Hi all,

I'm planning on a holiday to Vietnam at the end of this yr. I'm a Vietnamese girl and I have never been to Vietnam before. I can only slightly speak the language.

My holiday is planned with my bf and a few of his friends. My parents are advising me against going there because they say that Vietnamese people can be very hostile to travellers, especially a Vietnamese girl who is travelling with a few guys. The guys I'm travelling with are Aussies and Brits, so obviously I'll stand out a bit.

I know Vietnamese people are conservative people, so i'm really afraid that i'll be harrassed, stared at or they might look at me and think i'm some sort of an escort! LOL

Could someone please tell me what's it like the first time ever travelling to Vietnam? My mum says that Vietnamese people treat "foreigners" differently to what they treat Vietnamese people, and to them I'll be just a Vietnamese girl. Last time she went back she ran into problems there!

I'm just worried because I've heard a lot of stories where poeple go to Vietnam and have to bribe their way past security (LOL) or where the people aren't willing to help you, just cheat you.

All the great stories I've been hearing about Vietnam, have been from non-Vietnamese people or people who do the tours. The a few Vietnamese people who go to Vietnam, have run into some sort of trouble there.

Could someone please shed some light as I am very excited so go, but am a little worried as well?

Cheers,
Aimee

Hostile to travellers ? Going back again in September for the fourth time in 3 years and have had NO problems whatever .
Bribery past security what security and where ? I certainly have not encountered this or heard of it from other travellers when we have been in country .
I get stared at possibly because I am in a wheelchair but get this all over the place .
In Vietnam the level of help that is offered , not only me but other persons we travel with , when they are out on their own , with no expectations for tips , is great , not like other places in Asia .
My wife who was worried the first time we went says that she feels it is one of the safest places we have been , travelled all over SE Asia .
Not sure when Mum last went but goverment is making great strides in the tourist areas so go and ENJOY .
Go and have a great time we did and expect to again in September

The Vietnamese are very appreciative if they see you trying to abide ... Do's and Don'ts When Travelling in Vietnam. You need to have an undergarmet pouch to keep your passport, money, credit cards, travel checks, etc out of sight. For real security, you might want to consider Pac-safe.

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ski vacations

Cheating is everywhere in the world,so if u are tourist,u coudln't avoid that.But the best way is thinking carefullly b4 decide to go or do someth.For me,if u are the first time to visit VN,u should find a good travel agency to help u because they will take u to right place( natural place,not many tourist and no commercial),save money( because u don't have to pay money for each of small things that will be a chance for people cheating on u)
Last thing is spending time to see comments abt that travel agency to make sure it's not a bad travel agency
have a good trip.

I have been living in Vietnam for several years and am married to a Vietnamese girl. Most Vietnamese if they see you as a single girl with several guys will think you are a call girl or prostitute going out with one of the guys and the rest of the guys are your pimps and bodyguards. If I saw you with them I would think the same. The Vietnamese girls in particular will not respect you. I live with a Vietnamese girl and know exactly how they think. If anyone tells you otherwise they are "off with the fairies". Immigration may be impolite to you because you are a Vietkieu (Overseas Vietnamese) but they can't bribe you. However make sure you have your immigration slip with you when you go out because they extort USD 100 if you don't produce it.
In the real world ...and I repeat THE REAL WORLD ....again...THE REAL WORLD (not the fleeting glimpses of some tourist who has floated in for a couple of weeks) 99% of Vietnamese are scamming and conning to rip you off. In my business I deal with foreign investors a lot and most get done like a dinner, do their dough and run and never come back. Most tourists I meet, (and I travel a lot in Vietnam) lose their cell phones and wallets so look after your valuables. Basically, because of buddhist beliefs Vietnamese are non violent but they are the world's biggest thieves. ALL, and I repeat ALL get ripped off one way or another by taxi drivers-wait till you get to HCMC airport and experience the great mafia taxi ripoff. You can avoid this by booking a transfer with your hotel-well worth it to avoid a lot of hassle.