Vietnam tourism?
May 12th, 2004, 11:55 AM
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Vietnam tourism?
My boyfriend and I are planning to go to Vietnam in the late fall. I'm just wondering generally whether those of you who have been to VN have gone with tour groups or on your own? Did you see lots of Americans or other tourists there? What age groups of tourists did you notice? Just curious about how "off-the-beaten-track" VN still is... Thanks.
May 12th, 2004, 03:15 PM
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mabel, we spent 3 wks in Vietnam in 2001 and opted for a small-group tour run by an Australian outfit, Travel Indochina. Some readers may decry this as unadventurous, and if we return we'll travel independently, but for a first visit I think it made the best use of our limited time and allowed us to learn more about the country than had we travelled alone. I particularly appreciated being able to grill our guides about Vietnamese customs and language, not to mention the best local beers.
The downsides were (a) no doubt it cost a bit more than the alternative, (b) the 11-person tour group was disappointingly monocultural (10 middle-aged Australians and one middle-aged New Zealander!), (c) although this was partly our own fault, we didn't explore the variety of Vietnamese cuisine as much as we should have - tour guides tend to take you to places that are (a) tourist-friendly, (b) give them the best kickbacks.
Although Vietnam is still coming to grips with mass tourism, it's not at all a difficult country for an independent traveller, and many people do it that way. English (to varying degrees) is widely spoken, and the people are friendly and good-natured. There's no doubt that Vietnam is still a poor country and badly in need of infrastructure sucha sgood highways. However, it's in no way depressing, thanks to the energy and good cheer of the people and the overall cleanliness. You get a strong sense of a very independent people (as their history shows) who are going places.
There are lots of western tourists - European, Australian/NZ and North American backpackers, tour groups (when I was there, apparently mostly French and Australian) and older independent travellers. I think that there weren't so many Americans at the time, but this may have changed. If Americans are concerned that they may still be resented in Vietnam, I think they have nothing to worry about; most of today's Vietnamese weren't born when the American War, as they call it, finished, and for many it's ancient history. It's impossible not to be confronted by some images from the past, though. Our tour included a visit to the site of the My Lai massacre, for example, and we saw many stands of Australian eucalypt trees donated for the purpose of leaching Agent Orange residues from the soil.
I'd be surprised if you didn't find a visit to Vietnam a rewarding experience. It's not terribly off-the-beaten track these days, but I'd be inclined to visit now, before the tourist invasion proper strikes.
As always, the more homework you do the better, especially if you decide to travel independently. I strongly recommend a good guidebook Lonely Planet's may suit you - read up on internal travel options especially. Once you're there you can book travel and tours to your heart's content at travel agents or hotels. Also, check www.lonelyplanet.com's Thorntree forum for Vietnam.
The downsides were (a) no doubt it cost a bit more than the alternative, (b) the 11-person tour group was disappointingly monocultural (10 middle-aged Australians and one middle-aged New Zealander!), (c) although this was partly our own fault, we didn't explore the variety of Vietnamese cuisine as much as we should have - tour guides tend to take you to places that are (a) tourist-friendly, (b) give them the best kickbacks.
Although Vietnam is still coming to grips with mass tourism, it's not at all a difficult country for an independent traveller, and many people do it that way. English (to varying degrees) is widely spoken, and the people are friendly and good-natured. There's no doubt that Vietnam is still a poor country and badly in need of infrastructure sucha sgood highways. However, it's in no way depressing, thanks to the energy and good cheer of the people and the overall cleanliness. You get a strong sense of a very independent people (as their history shows) who are going places.
There are lots of western tourists - European, Australian/NZ and North American backpackers, tour groups (when I was there, apparently mostly French and Australian) and older independent travellers. I think that there weren't so many Americans at the time, but this may have changed. If Americans are concerned that they may still be resented in Vietnam, I think they have nothing to worry about; most of today's Vietnamese weren't born when the American War, as they call it, finished, and for many it's ancient history. It's impossible not to be confronted by some images from the past, though. Our tour included a visit to the site of the My Lai massacre, for example, and we saw many stands of Australian eucalypt trees donated for the purpose of leaching Agent Orange residues from the soil.
I'd be surprised if you didn't find a visit to Vietnam a rewarding experience. It's not terribly off-the-beaten track these days, but I'd be inclined to visit now, before the tourist invasion proper strikes.
As always, the more homework you do the better, especially if you decide to travel independently. I strongly recommend a good guidebook Lonely Planet's may suit you - read up on internal travel options especially. Once you're there you can book travel and tours to your heart's content at travel agents or hotels. Also, check www.lonelyplanet.com's Thorntree forum for Vietnam.
May 12th, 2004, 05:44 PM
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I spent a week in Hanoi in November. I always travel independently. I certainly saw plenty of other travelers - Europeans, Americans, a few Japanese, all ages. I wouldn't say VN is all that off the beaten path, but neither is it overcrowded with toursits. VN is "new" to tourism so you'll notice some rough spots in service and such. It's also the only place I've ever visited where some of the street sellers (young men selling books in Hanoi and young women selling items in Sapa) are known for being verbally abusive of people who don't buy!
May 13th, 2004, 04:54 AM
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We traveled independently in Vietnam two years ago, using HandSpan for a short (but very nice) 3 day trip to Halong Bay and for a day trip from Hanoi to the Perfume River. We also used HandSpan to purchase overnight sleeper tickets for us on the train from Hanoi to Hue. We were pleased with HandSpan.
We found Vietnam very easy for travel, and the people were very warm and friendly, perhaps more so because we were traveling with our children.
We often were asked if we were Canadian (I suppose there are very few Americans traveling with children in Vietnam). When we replied that we were American, the typical response was "Welcome to our country". When we spoke with Vietnamese about the "American War", our impression is that no one blamed us, the tourists, for the war. Instead, people realized that decisions for the war were made by authorities over 30 years ago.
We had a wonderful trip and Vietnam is a beautiful country.
We found Vietnam very easy for travel, and the people were very warm and friendly, perhaps more so because we were traveling with our children.
We often were asked if we were Canadian (I suppose there are very few Americans traveling with children in Vietnam). When we replied that we were American, the typical response was "Welcome to our country". When we spoke with Vietnamese about the "American War", our impression is that no one blamed us, the tourists, for the war. Instead, people realized that decisions for the war were made by authorities over 30 years ago.
We had a wonderful trip and Vietnam is a beautiful country.
May 15th, 2004, 11:05 AM
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Ben-
How old were your children when you traveled to Vietnam? My husband and I went to VN in 2003, had a baby in 2004, but would love to return. Not so sure how old the little one should be before we take her.
Mabel-
I traveled with my husband and our friend in Jan 2003. It was basically independent. We had no arrangements made before we got to VN other than what cities we were going to. We started in Hanoi, we did an overnight trip with Buffalo Tours to Mai Chau and stayed in a stilt house in a White Thai Village. We toured Hanoi on our own. Next we flew to Danang and spent 3 nights in Hoi An, we arranged for a car through our hotel to take us to the Hoi Van pass, China Beach, and Marble Mountains. We flew to HCMC, we had made arrangements with Ann Tours to pick us up at the airport. We went directly to the Cu Chi Tunnels from the airport. The next day we went to the Mekong with Ann Tours. All of our "tours" were just the three of us. There were other tourists there, the majority were European or Austrailian/New Zealanders. Not many Americans, but that was fine with us. We are Americans aged 32-34, the majority of the tourists were our age or 40's. Traveling in Vietnam was easy, we arranged for drivers from our hotel to pick us up at the airport. It wasn't expensive and made it very easy. We have photos and trip reports at our website.
http://kerstentraveler.com/
How old were your children when you traveled to Vietnam? My husband and I went to VN in 2003, had a baby in 2004, but would love to return. Not so sure how old the little one should be before we take her.
Mabel-
I traveled with my husband and our friend in Jan 2003. It was basically independent. We had no arrangements made before we got to VN other than what cities we were going to. We started in Hanoi, we did an overnight trip with Buffalo Tours to Mai Chau and stayed in a stilt house in a White Thai Village. We toured Hanoi on our own. Next we flew to Danang and spent 3 nights in Hoi An, we arranged for a car through our hotel to take us to the Hoi Van pass, China Beach, and Marble Mountains. We flew to HCMC, we had made arrangements with Ann Tours to pick us up at the airport. We went directly to the Cu Chi Tunnels from the airport. The next day we went to the Mekong with Ann Tours. All of our "tours" were just the three of us. There were other tourists there, the majority were European or Austrailian/New Zealanders. Not many Americans, but that was fine with us. We are Americans aged 32-34, the majority of the tourists were our age or 40's. Traveling in Vietnam was easy, we arranged for drivers from our hotel to pick us up at the airport. It wasn't expensive and made it very easy. We have photos and trip reports at our website.
http://kerstentraveler.com/
May 15th, 2004, 03:38 PM
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Anna: Our children were 8 and 11 when we went to Vietnam, but we've been traveling overseas with them since they were preschool age. The biggest issues I would have with an infant are vaccinations and malaria medication. I'm not sure whether an infant can have all of the advisable vaccinations or whether an infant can take malarone.
May 15th, 2004, 10:30 PM
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Just as a counterpoint to Neil_oz's experience, we also used Travel Indochina and found ourselves in a group of 8 - 2 Australians (my wife & me), 2 New Zealanders, 2 Americans, and a couple from England. We found Travel Indochina quite good - we had good Vietnamese guides, the accomodation was good, and the food was exquisite. I can't wait to go back! For a return visit I would not take a tour but I do think it is a good way to first get the feel of a place where you do not know the language at all - which is certainly true in my case.
May 18th, 2004, 06:13 PM
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Greg, I'd certainly recommend Travel Indochina myself, and I don't feel at all guilty over letting someone else handle the messy details. Actually we were bowled over by the attention we got - never fewer than three people dancing attendance (Australian tour leader, local guide and driver) plus additional "minders" on side trips.
The Vietnamese have a great sense of humour (with their history, maybe they need one) and like a laugh. Our guide in the South was a very personable young guy named Long who'd picked up a few Australian expressions. He broke me up one particularly busy day by announcing that he was "as flat out as a lizard drinking".
The Vietnamese have a great sense of humour (with their history, maybe they need one) and like a laugh. Our guide in the South was a very personable young guy named Long who'd picked up a few Australian expressions. He broke me up one particularly busy day by announcing that he was "as flat out as a lizard drinking".
May 18th, 2004, 07:20 PM
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Hi mabel - we returned from Vietnam a few weeks ago and I still haven't got around to doing a trip report. The only tour company we used was Go Vietnam and booked it in HCMC - we were told later by Australian travel agents we bumped into that it was vastly cheaper than had we booked in Australia. It included a 2 day trip of Mekong Delta with one night's accommodation, lunches on little islands dotted on Mekong River, floating markets and little cottage industry type villages. There were about 12 people on the trip, a couple of young Americans, 1 Australian, 1 Japanese and the rest were European. The guide was a friendly fellow called DJ (he loved karaoke) and could "bung on" a very creditable Oz accent. Go Vietnam also arranged soft sleeper train (Reunification Express) from HCMC to Danang, driver to hotel in Hoi An with fabulous accommodation - another driver from Hoi An to Hue to Morin hotel and flight from Hue to Hanoi.
