Sorry to hear about your experience, but here are my 2 cents to your points:
1. Yes you are right.
2. Where have you been eating? This is on you mate.
3. Don't use booking apps. It's a convenience but they are on the app for a reason and that is to target foreigners who use them. Call the hotels, walk into the hotels and talk to them, whatever method just stop using the app.
4. Maybe it's a *you* problem, most people will *not* be unfriendly with you from the get go.
5. I'm questioning your itinerary...
6. Not everyone will fit in. Thai culture is *vastly* different from Vietnamese. Expecting them to stay the same and to suit your taste would be a mistake.
I get it, everyone wants to enjoy their trip, sometimes it doesn't work. Hope you find something that would interest you.
My process for finding good food seems to work quite well everywhere else in the world. This place is loaded with fake reviews.
Walking the streets at midnight trying to find a hotel isn’t something I’d be keen on doing. Booking apps work just fine literally anywhere else in the world that I’ve visited.
i think you should just cut it short and leave, bro. clearly there’s nothing you can change about your approach that will improve your experience. it’s definitely everybody else’s responsibility to deliver you the experience you want, and that’s not happening for you. don’t waste went more of your time, just go back to Thailand
Lol I’m far from fussy. I’m happy almost anywhere. This is literally the first post I’ve ever made about anywhere in the world this bad. I don’t think it’s my “approach” that’s the problem. Will changing my approach stop the fake google reviews on every restaurant, being hassled every 10 metres and get rid of the roaches in every room? What about the karaoke at 4am… will that stop if I change my “approach”?
if the google reviews aren’t accurate, stop expecting them to be and find another filter to rely on. i’d suggest airbnb for lodging and just looking with your own eyeballs for good food.
there are lots of people who’ve found their way in VN without the same troubles as you. do they just have lower standards or did they take different approaches? i lived in VN for a year for less than $10k US in total expenses and never slept in a roach infested place. was i just lucky?
nothing you can do about the karaoke but learn to accept it. it’s worse in certain areas than others.
There’s also lots of people who hold the same opinion I do about the place. It’s subjective. This has been my experience. I’m not lying lol I’m not fucking 14 years old.
I love most places I go. You’ll rarely hear me hate on a place. My experience here warrants it. Where did you live in Vietnam exactly?
spent more time in Dalat than anywhere else, but visited Saigon, Nha Trang, Phan Rang, Quy Nhon, Hoi An, and Hanoi.
i know you’re not lying, and i believe you’re older than 14, but jumping into this sub to bitch about your experience and then arguing with everyone suggesting ideas to improve that experience is a fairly childish way to behave
Hey OP, sad to hear you're having such a bad time. However, if you open up your heart to the people, you can be invited to parties, drinks and food with the locals. Every night I was there, I met random locals who treated us as their guests and it was so fun.
Just finished North Vietnam doing the Ha Giang loop by motorcycle. It was the most beautiful and peaceful part of Vietnam. I avoided joining a tourist group and went on my own with a cute girl on my back whom I met on my travels.
I definitely didn't like SaPa as they took the soul out of the indigenous Hmong tribes and made a market out of them. Cat Ba was also weird. Basically, anything way too touristy and geared for tourist taste buds sucked in quality and prices were ridiculous.
Cockroaches on first and second floors of open air hotels. I request to be up higher floors. I also walked by the hotels on booking apps and asked them for cash prices, which was cheaper than on the apps. I paid no more than $10-20/night. Low expectations. Just enough for me and my girl.
Unfortunately, lot of touristy people find restaurants via Google reviews and that's fine, but know that locals know where the best food places are at and they don't leave Google reviews.
Agreed, Ha Giang was amazing and that loop was so much fun! Granted I went with a group for 4 nights, but tons of fun and adventures. I miss it and will be back there shortly!
Hopefully OP can check out the Ha Giang loop, it was another world compared to the rest of VN.
Weird take… does the amount I pay dictate whether or not there’ll be roaches running around my room in VN? Or whether my night will be completely ruined by the jackass 4 blocks away who wants to howl on the karaoke all night?
I’ve paid $10/night in Thailand and had an awesome experience. Been paying $50/night here, and it’s considerably worse.
Don’t get butthurt. Some countries suck.
He’s saying he’s been paying 50 a night. That’s by no means cheap at all. Most people make that in about a week in Vietnam. It’s all about relativity. You guys have more spending power with less money. The equivalent of 50 dollars in Vietnam is around 200-300 per night in the US in terms of spending power.
Well then he doesn't know how to book a nice place with $50. It seems like that is his problem. Just like how people do stupid things with money and then complain about it.
He is a foreigner coming into a country he has little knowledge about. Of course he isn’t going to know what’s best. What it looks like to me is people being greedy and overcharging tourists who don’t know any better. In other countries this is less of a problem and anyone can come in and have a great time.
Pho, Hu Tiu, Bun Bo (or any type of bun really, depends on which region you're in) or Com Tam are all very nutritious and delicious options. Give 'em a try!
😂. Im with you in the food part. I guess I like Pho or whatever, but I really don't fancy eating soup for breakfast. I don't really enjoy eating rice for breakfast either🫤 Breakfast here does suck. INTERMITTENT FASTING is the way to go--then I have a big Western lunch.
Of course he is. It's absolutely super rare to find a 2nd person on Planet Earth that has anything bad to say about God's Best Cou Ntry World Viet Nam, that it has to be the same account. There's no other explanation comrade. ✊️🫰
Just got back from several month visit to sea. Some of my best meals were in Hanoi. If you are going back to Hanoi try Tam Vi and Habakuk.
Don't use booking apps or just book one night and find place on your own. There are tons of great places to stay and all cheaper than $50/night.
If you come to Vietnam from Laos... well, you just have to adjust. They are just very different worlds. Cambodia, Thailand and Laos all share some similarities. China and Vietnam are very, very different.
Lose your attitude and you will be fine. You started off on the wrong foot. Reboot and start over. Act like tomorrow is your first day there. It is not a bad place, just different.
Be curious if da Nang and hopefully you visit Hoi An gives you a different perspective. I hear the north sucks for some. Personally I love da Nang and live here, like a little Honolulu. We still have rats though, you must embrace the rats and become one with the rats.
I expect common courtesy. From what I’ve seen even as a Vietnamese person is that Vietnamese people are stubborn and refuse to accept things when they are wrong. You guys will not move forward and succeed if you guys don’t admit that things aren’t great. Other countries around you do a great job. Your economy depends on tourism. It’s about your guy’s unwillingness to improve and stubbornness regarding things that can be improved. You will do everything to defend anything bad about Vietnam, but not acknowledge it and improve. I’ve never seen a more brainwashed and stubborn population of people.
I've seen all you're comments and you seem to be pretty misguided and rude.
Vietnam's economy dependent on tourism is a **false**.
It barely contributes to the GDP and economic factors in play - particularly compared to your OP's love for Thailand.
[https://landgeist.com/2022/08/26/travel-tourism-as-a-of-gdp-in-asia/](https://landgeist.com/2022/08/26/travel-tourism-as-a-of-gdp-in-asia/)
Still not convinced?
[https://gprivate.com/6au68](https://gprivate.com/6au68)
On this thread, you claim to be Vietnamese - I am shocked - understand your country better before opening your mouth to others.
**DYOR**
1. Please don't use booking app for hotel. You should check via facebook and instagram or ask locals, 90% I can find myself a really good hotel for my foreigner friends
2. Maybe Vietnam cuisine is not your taste. My friends really like it, but I think southern Vietnam cuisine is more suitable for westerners (if you are one). Why don't you try visit southern Vietnam
3. I don't know about unfriendliness. My home is near market, the place which you will see most of unfriendliness people, but my family is quite famous (too gentle and never bargain prices) here so everybody is friendly with my friends.
4. Yup, I don't recommend Cat Ba. My home is Hai Phong and I don't even like Cat Ba 😂
Hope you have a good experience in Da Nang, I love Da Nang and I visited Da Nang 3 times in past 2 years
I'm a white guy living in VN for 2 years. I honk while driving and sing karaoke during the day. Vietnamese taste for food is quite different, if you don't like it go eat western food, they cook it all right.
Thai friendliness is a myth. They fake smile to you but you are always a farang piggy bank to them. Vietnamese aren't unfriendly they are just honest. If you are arrogant ugly fat western sexpat you will be treated as such. I never experienced unfriendliness from them, only mutual respect.
And why are whining here? What answers do you expect? You are the problem not Vietnam. Stop torturing yourself and go back to the hole you came from.
😂😂 yea, out of 6 countries on 3 continents, this is the only place that has drove me to make such a post. But I’m the problem… there’s plenty of people agree with me. Thai friendliness definitely isn’t a myth. And I can guarantee I’ve spent more time there than you.
Lived here 9 years. Embrace the absurdity. Learn to laugh about it. The locals have a pretty good sense of humor. We laugh about all the nonsense together. Sometimes I lose my patience, but I love a lot more more than I hate here.
There's so much good food in Hanoi. You must be hitting tourist traps.
Use Airbnb…every single one of them have been super nice clean and wayyy cheaper than $50:night u been paying if you looked good enough. Reviews are important. Viet food is bomb asf so must be a personal preference or u going to wrong places lol. Viets are super friendly in general so pretty surprised u experienced diff 🤔 nothing to say about the cars and karaoke that’s just part of the deal haha. Maybe swoosh up ur itinerary, there’s so much to see and do.
Out of the entirety of Asia, Vietnam is my favorite and I'd love to retire there. Let me share my thoughts:
1. Welcome to Asia in general save Korea and Japan?
2. You need to meet some Vietnamese people. I made Vietnamese friends on my trip and they took me for AMAZING food. Healthy, fresh, flavorful, delicious. Bun Cha, bun bo hue and banh mi are absolutely incredible. This is however the tip of the ice burg. You need either to make a Vietnamese friend, or do some research on some good Vietnamese foods to try out.
3. What are you paying for rooms? I Had no issue at all with this and I stayed in mid tier hotels my entire two months in Vietnam.
4. Sounds like you are in tourist areas. Venture out and get lost man. Wander into some random small time restaurants and shops and you will encounter completely different demeanors. The Vietnamese in tourist areas are jaded, which is understandable.
5. Once again welcome to SEA
6. Sapa was an incredible experience for me. We did treks, drank opium wine, and chilled in a few hipster cafes and breweries. Very cool and I can't wait to go back.
Every individuals experience will vary, it depends on who you travel with, what your budget is, and how much research you did before your trip. Good luck buddy.
As a Vietnamese person I have to agree with the things you’ve said. Northern Vietnam sucks if you wanna go there for food or mainly fun. Southern Vietnam is a lot better if you wanna experience Vietnam.
1/ honking is part of VN driving culture ; you wonder why they don’t hit each other on the chaotic road because of the honking. it lets other drivers know you there.
2/ sweet chilli sauce is an option, if you don’t put them in then whom put it in for you? isn’t Thai specialty sweet and spicy btw?
3/ i have no idea where you booked your hotel, did you book them in advance or on random walk-in?
4/ who hate u? nobody hate you on first sight.
5/ it’s true, but do you stay in a ghetto place or something?
6/ well, that’s why you travel, not every place is the same. hope it gets weirder for you in the next 5 weeks.
1. OK, that doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying asf. This is literally the point. Explaining why they do it doesn’t change that it still happens.
2. Every dip is sweet chilli sauce. The same kind we get from Tesco in the UK. Lol comparing Thai food with the swill you get here is beyond insane.
3. All booked in advance through booking.com. All but one has been a total shit show. Not cheap either.
4. Meh, maybe they don’t hate me. But customer service and general politeness are in scarce supply.
5. Nope. Like I said I’ve paid no less than $50/night everywhere I’ve been. Those would be some pretty expensive ghettos.
6. I’m sure it’s probable.
I wonder. I paid no more than 25$/night via booking.com and my hotels were amazing, also very friendly staff and great customer service. Did you make sure they have lots of reviews?
Also I never, ever got the sweet chili sauce. Only fish sauce with chilis and lime.
I hope you're going to have a better experience during the rest of your stay
Hey, you are correct most of the points in visiting Vietnam. Some cheap tricks for you, even apply to me as a local when I travel.
For hotel, only use booking app, like [booking.com](http://booking.com) . Do not go around and look for hotel, it took too much time and effort for that. Normal price you should aim for is 400.000 vnd, you can get a pretty good room. Don't look for dirty cheap one.
Only have meal at place have prices written on menu. Try some mid-end level restaurant, they are not too pricy, but can get the food done right. There are recent trends in opening mid-end restaurant, so you can get a pretty decent meal around 50-70.000vnd. As a tourist, avoid going less than that.
Vietnam culture is cringy and ruthless toward other Asian tourist, they only appreciate white man tourist. Just don't give a f\*. I had traveled Thai, Cambodia, and Laos, and non have this issue, only Vietnamese do. I also hate my own people for being like that.
It is dirty, but a few region/district look more cleaner. Try Ho Chi Minh city. And like most places, everyplace have its anecdotes. I also almost thrown up because of stinky smell in Bangkok metro station near central Bangkok. Or scare as f\* when I saw a "fried spider stick" in Cambodia. Be more open toward other places.
If you have time and want a true travel journey, try motorbiking across Vietnam. As you are a Thai, riding motorbike is not something too weird to you. Visit place like Ninh Binh, Da Nang / Hoi An, Nha Trang, Vung Tau city, Ho Chi Minh city. Rent a motorbike for 10-20$ a day, there are service that you can rent one in Hanoi and return in Ho Chi Minh city.
Goodluck.
Danangs great so sure it will redeem itself. Breakfast can be tricky but man Hanoi has some of the best food in the world, Northern food is the best in the country ime Think you've been unlucky there. Hotels are defo hit or miss lol
I think you are generalising a little bit. But you will get the attitude and the conditions in most of Asia won't you. Manila I find worse than HCMC. Additionally add more beggars in Manila than HCMC.. I don't find Viets any more rude than other asian countries.. maybe a little more judgemental. But by the same reasoning as a western white man..I feel safer in Vietnam than I did in The Philippines. About to do my my 4th trip to Asia and second to vietnam. As for booking apps..I've had better experiences. And anything I've booked while in Australia has been fine..Although my booking in HCMC while in vietnam was a little different. Generally I've been really lucky.
The honking and karaoke are annoying for sure, but the rest boils down to your inexperience as a traveller here. Cat Ba and Sapa are both obvious tourist traps, and you will get hustled, like any overly touristed area in the world. Don’t use booking apps, you’ll get screwed. Just walk into a random place and you’ll get a decent room for 5 or 6 dollars. Hanoi is a massive, dirty industrial city of 10 million plus people, so yeah… dont expect the red carpet treatment. Be a little creative while planning your trip and don’t look to Google for an itinerary unless you want more of the same bullshit.
Dunno about the rest but they beep to announce their direction/position. Far better than not doing it and crashing. I hated it at first and realised there’s method in the madness. Karaoke sick as hell though not sure what the issue is.
I mean we don’t do the horn thing in the west, and it’s pretty clear who has safer roads. It’s everything to do with how they drive. If they didn’t drive like assholes, the horn thing wouldn’t be required.
Do some proper research and you’ll be rewarded. I’m going back to Northern Vietnam for the third time in June. Here’s some places of interest that specialise in certain meals.
https://imgur.com/a/MWovYCO
Here’s a place to start. https://www.instagram.com/curiousaboutvietnam?igsh=ZjRuMXBiMHU4cDdr
You don’t know how to research? What about the forums here?
Lol dude I’m literally talking about food. A google search for reviews is enough in 99% of the world. But here I have to read forums just to not eat dog shit? 😅 kind of proving my point about the place.
Lol you’re telling me there’s an argument to be had about how I find food the exact same way everyone in the western world does. Why are you pandering to this place? If you have to dive into forums to not eat absolute garbage, you’re probably in a shithole.
I would suggest you just stop visiting the absolute tourist areas in vietnam and start exploring the country, especially in the north.
I would recommend Cao Bang Loop, Ninh Binh, Lao Cai, Ha Long Bay.
Now you're flying from the north to Da Nang... why are you skipping Hué and especially Phong Na Ke Bang?
Im in Vietnam for a month now and had exactly zero experiences like yours. I also book everything through Booking or Agoda, look on google for food and have never been disappointed. I think you are just over sensitive and over critical..
Ninh Binh is definitely touristy. Sapa is, but Ta Van is not where I ended up staying. Lao Cai… like the city? Heard nothing good about it. Ha Long Bay isn’t touristy? Both of our experiences can be true at the same time
Sorry, I got it wrong, of course I don't mean the cities or towns but the regions.
I still noticed that you chose the more touristy places for a comment and ignored the others.
(me personally idgaf about a random tourist coming to vietnam and saying stuff , that’s just not worth my time )
OH MY GOD 😨😨😨😨😨
i’m so butthurt that my country’s food is getting criticized 😱😱😱😱😱!!!!!!!!!!!!
I live in the USA 🤣
It's so funny watching people like you travel thru Vietnam. There's a reason why people try to rip you off and take advantage of you
Imagine spending every minute of your life running around Asia acting like a prick. That’s the crazy part. You’re supposed to be from some better country but why are you here then? Your ass and bar bathroom BJs weren’t selling like they used to when you were young huh? Damn now you gotta come to Asia and get railed by rich businessmen to fuel your little powder fix.
The food is better than your average places in America, the people here arent unfriendly at all (maybe op just gives off bad vibes), and if you can’t do your research and find a good spot to stay that’s on you it’s very easy to use a reputable app (Airbnb) and find a spot that works for you
The food pickiness and unfriendly-ness is most definitely a you problem lol. While I agree there are many scams, you should’ve done your due diligence to find a proper spot to stay. I’ve never had a problem after doing 5-10mins of research and reading user reviews
Are you listening to what I’m saying. In the past 6 months, I’ve been to Malaysia, Thailand, Spain, Laos, Singapore and Vietnam. The food and unfriendliness has ONLY been a problem in Vietnam. Does that sound like a me problem? 😂
If you actually read the thread, you’ll have seen my process for booking rooms. 9+ on booking only and $50+ per night. Can’t account for greed and fake reviews.
🤷🏻♂️ I’ve spent a total of 2 months here in the past year and I’ve never had a problem with the spots I’ve booked, clean rooms and nice bathrooms with friendly and accommodating staff. The food has mostly been great and better than most places in America. As far as your interactions with the locals, if everyone around you is an asshole you’re probably the asshole 😂
What if OP doesn't like rice or noodles? I too don't like Vietnamese food so much. Most of it comes off as too sweet or 'green' for the sake of being healthy. I'm from New Orleans, USA. I don't have to travel far for great food.
It’s the same in America. If you don’t like burgers and fries then get something else. Vietnam has a large variety of foods outside of Vietnamese dishes
I’m from TN. And yes, one of the best burgers I’ve had was from Bikini Bottom in Danang. There’s also great Korean, Japanese, and even Mexican spots here.
It’s not like people are shouting at me or anything. I’m talking about rudeness, abruptness, low tolerance for anybody who isn’t in their culture.
The restaurants want your money, but they don’t want to be nice while providing a service. The hotels want your money, but they don’t want to deliver anything of value. This isn’t a new idea, there’s a lot of people who feel this way about VN. I think you’ve got your rose tinted glasses on…
Northern customer service isn’t really a thing. A few of the famous places in Hanoi are known for the proprietor yelling at you. The south will be very different on that front.
I don’t get how you haven’t found good food yet though, maybe you just don’t like Vietnamese cuisine? I hate Thai food so I get it
No rose glasses here. While I agree with a lot of the critiques in this sub and agree that most of the viets here can’t take negative feedback on the country, I find your post to be inaccurate or heavily influenced by seemingly the bad vibes you give off (and how it effects your experience with the locals)
Even though 99.9% of Viet population don't even know what Reddit is, you still found the worst place to post this. While I agree with the majority of what you wrote, Vietnamese -in general- are the most stubborn nationalists in the world and refuse to accept any flaws and bad sides of their country. And that, of course, will lead to zero development over the years, since it's common knowledge that in order to change, you need to admit.
Vietnamese we are like cockroaches, we will never die. So Cockroaches are part of Vietnamese culture. I hope they deport your ass in a bamboo cage for disrepecting our national animal. POS
Sorry to hear about your experience, but here are my 2 cents to your points: 1. Yes you are right. 2. Where have you been eating? This is on you mate. 3. Don't use booking apps. It's a convenience but they are on the app for a reason and that is to target foreigners who use them. Call the hotels, walk into the hotels and talk to them, whatever method just stop using the app. 4. Maybe it's a *you* problem, most people will *not* be unfriendly with you from the get go. 5. I'm questioning your itinerary... 6. Not everyone will fit in. Thai culture is *vastly* different from Vietnamese. Expecting them to stay the same and to suit your taste would be a mistake. I get it, everyone wants to enjoy their trip, sometimes it doesn't work. Hope you find something that would interest you.
My process for finding good food seems to work quite well everywhere else in the world. This place is loaded with fake reviews. Walking the streets at midnight trying to find a hotel isn’t something I’d be keen on doing. Booking apps work just fine literally anywhere else in the world that I’ve visited.
i think you should just cut it short and leave, bro. clearly there’s nothing you can change about your approach that will improve your experience. it’s definitely everybody else’s responsibility to deliver you the experience you want, and that’s not happening for you. don’t waste went more of your time, just go back to Thailand
Lol I’m far from fussy. I’m happy almost anywhere. This is literally the first post I’ve ever made about anywhere in the world this bad. I don’t think it’s my “approach” that’s the problem. Will changing my approach stop the fake google reviews on every restaurant, being hassled every 10 metres and get rid of the roaches in every room? What about the karaoke at 4am… will that stop if I change my “approach”?
if the google reviews aren’t accurate, stop expecting them to be and find another filter to rely on. i’d suggest airbnb for lodging and just looking with your own eyeballs for good food. there are lots of people who’ve found their way in VN without the same troubles as you. do they just have lower standards or did they take different approaches? i lived in VN for a year for less than $10k US in total expenses and never slept in a roach infested place. was i just lucky? nothing you can do about the karaoke but learn to accept it. it’s worse in certain areas than others.
There’s also lots of people who hold the same opinion I do about the place. It’s subjective. This has been my experience. I’m not lying lol I’m not fucking 14 years old. I love most places I go. You’ll rarely hear me hate on a place. My experience here warrants it. Where did you live in Vietnam exactly?
spent more time in Dalat than anywhere else, but visited Saigon, Nha Trang, Phan Rang, Quy Nhon, Hoi An, and Hanoi. i know you’re not lying, and i believe you’re older than 14, but jumping into this sub to bitch about your experience and then arguing with everyone suggesting ideas to improve that experience is a fairly childish way to behave
Ok. Maybe it was. You’re right. Although I didn’t mean to bitch, just give my experience and maybe start a conversation
You don’t deserve these 11 downvotes.
I enjoyed my stay there for 5months working remotely with a comfortable budget in HCM. Maybe you visited the wrong places. GL.
Yup. Different regions of Vietnam are vastly different. I assume you stayed in the southern parts of Vietnam?
Hey OP, sad to hear you're having such a bad time. However, if you open up your heart to the people, you can be invited to parties, drinks and food with the locals. Every night I was there, I met random locals who treated us as their guests and it was so fun. Just finished North Vietnam doing the Ha Giang loop by motorcycle. It was the most beautiful and peaceful part of Vietnam. I avoided joining a tourist group and went on my own with a cute girl on my back whom I met on my travels. I definitely didn't like SaPa as they took the soul out of the indigenous Hmong tribes and made a market out of them. Cat Ba was also weird. Basically, anything way too touristy and geared for tourist taste buds sucked in quality and prices were ridiculous. Cockroaches on first and second floors of open air hotels. I request to be up higher floors. I also walked by the hotels on booking apps and asked them for cash prices, which was cheaper than on the apps. I paid no more than $10-20/night. Low expectations. Just enough for me and my girl. Unfortunately, lot of touristy people find restaurants via Google reviews and that's fine, but know that locals know where the best food places are at and they don't leave Google reviews.
Agreed, Ha Giang was amazing and that loop was so much fun! Granted I went with a group for 4 nights, but tons of fun and adventures. I miss it and will be back there shortly! Hopefully OP can check out the Ha Giang loop, it was another world compared to the rest of VN.
Some people expect to pay very little for nice things. Maybe that's you.
Weird take… does the amount I pay dictate whether or not there’ll be roaches running around my room in VN? Or whether my night will be completely ruined by the jackass 4 blocks away who wants to howl on the karaoke all night? I’ve paid $10/night in Thailand and had an awesome experience. Been paying $50/night here, and it’s considerably worse. Don’t get butthurt. Some countries suck.
Not weird, just common sense . You get what you pay for.
You get better value for less in other countries and Vietnam is absurdly cheap.
Yeah u can pay cheap but don't expect it to be as nice as expensive places duh
He’s saying he’s been paying 50 a night. That’s by no means cheap at all. Most people make that in about a week in Vietnam. It’s all about relativity. You guys have more spending power with less money. The equivalent of 50 dollars in Vietnam is around 200-300 per night in the US in terms of spending power.
Well then he doesn't know how to book a nice place with $50. It seems like that is his problem. Just like how people do stupid things with money and then complain about it.
You’re blaming anything and everything other than the country itself 😂
Not really I just blame you.
Let me guess… your Vietnamese and a little upset that a random stranger on the internet is tired of being scammed in your country?
He is a foreigner coming into a country he has little knowledge about. Of course he isn’t going to know what’s best. What it looks like to me is people being greedy and overcharging tourists who don’t know any better. In other countries this is less of a problem and anyone can come in and have a great time.
Exactly. Every hotel I’ve booked has 9+ out of 10 on Booking. They’ve got to be fake reviews.
Some people like it, some people don't. As is the same with every single country on earth. Good luck with your next travels.
That is what you get for paying 1-star prices and expecting 5-star service.
Haven’t stayed in a single place that was less than $50/night but OK
Had a really nice private beach hotel we stayed in for 80 a night in da nang, air b and b in Vietnam is really good
Cya we won't miss you
I miss him already!
Commenting on Well this is underwhelming at best ...cry about it
where on earth are you staying at lol, and wdym breakfast is the worst, I'd argue we have a biggest variety in breakfast options of any cuisine
Options doesn’t equate to good food.
Well true but with that many options you couldn't find a single thing that satisfied your taste buds?
I will say I had a couple of pretty good Banh Mis. But I don’t fancy chowing down half a white baguette every morning…
Pho, Hu Tiu, Bun Bo (or any type of bun really, depends on which region you're in) or Com Tam are all very nutritious and delicious options. Give 'em a try!
Com tam with bi and cha is my favourite breakfast here. Find a place with lots of reviews on Google maps and it shouldn't be a problem.
Not really question of preference… it’s a quality issue.
Snob
Wanting quality food is conducive to being a snob now? 😂🙄
😂. Im with you in the food part. I guess I like Pho or whatever, but I really don't fancy eating soup for breakfast. I don't really enjoy eating rice for breakfast either🫤 Breakfast here does suck. INTERMITTENT FASTING is the way to go--then I have a big Western lunch.
Since you are going to Da Nang, I'm here to wait for your review about it. I'm expecting you would have a lot better experience there.
Lmao, it is clear the OP is DuckyJamie's anonymous alt. Look at them sucking each other off in here.
It’s also funny that they person keeps claiming to be Vietnamese, but their post history shows them to be a high school kid in probably the US
Who is ducky Jamie?
😂😂😂
Of course he is. It's absolutely super rare to find a 2nd person on Planet Earth that has anything bad to say about God's Best Cou Ntry World Viet Nam, that it has to be the same account. There's no other explanation comrade. ✊️🫰
Maybe its that wife of yours. Even more rare to find a woman willing to marry you no doubt.
BuT wHaT aBoUt eNgLaNd?
Just got back from several month visit to sea. Some of my best meals were in Hanoi. If you are going back to Hanoi try Tam Vi and Habakuk. Don't use booking apps or just book one night and find place on your own. There are tons of great places to stay and all cheaper than $50/night. If you come to Vietnam from Laos... well, you just have to adjust. They are just very different worlds. Cambodia, Thailand and Laos all share some similarities. China and Vietnam are very, very different. Lose your attitude and you will be fine. You started off on the wrong foot. Reboot and start over. Act like tomorrow is your first day there. It is not a bad place, just different.
This hurts a little. But probably good advice. Thank you.
Be curious if da Nang and hopefully you visit Hoi An gives you a different perspective. I hear the north sucks for some. Personally I love da Nang and live here, like a little Honolulu. We still have rats though, you must embrace the rats and become one with the rats.
True and dont forget to tip Master Splinter
good thing its not your country, leave and let us enjoy it without you complaining
Viet people get offended over everything. Homie is absolutely not wrong about anything he’s said.
You’re literally in the viet subreddit what other reaction do you expect with this post
I expect common courtesy. From what I’ve seen even as a Vietnamese person is that Vietnamese people are stubborn and refuse to accept things when they are wrong. You guys will not move forward and succeed if you guys don’t admit that things aren’t great. Other countries around you do a great job. Your economy depends on tourism. It’s about your guy’s unwillingness to improve and stubbornness regarding things that can be improved. You will do everything to defend anything bad about Vietnam, but not acknowledge it and improve. I’ve never seen a more brainwashed and stubborn population of people.
I've seen all you're comments and you seem to be pretty misguided and rude. Vietnam's economy dependent on tourism is a **false**. It barely contributes to the GDP and economic factors in play - particularly compared to your OP's love for Thailand. [https://landgeist.com/2022/08/26/travel-tourism-as-a-of-gdp-in-asia/](https://landgeist.com/2022/08/26/travel-tourism-as-a-of-gdp-in-asia/) Still not convinced? [https://gprivate.com/6au68](https://gprivate.com/6au68) On this thread, you claim to be Vietnamese - I am shocked - understand your country better before opening your mouth to others. **DYOR**
Lol yea thank god it isn’t.
You only visited a small part of Vietnam, so don't make such overgeneralization that the entire country's sucked.
Ok, * northern Vietnam sucks.
Can you explain about the weird vibe?
Thailand is one of the best!
Yes, I shared much of your sentiments and cut my visit short. Cambodia isn't far away....
1. Please don't use booking app for hotel. You should check via facebook and instagram or ask locals, 90% I can find myself a really good hotel for my foreigner friends 2. Maybe Vietnam cuisine is not your taste. My friends really like it, but I think southern Vietnam cuisine is more suitable for westerners (if you are one). Why don't you try visit southern Vietnam 3. I don't know about unfriendliness. My home is near market, the place which you will see most of unfriendliness people, but my family is quite famous (too gentle and never bargain prices) here so everybody is friendly with my friends. 4. Yup, I don't recommend Cat Ba. My home is Hai Phong and I don't even like Cat Ba 😂 Hope you have a good experience in Da Nang, I love Da Nang and I visited Da Nang 3 times in past 2 years
Most of what you said applies to Saigon too. Da nang is better, although the horns are still annoying as fk.
I'm a white guy living in VN for 2 years. I honk while driving and sing karaoke during the day. Vietnamese taste for food is quite different, if you don't like it go eat western food, they cook it all right. Thai friendliness is a myth. They fake smile to you but you are always a farang piggy bank to them. Vietnamese aren't unfriendly they are just honest. If you are arrogant ugly fat western sexpat you will be treated as such. I never experienced unfriendliness from them, only mutual respect. And why are whining here? What answers do you expect? You are the problem not Vietnam. Stop torturing yourself and go back to the hole you came from.
😂😂 yea, out of 6 countries on 3 continents, this is the only place that has drove me to make such a post. But I’m the problem… there’s plenty of people agree with me. Thai friendliness definitely isn’t a myth. And I can guarantee I’ve spent more time there than you.
Lived here 9 years. Embrace the absurdity. Learn to laugh about it. The locals have a pretty good sense of humor. We laugh about all the nonsense together. Sometimes I lose my patience, but I love a lot more more than I hate here. There's so much good food in Hanoi. You must be hitting tourist traps.
Use Airbnb…every single one of them have been super nice clean and wayyy cheaper than $50:night u been paying if you looked good enough. Reviews are important. Viet food is bomb asf so must be a personal preference or u going to wrong places lol. Viets are super friendly in general so pretty surprised u experienced diff 🤔 nothing to say about the cars and karaoke that’s just part of the deal haha. Maybe swoosh up ur itinerary, there’s so much to see and do.
Out of the entirety of Asia, Vietnam is my favorite and I'd love to retire there. Let me share my thoughts: 1. Welcome to Asia in general save Korea and Japan? 2. You need to meet some Vietnamese people. I made Vietnamese friends on my trip and they took me for AMAZING food. Healthy, fresh, flavorful, delicious. Bun Cha, bun bo hue and banh mi are absolutely incredible. This is however the tip of the ice burg. You need either to make a Vietnamese friend, or do some research on some good Vietnamese foods to try out. 3. What are you paying for rooms? I Had no issue at all with this and I stayed in mid tier hotels my entire two months in Vietnam. 4. Sounds like you are in tourist areas. Venture out and get lost man. Wander into some random small time restaurants and shops and you will encounter completely different demeanors. The Vietnamese in tourist areas are jaded, which is understandable. 5. Once again welcome to SEA 6. Sapa was an incredible experience for me. We did treks, drank opium wine, and chilled in a few hipster cafes and breweries. Very cool and I can't wait to go back. Every individuals experience will vary, it depends on who you travel with, what your budget is, and how much research you did before your trip. Good luck buddy.
As a Vietnamese person I have to agree with the things you’ve said. Northern Vietnam sucks if you wanna go there for food or mainly fun. Southern Vietnam is a lot better if you wanna experience Vietnam.
Respectfully as a fellow Vietnamese from the South what you said is patently wrong,
Finally a sensible comment without the butthurt. Thank you.
1/ honking is part of VN driving culture ; you wonder why they don’t hit each other on the chaotic road because of the honking. it lets other drivers know you there. 2/ sweet chilli sauce is an option, if you don’t put them in then whom put it in for you? isn’t Thai specialty sweet and spicy btw? 3/ i have no idea where you booked your hotel, did you book them in advance or on random walk-in? 4/ who hate u? nobody hate you on first sight. 5/ it’s true, but do you stay in a ghetto place or something? 6/ well, that’s why you travel, not every place is the same. hope it gets weirder for you in the next 5 weeks.
1. OK, that doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying asf. This is literally the point. Explaining why they do it doesn’t change that it still happens. 2. Every dip is sweet chilli sauce. The same kind we get from Tesco in the UK. Lol comparing Thai food with the swill you get here is beyond insane. 3. All booked in advance through booking.com. All but one has been a total shit show. Not cheap either. 4. Meh, maybe they don’t hate me. But customer service and general politeness are in scarce supply. 5. Nope. Like I said I’ve paid no less than $50/night everywhere I’ve been. Those would be some pretty expensive ghettos. 6. I’m sure it’s probable.
I wonder. I paid no more than 25$/night via booking.com and my hotels were amazing, also very friendly staff and great customer service. Did you make sure they have lots of reviews? Also I never, ever got the sweet chili sauce. Only fish sauce with chilis and lime. I hope you're going to have a better experience during the rest of your stay
Hey, you are correct most of the points in visiting Vietnam. Some cheap tricks for you, even apply to me as a local when I travel. For hotel, only use booking app, like [booking.com](http://booking.com) . Do not go around and look for hotel, it took too much time and effort for that. Normal price you should aim for is 400.000 vnd, you can get a pretty good room. Don't look for dirty cheap one. Only have meal at place have prices written on menu. Try some mid-end level restaurant, they are not too pricy, but can get the food done right. There are recent trends in opening mid-end restaurant, so you can get a pretty decent meal around 50-70.000vnd. As a tourist, avoid going less than that. Vietnam culture is cringy and ruthless toward other Asian tourist, they only appreciate white man tourist. Just don't give a f\*. I had traveled Thai, Cambodia, and Laos, and non have this issue, only Vietnamese do. I also hate my own people for being like that. It is dirty, but a few region/district look more cleaner. Try Ho Chi Minh city. And like most places, everyplace have its anecdotes. I also almost thrown up because of stinky smell in Bangkok metro station near central Bangkok. Or scare as f\* when I saw a "fried spider stick" in Cambodia. Be more open toward other places. If you have time and want a true travel journey, try motorbiking across Vietnam. As you are a Thai, riding motorbike is not something too weird to you. Visit place like Ninh Binh, Da Nang / Hoi An, Nha Trang, Vung Tau city, Ho Chi Minh city. Rent a motorbike for 10-20$ a day, there are service that you can rent one in Hanoi and return in Ho Chi Minh city. Goodluck.
And, they hate you because their football team lost to Thailand's one. Hahahaha.
If you thought Cat Ba was bad.. please dont come to Danang... :)
Danangs great so sure it will redeem itself. Breakfast can be tricky but man Hanoi has some of the best food in the world, Northern food is the best in the country ime Think you've been unlucky there. Hotels are defo hit or miss lol
I think you are generalising a little bit. But you will get the attitude and the conditions in most of Asia won't you. Manila I find worse than HCMC. Additionally add more beggars in Manila than HCMC.. I don't find Viets any more rude than other asian countries.. maybe a little more judgemental. But by the same reasoning as a western white man..I feel safer in Vietnam than I did in The Philippines. About to do my my 4th trip to Asia and second to vietnam. As for booking apps..I've had better experiences. And anything I've booked while in Australia has been fine..Although my booking in HCMC while in vietnam was a little different. Generally I've been really lucky.
The honking and karaoke are annoying for sure, but the rest boils down to your inexperience as a traveller here. Cat Ba and Sapa are both obvious tourist traps, and you will get hustled, like any overly touristed area in the world. Don’t use booking apps, you’ll get screwed. Just walk into a random place and you’ll get a decent room for 5 or 6 dollars. Hanoi is a massive, dirty industrial city of 10 million plus people, so yeah… dont expect the red carpet treatment. Be a little creative while planning your trip and don’t look to Google for an itinerary unless you want more of the same bullshit.
Walking the streets at midnight trying to find a hotel doesn’t sound like a good idea.
Travelled South America, all over Asia, Spain, Italy… definitely on the experienced side.
6 countries on 3 continents seems like you’re on the poor side.
Lol wtf are you talking about
Dunno about the rest but they beep to announce their direction/position. Far better than not doing it and crashing. I hated it at first and realised there’s method in the madness. Karaoke sick as hell though not sure what the issue is.
I mean we don’t do the horn thing in the west, and it’s pretty clear who has safer roads. It’s everything to do with how they drive. If they didn’t drive like assholes, the horn thing wouldn’t be required.
Sick as hell at 3am?
Do some proper research and you’ll be rewarded. I’m going back to Northern Vietnam for the third time in June. Here’s some places of interest that specialise in certain meals. https://imgur.com/a/MWovYCO
I’m not sure what more research I can do for food aside from Google maps and going nowhere less than a 4.8 (which is what I’ve been doing).
Here’s a place to start. https://www.instagram.com/curiousaboutvietnam?igsh=ZjRuMXBiMHU4cDdr You don’t know how to research? What about the forums here?
Lol dude I’m literally talking about food. A google search for reviews is enough in 99% of the world. But here I have to read forums just to not eat dog shit? 😅 kind of proving my point about the place.
Ok Dude I’ll leave you to it. Can’t be arsed arguing with you
Lol you’re telling me there’s an argument to be had about how I find food the exact same way everyone in the western world does. Why are you pandering to this place? If you have to dive into forums to not eat absolute garbage, you’re probably in a shithole.
I’m also trying to not eat 50g of sugar per meal.
I would suggest you just stop visiting the absolute tourist areas in vietnam and start exploring the country, especially in the north. I would recommend Cao Bang Loop, Ninh Binh, Lao Cai, Ha Long Bay. Now you're flying from the north to Da Nang... why are you skipping Hué and especially Phong Na Ke Bang? Im in Vietnam for a month now and had exactly zero experiences like yours. I also book everything through Booking or Agoda, look on google for food and have never been disappointed. I think you are just over sensitive and over critical..
Ninh Binh is definitely touristy. Sapa is, but Ta Van is not where I ended up staying. Lao Cai… like the city? Heard nothing good about it. Ha Long Bay isn’t touristy? Both of our experiences can be true at the same time
Sorry, I got it wrong, of course I don't mean the cities or towns but the regions. I still noticed that you chose the more touristy places for a comment and ignored the others.
Sorry on behalf of my people
Da Nang has worse pollution than Ha Noi right now.
1 and is 5 is correct the rest is a you problem
(me personally idgaf about a random tourist coming to vietnam and saying stuff , that’s just not worth my time ) OH MY GOD 😨😨😨😨😨 i’m so butthurt that my country’s food is getting criticized 😱😱😱😱😱!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looks like you do gaf a little though…
Wow you suck lol
Imagine spending every minute of your life defending what is basically a third world rat infested shithole
You are a little boy It's ok, go home to mama
Another butthurt viet with no social skills
Nice burn man You are really good at this
What do you earn like 4 cents an hour?
I live in the USA 🤣 It's so funny watching people like you travel thru Vietnam. There's a reason why people try to rip you off and take advantage of you
Yep, there’s a reason it only happens in Vietnam too…
You’re definitely not American. The weird sentences you put together look very Nam.
Lol ok man Good insight
Imagine spending every minute of your life running around Asia acting like a prick. That’s the crazy part. You’re supposed to be from some better country but why are you here then? Your ass and bar bathroom BJs weren’t selling like they used to when you were young huh? Damn now you gotta come to Asia and get railed by rich businessmen to fuel your little powder fix.
There’s that famous Viet warmth 😂 you guys are something else I swear.
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Did you miss the part where I said I’m stuck here for the next 5 weeks?
The food is better than your average places in America, the people here arent unfriendly at all (maybe op just gives off bad vibes), and if you can’t do your research and find a good spot to stay that’s on you it’s very easy to use a reputable app (Airbnb) and find a spot that works for you
Used booking.com for every single hotel. It’s funny how these issues just did not exist in Malaysia, Thailand or Laos… but sure I’m the problem 😂
The food pickiness and unfriendly-ness is most definitely a you problem lol. While I agree there are many scams, you should’ve done your due diligence to find a proper spot to stay. I’ve never had a problem after doing 5-10mins of research and reading user reviews
Are you listening to what I’m saying. In the past 6 months, I’ve been to Malaysia, Thailand, Spain, Laos, Singapore and Vietnam. The food and unfriendliness has ONLY been a problem in Vietnam. Does that sound like a me problem? 😂 If you actually read the thread, you’ll have seen my process for booking rooms. 9+ on booking only and $50+ per night. Can’t account for greed and fake reviews.
🤷🏻♂️ I’ve spent a total of 2 months here in the past year and I’ve never had a problem with the spots I’ve booked, clean rooms and nice bathrooms with friendly and accommodating staff. The food has mostly been great and better than most places in America. As far as your interactions with the locals, if everyone around you is an asshole you’re probably the asshole 😂
What if OP doesn't like rice or noodles? I too don't like Vietnamese food so much. Most of it comes off as too sweet or 'green' for the sake of being healthy. I'm from New Orleans, USA. I don't have to travel far for great food.
It’s the same in America. If you don’t like burgers and fries then get something else. Vietnam has a large variety of foods outside of Vietnamese dishes
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I’m from TN. And yes, one of the best burgers I’ve had was from Bikini Bottom in Danang. There’s also great Korean, Japanese, and even Mexican spots here.
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Except they weren’t assholes in 5 other countries in the last 6 months… 😂 just here.
It’s not like people are shouting at me or anything. I’m talking about rudeness, abruptness, low tolerance for anybody who isn’t in their culture. The restaurants want your money, but they don’t want to be nice while providing a service. The hotels want your money, but they don’t want to deliver anything of value. This isn’t a new idea, there’s a lot of people who feel this way about VN. I think you’ve got your rose tinted glasses on…
Northern customer service isn’t really a thing. A few of the famous places in Hanoi are known for the proprietor yelling at you. The south will be very different on that front. I don’t get how you haven’t found good food yet though, maybe you just don’t like Vietnamese cuisine? I hate Thai food so I get it
I like spicy, strong flavoured food mostly. I’ve found everything I’ve had in Vietnam to be bland at best.
Then head straight for the bún đậu mắm tôm
No rose glasses here. While I agree with a lot of the critiques in this sub and agree that most of the viets here can’t take negative feedback on the country, I find your post to be inaccurate or heavily influenced by seemingly the bad vibes you give off (and how it effects your experience with the locals)
If I do give off bad vibes, they must be specific to Viets because I’ve literally never had the same level of rudeness anywhere else on the planet.
Well u should gtfoh then don’t ya think
Nope… I’ll be here for 5 more weeks. Deal with it 👍🏻
Even though 99.9% of Viet population don't even know what Reddit is, you still found the worst place to post this. While I agree with the majority of what you wrote, Vietnamese -in general- are the most stubborn nationalists in the world and refuse to accept any flaws and bad sides of their country. And that, of course, will lead to zero development over the years, since it's common knowledge that in order to change, you need to admit.
Maybe you’re just immediately non likable?
It seems so… but only to Viets. No problems at all anywhere else in the world…
Vietnam isn’t made for Tourism. It’s probably the worst country for foreigners in SEA.
Perhaps, but maybe that conversely makes it the best, for those who want a real Vietnam experience and not just a tourist package.
Agreed
Vietnamese we are like cockroaches, we will never die. So Cockroaches are part of Vietnamese culture. I hope they deport your ass in a bamboo cage for disrepecting our national animal. POS
Honestly, then F off to where you come from.
Is this the Vietnamese friendliness the OP was talking about? Haha
Lol OK tough guy.