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Vietnam and CS

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  • #16
    Re: Vietnam and CS

    More pics









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    • #17
      Re: Vietnam and CS

      It is good to get your head around the money conversion rate before you get there.

      Also book your first couple of nights at a hotel and pay the little extra for them to pick you up at the air port. You can get haggled there by people doing dogey deals, taking you to a overpriced hotel. Last thing you want when you land in a new country.

      One more pic.

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      • #18
        Re: Vietnam and CS

        This forum has limitless information!, what cant you do here!!!! NOTHING!!!!

        Thankyou all for the awesome tips, keep the photos coming if you have em!!!!

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        • #19
          Re: Vietnam and CS

          Originally posted by 5652746D6D6877606F010 link=1273147696/6#6 date=1273161965
          Sorry to hijack AM but thanks heaps for that info griffster! If you dont mind, can i PM you about stuff were planning on doing, just to see what ya think? Inside info is worth its weight in gold! Thankyou heaps 8-)
          Seems like a few people are interested in info on Vietnam so it may be better to discuss it in the thread - especially as other people who have been to Vietnam can also chime in.     Feel free to send me a PM any time though.

          Info is always worth its weight in gold I find, especially things to be aware of, such as the dodgy taxi cabs and tour guides waiting outside airports to take unsuspecting tourists for a ride - it can be MUCH safer to have a car from the hotel youre staying at picking you up.  I think most of the time it came up to around $10 or so one way, so its not too bad.  Ive heard stories of the dodgy cabs taking 2 tourist girls part way to a more deserted location then extorting more money from them or threatening to leave them there.  And also be very careful of people on the motor scooters offering to take you around as they will have a tendency to change their prices.

          If youre stopping in Hoi An (very highly recommended even if not clothes shopping), you may want to bring along clothes that fit you very well as well as clothes you like from magazines.  The tailors in Hoi An can pretty much copy anything you show them.

          There are tour operators everywhere so rather than booking over here I would recommend booking there.  My wife and I didnt have a set itinerary - when we felt like it, we would just book a few tours.  Otherwise we just walked around by ourselves and enjoyed the culture and atmosphere.  Its safe enough as long as you watch out for the crazy motorcycles in Hanoi.

          For the tour operators, we used Sinh Cafe which is one of the more well-known ones.  Be VERY cafeful in Hanoi... they are copied everywhere and some are really crafty.  For example, there are 2 in Hanoi.  One is at 52 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street, and going down the street we found one where the shops on either side had numbers displayed which were 50 and 54, and 52 had a sign saying "Sinh Cafe, 52 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street", but if you keep walking, the numbers dont match.  This particular "Sinh Cafe" must have paid the other 2 shops to change their numbers.

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          • #20
            Re: Vietnam and CS

            There seems to be a lot of "beware" messages... even from myself!

            This maybe giving some people a bad impression of Vietnam. We didnt get into any problems at all. The Viet people are super friendly. We did get ripped off here and there but it was only for amounts that convert to $10AUD.

            Another tip.
            The internal flights are cheap, all the time. A flight from HCMC to Danang is about $50. Danang to Hanoi $50. Thats no discount. We got the flight from Danang to Hanoi for $33... two people. $16.50 each! This was done through the tour operator.
            So dont bother with the bus or train.

            There is one problem. Vietnam airways are late a lot of time but they rarely cancel. Travelling to a destination and staying overnight is fine (even with the delay you will get there quicker then train/bus) but I wouldnt do a connecting flight.

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            • #21
              Re: Vietnam and CS

              Originally posted by 494A58585C4A522B0 link=1273147696/19#19 date=1273469484
              There seems to be a lot of "beware" messages... even from myself!
              I think the issue of being informed is great....

              While one might say every where and every place has issues... parts of asia do have some cultural and percived issues that frighten many off.

              Your minor warnings / reminders are just what is needed.  Shame others do not follow the same common courtesy but then perceptions and what one sees as teh norm is very different.

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              • #22
                Re: Vietnam and CS

                Just booked my flights to Vietnam in June/July Very excited!!!

                Im hearin ya Bassway with the train!, long trip!, i was looking at taking the train north then doing a 4 day trek out of Sa Pa, then i sort of realised that wed be on the train on and off for 3 days of our honey moon,i then had a look at internal flights.....cheap as chips! So were now planning on 3 days in Saigon, 2 days inDa Nang/Hoi An, 4 days in Sa pa and last 2 days in Halong bay.

                Were doing the Cu Chi tour out of Saigon, the Bonsai Dinner cruise, the 4 day Hard Sa pa trek with homestays and a junk in Halong bay. Were also searching for a half day cooking class too.....

                Any other recommendations?

                SSSSSo excited!!!!

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                • #23
                  Re: Vietnam and CS

                  Originally posted by 6B6F495050554A5D523C0 link=1273147696/21#21 date=1273471387
                  Just booked my flights to Vietnam in June/July Very excited!!!

                  Im hearin ya Bassway with the train!, long trip!, i was looking at taking the train north then doing a 4 day trek out of Sa Pa, then i sort of realised that wed be on the train on and off for 3 days of our honey moon,i then had a look at internal flights.....cheap as chips! So were now planning on 3 days in Saigon, 2 days inDa Nang/Hoi An, 4 days in Sa pa and last 2 days in Halong bay.

                  Were doing the Cu Chi tour out of Saigon, the Bonsai Dinner cruise, the 4 day Hard Sa pa trek with homestays and a junk in Halong bay. Were also searching for a half day cooking class too.....

                  Any other recommendations?

                  SSSSSo excited!!!!
                  1: ROFLMFAO... AND MEMORIES...

                  Got back late and sat up and watched the RBT from the window... Early flight to Rome.

                  We had a sleeper booked - very crowded .... But as we pulled out the train crew bashed on all the doors.. A Bishop was stuck with plane strikes etc

                  YEP... He got given full access to our sleeper for the WHOLE BLOODY TRIP SOUTH. He got off one stop before.. BUGGER :-[

                  2: Excited as to the wedding or the trip

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                  • #24
                    Re: Vietnam and CS

                    Originally posted by 1A353C3E29163A353A3C3E363E352F5B0 link=1273147696/22#22 date=1273471750
                    Excited as to the wedding or the trip
                    Both mate!, so.....whens my CS Bucks party Andy? Get me drunk on espresso WOW ;D

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                    • #25
                      Re: Vietnam and CS

                      Originally posted by 484C6A737376697E711F0 link=1273147696/23#23 date=1273473545
                      Originally posted by 1A353C3E29163A353A3C3E363E352F5B0 link=1273147696/22#22 date=1273471750
                      Excited as to the wedding or the trip
                      Both mate!, so.....whens my CS Bucks party Andy? Get me drunk on espresso WOW ;D
                      And Limoncello

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                      • #26
                        Re: Vietnam and CS

                        I dont tend to worry too much about the beware messages, as I heard them all for south america and didnt have any problems there. just keep your wits about you, and bring the aeropress, and youll all be fine Im sure

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                        • #27
                          Re: Vietnam and CS

                          Whats the policy on tipping in Vietnam? ive heard mixed answers, i personally will tip anyone who deserves it, but not if they havent earned it......

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                          • #28
                            Re: Vietnam and CS

                            Originally posted by 7D7E6C6C687E661F0 link=1273147696/19#19 date=1273469484
                            There seems to be a lot of "beware" messages... even from myself!

                            This maybe giving some people a bad impression of Vietnam. We didnt get into any problems at all. The Viet people are super friendly. We did get ripped off here and there but it was only for amounts that convert to $10AUD.
                            I agree with Bassway that the majority of people in Vietnam are friendly so would not in any way not recommend people not to visit.

                            I also think however that warnings when travelling can assist people in raising awareness of different scams that are running, as being scammed can make what should be a good holiday memory a terrible experience, so even something like just booking an official car from the hotel to pick you up can save you a lot of trouble. Like I said, although the majority of people can be great in a country, the scammers will hover like vultures over the areas where tourists gather such as the airport and tourist attractions which is quite unfortunate.

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                            • #29
                              Re: Vietnam and CS

                              I think the warnings are worth their weight in gold, especially when $1 = 17500 dong!!! Much easier to get ripped off when the currency value is so different.....

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                              • #30
                                Re: Vietnam and CS

                                Originally posted by 4E4A6C7575706F7877190 link=1273147696/26#26 date=1273499866
                                Whats the policy on tipping in Vietnam? ive heard mixed answers, i personally will tip anyone who deserves it, but not if they havent earned it......
                                Tipping isnt expected in Vietnam but very welcome.
                                Unless you are on a very tight budget its a no brainer.
                                Go out to dinner, one beer, two wines, two beginners, two mains, two deserts, bill comes to $350,000 dong. Crap, we only have 2 x $200,000 dong. Hang on, the change equates to $3 AUD. Dont worry about the change!

                                Originally posted by 4E4A6C7575706F7877190 link=1273147696/28#28 date=1273529936
                                I think the warnings are worth their weight in gold, especially when $1 = 17500 dong!!! Easy to get ripped if your wernt weary....
                                Also make sure you agree to a price before excepting a service, especially on the street. This is generally where you will get ripped off. Someone will ask "Shoe shine, shoe shine?" Proceed to do the service and then ask for $200,000 dong when the rate should be $20,000 dong. This happens all the time. And again not the end of the world, they just ripped you $11 AUD.

                                When you are on the plane and about to land the cabin staff give you one of those forms to fill out when you enter a country. When you pass through customs they will stamp it. Even though there is no instruction to keep this, DONT THROW IT OUT! You will need when you exit the country, it forms part of your visa.

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