Vietnam?

[IMOA]

Who's been? I'm thinking of popping over to Ho Chi Min this weekend for new year but know two tenth so far bugger all about the city. Anyone got any tips, advice, must do's etc? Or do I just turn up, eat awesome food and get pissed in a series of random bars?

[Dicknose]

Never been, but my Dad went there in the early 70s.
Do it, have a great time and tell us how cool it is!

[Phil_SS]

The only thing I know about it is what they showed me on Top Gear. They said it was great, I would go if I could.

And don't forget the pics.

[George]

The only thing I know about is it what I've read in two of Anthony Bourdain's books. He raved about the food and the beer and whatever other alcohol he was served and being able to smoke anywhere in his book "A Cook's Tour" - of that I'm sure - and he describes a subsequent visit(s) in at least one other book, probably "The Nasty Bits".

I haven't seen many of his numerous TV shows that air in the USA, but his books are great. "A Cook's Tour" is particularly good. It's about traveling and eating all over the world, and it's not written so only cooks can understand what he's talking about.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Never been to Vietnam, but in Taiwan or China, lots of places are shut down during the lunar new years... and those places that are not shutdown will usually be super crowded too... so probably not a good time to visit Asian countries around those times unless you know what you're doing...

[MR2 Fan]

The only thing I know about is it what I've read in two of Anthony Bourdain's books. He raved about the food and the beer and whatever other alcohol he was served and being able to smoke anywhere in his book "A Cook's Tour" - of that I'm sure - and he describes a subsequent visit(s) in at least one other book, probably "The Nasty Bits".

I haven't seen many of his numerous TV shows that air in the USA, but his books are great. "A Cook's Tour" is particularly good. It's about traveling and eating all over the world, and it's not written so only cooks can understand what he's talking about.

On his newer series, he basically said he wanted to move to Vietnam, he likes it so much.

[IMOA]

The only thing I know about it is what they showed me on Top Gear. They said it was great, I would go if I could.

And don't forget the pics.

That was one of the triggers for me putting Vietnam on the list of places I really wanted to visit


The only thing I know about is it what I've read in two of Anthony Bourdain's books. He raved about the food and the beer and whatever other alcohol he was served and being able to smoke anywhere in his book "A Cook's Tour" - of that I'm sure - and he describes a subsequent visit(s) in at least one other book, probably "The Nasty Bits".

I haven't seen many of his numerous TV shows that air in the USA, but his books are great. "A Cook's Tour" is particularly good. It's about traveling and eating all over the world, and it's not written so only cooks can understand what he's talking about.

And this is the other big one, I do tend to prefer Asian cuisines to European and I love Vietnamese so the main attraction of the country is to eat the food at the source


Never been to Vietnam, but in Taiwan or China, lots of places are shut down during the lunar new years... and those places that are not shutdown will usually be super crowded too... so probably not a good time to visit Asian countries around those times unless you know what you're doing...

I'm thinking that that will be more next week, lunar new year is Monday (when I'll fly back), tet is Tuesday or Wednesday so I think there will be a lot of activity on the weekend but it should be fine. And I spend 4-6 months a year in Asia, get up to a good amount of no good and haven't been stabbed yet, not sure if that means I know what in doing or I'm really really lucky :)

[George]

And this is the other big one, I do tend to prefer Asian cuisines to European and I love Vietnamese so the main attraction of the country is to eat the food at the source

I never thought about this before, but I think I agree. I love Asian food, and where I live now Mexican and Western American food (bison and elk steaks, anyone?) is widely available, but yeah, Asian food is where it's at! My boss just got back from two weeks in India, on business, and apparently she was mostly sequestered on a college campus style business park where the cafeteria served all-you-can-eat (and free!) Indian food, but only Indian food. She's a bit provincial (and I say that with supreme humility here at this forum of world travelers) and said everything was too spicy for her, and she once mistook fish for chicken (huh?).

I said I would love to go to India just to eat, and to eat only food that I had never eaten before, and especially foods I didn't recognize. A co-worker from Nepal (who nearly hospitalized me after I went back for thirds of her searing-hot chicken curry at a company potluck lunch) strongly agreed, but a few others in our group seemed to express concern about being "stuck" in a foreign country and "having" to eat their food.

Maybe I've just read too much Bourdain.

Quoth my son, when served baked salmon and steamed broccoli last night for dinner, prepared by my lovely bride: "I only like sushi-quality salmon!"

I didn't know whether to correct him, so that he doesn't embarrass himself when being served food as a guest in someone's home, or to raise my hand for a high-five. :lol:

Enjoy your time in Vietnam, IMOA. I'm envious.

[Yw-slayer]

I've only been to Hanoi, not to Ho Chi Minh City. I can help you with good places to eat in the former, but not the latter. I do have some Vietnamese friends, some of whom who live there or travel there occasionally. I could ask them if you want.

As for things to do, we just walked around, had a look at the local markets, stuffed our faces with street food, and looked at a few "attractions". The Puppet Show was good, albeit obviously touristy, Most of the other stuff is war focused, although the National Museum was interesting, and had a pretty hardcore guillotine room which I wouldn't want to hang out in after dark.

I wouldn't buy North Face anything there. Also, unless you really feel the need to, please don't be That White Guy Who Takes Pictures Of People Washing Vegetables On The Street. :D

[IMOA]

OK, flights booked, can't wait :)

George - We'd travel well together, trying out local food is probably the biggest motivator for me to travel somewhere, the only other one that is close is motorsport. And drinking, drinking in little roadside street bars trying different foods.

YW - I'll be That Drunk White Guy instead :)

[Yw-slayer]

Fair enough - the beer there is decent and cheap as chips. Well, at least it was in Hanoi.

The local specialties in the South are apparently different. But I will say that I really enjoyed the spring rolls and had some excellent pork spring rolls that were eaten with dry (but obviously cooked) noodles. This was at a local, and very basic, restaurant which has somehow become well-known, yet retains its character. So, a bit like the best restaurants in KL or Penang. Legendary stuff.

I'm sure you must know some Vietnamese in Australia? Wouldn't they be able to help?

[overpowered]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1r__BB7xs8

[Rare White Ape]

Or do I just turn up, eat awesome food and get pissed in a series of random bars?

I think this is your best bet. From what I've heard from a workmate who goes once a year, Vietnam is super-duper cheap, but with awesome food and hospitality. You'll live like a king. Basically a much nicer destination than Bali but without the hordes of bogan Aussies clogging up the joint.

[IMOA]

So, in the end I went with turning up, eating awesome food and getting pissed in a series of random bars. As it turns out this was an excellent plan.

I read an article last week about what travel used to be like in the not so distant past with no smartphones, no gps, no internet, no google maps etc and while a lot of the these things really have made travel easier they have also taken away from some of the travel experience. That article kinda spoke to me and taking into account that you only ever get one chance at a first impression and I know I'm going back to Vietnam soon I decided that I wouldn't really research anything, that I would only access the Internet from the hotel and that I would be heads up looking around rather than taking photos. Basically wander about without a real plan or direction and see what happened.

So, anyway, Vietnam is completely mad and I loved it. It was quite funny that when I got back to Bangkok there was a real feeling of 'ok then, back to quiet staid sanity then'. What I enjoyed most was the sitting on plastic chairs in the gutte somewhere eating some awesome food, drinking hopelessly cheap beer watching just the most amazing theatre pass you by. There was so much going on in the street in front of you, families 4 and 5 up on a scooter, they army tearing past in a pickup, a couple of guys riding past with the entire contents of a restaurant packed on too scooters (the first one had all the tables and chairs, the second one had the kitchen including the stove which was a clay pot grill with foot high flames) and then you have two ten year old girls standing in the middle of all that on the street comparing bracelets utterly oblivious to the maelstrom around them. It is just wonderful.

So, some other quick observations

There was a lot more closed than I was expecting, yes, billi was right
The Vietnamese go to bed early. almost all bars close around midnight and even on new year after the fireworks finished everyone basically went home
The sight of thousands of people all leaving the same place on scooters at the same time is pretty awesome.
I thought I got pretty good at crossing the street Vietnam style until I saw a local cross through an absolute scrum of scooters I thought impossible to navigate. Much respect.
Vietnam may have eclipsed Malaysia as my favourite place for casual afternoon beers.

I can't wait to go back

[Rare White Ape]

Haha, love that post man.

In my head you basically describe the scene from Full Metal Jacket where the two soldiers are sitting at a table just before the kid steals the camera off them. But with less war and more scooters.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Gee..., glad you find that appealing. I'm not sure if I'd ever spend money and vacation time on such madness! :p

BTW, so Vietnamese can all speak English now? How were you able to communicate with them?

[IMOA]

I've spent a hell of a lot of time in Japan and there's very few countries with less English than there so anything more is a breeze. Just about everyone knows some English these days, it's not the most common first language but it's the most common second language by a mile. Bit of English, bit of charades, it all works.

And madness is brilliant, it's a glorious change from how constricted and sterile the western world has become.

[Yw-slayer]

Glad you had a good time. It's an awesome place!

But the food in Malaysia will ALWAYS BE BETTER.