(05-20-2012, 05:25 PM)midnightblues Wrote: Vietnam is a beautiful country regardless of there being a war. I was in the Central Highlands but for different reasons.
Political discussion about the merits of that situation, aside, my step-father (He's British) agrees with you. He wanted to go back with me, he says he loved the people there. It is beautiful country.
I finally got reunited with my birth father's Family in '05 after 30+ years and was fortunate to visit 5 cities/towns. I've been back 3 times (unfortunately to see my grandmother for the last time
)
It's finally opening up to tourism, everything is so cheap there (exchange rate at the time $100 = 1.6 million dong) , but it's worth it to stay at 'upper end' hotels because of exchange rate, I stayed at a 4 star for $80/night. The poverty is obviously a major issue, my aunt says not to give them money because 'begging' is a major criminal industry. they 'rent' kids to beg, from their parents because people are more likely to give money to children than adults. While the Vietnamese are an industrious folk, communism has set up a system where the laziest person get's paid the same as the hardest worker, so there's no incentive to move upwards...(My uncle moved back from France to take care of his mother, and set up a business there, and has had to move his business twice because the communist wanted his land
. He explained the difficulty of setting up business with this work force)
The last time I went 3 years ago, they were much more receptive and accommodating to tourists. You definitely should go with someone who speaks the language/knows the country, though, because people will try to rip you off more often than not. I have family there so that's not a problem. One time I arrived at an airport by myself, my uncle lives near there, 5 minutes, and the taxi driver made at least 3 circuits, before I finally stopped him and walked the rest of the way there....
