Didn't like Vietnam
We were alone with my husband from August 12 to 25.2008, 12 days - Nha Trang, 2 days - Ho Chi Minh City.
I liked the flight by Vietnamese airlines very much, especially if we compare Transaero.
There are few reviews about Vietnam, so I want to share information, maybe it will be useful to someone.
1. Nha Trang. The impression of the city is negative, and this negative one began even from the approach to the city, there is no nature, it resembles the Mongolian steppes, it continued during transportation from the airport to the hotel - the road very much resembled the Black Sea coast, only with much less sparse vegetation. There is nowhere to go especially in the city itself, in the evenings cockroaches 6 cm in size run along the sidewalks, rats ran between the trees and along the paths in the park on the embankment (the husband at first thought they were chipmunks, and was very touched until he saw their bare tails. Everywhere is quiet and calmly, there was no drive that we were looking for.
2. Hotel Vinpearl. Hotel for 5 plus. It is located on a separate island, which also has a cool water park, an amusement park, a shopping gallery, cafes, an oceanarium, and a fountain show. From the city they get there by speedboats that run every half an hour, or by funicular. The room is very good, take it with a sea view, because with a mountain view - the balconies rest against the hillside and nothing else is visible. We had a very nice view from the balcony. Breakfast - buffet - a rich selection, fruits (papayas, mangoes, apples, watermelons, passion fruit), yogurt, cheeses, various types of sausages, fried meat, red fish, herbs, sauces, six types of freshly squeezed juices - in general, food for any taste.
Very good beach, clean water, large swimming pool, considered the largest in Southeast Asia.
3. Excursions. We did not buy anything from the host, but contacted the Vietnamese Dima, whose reviews we found on some website. He speaks very good Russian. We went to Dalat with him, we liked it; to the island of monkeys (monkeys are very aggressive, I was bitten and scratched), he also organized diving for us. We have not been to the Red Sea, there is nothing to compare with, so we liked it. Independently went to see the Cham towers on the outskirts of the city, lying and sitting Buddha. Somehow, walking around the city in the evening, we found a Russian dive center, its owner offered us a tour of Vietnam to the wild tribes on the border with Burma, but we never got together.
4. Food and shopping. We went to the city for dinner, most often in Louisiana cafes, where Europeans mostly hang out. The cafe cooks both European and Japanese food very tasty (a portion of rolls is 49.000 dongs, something about 55 rubles), they brew awesome live beer of four varieties. We also found a good family cafe opposite the Russian dive center, the Vietnamese family keeps it on the first floor of their house, very decent food. We didn’t like shopping, we couldn’t buy normal clothes, everything was somehow old and ugly. Souvenirs are also not very good, they look very much like Chinese trinkets that our markets are littered with.
5. Ho Chi Minh is a very big, poor and dirty city, opposite our hotel there was a cafe where a dog was grilled on the grill. There are very few Russians, and indeed Europeans in general, there is nothing special to see, the architecture is not rich.
6. Comparison. A year ago we were in Thailand (Pattaya + Bangkok), so we involuntarily compared Vietnam with Thailand. The comparison is clearly not in favor of Vietnam. Perhaps for those who want a secluded, relaxed holiday, Vietnam will appeal, but it does not have the same atmosphere as in Thailand. Therefore, if you like to not only lie on the beach, but also travel to various interesting places, and have fun in the evenings, do not go to Vietnam! .
