Vietnam is not for rookie travellers, especially central and northern Vietnam

Vietnam is not for rookie travellers. Period<br><br>I’m half Vietnamese half European, born and raised in Europe but I speak Vietnamese fluently and I’ve been living here with my partner who is German for over a year now, and I can tell you that this country is not for rookie travellers. I’ve travelled extensively in central and northern Vietnam and seen some disturbing things and it is not for the faint of heart. Vietnam is often seen as a very touristy destination but the reality is very far from that. This country is still very much in its entirety, a developing country with little to no infrastructure in some parts, with extreme traffic and safety issues and scams on the regular. <br><br>Vietnam is not for rookie travellers especially the central and northern parts. The only part that I feel is relatively safe and more touristy is the south but even then I would not recommend it to rookie travellers.<br><br>The traffic in Vietnam is severe and the amount of accidents is staggering. It’s not uncommon to see street dogs dead on the side of the road or the remains of accidents on the road. We’ve almost been hit several times even though both of us are experienced drivers and have driven in multiple countries. The traffic is so severe here because there essentially are no laws. Nobody follows the traffic laws and nobody follows the rules of basic courtesy. Nobody cares about your safety here and that’s the mindset you need to have when driving. <br><br>It’s not uncommon to see people speeding and the roads here are not built for that. A lot of the roads are in disrepair and because of the traffic it can take hours to drive 50 km. There are a lot of traffic accidents on the highway. <br><br>There aren’t any rest stops on the highway. If you go to the highway it’s bare minimum. There aren’t any lights, speedbumps, cameras, etc. On long drives if you need to go to the bathroom you’re going to have to find a small shop or restaurant and ask to use the bathroom. There are sometimes tables and chairs in front of the shops but there is no custom to sit down anywhere to eat your food. You eat on the floor or on the bed in your room. You also don’t hang around at the shops or restaurants longer than necessary.<br><br>Rookie travellers who are not familiar with these kinds of conditions will find it very shocking and it can take a toll on your mental and physical health. I’ve had a hard time adjusting even though I know the language and have used to these conditions as a child.<br><br>Vietnam is not a tourist destination. The amount of bare minimum tourist infrastructure and the amount of scams far exceeds any touristy place I’ve been to. It’s not uncommon to overpay for a meal by 5 times. There is no such thing as customer service and many people don’t like the tourists. There are barely any rest stops on long drives and your only option is to stop at small shops where you can fill up your gas and eat a light meal like noodles or rice, or sometimes they have a choice of banh mi, spring rolls, and maybe have a small selection of some fruits or instant coffee and soda. <br><br>If you want to travel in Vietnam you need to know the language, the customs, how to navigate the traffic, how to get fair prices, etc. If you don’t know any of this, you’ll find yourself struggling and you’ll be miserable. It’s also exhaustingly hot here and the amount of plastic here is staggering.<br><br>The country is very fossilized and customs here are very old fashioned. The culture is very conservative and not very inclusive. The culture is also very based on social hierarchy and the rich get preferential treatment over the poor.<br><br>I recommend rookie travelers to go to more developed countries that have better infrastructure and fairer prices and more open customs. Even then, I recommend people to travel for a short time until you get more experience.<br><br>Please also know the difference between traveling and migrating. Migrating is when you are moving to a country to live there permanently but traveling is temporary. <br><br>I personally have traveled extensively to Europe and central and south America and I can say confidently that I have not come across the bare minimum infrastructure that Vietnam has. Yes there is poverty in Europe and CA but the biggest difference is that there is infrastructure to deal with the poverty and there are laws to protect people. <br><br>The difference between Vietnam and Europe is that Europe has a functioning government to deal with issues such as poverty and homeless people and there are systems in place in Europe to help people who struggle financially. Europe is also far more inclusive than Vietnam when it comes to customs and religion. Europe is also very safe with little to no scams. <br><br>The difference between CA and Vietnam is that CA is bare minimum a functioning democracy. I’ve been to Guatemala and Colombia and even though they are very poor countries they are more open to tourism and actually have the bare minimum tourist infrastructure. There are more laws in place in CA than Vietnam and it is generally safer with less scams and better infrastructure. CA is also more open to different cultures and identities. <br><br>Vietnam is also not great for long term stay. This country exhausts you and I can confidently say that I have not felt this much burnout ever in Europe or Ca. I have been to many countries and lived in many countries and I know the difference. Vietnam is a very stressful country and not a relaxing place to be. <br><br>TLDR: Vietnam is exhausting, has bare minimum infrastructure, scams and swindling are common, extreme traffic issues, and the country is not inclusive. Vietnam is not for rookie travellers.