Do you have a bad travel exprience?

[vutru01]

I have a nightmare in Hanoi and Sapa

In Hanoi we got in a taxi with a corrupt taxi driver, his meter was running twice as we were really driving and when we wanted to stop, the driver threatened us with a stick. He wanted the money for the distance he had already driven (20.000 dong for 500 meter).

There were 3 hotels with the same name in a row in Hanoi. We had booked one and the one we walked in said we had to wait until 8 am before we could get the room with window for 15 dollar (which they also said in a reservation e-mail).

We could wait in a small other room without window (which they did not say in their e-mail; it said we had to wait in the lobby and could use the internet there).

So when I asked about this internet at 8 am, they took me to the hotel with the same name next door. There I asked about the room and got the room for the price they e-mailed me.

When I wanted to pick up my luggage, the first hotel charged me 15 dollar for the room! For just 3 hours without any using of the toilet or shower. And the room with window costs 15 dollar, so the room without should be less right? No, also 15 dollar. Great.

In Sapa my friend got hit by a car. He was protecting his head by raising his arm (cars were racing by on the road really close). His hand touched a outside mirror of a passing car and the mirror folded inward (like you sometimes do when you park your car on a busy road).

The driver got mad and wanted 4 million dong (300 dollar) for his broken window (which wasn't broken at all). He grabbed a stone and wanted to throw it at my friend when he refused to pay. Thank god there were more people there to help him, because this would have escalated badly otherwise.

An English guy and his Vietnamese wife passed by and talked to us and them. She said that the driver said that we were just rich Westerners and that we could well pay a 100 dollars. The English guy guy told us this happens everyday over there. So this is how some North Vietnamese make a living.

This is our experience and I am sure there are much more nice Vietnamese than bad ones, but take this as a warning. Be careful not to get hit by a car, because you have to pay for it.

[Ruby]

Hi there,

I am sorry to hear about your bad experience there. I have also heard about people getting their bag snatched while walking along the road by bikers..

[kientruc10]

This really a shame with Vietnamese because Hanoi is the Vietnam's capital.
But I think you would be better if traveling in the South of Vietnam: from Hue to Hochiminh, people are more friendly, polite...
I have a good time in Phanthiet maybe one of the best beach and the people is very warm. Mui Nee is beautiful and INEXPENSIVE
And I think you need check info anyplaces in vietnam before go to.

[aaronn]

From my experience in our room hotel room wash basin was broken automatically but at the end of the day the hotel management add the cost for the wash basin in my total bill.

[danviettravel]

Be careful with the taxi drivers at Noi Bai airport!
You should clear the price with them before getting in the car. Make sure to get the price per car (not per person) and ask them to take you to the right hotels! If you do not do this, they can cheat you regarding the price and they might take you to a different hotel to get commission! Do not believe them if they say the hotel you go to is full and they might say that they will take you to an another hotel which belongs to the same company!!!

That is the way they often "play a game" with new foreigners!
If you do not want to get in this trouble, just contact your hotel for a pick-up service! It might be few USD more than by taxi but you will not have to worry and you will be taken to the right hotel!

Good luck!

I am sorry to hear about your bad experience there. I have also heard about people getting charged for unnecessary fair ,extra baggage charge .

[travellingdad]

We traveled to Vietnam with our 3 kids at the end of 2007. We were only in the North, mainly hanoi. We loved it and had ONLY good experiences. We felt very safe everywhere.
I think one can have bad experiences anywhere - there's a lot of luck involved.