Has anyone been to Vietnam?
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
Singapore
July 21, 2010 3:24am CST
Hello everyone,
My company is organizing a trip to Vietnam in October. We are going to spend 3 days and 2 nights there over the weekends. As I have never been there, I would like to ask about your experiences. What are the things to see and do there? Any pitfalls to avoid? Thanks for sharing. 
1 person likes this
8 responses
@carpediem17 (1315)
• Singapore
21 Jul 10
I think the museums are worth going besides the Ban Thenh market. I felt the western food or french cuisine was quite good. I remember the baguette was one of the better ones I have ever eaten. Must be a legacy the french left behind. And of course the pho, the local beef noodle!
Cuchi tunnel is worth a look too, if you have the time.
@joram328 (503)
• Philippines
21 Jul 10
Yes, you have the option to go or not. The guide will also tell you if it is a long tunnel or just a short one. But take note, it is really dark down there because only one person can go through at a time. I was fortunate to be just behind the guide but I already felt losing air while I was inside one of the short tunnels.
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
21 Jul 10
I have tried some Vietnamese food sold locally, although am not sure how authentic they are. The first taste of that was a cold kway teow (white noodles) soup which I didn't like and I sort of condemned it. Later I tried another time and it was better this time round. I'm sure I would like the baguette, let me try to find that. Thanks for your recommendations!
Cuchi tunnel sounds interesting but also a bit scary because I heard we got to climb through the tunnels? I am not a very athletic person, what if I am stuck half way? 
@carpediem17 (1315)
• Singapore
21 Jul 10
Pho is served hot with an option of chilli sauce to dip in.
For the cuchi tunnels, i think there is an option if you do not wish to go through it. I'm sure the vietnamese tourism would like more people to see the tunnels although I have yet to hear of anyone being stuck there.
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
21 Jul 10
Hi,
Firstly wish you have a pleasant trip to Vietnam.
I never been to Vietnam before.and I also want to know how is this country?
Yesterday I watched the Tv programme talk about food in Vietnam,forget the
programme title. It was a guy who is travelling to different part of
Vietnam and try different kind of food,..oh gosh, I feel disgusting with
the food showed on the TV.
Worms,snacks inner part is a food over at that country.I don't think
I can take it.
I hope you will enjoy your trip and share with us your experiences.
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
21 Jul 10
Hi shia,
Such TV programmes will have a high viewership if they show such things which make people squeal. I'm not one for eating worms so definitely I will skip that. I'm sure there are better cuisines out there.
Let's hear what others have to say about this country. For me, I like to go countries that have a rich culture, so I think I will enjoy going. So far I have been to Japan, China and India and I have good experiences in all of them. Of course I expect to experience some culture shock in a different country but it is also part of the travelling experience.
Let's hear what others have to say about this country. For me, I like to go countries that have a rich culture, so I think I will enjoy going. So far I have been to Japan, China and India and I have good experiences in all of them. Of course I expect to experience some culture shock in a different country but it is also part of the travelling experience.
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
21 Jul 10
Hi,
I believe sure you will find nice cuisine in Vietnam andEnjoy
there should be some nice places to visit too.
I never been to China,japan and India...so far, I travelled to
Australia,Hongkong,Macau,Singapore.
They are a great countries with lots of nice food and nice atmosphere.
I was in singapore for about 10 years and it is a shopping paradise.
The life there is fast moving and stressful.
Enjoy your trip!!
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
21 Jul 10
I am from Singapore myself and yes, we are well-known for being a shopping paradise.
I have never been to the other countries you mentioned though these are also in my travel list. I hope to go to many countries and enrich my life.
I have never been to the other countries you mentioned though these are also in my travel list. I hope to go to many countries and enrich my life.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
22 Jul 10
hi bluemoonpavilion I do wish you a wonderful trip and enjoy all the sights and the ambiance of Vietnam. I live iN California in Garden Grove in the midst of Little Saigon. they were the vietnamese boat people who fled the war,got visas to come here and all became American citizens. I much
admire the warm heartedness of the Vietnamese who live around us here. they are very friendly , and also keep wonderful family ties. They do not send their old folks into nursing homes at all. Each family takes in their elderly parents as a matter of course. I am much impressed with my Vietnamese neighbors here in Garden Grove.so I think you will find warm hearted friendly people there too.
admire the warm heartedness of the Vietnamese who live around us here. they are very friendly , and also keep wonderful family ties. They do not send their old folks into nursing homes at all. Each family takes in their elderly parents as a matter of course. I am much impressed with my Vietnamese neighbors here in Garden Grove.so I think you will find warm hearted friendly people there too.@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
22 Jul 10
Hi Hatley,
Thanks for sharing your personal experiences with the Vietnamese people around you. I am not familiar with them and am glad for your observations. I have heard that they are very cultured in their ways (girls ride around in bicycles holding up the bottom part of their long blouses with their little fingers, makes it a wonderful sight to see), so I think my trip will be a pleasant one.
@brisk123 (2823)
• India
21 Jul 10
Hi friend, I haven't been to Vietnam nor I have any idea about the place except I saw some photos from the internet but now that you have started this discussion, I am curious to know more about this place too.Let us know about it when you are back!..Enjoy your stay and happy journey!
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
22 Jul 10
Thanks, I will share my experiences when I come back. 
I will upload some photos here too.
I will upload some photos here too.
@theptcnetworks (575)
• Pitcairn
23 Jul 10
So you're going to a vacation huh.. Well, what you see depends on where you're going, of course. It would be nice if you included the specific region of the country that your company is going in, mountains, cities, etc. Anyways, all i can say is, if you see some beautiful pictures of the place over the internet, expect that there are always views that may not please your sight. Vietnam is a beautiful place, really.
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
23 Jul 10
It's a very short trip, just 3 days and 2 nights, and my company usually choose the better hotels to stay in, so we are likely to be somewhere near the city centre in Ho Chi Minh city. Any mountains or seas we want to explore is probably out of the way but I'm looking forward to experience the rich culture there. I like to see the city and observe the day to day living of the people there.
@dathoacuc (4)
• Thailand
26 Jul 10
Vietnam is very beatiful, This is website of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism: http://www.vietnamtourism.gov.vn/english/
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
27 Jul 10
Hi dathoacuc,
Researching on a country before we go on holiday is a good policy to adopt.
I find this website informative on travelling but there seems to be a lack of introduction to places of interest and activities we can do there. It is a start for me though as it is the official website. Thanks for providing this!
@qianyun6 (2067)
• China
21 Jul 10
I haven't been there and know little about the country Vietnam except the war between Vietnam and France, America, China. So what I can do is only wish you a good trip.
But one of my far relative said she had a bad experience when visited Vietnam with a tourist party. The tourist guide's attitude was rather bad when they refused to buy anything from a specified shop.
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
22 Jul 10
We are going free and easy and there are only mini tours organized by our company so hopefully we can avoid similar events like what your relative experienced. I think that was a common complaint from people who go on tours because that's from where the guides earn a lot of commission and they can be a little pushy.
@cheran_mn (52)
• India
21 Jul 10
Hello! I just joined my lot recently and this is my first response. I have never been to vietnam, but I have seen it in television and pictures. But I love to visit one day.
@bluemoonpavilion (4658)
• Singapore
21 Jul 10
Hi cheran_mn,
Welcome to mylot. Thanks for your response and enjoy your stay here. Do share with us your thoughts and views often.
