We're considering a trip to Viet Nam. We like wandering around on our
own, particularly in large, exotic cities, but prefer some help in
smaller, less touristic places. We were fine in, for example,
Shanghai or Bangkok, but felt better with a driver in Chiang Mai and a
local guide in Yangon and Guilin.

We spent a day in Saigon off a cruise ship, 10 years ago. My
recollection is of being hounded by souvenir vendors and begging
children, and few memorable sights except for a few related to the
war.

My questions:

Have things changed a lot? Is Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City worth
spending time in? Would we be comfortable on our own in Saigon, Hanoi
and/or Hue? Would we still be hounded by children and vendors?

How comfortable or uncomfortable is the Victoria train to Sapa?

We like river cruising. Should we spend a week on the Pandaw on the
Mekong, or dawdle around more in the coastal centers?

Thanks for any help.

In article 4ax.com>, Walt Bilofsky
says...

I spent 10 days in Vietnam last December:
http://www.molon.de/travelogues/Vietnam/2006/

Was on my own and wasn't harassed by anybody. No vendors, no begging
children, nobody caring about me. Vietnam's economy is rapidly
developing and locals have discovered that there is more money to make
by working than by harassing tourists.

I had mixed feelings about Saigon, because there is not that much to do.
One day is enough for the historic centre, then there are some temples
spread around and that's it. Tay Ninh and the Cao Dai ceremony are cute
and photogenic. I didn't visit the Mekong delta, because I've already
seen enough of the Mekong elsewhere.

In article news.supernews.com>, Alfred Molon
says...

I should add that Phnom Penh (Cambodia) is a very nice city. Was very
surprised when I visited it. It's a mix of Bangkok and Paris, but much,
much smaller and less chaotic, very laid back with not so much traffic
in the streets. Security has also improved a lot in recent years. There
is not an overwhelming number of places to see, but what they have is
very nice: Buddhist temples, a royal palace compound, lots of French
colonial architecture. The riverfront is great, with lots of cafes and
restaurants where to sit down and relax. It's ideal for two, max three
days, then it probably gets boring.

On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 22:08:59 +0200, Alfred Molon wrote:

Agree!

http://pedalo.dk/cambodia/phnompenh/index.html

Has Vietnam changed in the past 10 years, of course. Is it still an
interesting tourist destination, certainly.

Vietnam like most developing countries in Asia has an abundance of
eager want-to-be tour guides and taxi drivers only too happy to show
you the local sights. The quality of their service will vary as will
the price.

Are these cities safe to wander around in. Overall, yes. The streets
of Saigon are difficult to walk across because of the traffic and lack
of motorist following any road rules. In the past 5 years the streets
in Hanoi have become equally hazardous.

Smaller cities like Hue are easier to walk around, however you really
need a car to visit most sights.

Hoi An is a very nice well preserved ancient town. Sort of a back-
packers haven, but becoming main stream.

"geno.y" gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for your comments.

We like to travel the same way you do.

From what you say, it doesn't sound like Sapa a must-see area,
although I get the impression from tour books that it is.

Would you say that it's better to go by private van between Hanoi and
Sapa? My wife prefers to avoid trains; she doesn't like the motion.

It all depends on what you've seen in the past. The destination
features markets and hilltribe villages. Not to say, if you've seen
one you've seen them all. I don't believe that, but I do think you
must weigh the cost of traveling there verses what the tourist benefit
is. And I don't consider the cost to be cost in dollars so much as
cost in time.

You mentioned that you've been to Yangon, did you travel to Heho (Inle
Lake) and some of the villages around that area. Or have you seen the
hilltribes in Northern Thailand?

The villages in Thailand have electricity, most with running water,
TV's, and they have an array of goods to sell the tourist. In Myanmar
they may have no electricity and water from a well. Tourist are there
but not by the bus load.

In article <1188592016.601339.125560@x35g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
geno.y says...

Why don't you like Phnom Penh?

Walt Bilofsky wrote:

Alfred Molon wrote:

alfred.. I did not like Pnohm pehn either.. but that is because I like
monuments.. there is not much in the town to see.

the things I liked most were the markets. then I had a little paranoia as
everybody was warning about criminality
I made a nice boat excursion.. but nothing else..
and the town is more anonimous and expensive than other towns.
do you agree ?? ( and there were no ATM at the time of my visit.. )