Vietnam - absolutly stunning (Vietnam)

Member Name: kissy1

Product:	Vietnam
Date:	09/05/09 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: such a lovely country, beautiful

Disadvantages: had to pay a bribe!

About the country:-
Vietnam Is in South East Asia, to the East of Cambodia and Laos. It has a massive coastline on the west of the country; the seas it is on are the South China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin. The north of Vietnam borders China.

Where I went:-
I flew into Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), I then travelled north on the reunification express to Hanoi. Vietnam by travelling south from Hanoi into northern Laos.

What I thought of the landscape:-
The whole of the south and west of Vietnam are on the coast. Strange and eerie looking hills jot up from the water and from the land in several places around the country. There are sky high mountains and huge valleys. The mountains have rice paddies carved into them which have been there for thousands of years, and are still used by the local villages. The landscape in Vietnam is literally breath taking, I can't put it into words, and photos don't do it justice. Halong Bay was by far the highlight of my trip, if you've never heard of it then Google it and have a look; it's stunning.

What I thought of the people:-
As is typical in South East Asia, the people are all really friendly. Even language wasn't much of a barrier, as much of the people speak at least broken English. In the tourist areas there are touts, who will try and convince you to spend money with them, but it is only their job at the end of the day; and they are all quite friendly with it. I also found that the people in the less touristy parts all want to learn English, so they all chat willingly. And the children are so much fun (just pack a football!)

What I thought of the transport system:-
I flew into Vietnam, which was easy. The airport at HCMC is lovely and modern, and ran really smoothly. The reunification express is a lovely train; I used it to go from HCMC to Hanoi, and paid for a sleeper carriage; which was cheap and comfortable. The roads in the cities are ok, and there are some bigger ones spreading throughout the country. The rivers are used a lot here too.

How much does it cost?
Like most of the countries surrounding it, Vietnam is cheap. The hostels are comfortable considering the price and food is cheap and lovely!

Final opinion:-
The border crossing into Laos was difficult at the Vietnamese side, and took longer than most, and I had to pay my first bribe there, but everything else about it was wonderful. Definitely worth a trip. 9 out of 10!!

Summary: go if you can!