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Dino's Travel Blog
Viet Nam
Mon January 1, 2007
In the North, Hanoi is very cool. Visit and stay in the old quarter. Hanoi was very cool and rainy the whole time I was there; it is a very chaotic city with 3 times the motor bikes as cars weaving in and out. It's very strange, because even though people feel damp and cold they will have their car windows open "for fresh (polluted mind you) air" , ok whatever!
You will always get hounded by cycle drivers to do a one hour city tour or visit one of the sites like the boring Citadel or something. Cyclos are a one person covered cart driven by a 3 wheel bike rider usually very limited in the English conversation. If you're patient it best to seek one that speaks enough English to make your tour more understandable. The drivers may quote you in dollars which I can never understand, but I try and deal with Dong. Just as a note , almost everybody quotes in US dollars here in Viet Nam, then when you ask how much it is in Dong they inevitably have to use the calculator to do the conversion. A Cycle ride will go for approx 50,000-100,000 Dong per hour depending on your negotiating skills, make sure you negotiate first, don't go for the "up to you" price, this will almost always lead to an argument with the "poor-sad" face that many seem to have mastered and how long the drive was, but of course when they want to take you somewhere it's never a problem.
In Hanoi stay at the Heart Hotel near the lake in the old quarter for approx $35 a day, take the highest floor and with the street or lake view if you can.
If you're up for a little adventure.... go north of Hanoi to Sapa and stay at the Cat Cat Guest House.... very cool up in the hills. It is a far trip and much cooler up North so check the temperature and dress accordingly. Most people take the overnight train to get there.
Nha Trang beach place, the main strip is a Miami South Beach wanna be, most are the Hotels are very run down Scuba diving and snorkelling at one of the Islands. To get there Fly from Danang or Ho Chi Min. Go on the day boat trip of the Islands. Book a private speed boat for approx. 950,000 per day; on the speed boat they say they can come back at 5pm but ours came back early "due the high winds and waves". We got 20% of our money refunded because of the early return. You can also take the slow boats either privately or with a group. Make sure you can stay until 5pm if not negotiate a 1/2 day price. Money back policy is generally pretty good here in Viet Nam.
In Hu`e. Stay at the Asia Hotel, nice, clean and excellent service!
Take the Cyclo's around for about 20,000 Don per hour but always negotiable.
There wasn't much to see in Huè.
The Citadel is more like a ruin and is boring, but if you go there make sure you buy some gold fish food from the local guy there for 2,000 Don and feed the fish there on the bridge.
The Citadel on the water is alright also. We took a boat trip up the river.
They will surely try to hard sell what they have on the boat. You are a captured audience.
You have time here to play it cool so do. Make the "ball in your court" and wait it out that is if you are even interested in what they're selling.
Didn't go to Phu Quoc Island, which is off the South West part of Viet Nam and is a flight from Ho Chi Minh city; stay in a bungalow.
No scuba diving there yet and a pretty remote place.
In HCM city you can contact
"Exotissimo" travel agent, Merian,
Phone # 095 800 2035.
You can probably skip Da Nang except maybe for the "somewhat famous museum".
South is at least 3• Warmer and so is the water.
Hoi An old town 30 Klm from Danang; Hoi An is known for it's "same day" made to order clothes for very cheap; you can design you own or pick something out of a series of catalogues and fabric choices.
Be weary of what they call Silk, as it may not be. They have different names for the blends of polyester and so called silks such as "Japanese silk, Vietnamese silk and the likes" the best way to test silk is to get a cutting and burn it. Silk will burn polyester/blends will melt.
Stay at the Von Tran home Stay just outside of the city; A pretty setting for $20-30 with outdoor Jacuzzi, excellent service!!! Women serving hand over foot. Motor bike rental at $5 a day.
Must go see Marble Mountain! Or as Elizabeth called it, surprise mountain, which is a good climb and tricky climbing in some areas.
The mountain has large temple Buddhas and Quan Ims carved out of stone in this mountain, spectacular!
The best restaurant by far is "The Cargo Club" for western standard food and presentation; they have good service and an upstairs outdoor deck which is very pleasant. You should make a reservation if you want a nice spot on the deck.
They have good size portions, good for sharing! The Bolognese bruschetta is good and so is their stuffed squid.
My favourite was their Banana flower salad, ( still don't know what a banana flower is, but it looks like a fruit and they peel and slice it in small circular rings.
I'd skip the pizza, nothing special.
And their deserts are to die for, especially their chocolate mousse.
If desert is really important, then I'd order it at the beginning of the meal as they get them from their Cafe next door which is also very popular for people watching and a coffee. The deserts start running out so it may be best to go down and look at their display case and select the one that excites you the most.
Diving and snorkelling is only good in the summer here so don't even bother going any other times than June-August. Visibility is the worst I've ever seen and if you're taking the 11/2 hour boat ride across to the dive/snorkelling Island, and if the water is rough then you can guarantee that at least 1/s the guests will get sick so make sure you ask for a sea sick pill and take it at least 45 minutes before getting on the boat.
The romantic 5 Star resort that Aaron my travel agent was recommending is just outside Danang... place called the Furama:
http://www.furamavietnam.com
They have free shuttle to Hoi An.
Fly into Ho Chi Minh and make your way up
to Nha Trang (400 km north of HoChi)... plenty of
beaches, islands and a great place to chill out.
Da Lat for a quieter beach then Nah Trang.
Cao Bang
China beach near Danang.
Em dep lam ( you are very beautiful).
"The skills of negotiating is an art of body language."
The art of negotiation in Asia
Lesson # 1 :
Don't show you like what you want. My Father was an expert at negotiating and he taught me to never seem too interested in what you want to buy or that you even want it at all,
Lesson #2 :
Be distracted;
Don't stand in front of the item and hold it or praise it or even try it yet; knowing it's there, wander your eyes and body for different items asking the price and saying no because they are all too high. I don't even start asking about the piece I want yet until I have refused a few by then. Then ask about your item just before leaving the shop, like a maybe with a dis-interested face.
Again it is "too much".
Lesson #3:
The Price war.
These store keepers raise their prices with the knowing that there will be a negotiating process. Sometimes they get what they ask because some people don't like bargaining or feel the price is worth it compared to what you would pay in your country. They like these customers.
Now don't forget that these shop keepers are experts at negotiation and are inevitably better than we are since this is all they do; they will also never go below what they are actually willing to sell it for, despite what they tell you. Never dwell on those arguments, it's a waste of time and energy.
Ok, so now you can ask them what their best price is and they won't give you it, but they will probably drop it a bit, knowing you may or may not pay that price.
Then if you offer a lower price, the acting starts and the "no profit/poor me syndrome starts", again try and get past this step quickly before you start believing them.
Now if you have time and like the game, hang in there for a few more rounds. I recommend staying with your first price straight through.
They will start waving their hands and telling you that this is their last or best price.
Start walking away now and say that you will look around.
Lesson #4:
Be willing to walk away.
This may be the hardest part for some especially now that you have invested all this time and energy in that item that you really want and you're almost there; in fact you know you want to buy it for the price you've already gotten to, but now for the final clincher.
The shop keeper won't know your limit until this point and that is when you finally walk away and they may lose the sale, which almost never happens.
So how do you know when their best price really "is" their best price?
I'll tell you.
When after much negotiation, they look less interested and put their calculators away and don't mind if you stay or leave, then you have reached their best price. Usually we are the ones that bend before this point and the sale is made.
Rent a motor bike and cruise around.
1 USD=16,022 Dong
