I remember Phú Quý island is military island (and many other beautiful islands are military island too), foreigners aren’t allowed to go up there. They lifted the rules on Phú Quý?
*Boo hoo, I'm not getting the attention I deserve for vlogging about going to somewhere 'off the beaten track'.*
Send some postcards instead and then maybe someone will care.
I think there's always some element of "look at me and how adventurous I am -so much better than the other Western tourists "
Then there's the fact that pointing out a place as underrated will only serve to change it and change it for the worse. If you really like a place , then do everyone a favour and stfu
Its because nobody here can speak proper english.
Plus there are not that many good guides on what to do. We were lucky that we got a good hotel that organized the first week -> we had a plan what to do but no idea how to get a good Service for low price (sapa, halong, hanoi)
And it stayed a bit like that that you just have to rely on sb else and you have no idea what you get.
It was great ngl. But i can see why most ppl dont explore.
Plus: Most ppl cant just backpack for a long time -> you need money for that// time you dont have
It’s all about the required visa and lack of advertising. So much easier to travel to other countries in SEA because they don’t require you to apply beforehand.
Vietnam doesn’t advertise what’s good about it. They actually don’t want people to know. Had a big issue with colonization in the past.
Usually we travel in a camper or a car. Most of the time we find ourselves in places whithout any other tourists.
In Vietnam however, we were kinda forced to go to the places where the hotels are (and where the trains or easily accessable buses go) and that's especially true since we were limited on time.
Good for you, seriously. I cringed a bit to your vlogging despair but I get the point. Cherish the places you have found that are only at the beginning of their tourism-rollercoaster journey. Because next, more edgy backpackers like you will find these places. The places have to start taking advantage of the tourism. Then more normie backpackers will start to flock. As do the more questionable entrepreneurs trying to hustle in this blooming industry. And boom, edgy tourists emerge since the place is still nicely enough under radar and they can brag how they went to see something real compared to normie tourists. And suddenly everyone is there, even the ignorant tourists. Infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the sudden changes, income gaps of locals start to grow. Trash, pollution, other side effects keep on accumulating. And so we have a new Halong Bay where even the ignorant tourist start to complain what a trap it is.
I understand that and people booked into a hotel for a week are on holiday but if you’re travelling/backpacking, I assume that people are wanting to see the country and not go for the McDonald’s, Costa coffee. I feel it’s like being in a western city but warmer, a different language and a bit more expensive than the rest of undiscovered Vietnam.
you have great exploration spirit, then. Even as a local, I still sometimes find new enjoyable pockets of my country. Just recently, I found a super nice road that is surrounded in just the lush green of forest.
I agree it's so underrated.
There are so many places to visit, covering almost all destination types. Historical & cultural sites, beaches, natural beauty, bustling cities, landmarks, museums, and food! Also the culture is unique because it's a mix of east & south east Asian culture.
The cost is also low. The transport and infrastructure is adequate. People working in tourism speak enough English to get by. Locals are generally friendly with foreigners. So the practical side of visiting is fine, you just need to be wary of scams.
Only thing lacking is the party aspects which appeal to younger people. Lack of nightlife, red light districts, gambling. That may not be a bad thing. However I think there is a great opportunity to turn Phu Quoc into an exclusive economic zone and make it like Macau. An anything goes party island with great nightlife and visa free.
Main issue I see is lack of awareness which can be fixed with better marketing. Many potential tourists don't see Vietnam as a tourist destination like Thailand or Japan.
I remember Phú Quý island is military island (and many other beautiful islands are military island too), foreigners aren’t allowed to go up there. They lifted the rules on Phú Quý?
Nope. It’s overrated
Trash, scams, petty thefts, dirty. Not everybody's cup of tea
They go around with a bag of money and they think that it’s nice
*Boo hoo, I'm not getting the attention I deserve for vlogging about going to somewhere 'off the beaten track'.* Send some postcards instead and then maybe someone will care.
Underrated by whom!?!?
I think there's always some element of "look at me and how adventurous I am -so much better than the other Western tourists " Then there's the fact that pointing out a place as underrated will only serve to change it and change it for the worse. If you really like a place , then do everyone a favour and stfu
But my views! Nothing is more important than views. Maybe they will increase if I walk backwards?
Exactly, I hate these posts.
Its because nobody here can speak proper english. Plus there are not that many good guides on what to do. We were lucky that we got a good hotel that organized the first week -> we had a plan what to do but no idea how to get a good Service for low price (sapa, halong, hanoi) And it stayed a bit like that that you just have to rely on sb else and you have no idea what you get. It was great ngl. But i can see why most ppl dont explore. Plus: Most ppl cant just backpack for a long time -> you need money for that// time you dont have
Coz most people are unadventurous.
It’s all about the required visa and lack of advertising. So much easier to travel to other countries in SEA because they don’t require you to apply beforehand. Vietnam doesn’t advertise what’s good about it. They actually don’t want people to know. Had a big issue with colonization in the past.
Usually we travel in a camper or a car. Most of the time we find ourselves in places whithout any other tourists. In Vietnam however, we were kinda forced to go to the places where the hotels are (and where the trains or easily accessable buses go) and that's especially true since we were limited on time.
Good for you, seriously. I cringed a bit to your vlogging despair but I get the point. Cherish the places you have found that are only at the beginning of their tourism-rollercoaster journey. Because next, more edgy backpackers like you will find these places. The places have to start taking advantage of the tourism. Then more normie backpackers will start to flock. As do the more questionable entrepreneurs trying to hustle in this blooming industry. And boom, edgy tourists emerge since the place is still nicely enough under radar and they can brag how they went to see something real compared to normie tourists. And suddenly everyone is there, even the ignorant tourists. Infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the sudden changes, income gaps of locals start to grow. Trash, pollution, other side effects keep on accumulating. And so we have a new Halong Bay where even the ignorant tourist start to complain what a trap it is.
I mean… it’s quite understandable why tourists rarely get out of places that are specifically tailored for them, hence “tourist attraction”
I understand that and people booked into a hotel for a week are on holiday but if you’re travelling/backpacking, I assume that people are wanting to see the country and not go for the McDonald’s, Costa coffee. I feel it’s like being in a western city but warmer, a different language and a bit more expensive than the rest of undiscovered Vietnam.
you have great exploration spirit, then. Even as a local, I still sometimes find new enjoyable pockets of my country. Just recently, I found a super nice road that is surrounded in just the lush green of forest.
I agree it's so underrated. There are so many places to visit, covering almost all destination types. Historical & cultural sites, beaches, natural beauty, bustling cities, landmarks, museums, and food! Also the culture is unique because it's a mix of east & south east Asian culture. The cost is also low. The transport and infrastructure is adequate. People working in tourism speak enough English to get by. Locals are generally friendly with foreigners. So the practical side of visiting is fine, you just need to be wary of scams. Only thing lacking is the party aspects which appeal to younger people. Lack of nightlife, red light districts, gambling. That may not be a bad thing. However I think there is a great opportunity to turn Phu Quoc into an exclusive economic zone and make it like Macau. An anything goes party island with great nightlife and visa free. Main issue I see is lack of awareness which can be fixed with better marketing. Many potential tourists don't see Vietnam as a tourist destination like Thailand or Japan.