First-time Westerner Traveling Across Vietnam: Unexpectedly, Vietnam Is So Big

American female tourist on her way to Vietnam. Photo: BI

On her first visit to Vietnam, American tourist Gentry Hale had a three-week journey across the country with many unforgettable experiences. Writing on Business Insider, she shared her experience along with four lessons she "wish I knew sooner".

Below is an article by Gentry Hale, through the sincere and emotional story of a Western visitor discovering Vietnam for the first time.

I had the opportunity to take a nearly three-week trip across Vietnam. From peaceful kayaking sessions in Ha Long Bay, wandering the lantern-lit ancient town of Hoi An, to strolling through the bustling Saigon, I had the opportunity to admire the diverse natural landscapes, enjoy the unique cuisine and experience the warm hospitality of the people here.

However, along with those great experiences, I also encountered a few mistakes that, looking back, I wish I had known about in advance so I could have prepared better.

Ha Long Bay from above. Photo: Nguyen Hung

Here are four valuable lessons I learned from this trip - things that could be useful for anyone planning to explore the beautiful S-shaped strip of land.

Don't take on too many destinations in just one trip.

Before the trip, I was sure that nearly three weeks was plenty of time to explore the places I wanted to visit such as Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City as well as a few other destinations in between. But I was wrong! I did not expect that Vietnam was so vast.

While the country looks like a small strip of land on a map, in reality, getting around Vietnam can take hours – or even days – to get to. From 16-hour overnight trains to long, daylong bus rides, it took up a lot of my precious time.

If I could go back, instead of trying to go to everywhere I wanted to go, I would definitely focus on just a few places and spend more time exploring each one.

That long period of time spent on traveling really made me miss out on other experiences that I always wanted to try, such as a motorbike trip to the poetic Ha Giang roads in Northern Vietnam.

Not preparing enough clothes to adapt to Vietnam's climate

Female tourists visit the train street in Hanoi. Photo: BI

When I arrived here, I really learned the lesson that Vietnam's climate can change depending on the region. Unfortunately, before leaving, I did not carefully check the weather forecast for each city, so I did not prepare suitable luggage.

For example, the first destination of my trip - Ho Chi Minh City - welcomed me with steamy and humid early October days that were no different from a sauna.

Just two weeks later, I was greeted by Hanoi again, with the capital city experiencing cool weather and lots of rain throughout the trip. Especially after the long journey through the jungle, exploring caves and wandering the streets, I wished I had brought more breathable clothes.

I didn’t expect to sweat so much and change clothes so easily. Although the hotels here have laundry services, I still can’t satisfy my passion for fashion and mixing and matching different outfits.

Pay "too much"

One of my favorite things about Vietnam is wandering through the bustling street markets. I bought some tailored silk dresses in Hoi An, picked up some handmade leather goods in Hanoi, and ate some of the best street food I’ve ever had in my life.

Hang Dao Street (Hanoi) is one of the streets in the Hanoi Old Quarter night market route on weekends. Photo: Viet Van

Although bargaining is not uncommon in Vietnamese markets, I was not used to it before. At first, I was not sure about the exact price of the items, so I thought it was best to avoid negotiating with the sellers and just pay the amount they asked for.

But as I got more confident, I started asking for discounts or bundle deals. I realized that bargaining wasn’t that hard. Shopkeepers were used to it, and I learned to bargain smarter.

Don't underestimate the importance of learning about local customs.

Although one of the highlights of my trip was the beautiful and hospitable Vietnamese culture, I must admit that I did not know enough about the customs here.

For example, Vietnamese people consider it impolite to point their fingers at someone. Instead, when they need to point at someone, they usually use their whole hand.

Having Google Translate on hand is important, but learning some basic Vietnamese words or phrases in advance will also help travelers a lot.

I feel like it also helps me to “appear” as a more civilized tourist. Although the locals I meet speak some English, Vietnamese people are probably much more impressed if tourists can greet them in simple Vietnamese.

If only I had known these things sooner, I would have saved myself a lot of money!

Laodong.vn

Source: https://laodong.vn/du-lich/hanh-trinh/khach-tay-lan-dau-phuot-xuyen-viet-khong-ngo-viet-nam-rong-lon-den-the-1540856.html