Both? If you only have a week I would pick one or the other. If you have more than that I would split between both. The flight between each city is cheap.
Enjoy your first ever international trip you fricking homosexual. Next time add the shit you want to do on a trip, budget, and how long you have to spend in a country. Frick you.
I've been abroad before. I could visit both, I have enough time. I'm paranoid about getting pickpocketed. If you guys could motivate me with tales involving Vietnamese maidens, I would really appreciate it.
Both
Personally I thought Hanoi was much, much, better - but half the people I meet who have been to both agree with me, the other half feel the opposite. Its a strangely polarising thing.
I stayed in these places based on them supposedly being the go to places for backpackers. >hanoi
Old Quarter - can recommend, its got a lot of charm and is close to everything. >HCMC
Near Bui Vien - personally didn't care for it, its just sleazy. Plenty of homeless people, rats, and wienerroaches to keep you company while you dodge aggressive prostitutes with bolt on breasts.
You're going to get it either way to be honest, Vietnam has some of the most aggressive touts in Southeast Asia - I never saw anything like it in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia etc.
Honestly it was much worse in the south. In the north you could usually firmly say no and they would get it, in the south I had people actually grabbing my tee shirt and following me down the street. On more than one occasion I said yes just so they would frick off because I was sick of putting up with their harassment over less than $5.
In saying all this I still recommend going - its the country in SEA I want to go back to the most. Once you build up tolerance and techniques to deal with this kind of shit, it has more to offer than anywhere I went. And like I said, there is a regional component.
>it has more to offer than anywhere I went
Could you please explain why you feel this way, anon? Curious to understand.
7 months ago
Anonymous
POOM-POOM??
7 months ago
Anonymous
Maybe it's just a me thing, but there's something about the culture, nature, history, cities, etc that are very appealing to me. Having a Vietnamese coffee or a pho in the early morning outside a dinky diner watching the world hustle by on mopeds through streets lined with thousand year old ever green trees is just a nice feeling for me.
And then the variety of places to go outside of cities, amazing towns in random places with incredible natural beauty and a diverse array of local people from different tribes with their own ways of doing things. And like I said, people are very welcoming and have great hospitality.
I just liked it a lot.
7 months ago
Anonymous
How would you say it compares to Thailand? Trying to decide between the two. An expat I met in Taiwan told me that Thais are a bit fed up with tourists, so the Vietnamese can be nicer and more curious about foreigners.
7 months ago
Anonymous
it's the other way around, service level is way higher in Thailand
most of viets are cold and indifferent towards customers, in some foreign oriented places they go over the top and try to be extremely friendly which feels fake, genuine care where the staff treats you as a close friend almost doesn't exist in Vietnam
Same age as me at the time, 26.
[...]
Thailand is much, much easier because it has some of the most developed tourist infrastructure in the world. Vietname has good tourist infrastructure, but very few developing countries can compare with Thailand in that respect.
If you want sex tourism, Thailand is also a much better destination. Vietnam does have some nice beaches, but you are spoilt for choice in Thailand.
An expat would know better than me, I never lived in Thailand, but I think that's a broad generalization, plenty of Thais are still very friendly. They're very aware of their economy's reliance on tourists. I would say Thais have much more experience with foreigners so you're less exotic than you are to a Vietnamese. In Vietnam plenty of young people wanted to practice English with me, I don't recall that ever happening in Thailand.
Honestly, they're both great places to visit, just for different reasons. If you want a no effort, relaxed holiday you can't really beat Thailand. Vietnam rewards effort.
that explains it, if it happened few years ago then the women were old and in a hurry to secure a husband
younger women are unlikely to approach you and you need to spend a lot of effort to get a simple date
7 months ago
Anonymous
My brother in Christ, 26 is not old. If you're 26 and think 26 year old women are too old, you need psychiatric care.
7 months ago
Anonymous
You’re moronic 26 is old in vietnam. Tons of girl get married around 18-22. Vietnam is hyper competitive and age gaps are seen as normal.
Of course men are gonna marry the younger girl…
7 months ago
Anonymous
>genuine care
they do >the staff treats you as a close friend
why do you want this wtf
Lol you're a beta homosexual if you think vietnamese touts are bad. Indian and middle Eastern ones are MUCH worse. India itself is full of scams. Only reason you should go there is for cooming. Vietnam though overall is quite nice.
Nope, I would just meet them at random places like tourist sites. Vietnamese are very friendly - although the problem is that there are plenty of annoying scammers trying to sell you shit - so you have to pick whether you engage with people...
They would approach me. These weren't slum peasants or something, they had enough income to travel domestically. They dressed nicely and just came across like normal young women. It wasn't like they came up to me and were weird about it, they were just making polite engrish conversation about the location.
Scammers usually look very poor and try selling you things you don't want. Some aren't scammers persay but they won't take no for a fricking answer.
How would you say it compares to Thailand? Trying to decide between the two. An expat I met in Taiwan told me that Thais are a bit fed up with tourists, so the Vietnamese can be nicer and more curious about foreigners.
Thailand is much, much easier because it has some of the most developed tourist infrastructure in the world. Vietname has good tourist infrastructure, but very few developing countries can compare with Thailand in that respect.
If you want sex tourism, Thailand is also a much better destination. Vietnam does have some nice beaches, but you are spoilt for choice in Thailand.
An expat would know better than me, I never lived in Thailand, but I think that's a broad generalization, plenty of Thais are still very friendly. They're very aware of their economy's reliance on tourists. I would say Thais have much more experience with foreigners so you're less exotic than you are to a Vietnamese. In Vietnam plenty of young people wanted to practice English with me, I don't recall that ever happening in Thailand.
Honestly, they're both great places to visit, just for different reasons. If you want a no effort, relaxed holiday you can't really beat Thailand. Vietnam rewards effort.
Where did I say Thailand was developed?
Or are you referring to when I said it has developed tourist infrastructure? I don't think you know what the word means if you are disagreeing with me.
Both? If you only have a week I would pick one or the other. If you have more than that I would split between both. The flight between each city is cheap.
Enjoy your first ever international trip you fricking homosexual. Next time add the shit you want to do on a trip, budget, and how long you have to spend in a country. Frick you.
I've been abroad before. I could visit both, I have enough time. I'm paranoid about getting pickpocketed. If you guys could motivate me with tales involving Vietnamese maidens, I would really appreciate it.
homosexual
Both
Personally I thought Hanoi was much, much, better - but half the people I meet who have been to both agree with me, the other half feel the opposite. Its a strangely polarising thing.
HCMC is a shithole. Don't go there unless it's the airport to leave.
no it's not. stay pleb.
You could probably see the whole country for the cost of going to Vegas for a week. One of the cheapest vacations in Asia from what I've heard
What are good districts to stay in either of the two cities?
I stayed in these places based on them supposedly being the go to places for backpackers.
>hanoi
Old Quarter - can recommend, its got a lot of charm and is close to everything.
>HCMC
Near Bui Vien - personally didn't care for it, its just sleazy. Plenty of homeless people, rats, and wienerroaches to keep you company while you dodge aggressive prostitutes with bolt on breasts.
Thanks, anon. I'm thinking that avoiding the backpacker places where tourists hang out might result in fewer scammers bothering me.
You're going to get it either way to be honest, Vietnam has some of the most aggressive touts in Southeast Asia - I never saw anything like it in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia etc.
Honestly it was much worse in the south. In the north you could usually firmly say no and they would get it, in the south I had people actually grabbing my tee shirt and following me down the street. On more than one occasion I said yes just so they would frick off because I was sick of putting up with their harassment over less than $5.
In saying all this I still recommend going - its the country in SEA I want to go back to the most. Once you build up tolerance and techniques to deal with this kind of shit, it has more to offer than anywhere I went. And like I said, there is a regional component.
>it has more to offer than anywhere I went
Could you please explain why you feel this way, anon? Curious to understand.
POOM-POOM??
Maybe it's just a me thing, but there's something about the culture, nature, history, cities, etc that are very appealing to me. Having a Vietnamese coffee or a pho in the early morning outside a dinky diner watching the world hustle by on mopeds through streets lined with thousand year old ever green trees is just a nice feeling for me.
And then the variety of places to go outside of cities, amazing towns in random places with incredible natural beauty and a diverse array of local people from different tribes with their own ways of doing things. And like I said, people are very welcoming and have great hospitality.
I just liked it a lot.
How would you say it compares to Thailand? Trying to decide between the two. An expat I met in Taiwan told me that Thais are a bit fed up with tourists, so the Vietnamese can be nicer and more curious about foreigners.
it's the other way around, service level is way higher in Thailand
most of viets are cold and indifferent towards customers, in some foreign oriented places they go over the top and try to be extremely friendly which feels fake, genuine care where the staff treats you as a close friend almost doesn't exist in Vietnam
that explains it, if it happened few years ago then the women were old and in a hurry to secure a husband
younger women are unlikely to approach you and you need to spend a lot of effort to get a simple date
My brother in Christ, 26 is not old. If you're 26 and think 26 year old women are too old, you need psychiatric care.
You’re moronic 26 is old in vietnam. Tons of girl get married around 18-22. Vietnam is hyper competitive and age gaps are seen as normal.
Of course men are gonna marry the younger girl…
>genuine care
they do
>the staff treats you as a close friend
why do you want this wtf
Lol you're a beta homosexual if you think vietnamese touts are bad. Indian and middle Eastern ones are MUCH worse. India itself is full of scams. Only reason you should go there is for cooming. Vietnam though overall is quite nice.
District 2 (Thu Duc City), around Xuan Thuy is filled with beer and bars and foreigners
>In the north I met women who took me out for dinner and bought me drinks.
Did you meet them through dating apps?
Nope, I would just meet them at random places like tourist sites. Vietnamese are very friendly - although the problem is that there are plenty of annoying scammers trying to sell you shit - so you have to pick whether you engage with people...
Did they approach you or vice versa? I feel like I'd get paranoid about random chicks approaching me.
They would approach me. These weren't slum peasants or something, they had enough income to travel domestically. They dressed nicely and just came across like normal young women. It wasn't like they came up to me and were weird about it, they were just making polite engrish conversation about the location.
Scammers usually look very poor and try selling you things you don't want. Some aren't scammers persay but they won't take no for a fricking answer.
what was their ages?
Same age as me at the time, 26.
Thailand is much, much easier because it has some of the most developed tourist infrastructure in the world. Vietname has good tourist infrastructure, but very few developing countries can compare with Thailand in that respect.
If you want sex tourism, Thailand is also a much better destination. Vietnam does have some nice beaches, but you are spoilt for choice in Thailand.
An expat would know better than me, I never lived in Thailand, but I think that's a broad generalization, plenty of Thais are still very friendly. They're very aware of their economy's reliance on tourists. I would say Thais have much more experience with foreigners so you're less exotic than you are to a Vietnamese. In Vietnam plenty of young people wanted to practice English with me, I don't recall that ever happening in Thailand.
Honestly, they're both great places to visit, just for different reasons. If you want a no effort, relaxed holiday you can't really beat Thailand. Vietnam rewards effort.
>thailand
>developed
Fricking lol. Compared to what? Laos? Then sure it's "developed".
Where did I say Thailand was developed?
Or are you referring to when I said it has developed tourist infrastructure? I don't think you know what the word means if you are disagreeing with me.
it has a better and more efficient transportation system then most American cities so there is that.
Even Mexico City has a more developed transit system than the average shithole American city