Planning a trip to Vietnam - Looking for good place for info and tips.?

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ong jon

..i'm a "white tourist" but i think i can help a little.. first off your not likely to get mugged , you may get your pocket picked or have a cell phone ripped from your hand , but only if your not cautious.. don't act a fool and you wont be treated like one.., get a tetanus shot, bring cold meds and anti biotics just in case.. your dads family may be hard to find but if you bring photos an accurate address the adventure in trying to find them will be the best thing you do while your there. no mater how poor they are they will treat you royaly make sure to bring them financiall assistance.. its your expected duty as a family member of some wealth.. any amout will do[ $100 as you leave them]...

oh ps , if you are a viet kieu you will immediately recognized as such and stand out as much as a "white tourist".. i promise you that ...even before you open your mouth....

Lillian

I went to Vietnam last year. You need to get malaria pills from a travel doctor as well as the Hepatitis A needle. You may want to get medication for traveller's diarria too.
I do not agree that Hanoi is boring like the other person said. I enoyed it there. I travelled all over the country- Hanoi, Sapa, Bac Ha,Ha Long Bay, Lao Cai, Hue, Hoi An, and Saigon.
My favorite place was Sapa. It is a beautiful city that is so high up that it is amoung the clouds. I love it there and the people are nice and cute. I liked to walk along the rice patties and through the villages near Sapa, it was my favorite part.
Halong Bay is also a good place to go. There are different boats you can stay on for a few days.
Bac Ha was a smaller place than the cities, I liked it because it was less touristy. We saw kids coming out of school and went biking along side them as they walked home from school. Such little children walk by themselves a far way home but it is safe and ok.
Hoi An is a nice place as well, with a lot of stores. It is the city they make a lot of clothing in. You can get anything made for you and it will be sized for you and made the next day. I tried things on but they di dnot have to be resized, they just fit..
Saigon is fun as well. I did not see as much of it as I would have liked to.
I am sure your vietnamese family will welcome you because everyone I met was very kind and welcoming. Some were not used to seeing tourists but still helpful and nice.
I don't think you will get mugged because they will not know you are a tourist. I am not vietnamese and I was not mugged. I did drop my wallet on the ground and when i found it again all of my money was gone :( but that can be expected anywhere.
You should also bring your own toliot paper because they don't have any in a lot/most public washrooms.
Also make sure you always have bottled water because you are not supposed to drink the tap water.
Hmm.. that is all I can think of now. If you have any more questions I would be happy to help.

rick m

Ong Jon always has the best answer, I would just add that you shouldn't wear flashy jewelry in the cities. There are some people who are incredibly adept at snatching things while zooming by on a motor bike.
Definitely go to the country. I live in the boon docks and wouldn't trade it for the finest penthouse in Saigon,,, well maybe I would but the penthouses are worth a fortune lol.
I too, am a fat, old white guy who lives here with my family. You will be pegged as a foreigner the second you open your mouth. If you pretend that you're mute, you might get by for a minute.
Make sure you bring plenty of candy to give to the kids and as much good bourbon as you can for your male relatives. You can give your female relatives perfume, chocolate or something that they need. (you should email or IM them before you come)
And as Ong Jon pointed out, It is your DUTY to bring a cash gift to your poor relatives.

Things will be just like your Chinese/American friend experienced in Hong Kong. I know this is not going to win me any new Vietnamese friends, but many natives are envious of me as an American,,,They will be extremely envious of you as a Viet Kieu. Most believe that the streets in America are paved with gold and every job pays 100K and comes with a Mercedes. They don't know about mortgages, taxes, health insurance premiums and all the rest of the stuff that makes our money disappear as fast as it is earned. The good news is that the economic crisis is always on the news. I tell people that I got laid off and can't afford to live in the US right now. They usually believe me ;-)

King of the Court

I'm Vietnamese too.I had fun during Chinese New Year.The funnest place to go is Ho Chi Minh City.The most boring place is Ha Noi.Go around In Ho Chi Minh City and find tourist spots.It's fun.Trust me.

travel_stories

Vietnam is a very beautiful country, with so much to see and do.
Yes there are innoculations you should have - Hepatitis A and B and Typhoid, but we were advised do not need rabies unless there more than a month.You don't have to have these shots, but are advised to.

Have a look here - http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel/asia/vietnam.shtml

It is hard to say how your family react..but Vietnamese people are very friendly and kind on the whole.

Vietnam seems a very safe country. You may need to hang onto your bag, ( put it over your shoulder)...they were warning of guys riding past on their bikes and snatching them.........but generally it is safe.

My daughter and partner have just left after living there 18 months and had no problems at all.

You should go and see your family.....and what a lovely country Vietnam is. The people may still be poor, but they have certainly worked hard to rebuild.

Have a great time

For info on travel in the North and Central Vietnam you can go here http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/travel-to-vietnam.html

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