Top 3 Reasons To Visit Vietnam

I travelled for six weeks around Vietnam in August and September 2014. I am finally going to share some thoughts with you about it. Here are my quick fire reasons for Vietnam being a must place to visit.

Cost

I’m generally a budget traveller so finding somewhere cheap to stay and go is important for me. Although the flights may be expensive, once you arrive in Vietnam, nothing else will be. Accommodation in a hostel with breakfast can be $5 a night (£3.20), and some even cheaper. Although I never stayed at the cheapest, they were still cheap, clean and comfortable. On occasion I would ‘splash out’ on a hotel room for the night, for a grand total of £10, this included TV, bath, balcony etc. I also occasionally splashed out on meals, went to a proper restaurant and had a hearty western meal, plus wine, for about £8.

Variety

In six weeks I visited 14 different places. Some places were in the sea, some were on the coast, some were in cities, some were in the mountains, there was an even a desert. Whatever you are looking for in a trip, there will be somewhere in the country which can cater for you. If you’re travelling, then I would recommend touching base with all the different places, see what you prefer. The joy of travelling on my own with no schedule meant that if I liked somewhere I could stay longer (Phong Na Ke Bang, planned one day and stayed for three), if I didn’t, I’d swiftly move on (stayed a couple of days in Nha Trang but got bored of the beach).  Variety and flexibility is golden.

Friendliness and Safety

I’m putting these two together because I think they go hand in hand quite well. This was my first time travelling and I was on my own in a place very far from home, with cultures very far from my own. However, I felt that everyone was very friendly. I’d sit on street corners and eat food with locals, we couldn’t communicate but they were happy I was there. Small hostels and hotels appreciated my custom. I was travelling as a lone female and this was unusual for some of them, but they were very kind to me and I felt safe. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be wary. I know of many people who were mugged in the bigger cities, but it’s just about taking care and being a bit sensible. The hospitality of the locals is heart warming and will be felt within the country.

Safe to say, I adored Vietnam and have much more to tell you about it. More posts about Vietnam to come soon so stay tuned.