Vietnam is a country that often evokes strong opinions from travelers.
Some love it. Some absolutely hate it.
Me? I definitely fall into the former category.
Sure, there are travel scams in Vietnam. There are taxi drivers and touts who will try to rip you off. There are market vendors that will swear at you and swat you away if you don't want to pay their prices. There's a really big pollution problem, especially in northern cities like Hanoi.
But, these issues are not confined to Vietnam — you'll find scammy drivers, pollution/litter, and unfriendly vendors all across Southeast Asia. In my case, I actually encountered LESS of them in Vietnam than anywhere else. Yes, there was smog. Yes, there were touts who would try to hang a shoulder pole on you and then ask you for money. And yes, I could see how a few bad interactions could color your whole travel experience.
Overall, though, I had a fantastic time in Vietnam. I didn't get scammed. I didn't feel unsafe, or unwanted because I was American. And, I didn't find anything to hate about this interesting developing country.
Yes, I am definitely in the “I love Vietnam” camp. And here's why:
The scenery
Vietnam has some incredible landscapes, from the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay to the braided waterways in the Mekong Delta. I was constantly surprised by how different different parts of the country looked — beaches one day, and rice fields the next. And the cities? They have their own sort of beautiful scenery, from imperial gates covered in carved dragons to colorful hanging lanterns. Vietnam is BEAUTIFUL, no matter how you look at it.
The food
I'll admit it: I'm not a *huge* fan of a lot of Asian food. Try as I might, I have never loved Indian food. Thai food does nothing for me, either (probably because I don't like spicy dishes). Even Chinese food is hit-or-miss as far as I'm concerned. But Vietnamese food? It's probably my favorite Asian food I've tried so far. Fresh spring rolls, delicious pho, and Vietnamese coffee… mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it all!
The people
Lastly, the people of Vietnam really made an impression on me. I traveled around the country in a small group with a local guide. We met a few of his friends along the way, and he always went out of his way to make sure that we met people who treated us well. We had lunch with a local family in Hue, where the neighbor kids came over to sing songs for us. We met a local “fortune teller” at a countryside market. We played an impromptu soccer game with a group of kids in Hoi An. And, on every bike tour we took through the countryside, kids would run out of their houses simply to wave, yell “Hello! Hello!,” and get some high-fives.
Never during these experiences did I feel like these people (or kids) wanted anything more from me than a smile. And THAT'S what will stick with me from my time in Vietnam.
A good impression
So why was my experience so positive in a country where so many others come away with negative feelings? Well, it was a mixture of reasons — but a lot of them focused around food and people. The meals I shared with the people I was traveling with, the meals I shared with locals, and all the interactions in between.
Recently, the team over at Withlocals asked me to reflect on some of my memorable local interactions in Vietnam, and I realized that a lot of them (like the little kids singing to us over lunch, and meeting the shriveled old fortune teller at a market in the countryside) centered around food in some way.
Even some of my favorite photos from Vietnam include produce.
Food can be a great way to connect to a new culture — and to its people.
I hadn't heard about Withlocals before I went to Asia, but now I really wish I had. Withlocals is a site that connects travelers with local people to share meals and experiences with. In Vietnam, you can join a local family for dinner, go on a locally-curated food tour, or even just find a local to hang out with for the day. And the best part? The experiences are all really affordable.
Sharing a meal with a local family no doubt would have made me love Vietnamese food even more!
In Vietnam, I was able to look past the touts and scams and downsides of the country that so many others hate. In doing so, I found a beautiful country filled with beautiful people — a country I definitely hope to return to someday.
Have you been to Vietnam? Did you love it or hate it?
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Vietnam is very high on my bucket list! I will be living in Korea for the next year and hope to make it over there. My boyfriend has no interest in going (I know, crazy!), I’m going to show him this post in hopes to sway him a little! Your pictures are amazing!
Living in Korea, you’ll be able to explore lots of Asia!
I’m going early 2015 for the first time. I’m really looking forward to it. As a Kiwi, I think we’re perhaps a little more well-looked upon that Americans might be.
To be honest, I didn’t meet very many people there who were anti-American. I mean, I’m sure they exist. But I think most people have moved past it (or, at least realize that younger American tourists weren’t even alive when all that nastiness went down).
I did hate the sheer number of people who tried to scam me and rip me off (and I definitely experienced it more than in Thailand and Laos; probably on a par with Cambodia though), but as you say the landscapes completely blow you away and I could eat fresh spring rolls every day of the week! 🙂
Erm, what is #WebsiteWednesday? I didn’t post it!
I have no idea – looks like CommentLuv somehow pulled it in when you posted?
Yeah, it was easier for me to ignore the attempted scamming in Vietnam, I think. Plus, traveling around with a local most definitely helped!
Hi Amanda!
I just discovered your website when I was looking for information about where to plan my next trip. Your adventures have been really inspiring to me! I also think we would make excellent travel companions 😛 since I have a similar personality to you (I’m not much of a partier, I prefer to travel for the history/culture/scenery, and I tend to miss home when I’m gone for too long) Anyways keep up the great work!
So glad you discovered my blog, Lindsey! I’ll have to check out yours, too!
I have come across a number of negative reviews on Vietnam. However, your blog proves otherwise. I haven’t been there but doing a Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam trip is definitely on my checklist. Shall be there sometime soon.
To be honest, out of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, I think I enjoyed Vietnam the most! It just goes to show that everyone has a different experience, and that you should never completely write off a destination just because somebody else didn’t like it.
It’s nice to read a good experience in Vietnam. I personally didn’t have a good experience in 6 weeks in the country in early 2013, but I have got over my “travel rage” now, so I am willing to give Vietnam a second go. I particularly want to explore more in the Mekong Delta (I left there early in a mad travellers rage and crossed the border to Cambodia) and I would like to spend more in around Sapa and in the north (I was there in January so the weather was not so good).
The food and scenery, like you said, was amazing. Unfortunately the cold welcomes and scams were what put a dampener on my experience. I know it can happen anywhere and you always get *a little* ripped off every now and then while travelling in developing (or even developed!) countries, and I am used to travelling, but in Vietnam it was EXTREME.
But…everyone deserves a second chance 🙂
I’m glad that you’re willing to give it a second chance! Just goes to show how different travel experiences can be from one person to the next!
I think I would like to visit it for its landscapes! Though the scams and touts sound scary, I think one can take care of them with proper research.
There are scams and touts everywhere – just be smart and you’ll be fine! I saw many more of them in Cambodia and Thailand.
This withlocals thing sounds pretty awesome. I might have to check that out- and pass it on to my sister, too 🙂
Definitely! I love the idea, and will definitely try it out next time I’m in Asia. I hope they expand to other parts of the world!
I have such mixed feelings about Vietnam. In many ways it just didn’t seem ready for tourism, especially the obnoxious and inappropriate party types. But all the reasons you gave kept me from hating it! Especially the food and the cutest children I’ve ever seen.
Comparing it to, say, Cambodia, I think Vietnam is much more tourist-friendly. But you might be right about the party-types… I’m glad you still found some redeeming qualities there, there! (And yes, how ADORABLE are the kids??)
I’ll be there next year and you’ve definitely gotten me excited! 🙂
Awesome to hear! I hope you have a great time!
I’m lucky enough to have shared that very trip and can endorse every aspect.Much older I look at travels with a different eye, but Amanda has it just right Vietnam has that magical feel. It fills you with wonder and welcome at the same time.
“Wonder and welcome” – I love that description, Robin!
I haven’t been. I went to Thailand for a month and had to come back to India because of my dog, while all my friends went on to Vietnam… such a bummer! Looks amazing.
Well hopefully you get another chance to go, Rachel! I think you would probably like Vietnam more than Thailand.
I hope I love it when I visit next year. It looks like a fascinating country and as I love Pho, I want to try it in a the country that its from.
I know plenty of people who’ve loved Vietnam just as much as I did, so hopefully you will, too! And don’t worry – no shortage of pho there!
I already love Vietnamese cuisine, so I really want to travel there. Thanks for the encouraging perspective!
You would be in food heaven there!
I have a family friend who’s Vietnamese and she makes the best spring rolls ever. For that very reason, I am going there at some point and you’ve only confirmed my assumptions, I feel it’s almost fate this article – I have to go!
Haha, well that’s a pretty great reason to want to go to Vietnam! Such delicious spring rolls….