My Top 3 Travel Tips for Vietnam
After having spent 2 weeks in Vietnam, here are my top 3 travel tips once you arrive in this beautiful country!
1. Don’t believe the overhyped influencers
Raise your hand if you’ve been duped by an influencer you saw online about this amazing place to visit, only to be sorely disappointed. I’m sure it’s happened to most of us.
Influencers paint this beautiful attraction, or restaurant, or activity, but remember that what they post has been edited to take out the steep steps they had to walk on, or the traffic they encountered. It doesn’t show them waiting half an hour in line to get that perfect picture, or the sweltering heat they endured to finally arrive to that ‘must-visit’ spot.
Don’t let influencers give you FOMO (fear of missing out). Just because they say it’s a ‘must-do’, doesn’t meant it actually is. When you’re in Vietnam, allow yourself to try an eatery close to your hotel, instead of travelling for that viral restaurant you see influencers talk about.
There’s something beautiful about finding hidden gems, and sometimes it’s those experiences that stand out the most.
2. Roll with the punches
It’s very rarely that everything goes according to plan in life – what’s makes you think it’ll suddenly be perfect on your vacation? From sudden rain, to an underwhelming accommodation, to a feisty elevator door, a lot of things can go wrong during your trip. Allowing yourself to be flexible is a crucial attitude to have. Otherwise, these inconveniences will ruin your trip.
Personally, I’m the type of person that likes to have a backup plan.
Raining really hard? It’s a perfect time for a spa! Vietnam has really affordable spas and facial treatments available.
Food isn’t that good? Well, let’s make it up with really yummy dessert!
Underwhelming accommodation? That’s a sign to spend most of the day out exploring!
Reframe your thinking so you can enjoy your trip. Let me tell you, it’s so exhausting being with someone who always complains on a trip, but doesn’t do anything about their situation. I’ve been in this situation, and it really brought the energy of the group down. I swore I wouldn’t travel with this person again 😂.
3. Know what haggling is
I saw the craziest thing in Hanoi.
There was a foreigner haggling aggressively with a vendor. He wanted dirt cheap price for a shirt and refused to negotiate with the vendor, threatening to leave several times. The vendor keeps inviting him back, lowering their prices each time, but he refused. He only wanted the price he had set, and nothing more.
As another foreigner, I was shocked.
This is NOT haggling, and this is NOT okay.
Haggling is a back and forth negotiation. This means that there is a compromise on both sides. This means that, if you don’t think the price the vendor said was reasonable, you can offer a lower price. Sometimes they agree with your price, and sometimes they don’t. If they don’t, you should then raise the amount you offer in response. This happens several times until one of the two things happen:
- The vendor agrees with the price you set and the transaction is completed
- The vendor refuses to budge their price and you think it’s unreasonable, so you leave
If you’re not budging from your price, that’s no longer haggling, you’re now bullying and pressuring the vendor to meet your demands.
There’s nothing wrong with participating in the haggling culture in Vietnam, but please be respectful. If you don’t agree with the prices, I can assure you, there are other vendors you will find that might be willing to work with your budget.