Vietnam Tours

[athena53]

Still, I maintain that when a country has freedom of speech, particularly a free press, that means the populace has the means to find the truth, that it is not being brainwashed. From what I have read, by allowing a large number of foreign visitors the Vietnamese Communists have lost their grip on the people, compared to the brutal regime of North Korea. They allow foreign visitors because they need the cash. Cuba is trying to do the same. I guess in a way, that's good for the people of these countries. I just cannot bring myself to go to these places. This includes mainland China too. Read about how Hong Kong people are protesting the tightening grip of mainland China, who does not allow free local election.

And do not get me talking about countries that do not allow freedom of religion, unless you want this thread shut down. And I am not even religious!

I was about to start a new thread on the topic of what factors may keep a particular country off your travel list. Maybe it's best not to! DH and I visited Russia in 2003 when things were freer and we loved it; we wouldn't go there now. Mainland China will never be on our list, nor will any country where they're willing to suspend mainstream religious beliefs about alcohol and allowing women to swim in the hotel pool for tourists who pay enough money. . We visited Croatia, which was beautiful and memorable, but read "Balkan Ghosts" first to get the history and understand the Serbian side.

It's always good to get background from all sides before visiting a country (including your own) and be aware of biases and selectivity in what they show/say. We're not big on politics anyway, but we never discuss politics/history outside of the US except with great caution and tact.

 

[languagefan]

Just make sure you visit Ha Giang province and visit its gem Dong Van. I did some Voluntary work in Vietnam and that was the most beautiful and untouched area.
Bon voyage

 

[mickeyd]

Plain-clothed and uniformed policemen immediately beat them up and
threw them on a bus to take them somewhere. Very little on the news about
that.

I am shocked, shocked, that totalitarian communists are acting like totalitarian communists.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I think it has been fairly recently that the US has become more transparent about what might be seen as some of the less admirable aspects of its history (which is no different than the path of most conquerors). Slave quarters for example are now featured prominently at many founding fathers' sites, where they used to be tucked away and not considered part of the story or worthy of preservation or reconstruction. The US didn't always call the Native American battlefields "massacre sites" either or portray both sides of the conflicts (maybe Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee was the beginning to open that up). Even Pearl Harbor's moving film at the Arizona carefully does not portray the attackers as simply villains (a tough one, that). IMO we are lucky today to have more balanced and honest presentations, and when we travel we can see other countries' stories in a more nuanced way regardless of how they might be presented.

At any rate I can see how our Viet Nam vets could be on both sides of wanting to go back fifty years later. None of DH's friends who were drafted alongside him and sent to Viet Nam ever talk about their time there to anyone, so it would be surprising to me if they wanted to open that up now, but maybe. And yes a very heartfelt thanks to all of the young men who found themselves serving us.

 

[NW-Bound]

I never claimed that the value of these places is in their objectivity. The value is that they help us understand another culture's perspective; witness their hardships; perceive their humanity in a way that isn't possible from 9,000 miles away; and possibly open our eyes to aspects of our own conducted that shouldn't be lost down a memory hole.

We're good enough at judging others that we don't need any help from anyone else. But seeing how others judge you can be quite illuminating.

Oh, it's rarely the people that I have trouble with. It's the rulers that I cannot stand. And they often have ways of brainwashing the uninformed or should I say misinformed people. It's how they control the people and to stay in power. They say, if it were not for our supreme leader, you would be enslaved and impoverished by the foreigners. But when these terrible foreigners do not come, they now invite them in to get some cash. Except for North Korea. They just simply do not care.

... It's always good to get background from all sides before visiting a country (including your own) and be aware of biases and selectivity in what they show/say. We're not big on politics anyway, but we never discuss politics/history outside of the US except with great caution and tact.

Yes, it is a lot safer to leave politics out when visiting many countries. Americans do not realize that not every place is like home, when one can call the president of the country names out in the street, then walk home unarmed.

Recently, there was a case of a young American tourist who was sentenced by North Korea for 15 years of hard labor. The alleged crime: stealing a propaganda poster in the hall of a hotel for souvenir. They videotaped the court proceedings. The young guy broke down crying, and "confessed" something like that he was manipulated and used by reactionary elements. Hah! Why he even went to North Korea is beyond me.

I am shocked, shocked, that totalitarian communists are acting like totalitarian communists.

Typical tourists: Totalitarian? What does it mean?

 

[MichaelB]

OP asked for tour suggestions. It would be helpful to stick to that topic.

 

[brett]

We recently returned from four weeks of independent travel in Vietnam (March/April). It was wonderful. We had no problem with language and even got to use our poor French a few times. This was our third winter in SE Asia but our first time in Vietnam. We would recommend it to anyone. As far as independent travel goes, it was one of our easiest trips. Vietnam is wired for the net. Even our overnight homestay in the back of beyond had good internet.

We entered by land through Cambodia and spent five beach days on Phu Quok Island in the south. Four weeks later we flew to Bangkok from Hanoi. Just the two of us. We had a general idea of where we wanted to go but that was all. We did airplanes, bus, train, ferry, etc. Went to Can Tho/Mekong, Saigon, Dalat, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Ha Long, Hanoi and places in between. We made reservations in advance for our first five days on the beach in Phu Quok. After that we did our plan about three-four days in advance.

Vietnam is booming. The people are friendly-no language issues. We did numerous private tours. We found the air service excellent and very inexpensive. Hotels were good and extremely reasonable. Food was fabulous. So glad we went. Our perspective on leaving was very different than some of our pre conceived notions. I certainly agree with Robert McNamara's perspective/summation.

We would recommend this trip,or parts of it to anyone. Just do your research and determine where you want to spend your time. Understand the weather and decide what season is best for you.

 

[Gone4Good]

Vietnam is booming. The people are friendly-no language issues. We did numerous private tours. We found the air service excellent and very inexpensive. Hotels were good and extremely reasonable. Food was fabulous. So glad we went. Our perspective on leaving was very different than some of our pre conceived notions.

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