vietnam in review

After every country we visit, Vikram writes about our overall experiences and highlights. Here’s his take on Vietnam!

Vietnam rivals Colombia as our favorite country of the trip thus far. The wide range of activities available in the relatively small country, the friendly people, and the phenomenal food will likely make it our top recommendation for anyone considering a trip to Southeast Asia. Crowded, hectic cities, propaganda-filled museums, quaint port towns, beautiful mountains, idyllic beaches, spectacular karsts, interesting culture, aggressive street vendors, and potentially the best food (and coffee) of our entire trip—Vietnam has everything you could ask for from Asia, and then some.

A disclaimer—like anywhere else, a handful of interactions can make or break your trip and completely (and unfairly) shape your impression of an entire country. We perhaps got lucky in that we met a few friendly, interesting people who ensured that we felt welcome in Vietnam and had a positive experience. I mention this because we’d read stories before our trip of Americans being treated poorly and being unduly ripped off while in Vietnam. While all tourists should make peace with the idea of occasionally being overcharged (likely by an amount that is trivial to anyone from a developed country), we encountered no significant unpleasantness during our three weeks in Vietnam. Like most places we’ve been, most people in Vietnam were indifferent or neutral towards us, and many people were downright warm and friendly. It’s possible we got lucky with who we met, or that we were treated better because we look Asian, or that memories of the war are fading as time goes on, or the country’s growing economy is making it easier for people to smile. All I know is we had a fantastic time, and look forward to returning.