Just returned from a 15 night trip through Vietnam. After 19 trips to Bali I thought it was about time we left our comfort zone and explored another S.E. Asian country. I travelled with my husband and 2 boys (17 and 14) and daughter (11).
This is what our trip looked like:
Ho Chi Minh City - 3 nights
Nha Trang - 3 nights
Hoi An - 3 nights
Hue - 2 nights
Hanoi - 1 night
Halong Bay - 1 night
Hanoi - 2 nights
Without going any further, I just have to say that I really missed Bali, the whole time. Vietnam was super interesting and there was lots to see, but IMHO, does not hold a candle to Bali. Maybe I missed something???? If so, please share.
The one thing I loved in Vietnam was the iced coffees. I am not a coffee drinker but craved these. I found the people to be way more serious that the Balinese (or Thai's for that matter) and it was rare to get a smile from someone. The food was good but not as good as Bali or Thailand. The shopping did not even compare. The scenery was good in some places and Halong Bay was spectacular. Never really found a beach that was exceptional.
What I also missed was local cultural. Maybe it's because Vietnam has been the victim of war for so many decades (centuries actually) and their unique culture has been suppressed.
The quality of service was also lacking.
I don't mean to be negative about Vietnam and if I'd never been elsewhere in SE Asia, I probably would have liked it better. I'm glad that we went and we certainly did explore alot. It just didn't measure up to Bali. We were glad we took our kids to Vietnam as it really gave them an appreciation of a totally different lifestyle, whcih they haven't seen as much of in Bali or Thailand.
The prices for hotels were more than Bali prices (for similiar hotels) and I don't personally think there was good value for money spent.
So, glad we did the trip and may go back in the future but I think Vietnam has along ways to go to compete with the other SE Asian countries. They are very entrepreneurial with many new travel agencies opening up...plus tons of hotels being built. Now they just need some proper training facilities for their staff.
I thought I'd post this in case anyone is considering Vietnam. It's worth going but don't expect the same level of service you get in Bali, or the smiling faces, or the fabulous food, or the breath taking scenery or the beautiful culture and spiritual...it's just different.
In the past 6 months I've been to Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, New York, Bali, Hong Kong and Vietnam. I love to travel and explore new places but this was one of my first trips that I came home scratching my head and wondering what all the fuss was about.
Bottom line was it made me appreciate Bali ALOT more. Sometimes I guess you have to explore new places to realize the ones you've bonded with really are wonderful.
Looking foward to Bali this November for a whole month!!!!