January 13, 2023, 2:54 p.m. local time. Would You, Golan is playing in my headphones, and the drive to Saigon Airport seems like an eternity, even though it's just over 100 miles from Mui Ne. Since I still feel like I'm on National Highway 1 and I have time, I thought it wouldn't hurt to write down the pros and cons of my Vietnam experience.
The first plus - we went directly from Constanta to Saigon, Vietnam
Yes! It is a big plus to be able to depart from an airport only half an hour from home. As I told you before, our little airport is actually a gateway to hundreds of destinations all over the world.
Totally agree with the new campaign to promote the metropolis that seems to transform with every visit we make. The journey to Vietnam started from Constanța, from...
The people, the food, the hospitality
The string in the intertitle is no accident! For the Vietnamese, food is more than just fuel to function. They revere it, cook it with love and share it with others.
December 31, 12.29 local time. The flight, operated by Vietnam Airlines, takes us, without turbulence so far, to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), the first city visited in this spectacular country. Hanoi was for us...
Continue ReadingWhen it comes to hospitality, with all the trouble we got at the hotel in Hanoi, I can say that the Vietnamese are hospitable. We drove through Vietnam from south to north, and most of us didn't know what else to do to make us feel better.
Here's what might scare you in Vietnam
First, the traffic! It's terrible! No traffic rules are respected, everything is chaotic and dangerous, and pedestrians are the most exposed to accidents. In the last part of the vacation, I rode the scooter every day, and the few kilometers covered seemed like a real GTA on the streets of Vietnam.
Rats and other animals you can meet even in your hotel room.
Christmas in Da Nang, a spiritual and gastronomic foray into the heart of Vietnam
Before I get into the description of our experience in Da Nang, I want to share one regret: we wish we could have stayed longer in Hoi An. The ancient city must be felt and…
Continue ReadingAs for rats, either you get used to seeing them and go on vacation, or you never leave your hotel room. We christened Mitica the one we saw a few times, close to the terrace where we were eating.
Check all invoices
I don't know if the Vietnamese have had any experience on the seaside , during the Ceaușescu era, but they also sometimes add the date and year to the bill. I'm kidding, and not really! Even though most menus are in English or Russian, the waiters here don't really know foreign languages. Good luck with the pictures on the menus, but even then you're not 100% sure that you'll get what you ordered. To avoid unwanted experiences, we took over the technique of a friend in the group who took pictures of everything he ate and at the end we compared the bill with the waiter. On the other hand, even if you get robbed on the bill, the amount is small – 100.000 vnd (4 euros).
Don't worry if you don't like seafood or Asian dishes. The Vietnamese love pork, and in areas where the French left their mark, you'll be spoiled for choice.
There are few places where you can pay by card
Even at hotels, the receptionists tried to convince you to pay with cash and kept insisting that you will have to pay more if you use the card. The fact that you will add between 3 and 7% to the final payment amount if you use the electronic system. Only one restaurant in Hoi An accepted my card payment and another in Hanoi, but both with higher than average standards.
Christmas at Hoi An, explosion of color, light, positive energy and aromas
The ancient city of Hoi An is located in Vietnam's central Quang Nam province on the north bank near the mouth of the Thu Bon River. It is heritage...
I made the rest of the payments with cash, taken from ATMs. In some cases, using the ING card I had no commission, another time 2 euros for a withdrawal in local currency in the amount of 50 euros, and with the Revolut card I always had a commission when I took out cash.
And since tax evasion is rampant, don't be surprised that there are no labels attached to the products sold. The seller probably sets the price after studying the tourist's face :))
