Come & Go Vietnam Blog

When I first came to Vietnam in 2003, one of the things I enjoyed was eating street food. The Asian street food concept – sitting on a plastic chair on the pavement with a cold beer & a plate of clams or a bowl of noodles – simply doesn’t exist in the UK and I found it refreshingly relaxed and very stereotypically Oriental.

As the years went by I drifted away from the streets, seduced by the comparatively cheap prices to be found in Saigon’s international restaurants. Sure, sitting on the street paying a dollar for a plate of fresh shellfish is fun, but so is sitting in a nice garden eating steak-frites and drinking red wine for $5.

Sadly a combination of inflation, crazy land/rental prices and sheer naked greed has pushed restaurant prices up to rather silly levels, with many Saigon restaurateurs seeming to believe that this is Tokyo or Paris rather than Vietnam, and setting their menu prices accordingly. $8 for some pancakes? $5 for a slice of cake? $50 for a steak? Get real.

So I’ve gone back to the streets, and I’m wondering why I ever left. A couple of weeks ago two of us sat and enjoyed plates groaning with steamed clams in Thai broth, grilled cockles, and some truly wondrous grilled razor clams, washed down with some cold beers, for around $8, surrounded by friendly locals who would occasionally break off from their eating to clink glasses with me and wish me chuc suc khoe. And last week, in the wilds of Binh Thanh district, I happened upon a riverside location I didn’t even know existed, where I sat next to a quiet footpath running alongside the Saigon river, enjoying fish hotpot and more cold beers, at similarly low prices.

Tourists often complain that their travel agent has booked them into bland tourist restaurants which, whilst they are comfortable and air conditioned, are rather lacking in excitement and authenticity, and prove to be surprisingly expensive for a country still generally perceived to be a cheap holiday destination. Travel agents and tour guides tend to steer clear of street food and quan nhau because they are “not for tourist” (and because they don’t pay commission), yet whenever I take tourists to these places (even luxury travellers who are staying in 5* hotels) they love them, and feel that they’re experiencing the real Vietnam. And authenticity is one of the main reasons people visit countries like Vietnam in the first place.

As one client wrote to me recently:

I really enjoyed the restaurant you took us to – plastic chairs and the place looked at bit like a run down shack but great food. I fed the 3 of us including quite a few beers and it cost me only $12. I was the only foreigner there and the locals invited me on their table to try snake and local spirits.

I’d almost forgotten, but that is what eating out in Vietnam is all about.

This article originally appeared in the September 2011 issue of The Word.

A couple of months ago I was exhibiting at ITB Asia in Singapore, the region’s biggest travel industry trade show, and the buzz from overseas agents about Vietnam was palpable. Whether it was agents looking to start selling Vietnam as a destination, or established Vietnam experts looking for new partners and products, it seemed like everyone, particularly Australians & Central/Eastern Europeans, wanted a bit of hot Vietnamese action.

And they’re not alone. Vietnam’s foreign visitor numbers hit 5 million this week, against just 3.8 million for 2009. Admittedly these figures are skewed by business travellers and a dramatic increase in expat visa runs caused by this year’s visa crackdown, but nevertheless, any hotelier or tour operator will tell you 2010 has been a surprisingly good year, with 2011 looking even more promising thanks to newly-introduced direct flights from such places as Paris, Warsaw and Vladivostok.

Vietnam’s tourism market is poised to explode, with only three things holding it back. Firstly, there’s the visa situation. I can show up in Cambodia, Thailand or Laos on the spur of the moment and get a visa on arrival. In Vietnam, I can’t. Even the “visa on arrival” in HCMC & Hanoi requires tourists to apply for an authorisation letter in advance, deterring short break tourists and repeat visitors. Certain markets – Russia, Scandinavia, Japan for example – have been given exemptions for 15-day stays and visitor numbers have increased as a result. Extending this policy to certain key markets such as Australia, France, UK & USA would see spectacular results in no time.

Secondly, Vietnam’s tourism marketing is hamstrung by low budgets, a lack of creativity, an unwillingness to outsource the job to marketing experts, and an old-fashioned obsession with cultural tourism. Neighbours such as Thailand and Malaysia have created fantastic, memorable marketing campaigns which, gasp, show foreign visitors having a good time. Vietnam’s marketing suggests little more than a dour boot camp in Vietnamese culture. Also, cultural tourists only tend to visit a destination once, and then cross it off the list. Target holidaymakers and you’ll see an increase in new and return visitors. Vietnam’s tourism market is also pretty unresponsive – Thailand responded to its political problems earlier this year with a marketing charm offensive to limit the damages to its tourism industry; Vietnam, despite being perfectly positioned to capitalise on Thailand’s misfortune, did nothing.

And finally, a quick perusal of the Vietnam forums on Tripadvisor will show you that Vietnam has a very poor reputation amongst tourists for scams, rip-offs and hassle. And it starts at the airports – trying to find an honest taxi driver at Tan Son Nhat is hard enough for locals and expats; it’s next to impossible for wide-eyed first-time tourists. The scamming is the main factor in keeping Vietnam’s return visitor rate in single figures (around 5% at the last count), while Thailand boasts a return rate of nearly 50%.

These three barriers to success are all easy to fix – 15-day visa exemptions for key markets, placing Vietnam’s destination marketing in the hands of experts (ideally those same experts who have worked on successful campaigns for the likes of Malaysia or Singapore), and an organised taxi queuing system at international airports (such as the one at Bangkok’s main airport) – provided the will is there. And if/when they are fixed, Vietnam’s tourism industry will finally sprout wings and take off.

This article originally appeared in the December 2010 issue of The Word

Tourist in Saigon

Thirsty Thursday, Southeast Asia’s biggest tourism industry networking event, returns to HCMC on 16 September 2010.

Following a successful first event at the New World Hotel in May, September’s Thirsty Thursday will take place at one of Vietnam’s newest and most stylish venues, Roof Garden Saigon at Kumho Plaza (next to Intercontinental Saigon), and is sure to attract a big crowd from the city’s tourism & hospitality industry.

The event, organised by Saigon Tourism Industry Networking Group and Travel Daily Asia, features complimentary beer provided by Tiger Beer, complimentary wine provided by The Warehouse, and free snacks/soft drinks provided by the venue and sponsored by TRG International/eHotel Alliance. There will also be a lucky draw with prizes donated by Life Resorts, Victoria Hotels, Mercure Hue Gerbera, Novotel Phan Thiet, Bhaya Cruises, Duxton Hotel, Petit Fute, The Boathouse and Come & Go Vietnam.

Entrance is free of charge to anyone working in the tourism & hospitality industry, while non-tourism guests can enter for a nominal 100,000VND fee.

For more information, please contact Tim Russell on tim@comeandgovietnam.com, telephone 0903 393723.

TDA and STING present Thirsty Thursday Saigon

16^th September 2010 1800-2100

Roof Garden Saigon

Shopping Centre Level 2

Kumho Asiana Plaza

Ace HCMC listings mag The Word currently has a very unusual story on its website, about Hanoi renaming 36 of its streets after international cities.

“Each of these streets will feature the architecture and culture of its namesake country. The change would be made in an effort to increase aesthetic appeal and create some unique character for Hanoi. It would also be used to promote tourism and the city as an international shopping centre.”

Have you ever heard anything quite as bizarre as this? I’d love a pint of whatever the person behind this idea was drinking when they came up with it. In what way could this possibly help tourism to Hanoi? “Hey, they’ve got a street named after London, and they’ve knocked down some old Vietnamese buildings there and put up a replica of Carnaby St. Let’s go!”

However, before we all panic about the charm of poor old Hanoi taking yet another kick in the teeth, the article contains a proviso:

“Officials say it will not be easy because of the documents and processing required, as well as the lack of space.”

Which means, it ain’t gonna happen. Phew, that’s a relief…

It’s one of the biggest clichés in travel – if you want to know the best places to eat, drink or shop, ask a local. Tripadvisor forums are full of people looking for restaurants “where the locals eat”, or for markets “where the locals shop”.

But after nearly seven years in Vietnam I’ve come to realise that this is, basically, the wrong approach to take. I refer you to my blog post of yesterday, in which I reported a well-meaning but essentially clueless attempt to establish the top 100 places in HCMC- the restaurant and entertainment lists just contained places that the locals would recommend to tourists and expats, and bore no resemblance to the average foreigner’s list of hot addresses.

The Vietnamese are generally pretty narrowminded when it comes to eating and drinking – most of them would never dare try non-Vietnamese food, and expat bars are seen as “social evils”. Go to where the locals eat, and you may well end up in a cheap com binh dan shop, eating lukewarm, unhygienic mystery meat. Ask an expat, and you’re more likely to get suitable advice. Neither side is right or wrong; we just have different tastes. Ask a local where to go for a beach break, and most will tell you Vung Tau, which is the last place you should go for a beach break! Personally I love Phu Quoc for its peace and quiet; many Vietnamese people I’ve met say it is “boring”. Ask a local where to go for a drink, and they’ll send you to an overpriced Vietnamese café, or an equally overpriced hotel bar, and you’ll miss out on some of the city’s friendly expat watering holes. Shop where the locals shop in Saigon, and you’ll either end up in some grimy suburban wet market, or some hideous shopping mall pumping out deafening techno music, whilst we expats have Aladdin’s caves such as Saigon Square and Antique Street to ourselves. Chalk and cheese.

I also know plenty of Vietnamese who regularly eat at great little local restaurants but who would never recommend them to tourists or expats because “is not for foreigner” – instead they would point visitors in the direction of tourist restaurants such as Lemongrass or Vietnam House, which offer sanitised versions of local dishes at premium prices. These same people wouldn’t eat at a French restaurant or drink in an expat bar because “is only for foreigner”, as if there were some kind of apartheid in place!

“Ask a local” isn’t just wrong in Vietnam. I lived in London for nine years, spending most of it working for an inbound tour operator which employed a lot of young foreign staff. They all knew London far better than me, and any visitor to the city would have got far more useful information and tips from them than they would from any of us local staff. Follow the locals in a UK city and you’ll most likely end up in McDonalds.

Equally, when I went to China in 2007, I chose restaurants based on Tripadvisor recommendations from expats and visitors, and was never disappointed. When my Chinese guide made the choice, the food was poor and the surroundings less than salubrious.

It’s often the case that expats know their adopted cities better than the natives. Why? Well, with no tradition or family in the city, they have to socialise more to establish a social network and make friends, so naturally they go out more and explore the city. They often have more free time and spare cash. They also see the city from a different, more objective viewpoint, and have no cultural or regional bias. They also understand what fellow foreigners are genuinely looking for and which places they will like.

Still not convinced? OK, compare and contrast The Guide (ancient, venerable Vietnamese listings mag) with The Word, a stylish and well-written expat what’s on guide. The Guide’s food & drink listings have hardly changed since 2002 and still feature places that closed a long time ago; check The Word’s listings and you’ll find an authoritative list of the latest restaurants and bars, both local and international.

The basic truth is that locals, especially in Vietnam, will send you where they think you should go. Sadly, Vietnam’s destination marketing is based on this concept. But if you want to go somewhere where you will genuinely enjoy yourself, ask an expat or an experienced tourist!

Planning a trip or a move to Vietnam? Where better to start than the world’s most popular social networking site, where you can get in direct contact with local residents and experts! Here’s my pick of Facebook’s best Vietnam resources – please note this is an ongoing work in progress so please let me know if you have any other good recommendations!

 
Vietnam

Does exactly what it says on the tin – a page devoted to Vietnam. With nearly 9,000 fans this is a huge community and you are sure to find some useful contacts here. There’s also a GORGEOUS photo gallery with some wonderful pics to whet your appetite for your trip.

Ho Chi Minh City

For anyone visiting or moving to Saigon, this is the group to join, with over 3,000 active and generally helpful, well-informed members. This should be your first stop for advice on housing, gyms, eating out and general city life.

The Word Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon’s leading what’s on guide has a lively Facebook group, with the latest news on parties, events and new openings.

Hanoi

Facebook’s largest Hanoi community – a lot of postings in Vietnamese but if Hanoi’s your destination you should still be able to find someone to help.

Vietnam Online Community

An active group for Vietnam’s Tweeters, bloggers, surfers and the IT crowd in general. They organise regular offline meet-ups too so worth joining if you’re in the country on business.

Introducing Vietnam

Group specialising in providing logistics for film, production & event companies. The organiser worked on Miss Universe 2008 so his photo gallery is well worth a visit!

Another Side of Vietnam

This generally lighthearted page is a repository of images & discussion of all that’s funny, bizarre or incomprehensible about life in Vietnam, largely from an expat point of view. Some hilarious images and satirical, often highly non-PC postings. 

Phu Quoc Island

A fan page for my favourite place in Vietnam, with some great pics and useful info about what to do, where to go & where to stay.

AmCham Vietnam

Vietnam’s biggest expat business group is a great source of info for anyone wanting to do business in or with Vietnam. They also hold regular networking events in Saigon & Hanoi. 

Come & Go Vietnam

Our very own Facebook group! Join up & get the best deals & the occasional discount for Facebookers.