VietNam is a very binary country for Foreigners of all types, mixed in with the American War in VietNam and the usual traveller features.
By binary I mean you either love it ... or hate it. This also applies to other countries. Some people expect too much, others regret the passing of traditions.
Many do the Quan 1 + Open Tour bus which means they miss so much as the buses roar through the night, terrorising other drivers and passengers alike.
Then you have the war Veterans returning to relive their days when they were invading VietNam - the problem is either the jungle reclaims bases, battle fields, etc. or the Vietnamese cleaned up afterwards.
Has anyone seen KHE SANH? What happened to the hundreds of tons of heavy sheet steel that the base was built on? Sam Mountain had a communications base on top - all gone. Same with the Marble Mountain intelligence base. Then, if you drive the HO CHI MINH TRAIL between KonTum and Hoi An you suddenly come upon a Chinook-type twin-rotored helicopter in excellent condition (on the outside) carefully polished by local villagers.
So Veterans return home disappointed that their memories have gone and things weren't living up to their expectations.
The type of traveller matters, too. I've known people here in VietNam who could be ready to leave in a couple of hours - they live out of their suitcases longing for the opportunity to leave - often business types - even on prolonged visits.
Another is the 'returning colonialist' who look for how things used to be back in the day and go away disappointed because VietNam is just another 'same-same' country in the hot, basic Far East.
Even Singapore learnt the lesson, and cost, of knocking down history. Much of downtown was demolished and replaced with ersatz glass and steel buildings found all over the world. VietNam is demolishing too much of it's great history, seems that those in power don't appreciate the value of old buildings. Only a fraction of People's Park remains intact.
Even new buildings are despoiled, after 2-3 years of labour the new Financial Centre, opposite Nhu Lan Restaurant, opened. A stylish building with unique features that complimented the Tax Building behind it. Joining the Financial Centre across on Ham Nghi is yet another boring glass and steel box that completely destroys the effect of the other building.
Another class holds the Vietnamese is mild disdain ... OK to look at but to live with? I have a good friend from Hue, a senior manager in her Vietnamese company, whop was housed in a predominantly Foreign occupied apartment building in Quan 1 whose main occupants were diplomatic families and those of senior executives of Foreign companies.
Normally a mild-mannered woman my friend went ballistic when she heard two female residents talking in a Euro-language (not English) who included the comment 'bad enough having them outside, now they are coming inside' referring to her and a few others, presence. My friend explained, in the same language, what she thought of their racist attitude.
Then there is the type, like me, who 'goes native' embracing everything from the countries culture.
A lot of the fault lies with the governments. They see tourists as mobile money trees and set up all the usual traps such as casinos, high-priced hotels (did you know the most expensive suit in Ha Noi is over USD$5,000 per night?), etc.
The Peoples Committee chair in Hoi An is exploiting the tourists - you have to pay to visit the 'ancient' town if you don't live there.
Many destinations are over sold - like Hue. Hue has suffered over the years, with the palace buildings understandably neglected for lack of funds. Why is there still a large, concrete US 'pillbox' sentry post still embedded in one of the gates of the citadel?
Actually, the best part of Hue, for quiet relaxation is behind the citadel but tourists doing the two-day stopover don't have time to discover it.
And what's with these cable cars? I have climbed Mount FanXiPan, it might have taken three days, but there is no need for yet another cable car. Tourism destroyed the misnamed 'love market' - it still exists in other towns up north.
Why don't tourists do the northern loop (Ha Giang, Cao Bang) or the southern loop (Lai Chau, Dien Bien Phu, Son La) - they are so very different from the usual tourist haunts? Instead they take a night train to Cha Pa and a night train back and miss all the 'real' VietNam which is substantially different up north from down south.
Today's tourists are different. Many want everything served up on a platter whilst others want to read up on their destination then go explore. I am lucky inasmuch as I get sabbaticals due to my length of working (and my position in the company) and I often go off on a trip to 'nowhere in particular'. I think I know VietNam better than either Canada or the UK.
The VietNam Visa situation is another unnecessary hassle. The war is over 38 years now, the present day dissidents in California and Texas are well known and can easily be stopped using passenger manifests. So why the expensive visas? VNAT (VietNam National Administration of Tourism) has tried for years to get relaxations.
Even Cambodia, a technically backward country compared to VietNam, has on-line visa processing and it works with minimum problems AND it gets the visa leaching industry out of the process. No one is happy paying all these fees then getting a stamp in the passport for USD$10!
