The Vietnamese - Setting a Record Straight

[wayfaringwordhack]

This may backfire on me since we are only halfway into our Vietnam trip, but the mean things we heard about the Vietnamese?

Not true.

Ok, so the first guy we tried to do business with--the shuttle driver at the airport--was a total ass who tried to charge us double the normal fare, but apart from him, we've only dealt with super nice people.

Want pushy street vendors who won't take no for an answer? Go to Antananarive. The residents of Madagascar's capital win that competition hands down.

Want rude toursism agents and agencies? Go to Peru and Bolivia where they believe a sucker is born every minute and they have no need of a good reputation or repeat business.

In Vietnam, people care about their image and they care about word of mouth, at least those we've had contact with do.

Nice change.

Comments

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

That's nice to hear :)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Yeah, especially since we were set to expect the worst. :P

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

:D

[pjthompson]

Wow. I've heard mostly nice things about the Vietnamese. I hope you continue to have a good experience.

Those darned, tricky expectations*

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

It was strange; out of eight or nine couples/people that we talked to about travel in SE Asia, all but one of them said that Vietnam was a headache--harry-hurry-pushiness. One couple said they spend a month and really enjoyed it.

And everyone of those who didn't have a "good" experience in Vietnam, praised Laos to the skies. Even people who hadn't been to Vietnam.

Needless to say, we had high expectations for Laos and not so many for Vietnam.

*They'll trip you up whenever they can, apparently.

Re: Those darned, tricky expectations*

[pjthompson]

Sometimes I think having low expectations works out better. That way you experience the place as it is without the influence of the experience of others.