When my partner and I planned a trip to Vietnam in Easter break, we contacted a number of tour operators for quotations for our proposed itinerary. As most of the quoted prices were fairly similar, we decided to go with Eviva – the company which replied promptly all my questions by email.
Before the trip, I had read a lot of negative things about travel traps, pickpockets, and aggressive tours so we went in incredible cautious. 3-day tour with local experts was a good start though. I admit that our impression about Hanoi – our first destination – was a little bit overwhelming. With seven million people, Hanoi is certainly overcrowded.
However, after a couple of days, Vietnam’s charm totally won me over and I did not want to leave. There are many things to see, to enjoy and to eat in this long stretching country. Isn’t it interesting to go trekking in cloudy mountains in Sapa where you can have appealing view of valleys and paddy terraces, with a backdrop of bamboo woodlands? Who does not want to start a new day in a cruise sailing through stunning setting of rock formations in Ha Long Bay? Isn’t it a delight to get sophisticated silk clothes which is tailor-made just for you in old town Hoi An? How about sailing along small rivers in Mekong delta and experience the life, the culture, and the colors of local people and their floating markets? Or you can also go to Sai Gon to immerse in active and dynamic lifestyle of the biggest city in Vietnam, with busy motorbike traffic from early in the morning until dusk. Each destination in the country was truly a pleasant surprise for us and we decided to extend our time in Vietnam.
Vietnam is certainly not a perfect country by any means. I did know that I was overcharged when I bought fruits at street vendors. However, this did not make me think about Vietnam negatively. Scams and tourist traps always happen to travelers, whether that is in Vietnam, or anywhere else in the world. Aware of the risk you might encounter while travelling and go to Vietnam, and you may love it at the first bite (-__-)
