Traveling in Vietnam (Update)

[ShinkanPo]

Most of the signs weren't in English so I have no idea what I ate half of the time. I went to Maison Sen. I remember there being some kind of meat on a stick that was good but I couldn't tell what kind of meat it was. I had "snail paste" which seemed like snails ground up in a paste and cooked in seaweed. Was good. Fried Crocodile was good. Viet style fried chicken which they labeled "boxing " chicken. The Bun Cha was also really fucking good. Other than that, bacon wrapped Okra, roasted sparrow, pork which seemed similar to lechon, viet style rice cake, oyster cooked with cheese, and a bunch of fruit. Yeah they also brought out lobster, garlic bread, and salmon sushi to our table. And it all cost less than 20 bucks! I didn't like how i had to pay for drinks though. Seemed like where all the rich viets go. Totally different type of people than I've seen in Old Quarter.

I didn't get to try Quan An Ngon/Nha Hang Ngon due to time. I was constantly eating and trying out different things so I was never hungry enough. I went to Sen on the last day and I basically starved myself that day before dinner lol.


I haven't but I wanted to check out Singapore to see what it's like.



I noticed that despite it being cheap and "a poor country," the quality of ingredients were really good. Probably one of the reasons why things tasted so good kind of like how it is in Japan. Definitely better than Korea in that regard. It's also probably why Koreans can never get vietnamese food right. Viet food in Korea is terrible and I never liked pho until I went to Hanoi.

I hear a lot of good things in Vietnam! And yeah like wgat @Loyaloyaloyal said for all the things they have been thru Vietnam has recovered pretywell and has their own strong culture.

 

[Jake the Muss]

I didn't get to try Quan An Ngon/Nha Hang Ngon due to time. I was constantly eating and trying out different things so I was never hungry enough. I went to Sen on the last day and I basically starved myself that day before dinner lol.


I haven't but I wanted to check out Singapore to see what it's like.

I hear a lot of good things in Vietnam! And yeah like wgat @Loyaloyaloyal said for all the things they have been thru Vietnam has recovered pretywell and has their own strong culture.

Damn, that's too bad about not visiting Quan An/Nha Hang Ngon. It is an absolute hidden gem.

I would say that Vietnamese cuisine is better. Singaporeans have good food, and the hawkers are really good as well, but I have had some of the best meals in my life in Hanoi.

I haven't been able to say the same about Singapore.

With that said, Singapore is way more fun in terms of things to do. Not as much cultural heritage, but you could definitely have a blast there.

 

[Jake the Muss]

Viet food in Korea is terrible and I never liked pho until I went to Hanoi.

 

[Sir Galahad]

so what ethnicities do you categorize as unintelligent. impolite and lazy as contrast to this?

Neanderthals.

 

[j123]

fat chicks.

fixed

 

[bad seed]

Neanderthals.

neanderthals were actually smarter than us. We won the hominid war because we bred much faster.

 

[Sir Galahad]

fixed

French-Viet. Yeehaw.

 

[mon]

10 days is really not much in Vietnam, but it's a awesome country. The food is amazing, the partying is half decent, and there are some decent beaches as well.

The best way to see it is to rent a scooter (like 5 bucks a day) and rip around. Hoi An is awesome, and the Hai Van pass is amazing to ride (dunno if you'll make it down there, it's in like the middle of the country). Hoi An has beaches, parties, markets, and really everything you would need. If you go to Nha Trang, stay at iHome hostel, it's good fun and they'll get you drunk and take you out and party. The guy working there (Andy) is a beauty.

Phong Nha is really nice. Lots of nature, caves, and places to explore.

Ha Long bay is a must if you're in Hanoi...you can take the chilling trips or the partying trips (like Castaways from Vietnam Backpackers.) It's more expensive, but it's a lot of fun and there's a lot of partying. If you do choose castaways, only buy from Vietnam Downtown Backpackers (in downtown Hanoi); the other ones with the same name are rip offs.

I also went trekking in Sa Pa and stayed at a local homestay and hiked around the hills and rice paddies for a couple days. Was really pretty.

Pretty much this.

I'll add in Ban Goic waterfalls in the north east corner but its harder to get there and will chew time better spent elsewhere.

Sapa is beautiful and the Cable cart is 1st world quality if you dont have the time to trek. Dont bother eating at the top as the foods rubbish though the restuarants looked good at the bottom.

Wasnt a big fan of Hoi an but across the river was a little wood working village which was cool.

Danang has an awesome vibe and the was an absolutely amazing restuarants hidden away.

 

[BoogerDawson]

What do we get for ten dollars?

 

[Pugilistic]

Another thing I learned is that Vietnam isn't as homogeneous as I thought. There are a few different ethnic groups in Vietnam although the museum purports that they are all proudly vietnamese. I met a girl at the bar my second night out who was much darker skinned than most of the locals in Hanoi but I guess that explains why.

I hear a lot of good things in Vietnam! And yeah like wgat @Loyaloyaloyal said for all the things they have been thru Vietnam has recovered pretywell and has their own strong culture.

Vietnam is great! My second favorite country in Asia after Japan for sure.
Since sherdog is big on rankings,
1. Japan - Culture and well-preserved history, tons to see, polite and civilized people, clean, safe, great food, cute chicks, but expensive
2. Vietnam (might be number 1 if budget was a concern) - cheapest in SEA, great food, lot of stuff to do and see, charming, vibrant, good for partying, but not the best place for modern comforts
3. Hong Kong - Good for partying, pigeon roast, speaks English, crazy night life, but geographically limited and expensive, food is also overall not that memorable
4. Thailand - Good food, lots to see, Muay Thai fights, but everybody tries to sell you something if you're a foreigner, way too many ladyboys and hookers (could be a good thing depending on your tastes)
5. The Philippines - Awesome natural environment, cheap, people speak English, but meh food, and once again if you're a foreign tourist everybody tries to get money out of you, and way too many ladyboys and hookers

Not sure where I'd put Korea since I live here.

Damn, that's too bad about not visiting Quan An/Nha Hang Ngon. It is an absolute hidden gem.

I would say that Vietnamese cuisine is better. Singaporeans have good food, and the hawkers are really good as well, but I have had some of the best meals in my life in Hanoi.

I haven't been able to say the same about Singapore.

With that said, Singapore is way more fun in terms of things to do. Not as much cultural heritage, but you could definitely have a blast there.

Damn I wish I did visit. We just didn't have the time. My friend and I both wished we can stay a few more days just so we can eat more. I might go back to Vietnam someday just for the food alone.
The thing about most dishes is that they didn't have a very strong impression on me at first bite, but I liked it the more I had it and by the time I was finished, I was left wanting more. The exception to this was the Bun Cha I had at Sen, which blew me away from the get go. My friend said the Bun Cha she had at this other place was even better. I am genuinely bummed out that I cannot have Bun Cha like that unless I go back. There is no way I can find Viet food that good where I live.

I probably won't go to Singapore anytime soon though. If I travel again in Asia, it'll either be Japan or maybe a volunteer stint in Nepal.

 

[Graves The Elder]

go see the Ben Hai River Bridge.
there was fierce fighting there back in the day.
some ugly shit happened.

 

[ShinkanPo]

Another thing I learned is that Vietnam isn't as homogeneous as I thought. There are a few different ethnic groups in Vietnam although the museum purports that they are all proudly vietnamese. I met a girl at the bar my second night out who was much darker skinned than most of the locals in Hanoi but I guess that explains why.


Vietnam is great! My second favorite country in Asia after Japan for sure.
Since sherdog is big on rankings,
1. Japan - Culture and well-preserved history, tons to see, polite and civilized people, clean, safe, great food, cute chicks, but expensive
2. Vietnam (might be number 1 if budget was a concern) - cheapest in SEA, great food, lot of stuff to do and see, charming, vibrant, good for partying, but not the best place for modern comforts
3. Hong Kong - Good for partying, pigeon roast, speaks English, crazy night life, but geographically limited and expensive, food is also overall not that memorable
4. Thailand - Good food, lots to see, Muay Thai fights, but everybody tries to sell you something if you're a foreigner, way too many ladyboys and hookers (could be a good thing depending on your tastes)
5. The Philippines - Awesome natural environment, cheap, people speak English, but meh food, and once again if you're a foreign tourist everybody tries to get money out of you, and way too many ladyboys and hookers

Not sure where I'd put Korea since I live here.



Damn I wish I did visit. We just didn't have the time. My friend and I both wished we can stay a few more days just so we can eat more. I might go back to Vietnam someday just for the food alone.
The thing about most dishes is that they didn't have a very strong impression on me at first bite, but I liked it the more I had it and by the time I was finished, I was left wanting more. The exception to this was the Bun Cha I had at Sen, which blew me away from the get go. My friend said the Bun Cha she had at this other place was even better. I am genuinely bummed out that I cannot have Bun Cha like that unless I go back. There is no way I can find Viet food that good where I live.

I probably won't go to Singapore anytime soon though. If I travel again in Asia, it'll either be Japan or maybe a volunteer stint in Nepal.

That says a lot if Vietnam is next to Japan according to your ranking.

And lol at your lady boy comments hahaha ( could be a good thing depends on your taste)

Hah I dont know any sherdogers who will date a lady boy.

If will go for lady boys I would go for the more natural effeminate looks of Japanese or Korean lady bois..


Lol... now I feel so ghei

 

[KrazyKanadian]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm actually staying a week and yeah, I wish I had more time. Other cities like Hoi An seem too far to travel to with only a week so I'll just go Ha Long Bay and maybe Sapa. Ninh Binh as well. It's a shame because it sounds awesome and someone told me Hoi An has the best Banh Mi.

I actually found an airbnb where the owner says provides her scooter with the room so I can use it anytime I want. Watching videos of the city on youtube makes a me a bit scared to drive a scooter by myself though.

I'll definitely check out the trips with the Backpackers. My friend suggested I stay with them so I'll probably do that.

I can give you the name of a trekking guide as well if you like (for Sapa). She's cool as shit, pretty funny, and will show you around. There's an option of a homestay; she used to work for one of the bigger companies and went solo, and is doing well. Had a great time trekking with her...PM me if ya want her contact.

Hahaha half the fun of driving scooters is in the big cities...but Hanoi is pretty crazy...soooo if you've never ridden a bike before, I dunno if I recommend it in the city. A ton of foreigners crash, or burn their legs on the tailpipe as they aren't covered.

 

[DrTrouble]

I’m in Vietnam now. I hate Hanoi: too crowded, too dirty.

Took a tour to Ninh Binh to see the pagodas and did some boating. Very crowded but was cool. 3 hrs away to the south.

Went to Ha Long Bay: very beautiful but was cloudy and drizzling. 3.5 hours by bus.

Went to Sapa: loved it. Beautiful mountains. Did the cable car up Fansipan. Really foggy so didn’t see much up there. About 7 hrs by bus to the north.

 

[Pugilistic]

I can give you the name of a trekking guide as well if you like (for Sapa). She's cool as shit, pretty funny, and will show you around. There's an option of a homestay; she used to work for one of the bigger companies and went solo, and is doing well. Had a great time trekking with her...PM me if ya want her contact.

Hahaha half the fun of driving scooters is in the big cities...but Hanoi is pretty crazy...soooo if you've never ridden a bike before, I dunno if I recommend it in the city. A ton of foreigners crash, or burn their legs on the tailpipe as they aren't covered.

I'm already back but thanks. I'd love to visit again. Vietnam was awesome. I ended up renting a scooter in Cat Ba and exploring. That was fun and easy to handle for a complete beginner like me.

I’m in Vietnam now. I hate Hanoi: too crowded, too dirty.

Took a tour to Ninh Binh to see the pagodas and did some boating. Very crowded but was cool. 3 hrs away to the south.

Went to Ha Long Bay: very beautiful but was cloudy and drizzling. 3.5 hours by bus.

Went to Sapa: loved it. Beautiful mountains. Did the cable car up Fansipan. Really foggy so didn’t see much up there. About 7 hrs by bus to the north.

Did you do a boat tour at Ha Long Bay? I did it at Lan Ha Bay and was cool, albeit a bit rushed.

 

[DrTrouble]

Did you do a boat tour at Ha Long Bay? I did it at Lan Ha Bay and was cool, albeit a bit rushed.

Did a boat tour, they provided lunch on the boat. The guide says it’s best to do an overnight on the boat because they provide more activities and you see more of the area.