Final thoughts of Vietnam

And for my 300th blog posting on 'Kane in Japan', I would like to share my closing thoughts on my recent holiday to Vietnam.

TripAdvisor
Before I travelled to Vietnam, for some reason, I trusted what was written on TripAdvisor. Now, I am not too sure. The Majestic Hotel was a big disappointment and bore little resemblance to the reviews which convinced me to book this hotel. I found my hotel room faded and lacking in any great ambience. The hotel staff were for the most part disinterested, and the early morning pneumatic drill on my penultimate morning resulted in an angry call to reception. Poor, perhaps due to the hotel being scheduled for renovation / demolition next year.

The positive reviews on TripAdvisor are a puzzle. I surmise that many reviews on this site and others are intentionally skewed by each contributor in an effort to convince friends, acquaintances, and colleagues about what a great holiday they are having.

Beer
It is a shame to see Vietnam being flooded by crappy foreign beers such as Heinekin and Tiger Beer (the latter is advertised everywhere you look). My personal rule when travelling is to drink the local beer, not imported foreign crap. The rule holds true for Vietnam - the Saigon Red, Saigon Green, and 333 were excellent indeed!

Saigon Red Label

Girls
Vietnamese women are absolutely stunning!

Ho Chi Minh City
We had fun, but it is perhaps best to use this city as a transit point. It was grotty and the repetition of people looking for money was rather tiring. However, once out of the city, Vietnam seems to have a lot to offer.


Vietnam is certainly a country on the up - it cannot be too many years until it rivals Thailand for popularity. I will certainly return, hopefully visiting Hanoi and Hue on my next visit. Overall, a very happy holiday and great to see somewhere different.