their dong - sometimes difficult to get your head around. Friendliness on par with Thailand, maybe a little less friendly if anything. Good luck crossing roads - remember to look left first!

Pretty easy to cross the roads....just walk slowly and the traffic will avoid you. Run....and good luck on that one.

[Mansell]

13 hours ago, Huckenfell said:

After what America did to Viet Nam and its villagers, this says a lot for the Vietnamese people.

Most of the population is under the age of 35 and have about as much interest in the war (which they call the American War) as we did in WWI......all very long ago. They like music and dancing exactly like we did all those years ago.555

[elgenon]

On 12/28/2019 at 7:54 AM, kingdong said:

Just don,t mention the war.

Do you mean The American War?

[tutsiwarrior]

11 hours ago, Mansell said:

Pretty easy to cross the roads....just walk slowly and the traffic will avoid you. Run....and good luck on that one.

yeah crossing a busy street is like wading thru the traffic, no quick moves and yer OK...same with motorbikes on sidewalks...