Friend Travelling To Veitnam, Advice.

[Vegemite]

I have a friend who is planning to travel to Veitnam at the end of the year to meet his daughter who has travelled extensively.

Neither he or his wife have ever been to Asia.

I know for sure that my friend wont have a problem as he is a bit of an adventurer even at 60 yo. but his wife is not that way inclined and I worry that the wife may want to put an end to a planned 5 week holiday, early.

I have told him that maybe a week in Bangkok to ease into Asian culture and climate may be better than direct to Veitnam.

Does anyone have any advice that I can hand on to him?

He wants to look around and check out some of the more remote areas or even smaller cities or towns.

Are there any websites such as Thaivisa with a Veitnam bias?

Thanks for any help.

[PhilHarries]

Can't help you with a website but I can say that if his wife isn't very adventurous it's not a good idea him taking her out into the sticks in Viet Nam. Infrastructure is a LOT less developed than Thailand, English is spoken a lot less, there are fewer signs in English, western food outside the cities and tourist areas is non-existant, health care would be a major worry. Five weeks is a long time for an inexperienced traveller in such an alien environment as Viet Nam.

I agree with your idea, say a week in Thailand, one week in Ha Noi, head south to HCM City maybe stopping off around Da Nang and then back out via another week in Thailand.

[rak sa_ngop]

A lot of first time travellers fall in love with Vietnam, but there are always a few who cannot even handle crossing the roads in HCMC or Hanoi. Maybe leave your plans fluid so you can always adjust to the situation as it develops.

Maybe you can get more opinions/advice on the LP forum:

http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=24

[PhilHarries]

I'd tend to take a lot of stuff in some of these forums with a pinch of salt. First time I went to Ha Noi I read a few pieces on the place. I like walking around a town/city as it givs me a much better feel for the place and I get my bearings quicker. All the talk about crossing the road there really worried me as it sounded like Russian roulette with no pedestrian crossing and just having to go for it and hope the traffic all miss you.

Utter BS. Maybe these people went to a different part of Ha Noi, or a different Ha Noi, than I did. A lot of the stuff is backpacker/traveller tales for home consumption impressing the family and chums with their survival skills.

[begsaresponse]

Vietnam_notes.doc

mamanoodles and I went to Veitnam March this year. We visited Hanoi and Halong Bay. We loved the place.

If your friends have access to the internet get them to do a simple search on Veitnam. This will bring up places to visit,hotels, what the best currency is ( was US dollar when we were there) to change into the local currency which is the Dong.

Everything was incredibly cheap in Hanoi, so your friends would be better buying presents to take home there rather than Bangkok which can be expensive.

The local beer was very good too. Everyone was very friendly and we will certainly be going back. I have attached some notes I made prior to our visit.

Edited April 17, 2007 by begsaresponse

[jingjoe]

All the talk about crossing the road there really worried me as it sounded like Russian roulette with no pedestrian crossing and just having to go for it and hope the traffic all miss you.

Utter BS. Maybe these people went to a different part of Ha Noi, or a different Ha Noi, than I did. A lot of the stuff is backpacker/traveller tales for home consumption impressing the family and chums with their survival skills.

I disagree. Be careful crossing roads in both Saigon and Hanoi.

[totlanh]

All the talk about crossing the road there really worried me as it sounded like Russian roulette with no pedestrian crossing and just having to go for it and hope the traffic all miss you.

Utter BS. Maybe these people went to a different part of Ha Noi, or a different Ha Noi, than I did. A lot of the stuff is backpacker/traveller tales for home consumption impressing the family and chums with their survival skills.

I disagree. Be careful crossing roads in both Saigon and Hanoi.

I disagree as well!!I have been to Hanoi 8 times and i still find it bloody hard crossing the road.......

[Rinrada]

Shut your eyes and keep walking........and maybe recite a little prayer....

[toptuan]

I agree with your idea, say a week in Thailand, one week in Ha Noi, head south to HCM City maybe stopping off around Da Nang and then back out via another week in Thailand.

I would highly recommend an addition to that list: Nha Trang on the coast, about 8 hours' by bus from HCMC. Beautiful white-sand beaches, western-style hotels, and you can find western food (recommend Nha Trang Lodge). In my experience, everyone is quite friendly, you can cross the streets with Western-style safety, and the pace of life is very laid-back.

Yet, at the same time, you can go on short 1/2-day or 1-day excursions to nearby villages, islands, or even across town to savor more authentic Vietnamese culture. Then, at the end of the day, you can retreat back to your western-style hotel and food. Probably the perfect place for a couple such as yourselves. Good luck.

[blizzard]

i went to vietnam to get a tourist visa, i couldnt wait to get out of there. nothing a comopolitan type person would enjoy. the wife will like to know air france doesnt charge to change date on tickets.

anything else besides chi chi tunnels and guys who sell everything from cab ride to 20$ beautiful girls to hard drugs,

no mcdonalds, or shopping malls like bkk that i saw. and the things i bought from a local grocery store were all past their expiration date by half a year .

[totlanh]

i went to vietnam to get a tourist visa, i couldnt wait to get out of there. nothing a comopolitan type person would enjoy. the wife will like to know air france doesnt charge to change date on tickets.

anything else besides chi chi tunnels and guys who sell everything from cab ride to 20$ beautiful girls to hard drugs,

no mcdonalds, or shopping malls like bkk that i saw. and the things i bought from a local grocery store were all past their expiration date by half a year .

What no Mcdonalds panic!!!Most people would probably see that as a good thing.Your summary of Vietnam by the way is the biggest pile of shit ive had the misfortune to read in a long time

[blizzard]

instead of calling my critique a piece of shit, why dont you help the man and offer reasons why a citychick would like vietnam.

[enyaw]

instead of calling my critique a piece of shit, why dont you help the man and offer reasons why a citychick would like vietnam.

Critique?! It's complete f*ckin' drivel!

[blizzard]

my drivel must be right on. no help for the guy.

what is going to keep a non adventurer happy and occupied in vietnam.

[PhilHarries]

All the talk about crossing the road there really worried me as it sounded like Russian roulette with no pedestrian crossing and just having to go for it and hope the traffic all miss you.

Utter BS. Maybe these people went to a different part of Ha Noi, or a different Ha Noi, than I did. A lot of the stuff is backpacker/traveller tales for home consumption impressing the family and chums with their survival skills.

I disagree. Be careful crossing roads in both Saigon and Hanoi.

I disagree as well!!I have been to Hanoi 8 times and i still find it bloody hard crossing the road.......

Sorry but I typed the reply on a tight schedule. What I should have added is that, certainly in the old quarter of Ha Noi, there are traffic lights at all major junction, which is most of them, with pedestrian crossing signals. I never found myself more than about 200 metres from a crossing.

But if there is no crossing in sight do not follow the advice of just heads down and cross unless you want to sample Vietnamese hospital food. Watch the traffic and pick a time when it's predominantly motorbikes then choose a gap and walk straight across and the traffic does pass around you. It does work but it does test the ring piece first time.

At one junction there was four lanes of traffic with about twelve lines of motorbikes four deep in front. As I approached the ped xing light went red so I stopped. Just as all the massed ranks of bikes started to rev up a girl passed me on a bicycle and set off diagonally across the junction. The traffic just pulled away and passed around her much to my amazement and hardly a hair was turned. I sh1t myself on her behalf though.

i went to vietnam to get a tourist visa, i couldnt wait to get out of there. nothing a comopolitan type person would enjoy. the wife will like to know air france doesnt charge to change date on tickets.

anything else besides chi chi tunnels and guys who sell everything from cab ride to 20$ beautiful girls to hard drugs,

no mcdonalds, or shopping malls like bkk that i saw. and the things i bought from a local grocery store were all past their expiration date by half a year .

What no Mcdonalds panic!!!Most people would probably see that as a good thing.Your summary of Vietnam by the way is the biggest pile of shit ive had the misfortune to read in a long time

I agree, the nicest thing about Ha Noi was the complete absence of those hideous yellow arches and all the other fast "food" garish exteriors. But I read a while back that one of the fast food chains has opened a branch in, I think, Ha Noi so make the most of it now for the rest of the trash is bound to follow.

Also agree on your judgement of his little summary of Viet Nam, utter <deleted> maybe an understatement but we have to stay within forum rules.

Edited April 20, 2007 by PhilHarries

[blizzard]

i luv you all!

im challenging you to help the guy with the green acres wife.

all you can come up with is to agree there is no mcdonalds.

[SoCal]

i went to vietnam to get a tourist visa, i couldnt wait to get out of there. nothing a comopolitan type person would enjoy. the wife will like to know air france doesnt charge to change date on tickets.

anything else besides chi chi tunnels and guys who sell everything from cab ride to 20$ beautiful girls to hard drugs,

no mcdonalds, or shopping malls like bkk that i saw. and the things i bought from a local grocery store were all past their expiration date by half a year .

Vietnam is not Thailand. That's for sure, I even checked it out on the map.

Nothing a cosmopolitan person would enjoy?

Shopping- LV, Channel, Gucci, <deleted>, are just some of the high end boutiques. You can also go shopping at Parkson or Diamond Plaza. Better yet, is just going for a walk and seeing what you find in any number of small local retailers, but this probably doesn't meet your cosmopolitan tastes.

Food- Yes, no McDonald's, but there is Pizza Hut & KFC. Vietnamese food is truly excellent, and very cheap. Pitty you did not try it. There is basically any food you want to find (Thai, American BBQ, Chinese, Italian, French, Indian, Middle Eastern, Korean, Japanese, Brazilian, Cuban.) I better stop as it's making me hungry.

Great bars and nightclubs with live music if that's your thing.

Museums & art galleries, golf, tennis, cinemas, massage ($4/2hr), casinos, etc.

The best thing to do in Vietnam is just to experience it. Maybe sitting in a cafe and watching the local life as they go about their day. Vietnam is a great place to explore, whether you are a mountain guy or a beach guy, and it is all pretty reasonable.

Do watch yourself crossing the street. Best not to cross when there is a bus or a car, but when there are motorbikes. As long as you keep a steady pace, they will negotiate around you.

PS- I don't know where you went, but I have been comming to Vietnam since 2001, and living here since 2005. Only once was I offered grass in the back packer area. Maybe it says something about you that people were offering you such things.

[PhilHarries]

i luv you all!

im challenging you to help the guy with the green acres wife.

all you can come up with is to agree there is no mcdonalds.

Hey you got advice plus a little free fast food bashin' entertainment, that's TV for you.

I think you are right to worry about the woman spending five weeks in VN, that's a long time if she decides she hates the place, and if a wife is miserable in a place she'll make ###### sure to pass it on to hubby.

From SoCal's account I'd guess he/she was talking about the south and there lies another consideration. The north and the south are still like two different countries to an extent. From the sounds of it, having never been to the south myself, she'd like it better down there so a quick rewind to my original reply plus Nha Trang.

btw you say he's 60 and likes adventure but she's more a comfort zone person. How long have they been married and where have they holidayed up to now, assuming they've taken vacations together?

[SoCal]

Yeah Phil, I am in the south, and they are completely different. I don't know Hanoi that well, as have only been there on business. Two things I have always wanted to do up north is take the train to Sapa, and go on a junkt cruise of Halong Bay.

In the middle of Vietnam should go to Nha Trang & Hue.

If you like beaches, Con Dao & Phu Quoc islands are just a short flight from HCMC.

Lot's of things to do, if you are inclined to experience something new.

[blizzard]

sometimes you have to incite people to respond...............lol.

i absolutely love thailand and i dont vietnam. he is right they aint same same.

so whats the big deal?

ps we all know backpackers arent into weed! isnt that understood.

Edited April 20, 2007 by blizzard

[totlanh]

Yeah,Vietnam can be a tough place if one is given to home comforts however if the person in question knows what to expect beforehand im sure they will love the place.Perhaps you should buy a good book on Vietnam and learn a lttle about the culture.I would recommend a visit to Hoi an(im biased mind you as that is where my wife is from!)as it is a lovely quaint quiet town and after the hustle and bustle of Hanoi its a great place to unwind.Also Dalat is worth a visit.And of course Halong Bay.Blizzard,perhaps a was a tad hard on your 'critique',its just it appeared so unconstructive.

[Vegemite]

It does work but it does test the ring piece first time.

Very good.

Nearly pissed myself laughing.

Well said.