Korean Job Discussion Forums

[crazylemongirl]

thanks for the tips so far. How is travelling between veitnam and laos by land?

[hogwonguy1979]

[huffdaddy]

[gochubandit]

hey waht's the weather like in vietnam and laos in dec? need a jacket/sweater??

[huffdaddy]

[liehtzu]

Lived in Vietnam for almost a year and a half, and I think it's best when you get away from the touristy stuff. I don't know how much time you have, but the tourist draws in Vietnam - like anywhere - are always a bit of a manufactured experience. I don't mean you should skip them entirely, but just sticking to the same route or experiences that everyone else does might be a lackluster time. A lot of people do that and don't enjoy themselves very much, because Vietnam just doesn't have a huge amount of things to promote. It doesn't have an Angkor Wat or a series of islands with gorgeous beaches a la Thailand, and most of the things that are heavily advertised, like "beautiful historic Hanoi Old Town," Hue, and Hoi An, are a let-down. Hanoi's Old Town is crowded and soot-covered. Not wholly unpleasant, but I think Hanoi is best appreciated when you get out of it a little, wander down some back alleys, and witness local life.

I lived in Danang and unlike the others I'd recommend giving Hoi An (30 mins from Danang) a pass. It's one of the most heavily promoted places in Vietnam, a "quaint little historical town" where every quaint little old building has been converted into a restaurant or souvenir shop - a little Vietnamese Disneyworld. If you want to get tailoring done, it's a decent place (especially if you want a traditional Vietnamese dress), and if you've been on the road for awhile and eating at noodle stands, Hoi An has some great restaurants. Othewise there's nothing really there of interest, I think.

Hue gets a miss from a lot of people - hell, Vietnam gets a miss from a lot of people - but it's not a bad place. Like Danang, which tends to get an inexplicably terrible writeup from the guidebooks (most of which continue to recycle their information from ten years ago), it's nice enough without being hugely memorable, but it's a laid-back riverside town and a decent enough place to chill out. Speaking of guidebooks, take them with a grain of salt; the Lonely Planet is especially uninspired.

Hanoi and Saigon are both very congested, packed to the gills, and the traffic is some of the worst you'll ever see. However, if you learn to kind of go along with the vibe it's not a bad thing. It's also easy to find a nice little spot to relax and drink coffee or beer and watch the madness go by, as unlike Korea Vietnam has a lot of bars and and restaurants with outdoor seating.

Hanoi people are generally pretty sour and dour, but folks are friendlier further south. People in the central region (Hue-Danang-Hoi An) are quite pleasant. The thing about Vietnamese is they often look serious or even scowl but they can be really nice if you are nice first. Rare that I didn't see even the most hardened-looking old grannie break into a smile if I gave her a wink. Take it easy, don't get pissed off, but always be skeptical when purchasing anything as outside of the tourist areas you're almost guaranteed to get tossed a far higher price than a local would pay. Try not to look like a tourist even if you are one - people who break out their Lonely Planet in the middle of a tourist district street have a big "SUCKER" written on their foreheads in Vietnamese. Saigon has a reputation for hustlers that isn't entirely unearned, but people are far more laid-back than Hanoi.

Vietnam's got a lot to offer, but be flexible with your plans.

Coming to Laos from Vietnam is like ratcheting your speed down a few gears. Laos is poor and underpopulated and everything moves at a snail's pace, and when I got there from Vietnam I think I even started to speak slower. For me this is not a bad thing. Luang Prabang is the old historic town which, same as Hoi An in Vietnam, has been completely overrun with tourists. The capital city, Vientiane, isn't really even a city but a large town on the banks of the Mekong. It is the smallest and most run-down capital city I've ever been in, and there isn't too much to do aside from checking out temples. Laos has white water rafting and adventure sports things run by travel agencies that I didn't check out as it doesn't appeal to me much. For me the charm of Laos for me was drinking a cold Beerlao, the finest beer in southeast Asia, and watching the sun set slowly over the Mekong in Vientiane or Savannakhet. I did that for days on end, and consider it one of the great joys of life.

Routes to Laos from Vietnam:

Hue-Savannakhet. Start in Hue in the wee hours of the morning and you'll be in Savannakhet, a nondescript Lao town, by early evening. The trip is long, but beautiful along the mountainous Viet-Lao border (once in Laos it flattens out and is pretty dull), and the roads are new and smoother than you'd expect. BE SURE TO GET YOUR LAO VISA FIRST! THEY WILL TURN YOU AWAY AT THE BORDER OTHERWISE! Lao visas can be purchased at embassies in Hanoi or Danang. Danang is about 3 hours from Hue but if you start there it'll be in the evening and whatever agent you booked through will put you up in a fleabag motel overnight in Hue.

Hanoi-Vientiane. This is a longer trip that will probably run overnight, perhaps camp out in the bus at the Lao border until it opens (around 7:00 AM maybe) and then in Vientiane by evening. Once again, a smoother trip than you'd expect but you may have to change buses in there somewhere, maybe at the awful little Vietnamese town of Vinh or at the border.

Hanoi-Luang Prabang. Does this exist? I think so, but I haven't taken it and it would be through northern Laos where the roads are pretty shoddy and thus probably the longest and roughest option. I don't know if anyone else can provide other info on this.

Yes, I write a lot. At work today, no classes, gotta sit at the desk all day. Hope it was helpful. Good luck, have fun.

[b_canadian_eh]

I was looking at the Tropical Sails site but there is no info as to prices and I have yet to get a reply from my query to them... so can anybody reccomend any other companies to look at for a 3-4 day tour on Ha Long Bay? Thanks.

[JZer]

[the eye]

[b_canadian_eh]

[Hanson]

Laos is the gem of SE Asia. Definitely check it out.

Long story short, you can take a nice week to ten days to see a bit of Laos by taking the slow boat down the Mekong from Huay Xai to Pakbaeng to Luang Prabang. It takes two days (one night's sleep in Pakbaeng), but it's a very cool ride. I have heard they are crowding the boats more and more these days, though.

Then, after a few days in Luang Prabang, you can make your way to Vang Vien, a cool little patch of dirt with a few hotels and happy pizza near a limestone mountain where you can go caving. You can also take an inner tube down the river while stopping here and there to get a Beer Lao to go from old dudes on the banks. Life is sweet!

After that, it's a short trip to Vientianne for a final few days to check out Buddha Park (amazing) and a few bazaars and markets. Then, it's off to wherever you please...

[b_canadian_eh]

Hey, question for those of you who would know.

Arriving in Saigon at 1400, a train leaves from Saigon station at 1500... is it possible to make that or am I just dreaming? Any help is greatly appreciated.

[hogwonguy1979]

[b_canadian_eh]

Thanks for the help with that. I have another question in regards to the trains that I am hoping someone might be able to help me with.

We are going in late December and I am wondering if it will be possible to show up and buy tickets a couple hours in advance or will I need to book them ahead of time. Trying to avoid the big markups for advance booking...

Thanks!

[demaratus]

I really liked Vietnam when I was there (last month). Here where my highlights. Halong bay- do the 3 day cruise with one night on the boat and one on Cat Ba island if you can. Nha Trang- If you like to party, Mama linh's boat tour is a great time. Mui Ne beach- small and cozy, not at all like Nha Trang but great in its own little way, close to Saigon as well. Hoi An- My favorite place in Nam. Great food, lots of character, tailor shops if you need clothes, good beaches nearby as well. Although it is a little touristy and the nearby My Son ruins are somewhat boring and anticlimactic for anyone who has been to Ayuthaya or Angkor. I have heard that Sapa is great but I never made it up there.

Have fun and enjoy your trip!