Vietnam a good place to holiday?

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Izzy_Cool

Ok, lets get down to brass tacks.

"Why" do you enjoy Thailand? If its because of the climate, the atmosphere and the shopping, then Vietnam can compete.

If it's because of the AHEM..."nightly entertainment possibilities", then NOBODY can beat Thailand. Trust me, I lived in Thailand for 13 years and Vietnam for 17 years.

Thailand is a fantastic destination for tourists. They have mastered the art of sucking every last dollar out of you (sometimes literally) and sending you home with a smile.

However, Thailand is facing some unrest right now, so personal security is a concern. Also, if you've done Thailand so much, it might be getting stale.

If you love golf, Vietnam has 14 world-class courses. We have some of the most amazing tourist destinations in Southeast Asia (think Ha Long Bay, Nha Trang, Da Lat and Da Nang). There is a lot to do here.

Yes, you can find your share of "chickens" if that is your desire, but be aware that it isn't Thailand and the police don't make it so easy.

Economically, the country is suffering a bit from the Global Economic Crisis (like everyone else) so the hotels and tourist companies would probably be offering sweetheart rates to get people to travel.

My advice is to come to Vietnam. You won't have a bad time and if it's not your cup of tea, a flight to Bangkok is less than $200.

But, I'll bet you don't need it and might even come back next year too!

All the best for the new year!
Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

ramsey

I would recommend Vietnam as a holiday destination. It is less Westernised than Thailand but is friendly to foreigners and English will get you by almost everywhere.

The country has an interesting variety of places to visit. HCMC is still western orientated while Ha Noi is more 'communist'. Da Lat still shows a strong French colonial influence; Hue has the imperial palace which is worth visiting.

Ha Long bay and a junk trip round the islands is spectacular; Nha Trang is a conventional beach resort with scuba diving and good night life (try the cocktails in Kims' Bar).

There are also many minority tribes and visiting Sa Pa allows you access in a way that is not too commercialised.

Then there is the Mekong Delta and the Highlands and so on.

One interesting possibility if you like travelling under your own steam is to take a bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap (Cambodia) to see Ankhor Wat (a must see). Boat to Phnom Penh and then travel down the Mekong River by boat into Vietnam arriving at Chau Doc. Then to HCMC by bus. This is a fairly standard back-packing route.

Nivi T

Such scenes can be seen in Sa Dec, a renowned flower village in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, about 140 kilometers from Saigon, in the run up to the Tet.

Phuong says that her family takes care of some 3,000 pots of flowers, mostly chrysanthemum and daisy, which they will sell to flower wholesalers more than one week ahead of the biggest holiday in Vietnam.
Elsewhere in the more than 100-year-old flower village farmers are busy pruning and watering pots of apricot, rose, marigold, dahlia, cockscomb, hollyhock and nearly 1,000 other kinds of flowers.

Phuong says most households or more than 1,500 families in the village grow flowers on over 250 hectares in the village to sell before Tet, which falls on January 26.

David L

i was there last year for 2 months travelling from north to south and loved it, im returning again this march to explore more of it and return to places that i enjoyed so much. the prices for most things are cheaper than thailand, budget hotels especially are very good value.

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