Anyone been to vietnam?

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wolsen3129_1

Hi,
I've been there 4 times over the last two years. I usually stay for a month. I'm going again in October for 6 weeks. If I have time I'll go again for Tet (lunar new year) at the end of January.
At first I didn't know what to expect. Saigon (HCMC) is not any more different than any other big city with a lot of traffic. You will experience some culture shock. There are somethings that we are not use to that are normal to them. One being the way public bathrooms are. There are some things they do that we would never do here in the US. I would recommend learning some of the basic language words even though most of the people do know some English. I felt safe there. I didn't stay at the expensive hotels. Just the regular ones. Check around, there are many good ones that you can stay at for $15 to $20 a night. If you plan to travel around, some of the nice places are Nha Trang and DaLat. Further north is Hue and Da Nang (China Beach). Go by tour bus. A good company I use is Sinh Cafe. There is a two price system when buying things. One for the Vietnamese and a higher one for foreigners. It's hard to get around that, but bargain with the vendors anyway. If you are brave you can rent a motorcycle to get around. In Nha Trang it is $6 for the day. Nha Trang is a beach resort town with a lot to do and see. Expect to get bombarded by street vendors trying to sell you anything and everything. It can become annoying after awhile. Don't hand out money to beggars. You'll open yourself up to a mob coming around you begging for money. If you like Asian food you will have no problem. Some things are very spicy though. So watch out for those small chili peppers in sandwiches and soups. Banh mi are sandwiches, Pho is soup, Banh bao (which I really like) is a steamed buns with sausage and egg inside. A lot of fruit is available. Seafood is cheap. One thing though: NEVER DRINK THE TAP WATER, you run the risk of getting very sick. Always buy and have bottled water. All the smaller hotels I have stayed at have small refrigerators in the rooms. Go to the local grocery store to buy some food and drinks and keep in it. If you drink the hotel drinks you will pay their prices. Most hotels will have internet access and/or wifi connection. Otherwise go to the local intenternet cafe. There are plenty of them around.
Exchange your money at banks and know what the current exchange rate is.
Other than that I would say go there with an open mind and experience what you can. Vietnam is a poor country still. Trust your instinct if you think a situation or area is not safe. Before you travel go to the State Dept. website. There is a place on the website to input your travel and contact information. If you are also a national of another Country do the same and go to their website to input your information. Not that anything will happen, but you never know if you should get hurt or sick. Make sure you get your visa a month before your travel date from the VN Embassy or Consulate.

ong jon

safe enough if you don't go looking for trouble. act proper act polite [ not necessarily obsequious]. and you will be treated better than you deserve [ at least that's the way i'm treated]. health issues are a different story . get a tetanus shot. bring cold medicine and anti biotics with you. take only you favorite traveing things ,and electrical adaptor. ANYTHING else you can get there. you'll have a choice of a wide variety of food wherever you go except in the countryside. there you will eat what is given to you.. so if you are fussy pick up some canned or dried food at a city market before you head outback. byl water is the drink of choice. carry immodium, dramimine and toilet paper always. good luck in your venture.

rick m

Email me if you are heading to Ben Tre/Gian Giang. If you are a volunteer, you're welcome at our home.

godron_wookie

It is a lovely country and the people are very friendly. Of course there were places that were not particularly safe (close to markets, usually). as extrange as it sounds, beware of the foreigners, rather than the local people; you might find lots of backpakers, and some of them can be...er...a little bit "shady".
Make sure to orde "mild" food, you can add the spice up later, but some dishes can be a bit too much.
Have fun, and dont forget your malaria pills!

smiler

It is one of the safest countries in the world,i recently read in a magazine that there has been only 1 serious incident involving a foreigner in the 17 years it has been open to visitors.that's years not hours or days.Yes you get hastle,and as a foreigner you are always asked to pay more,but as long as you are sensible you are always safe.The food is great as are the people,go with an open mind and im sure you will have a good time.According to the WHO there is no malaria in the coastal and city regions of Vietnam.Please press my aviator for views on coach travel,which is definitely NOT SAFE.

chickenhouse

The people are very friendly.

I travelled through there a few years ago. I felt perfectly the safe, the food is delicious and healthy. Try the Nem. They are fried spring rolls with pork in them. Delicious!

You might find the people too friendly at times. Some are really desperate for some money and will try and rip you off, especially the government run tourism buses, and sites.

Try and use the cyclos, they are poor ex Southern soldiers who are non-citizens and don't have any rights.

woot woot

i been there and i am vietnamese. i been to nha trang and my tho and saigon, and other places that i don't remember in the south. it is a beautiful place that is improving itself. the food and the people..well not everyone..is great. be careful of what u bring with you, because it might get stolen...it happened to me. bring some mosquito repellents! have fun on your trip! ^ ^

lotus

My first trip to Vietnam was in 2005 and I like the country ever since. The people are so friendly and amazingly hospitable. Vietnam only trail developed countries like Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan in term of safety. So I would say probably one of a more safer country in Asia. The food in Vietnam is fantastic. Beside Vietnamese, you can find all type of cuisines like European, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Middle Eastern, etc. Well, have a good stay in Vietnam.

alang_ps

Info about Vietnam at
http://www.travelinfocentre.com/destination/vietnam/overview.html

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