Jump to content

Vietnam - Ha Noi


Coss

Recommended Posts

Thanks for the report!

 

BUT it seems that you tried to be more clever that all the travelers who reported about the "bus from hell".

 

The trip seems to be quite similar to the BKK-Siem Reap bus scam from Kao San road which is going on since over a decade.

 

Either you do it or you don't. There is nothing in between IMHO. If you do it you are in the hands of professional scammers who have dealt with angry Farangs since years - like they dealt with you.

 

Yes,

 

I did think twice about doing this trip, but at least I can now say I've done it and the Viets won't get any more of my money.

 

Ha Long Bay, whilst a beautiful spot, is overrun with tourist boats. Our boat was about 70 people. I could see, just in our vicinity, in excess of 120 boats. If you account for for other boats around the islands, there could be 20~30 thousand people in the beauty spot at any one time. Oil sheens on the water were common, floating plastic bags. We had to queue to get into the caves and even through them, single file was the order of the day.

 

And I haven't talked about spitting on your feet.

 

Altogether an unsatisfactory experience of Vietnamese tourism and hospitality. " Luxurious Cruise & Kayaking, Heaven on Earth†? like f*ck it was.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 25
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Yes,

 

I did think twice about doing this trip, but at least I can now say I've done it and the Viets won't get any more of my money.

 

Ha Long Bay, whilst a beautiful spot, is overrun with tourist boats. Our boat was about 70 people. I could see, just in our vicinity, in excess of 120 boats. If you account for for other boats around the islands, there could be 20~30 thousand people in the beauty spot at any one time. Oil sheens on the water were common, floating plastic bags. We had to queue to get into the caves and even through them, single file was the order of the day.

 

And I haven't talked about spitting on your feet.

 

Altogether an unsatisfactory experience of Vietnamese tourism and hospitality. " Luxurious Cruise & Kayaking, Heaven on Earth†? like f*ck it was.

 

 

BTW, nothing I've seen in Lao, Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam, rivals NZ, Australia and the South Pacific Islands for sheer, pristine beauty. Apart from temples.

 

 

My over-riding impression of the SEA tourist spots, is one of overcrowding, rubbish and filth. My reasons for liking this part of the world are people, food and people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember hearing it said decades ago that tourists destroy the very places they want to see. That is 100% true.

 

Phuket 30 years ago was beautiful and almost untouched. You had the beaches all to yourself. Patong was a quiet little village and gogo bars were banned on the island. Drive along the west coast and you saw fantastic bays with not a single hotel on them. Samui was remote and reached only by boat. The islanders were inbred and all looked like each other. Growing coconuts was the main occupation. Going to the ruins of old Sukhothai or Sawangkhalok were an adventure. Chiang Mai was a lovely little city that hardly anyone visited.

 

Nowadays everything is commercial and overcrowded. If the Pacific Islands were more easily reached, the same thing would happen. Unfortunately, it goes hand in hand with modern "tourism".

 

Back in the 1970s and early '80s, we did not even tell others about our favourite holiday spots. We knew what would happen.

 

But to be honest, it is not simply the tourists who are to blame. When I arrived in Thailand in 1973, the population was 40 million people. The latest government figures say it is 70 million! That is one big increase! :shocked:

 

post-98-0-59826700-1334885984.jpg

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My reasons for liking this part of the world are people

 

 

At one point I was submerged in these little c*nts. At this time, I'd had enough and I turned and like a giant erupting from a pile of lilliputians I forced my way out of the melee, scattering c*nts as I went. I tell you, if just one of them, had offered me any resistance, I'd have removed his head.

 

 

I'd have hit him too, he was a little f**king c*nt.

 

Jesus, I'd hate to be someone you DON'T like.

 

:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ps. I know you're a kindhearted guy (from what I can see) and you just hated getting played by rude bastards. I just couldn't resist. :)

 

You'd hate LA even more. People are hardened here. We have a saying: "Lot of sharks out there, want to take a bite... lot of Chameleons, going to change colors anytime a new opportunity (read: nice naive person) presents itself."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe its not just a Viet. thing about nasty tourist guides.....2 out of 3 guides I`ve met in LOS were not nice people.The female guide on our minibus trip Chiangmai-Chiangrai ( Golden Triangle ) was hyped up through drinking loads of strong coffee and seemed to enjoy picking on some of the passengers.Perhaps they have to develop a tough skin and be " nah darn " as the Thais would say. :reindeer:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

COSS.

 

i remember my 1 and only trip by bus in Thailand.

from a small village outside of Nong Khai to Bangkok and never again.

early start from the village but the bus was already full and we had to stand for around 5 hours.

eventually a seat became available and she had to sit on my lap for a while which soon became uncomfortable.

then 2 seats became available but in different rows,which meant we finally had a seat each but not together.

i asked a young Asian fella if he could move to one of the other seats so that my lady and i could sit together.

he looked at me if as i was mad and uttered a few things i did not understand but eventually moved so another seat,still muttering out aloud.

stupid thing is he got off the bus about 10/15 minutes later.

i was bought up to offer a female a seat on public transport but he was so aggrieved when i asked him to give his seat to my lady.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

"i was bought up to offer a female a seat on public transport"

 

Same here, but it is VERY common to see young kids (teenagers) sitting while elderly people are forced to stand. Seems people just don't give a shit.

 

Sanuk!

HA ! I had this argument already so many times with my wife when we use the BTS together.....

We are raised to stand up for the elderly, in Thailand the elderly stand up for your kids !

Incredible.......

 

Mai pen rai.

 

BB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...