Thread: Ask me about Vietnam.

Originally Posted by Bayside

I'm planning on backpacking through Asia soon, and will be taking a couple days/weeks/months break somewhere in Vietnam. What should I know about living there? Are there places that will take me in, or will I have to make camp somewhere? And any other tidbits you want to throw in that you think would come in handy would be nice.

No, not camping lol. It has been more than thirty years after the war so it's a little better now. You won't last three hours camping lol. Do what a regular tourist does, go to a hotel. The authority over there knows that you are a foreign man and most likely would not mess with you. But whatever you do, beware of your actions, you cannot live like you do in this country. If someone, especially motorcycle drivers or clubs or bars people, cheated or scammed you of your money, suck it up and forget about your money or be smart and don't get scammed. My uncle went back to visit a few years ago and almost get stabbed because he was arguing back with a motocycle driver. Like I said, it's not a warzone, but it's also NOT a playground. The gangs in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city) are not afraid to kill you and even the police won't give a damn. But aside from that, have fun.

Also, I wanna add that at night, when there's less people. Don't hang around youths walking in groups. Don't pick a fight with anyone even if they are small, if you pick on a fight, you will have to face many of them.

Edit: The most important thing should be your paperwork. By all means keep them like you keep your own nuts. Money ain't so big of a problem as there is so much inflation there that 1 US dollars = approx 15,000 Vietnamese dollars which can probably buy you a meal or two in smaller towns (Saigon is expensive). And when in "roadside" restaurants, you do not have to leave tips, most likely it will be stolen or taken by the owner rather than the waiter, especially if it's a foreign dollar.

Originally Posted by bonthan

No, not camping lol. It has been more than thirty years after the war so it's a little better now. You won't last three hours camping lol. Do what a regular tourist does, go to a hotel. The authority over there knows that you are a foreign man and most likely would not mess with you. But whatever you do, beware of your actions, you cannot live like you do in this country. If someone, especially motorcycle drivers or clubs or bars people, cheated or scammed you of your money, suck it up and forget about your money or be smart and don't get scammed. My uncle went back to visit a few years ago and almost get stabbed because he was arguing back with a motocycle driver. Like I said, it's not a warzone, but it's also NOT a playground. The gangs in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city) are not afraid to kill you and even the police won't give a damn. But aside from that, have fun.

Also, I wanna add that at night, when there's less people. Don't hang around youths walking in groups. Don't pick a fight with anyone even if they are small, if you pick on a fight, you will have to face many of them.

Edit: The most important thing should be your paperwork. By all means keep them like you keep your own nuts. Money ain't so big of a problem as there is so much inflation there that 1 US dollars = approx 15,000 Vietnamese dollars which can probably buy you a meal or two in smaller towns (Saigon is expensive). And when in "roadside" restaurants, you do not have to leave tips, most likely it will be stolen or taken by the owner rather than the waiter, especially if it's a foreign dollar.

Aha, sounds a little scary.... But I'm still really excited. I'll try to avoid being out at night time as best I can, I should be going with a group of like 10 or more people and I'm sure we'll stick together at all times, so it shouldn't be too sketchy. Thanks for the advice.

Originally Posted by Bayside

Aha, sounds a little scary.... But I'm still really excited. I'll try to avoid being out at night time as best I can, I should be going with a group of like 10 or more people and I'm sure we'll stick together at all times, so it shouldn't be too sketchy. Thanks for the advice.

What I mean about won't last long camping is because of mosquitos. Lots and lots and lots of mosquitos.

Also some more tips for you:
Night time isn't that bad, you don't really have to avoid it, considering the fact that you are traveling with many people. Just avoid dark and empty places, that's all. Considering in big city it's fairly crowded at nights. Be careful of pickpocketers. When you're on the streets, the traffic is very unorganized so don't expect drivers to avoid you. Also, most dogs and cats in Vietnam are not imunized so avoid petting them. Beware of stray dogs. Aside from that it's not too bad of a place to travel. Have fun.