As much as I hate to say this, I’m leaving Vietnam a little underwhelmed. Now that’s not to say I haven’t had a great time, I have. But, despite the ravings of friends who had visited before us, I don’t feel I have really discovered the Vietnam they so loved. It probably didn’t help that we rode in high on our amazing experience in the mountains of Laos and landed straight into the manic-ness that is Hanoi. From there, we rode the trains up to Sapa and then straight back down again all the way to Ho Chi Minh, jumping off in Hue, Hoi An and Nha Trang.
Now first, let me take responsibility for my part in being underwhelmed. We did not have enough time to see Vietnam. Three weeks is nothing in such a huge country with such great distances to be covered between stops. I didn’t do enough research before we arrived. We came in knowing very little of what there was to see and so had no idea what we even wanted to see, aside from the war sites. I could not get to grips with the language in any small way whatsoever. I did try, but the tonal differences are entirely elusive to me. When I could capture the attention of a Vietnamese person I couldn’t make even the simplest phrases understood. So, with the bad preparation out of the way, let me try and qualify exactly what didn’t grab me about this country.
But that’s the problem isn’t it? Had I been ecstatically overwhelmed and excited about a place I could point to the food, the people, the sunsets, the architecture, the accommodation and say that is what I loved about said place. On the other hand, had I been terribly disappointed and had an awful time, I could point to the food, the people, the sunsets, the architecture, the accommodation and say that is what caused me to have dislike said place. But, I’m left floundering in the middle of the spectrum. I didn’t have a great time and I didn’t have a bad time either.
The highlight for me of our time in Vietnam was visiting the various war museums and memorials. But while that may help me to understand a Vietnam of the past, the country and its people have clearly moved on but, to what, I’m not entirely sure. At no point in our three weeks did I feel any sense of a strong national identity.
The food: Of the countries I have visited in South East Asia, I found Vietnam to be the least Vegetarian friendly. The real charm of Vietnamese food is, I’m told, in its street food and small restaurants swamped with locals. These restaurants often offer only the one dish, they’re speciality. And while I’m sure it’s excellent, it’s almost never vegetarian. There were a few Com Chay (Vegetarian) restaurants which I enjoyed immensely, but for the most part I was left with little choice other than the tourist places offering fajitas, sandwiches and always pizza.
The people: In general, I think the Vietnamese people have a bad reputation among the travelling community. I’ve read such words as ‘rude’. ‘unfriendly’, ‘unhelpful’ and ‘all out to scam the tourists’. I think these, as with most generalisations, are an unfair sweep of the entire population. I think that sometimes uncertainty with English can be interpreted as rudeness. The shake of the hand which accompanies a “no” instead of the shaking of the head we’re more used to can look extremely dismissive. Most of the people I came across (admittedly in tourist focused positions) were very friendly and eager to help. The students we met in Hue appeared to be almost in awe of us as we helped them with some English practice. The father and his two sons we shared a train cabin with were very excited to play some games with us (especially once we introduced the boys to ‘angry birds’) and Dad even insisted on getting a photo of the five of us and phoning his sister so that she could speak some English with me. The people stared far more here than in any other country I have been to. Long, unsubtle, right up close to us staring after a time made me feel quite uncomfortable. I don’t know what they were staring at exactly (although Alan’s earrings got a lot of interest) but not knowing whether it was out of curiosity, interest, disdain or disapproval made it tough not to feel like a zoo animal.
The sunsets: Sapa was beautiful, that I cannot argue. But, aside from that, I didn’t see much countryside which stood out, be it beaches, cities or small towns. Perhaps this is something which is entirely our fault for not choosing our destinations more carefully. One element I can point to and quite confidently say I didn’t like is the littering. I was told by a Vietnamese girl that the Vietnamese people have a low level of responsibility. She was referring specifically to the dangerous driving, but I think more than that I found the people to be quite happy to litter in a way which distressed me greatly, particularly on the beach. There were street cleaners who diligently cleared up all the rubbish daily but keeping the environment clean can only work as a collective responsibility, something which is clearly not encouraged.
The architecture: There were some beautiful buildings to see but, unfortunately, thirty years of war has been unkind to Vietnam. It wasn’t so much of an issue, however, as we rarely had time to look up from the road as we attempted to get ourselves across in one piece. Perhaps my lasting impression of Vietnam will be the deadly roads.
The accommodation: This may be at the root of the problem. Vietnamese guest houses are all very nice and very reasonably priced. We didn’t find any without AC, hot water, satellite TV and wifi (all for about $15 a night). In fact, these hotels were always cheaper than traditional hostels (where there were hostels at all). Without real hostels with a proper social area the chances of meeting new people are pretty slim. I’m a firm believer that it’s the people you meet who make your trip.
There is clearly something I’m missing here, some layer I neglected to peel back. I’m entirely certain that Vietnam is out there, waiting to be discovered, and that we somehow seemed to slip past each other this time. I would love to come back in the future with more time, a little more money and a better idea of the places to visit. For now we leave Vietnam for Cambodia carrying a few more clothes, a few bootleg DVDs and a yearning to get under the skin of the countries we visit a little more. I’m not sure what we can achieve in Cambodia, but we’ll give it a shot.
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Thank you for your beautiful and frank portrayal of this country. My partner and I are traveling through Vietnam right now, and are struggling with all the same things. Friends raved about this place before we left our home in Australia, and we’ve been feeling somewhat guilty that we’re not seeing it through their eyes. As an artist, my creativity has, without a doubt, been stimulated, but there is still something missing. We came online to see if others felt the way we do, and it’s comforting to know there are.
Monica, it’s so reassuring to hear of others experiencing the same feelings we were. There is a bizarre sense of guilt that there must be something wrong with us if we’re not having as amazing a time as everyone else did! As hard as it is, I’m going to strive to travel without expectations or preconceptions so that I can take in new experiences without the weight of others opinions pressing down on me.
This is a great, well-written perspective. I enjoyed Vietnam immensely, but I can understand comparing the reality to the hype. Its also changing so much, so quickly its hard to know what experience to expect.
I was surprised at how much the tourism industry was geared toward the War, but as time moves on that’s going to be less and less relevant to most visitors. I got the impression that Vietnam fought hard for its independence, but due to its folly forray into communism, pretty much got left behind the rest of Southeast Asia and today is resentful.
I found the landscape, food culture fascinating, and I still recommend it to friends.
Kris Koeller\’s last post…4th of July Fireworks High Above New York City
I think you may have hit the nail on the head there Kris, I think Vietnam is the most rapidly changing country I have ever visited. It truly did feel like I could be seeing an entirely different country from the friends that were there only a few months before. I will always reccommend that people visit a place personally. It’s near on impossible for me to know how other people may find somewhere. Similarly, I always like to visit somewhere myself before forming my own opinion. But, most importantly, that opinion is always open for changing.
I am really surprised by your thoughts on Vietnam because I am one of the people who loved it, however as with everything, I believe it all comes down to personal experience in a place as to whether you enjoy your time there. On the point of the food – I loved the food and am surprised you mention them serving mainly one dish. I didn’t find this at all, however I can understand that it may have been difficult for you as a vegetarian as I was obviously open to more choice on the menus. I can relate on the people staring at you thing – with me I knew it was because of my fair skin and blonde hair because several of the locals actually told me this, but I think it was more fascination as opposed to anything disapproving. It’s good to read other people’s view on a place, I become a bit suspicious when all I ever read about a place are glowing reports!
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Thanks Julia, I was actually surprised too. I so rarely have a response like this. I did debate on whether or not to write how I felt as, you’re right, normally all we hear is the glowing reports from everywhere. But, I figure being honest about how I feel has to be part of the point of running this blog!
This is a really interesting post and one that I feel will be understood by many. I lived in Vietnam for 3 years and think it is one of the most beautiful and fascinating places I have ever been to, but it took me at least 6 months to reach this point.I think many travellers miss this when they spend a short amount of time there, especially when travelling from one place to another which can be extra stressful in Vietnam. Saigon, in particular, grows on you. Many people hate it and move on quickly but those who stay longer find that it seeps into you somehow. I still miss it every single day
I also found that the majority of people who disliked Vietnam were the ones who came straight from Thailand or Laos, whereas the ones that loved it immediately were the ones who came directly to Vietnam first. I have not been to Laos so not sure how that compares, but for me I would far rather visit Vietnam than Thailand.
The language is problematic and even after 3 years I could rarely say my address to a taxi driver in a way that he could understand, this can be infuriating! It is also true that there are various scams (isn’t there always?) but I only had trouble once in 3 years and know of very few others that had problems.
I’m really sorry that you were underwhelmed with Vietnam and I really hope that you like Cambodia!!
Runaway Brit\’s last post…I Had LASIK Surgery in Vietnam!
Thanks so much for your reply. It frustrates me that I didn’t really get on with Vietnam as I’m mostly able to enjoy everywhere I travel to. I think you’re absolutely right that it comes down to not spending enough time there. I did like the feel of Saigon and I’m sure I could get on with living there. I think I would need to go back at another time, just to Vietnam, and spend a lot more time getting under the skin of the place. Hopefully I get the chance to do that in the future.
I didn’t know you were a veggie! That must be difficult when you travel, especially as you point out with the non veggie-friendly countries. Welcome back to erm…sunny England
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I am a tree-hugging, animal-loving veggie! Mostly it’s not too tough, but I can put up with ‘veggie’ items containing fish sauce etc. I think it would drive me mad to try and be truly 100% vegetarian whilst travelling!
I’m always more interested by negative reports, than gushing praise, as they seem more genuine. Vietnam was one of the first places I visited solo, and whilst I enjoyed it, a few people I met were also under or possibly overwhelmed.
As mentioned by Runaway Brit, the common factor at the time seemed to be those people who (like me) had entered from the equally beautiful, but much calmer Laos were taken aback by the hectic pace, whereas those who had arrived directly to Vietnam were loving the energy.
Steve\’s last post…When a flight upgrade isn’t an upgrade – Yinchuan, China
I’m glad this comes across as genuine. I found it tough to admit to myself that I wasn’t having that much fun – it’s not often voiced in travel blogs. But I was also so incredibly aware that my experience was just that, mine, and it wouldn’t necessarily relate to anyone else’s. However, it’s nice to see how much positive response this article has received.
It’s refreshing when I see that not every travel review is a rave about a fantastic new location–sometimes, it just doesn’t work out, and while it’s disappointing it is also honest (and, frankly, just the way it goes sometimes!). It’s nice to know that this doesn’t just happen to me!
Best of luck with Cambodia!
Danalynn C\’s last post…Early Mornings in the French Countryside
Thanks Danalynn, it looks like there are a whole bunch of people having similar experience, but very few writing about it. I set out to try and write a knowingly subjective piece and I hope it’s not one which negatively effects anyone else’s want to travel there.
You don’t *have* to love every single place you visit, even if all those who have gone before you have loved it! Sometimes places disappoint us because they don’t hold what *we* need/are looking for…
Kyle\’s last post…Travel Pictures | The Ritz Carlton, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
I think it’s so tough when you expend so much time, money and energy on a trip such as this to come to terms with not always feeling entirely satisfied with an experience. But, I agree, we need to shake that pressure of having to love every place. Thanks for reading Kyle, I really love your photos!
Oh, thank you so much Sarah, you’re so sweet!
Kyle\’s last post…Paris Travel Photos | Place de Vosges
Three weeks is kind of a short time to enjoy the country. There are really a lot of beautiful place you haven’t yet discovered. Your are underwhelmed maybe because you spent a lot of time travelling rather than enjoying the place. Wish you can visit the country again with lots of time and with people who can help you explore the beautiful places there. I stayed in Vietnam for quite sometime and I really enjoy every moment I’ve been there.
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I agree Tod, it wasn’t long enough by far. However, other countries I’ve spent a small amount of time in have left me wanting more, but I didn’t leave Vietnam with that feeling. I would love to return at some point in the future and to come away with a different impression.
Oh, what a relief. I went to Vietnam earlier this year and left feeling rather confused and underwhelmed as well. This post nicely summed up everything I’d been feeling, and still feel when I look back at my photos. I too came in from Laos to Hanoi and really wondered if my perceptions had just been tainted by my experiences there. I struggled with the lack of vegetarian food, and being ill-equipped for the unseasonable weather, and found that normal travel woes (not being able to communicate with locals, etc) really wore at me much more than in other places. I think Kyle’s comment is a sound one – that you don’t have to love every place you travel to! It’s a hard one to accept though, when you’ve spent a good chunk of time and money planning things.
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It’s so interesting how many people have come out to say they felt the same way after I published this article. There is such a feeling of pressure to love every place when it’s a part of the trip of your dreams, but unfortunately it doesn’t always turn out that way. Perhaps the places we don’t enjoy tell us as much about ourselves as those that we do.
Appreciate the honesty of this post, it’s usually easier to say ‘we had the best time in ____’, but that’s not always the case. I would say the same thing about London, and I’m sure others would disagree. I am Vietnamese and I probably would’ve felt lost when I visited Vietnam a couple years ago had I not had family show me around. But since I did, I had the best time given that I had a truly local experience. I grew up speaking Vietnamese and I even had a hard time keeping with what local people were saying. So it’s definitely not the easiest language to speak or understand!
Gerard ~ GQ trippin\’s last post…my job quit me. now what?
Thanks Gerard, I’m glad my honesty is appreciated, it’s that bit tougher to put yourself out there to say that you didn’t enjoy a place. I can imagine that London is a bit of a divisive city, travel-wise. Having lived most of my life there I can say I’ve seen both the fun side and the really nasty side of the city – but I imagine it can be a difficult place to visit as a traveller.
Yeah. Maybe it’s not fair for me to judge since I was only in London for 3 days.
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