Vietnam Wrap-Up

Vietnam. I remember traveling through Southeast Asia and hearing so many bad things about Vietnam. Most of the complaints were about the people and how rude they treated travelers. I hardly experienced that. There were a few, namely the hotel owner in Pleiku that tried to rip me off, and the bitchy shop owner in Hanoi (she tried waving me off when I wanted to try on a shirt, I waved her off back) and the market stall women that literally hit me when I wouldn't buy their cheap shirts, but compared to the amount of nice people I met, these experiences were trivial at best. I found Vietnam to be a pleasant place to travel. A little shadier than the rest of SE Asia, yes, but overall it was a good time. I can't say I really felt a strong sense of culture, Vietnam seems to be lacking in that department. It was more the history that was the country's strong point, namely the American (Vietnam) War.

The good: It was great wandering around Pleiku, being greeted by people who hardly ever saw tourists. The temple there was the most beautiful one I've seen so far on this trip. Partying in Nha Trang was a highlight, I met tons of cool people there that I ended up traveling with throughout the whole country. The waterpark in Ho Chi Minh City was nothing but great, and I wore the bruises I endured from those slides with honor. The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City must also be mentioned, it was a very informative and well put together museum. Hoi An was a perfect place to relax, and get my amazing suit made. The hostels I stayed in in Hue and Hanoi were awesome, some of the best I've ever stayed in. One of the biggest highlights was the beer pong shot I made that literally defied the laws of physics, and I got a free beer for it! The Halong Bay trip was totally insane and was some of the hardest partying I've done on this trip. I was well overshadowed by the English guys that slept one hour in forty eight. Hanoi was great for buying cheap brand name clothing that would otherwise be very expensive back home.

The bad: Ho Chi Minh city was unbearably hot! Also on the weather topic is the rain. It rained right from Nha Trang to Hanoi, over a week straight. It almost never stopped raining in Hue, which sucked because after two days of it I didn't want to be in it anymore, and skipped out on seeing the Khe Sahn Fire Base, one of the sights that was high on my list. I wasn't a huge fan of Dalat. The countryside was nice, but the city was a disorganized mess and wasn't very social. Nha Trang was a little sketchy at times; seeing someone get robbed on the beach wasn't cool at all. The Cu Chi tunnel tour was kinda lame, but in hindsight I never ended up doing the tunnels near Hue because of the rain, so it was the lesser of the evils.

The money: Again, I spent a lot on alcohol. I'm sure by now everyone expects me to write that. The Halong Bay tour cost more than I thought it would, about $120 for three days. I kept my costs down a bit by staying in dorms and splitting rooms with friends I was traveling with. Vietnam wasn't as cheap as I expected, but I only went over my daily budget by a matter of cents.
Total spent: $1007.80 which include $73 for purchases, $42 for misc, $52 for a visa.
Total daily expenses: roughly $890
Average spent per day: $30.72
Total days in Vietnam: 29

I enjoyed my time in Vietnam. I don't think I would go back anytime soon, right now I don't see a huge reason to return, but I'm sure I will in the future. I met and hung out with a ton of great people who I hope I'll see in future. Peace out, Vietnam.