It’s always interesting when you’re traveling and realise how much you’ve learnt about a culture from being in a country…whether it’s from being scammed or ripped off, having transport issues or simply just standing on a street and observing. And undoubtedly, the longer you’re in a place, the more things you notice, the more mistakes you make and the more you learn.
Why am I saying all this?
Simply because I was in Vietnam for 6 weeks, fell in love with the place and want to share the things about the culture which I either hated, loved or just noticed because it was different. I don’t know…I think it’s so beautiful and interesting that I can’t help but want to share from my personal experiences so without further ado…here are my ‘top learning experiences’ or ‘random fun facts’ in Vietnam
Culture
- Most hostels give free breakfast
- There is wifi everywhere in Vietnam. Every single shop, cafe, restaurant, money exchange place.. They all have it
- Squatting is a huge part of Vietnamese culture
- You can’t wear your shoes on sleeper buses (the most popular mode of transport in Vietnam)
- You usually can’t wear your shoes inside and sometimes have to take them off when walking into shopping centers
- Married couples are loyal to their families – divorce is unlikely to happen even if cheating is involved because they prioritise the value of the family unit
- Vietnamese people don’t like being dark – white skin is beautiful
- Family dinners are a big part of Vietnamese culture – you will most likely get invited to eat together with other guests and the family
- You can smoke everywhere in Vietnam – inside, outside…it doesn’t matter. People were smoking everywhere
- Balloons with laughing gas are a big thing in Vietnam’s party districts – tourists go a little bit crazy on it
- Vietnamese are CRAZY about football/soccer – if you’re lucky enough to be there during a game, you’ll see how patriotic they are when they win
Family dinner = the best!
Fashion
- Most Vietnamese people don’t care too much about dressing in luxurious clothes. I see their fashion as more focused on practicality than anything
- Men like to lift up their shirts half way with their bellies hanging out
- The Vietnamese hat is still fashionable
- It’s wise to carry a rain coat or poncho with you during winter/the rainy season (ponchos are the more popular option)
- Vietnamese people like to cover their motorbikes with their ponchos
- Most drivers wear face masks and helmets
- Vietnamese hat anyone?
Just me casually in a poncho
Transport & Traffic
- It takes a LONG TIME to get from the north to the south or vice versa – if you want to go by motorbike, it will take you a minimum of three weeks (if you are rushing and barely stopping in places)
- Buses are the cheapest – I didn’t even catch a train once
- Vietnam has a crazy amount of motorbikes
- Vietnamese traffic is CRAZY
- Vietnamese people use motorbikes for everything…literally, EVERYTHING – I’ve seen dogs, furniture and all sorts of random stuff
- It’s normal to see 3 or 4 people on a motorbike
- With traffic, its better to just walk instead of waiting for cars to stop for you – the cars just keep coming even if a light is red
- You can almost always buy a bus or train ticket at the station without pre-booking
- It’s generally very easy to hire a scooter or motorbike without a license but you might be in trouble if you get pulled over by the police
- Police don’t usually stop tourists on motorbikes (unless it’s the Ha Giang Loop)
- GRAB is the best transport app in the world – and GRAB BIKE is usually way cheaper
- It’s very easy to carry two backpacks on a grab bike even if you have a really big 40 litre one like me
- Hanoi traffic
Places
- The north has sweeter food than the south (which is more salty)
- The North is prettier than the South
- Ha Giang province is the most beautiful place
Cost
- Vietnam is INCREDIBLY cheap…except for their tours which are promoted in US Dollars
- For most tours, it’s best not to get the cheapest price because you usually get what you pay for
- Tourists get tourist prices for everything
- Accommodation is usually cheaper if you walk in to book a hostel room
People
- Vietnamese people are INCREDIBLY friendly and will go out of their way to help you…even when they’ve tried to scam you and you decline
- The language barrier is real – most Vietnamese cannot speak English
- Vietnamese people LOVE karaoke and will almost always try to make you sing
- Vietnamese people love to drink happy water (rice wine) and beer
- People in smaller cities seem happier and more friendly than in major cities such as Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi
General Travel stuff
- Vietnam is an incredibly fun place with so many things to see and do
- Now is a good time to visit – prices will go up because Vietnam’s economy is booming!
- Cheap Vietnamese products often break easily – almost everything I’ve bought from there has broken on me very quickly
- There are pickpockets which will snatch your phone out of your hand
- There are A LOT of scams in Vietnam
- It’s very easy to do visa runs in Vietnam but you usually need to bribe the customs officer
- Vietnam has amazing bananas, tropical fruits and coffee
- Vietnamese people don’t care about putting rubbish in the bin
- Animal cruelty will smack you in the face – be prepared to see over caged chickens, dogs, fish etc.
There is SO much more but for the time being, that’s all I can think about (sadly…I feel like I’ve forgotten so much already)
I hope you enjoyed my list and would love to hear from you if you’ve been to Vietnam and noticed any other unique quirks in Vietnam
