We prefer independent travel to tours, but in Vietnam tours are generally the way to go, as organizing and hiring your own transport is time consuming, as well as costly. Especially hiring a private car, as foreigners are not allowed to rent and drive themselves. However, once we arrive at a destination we rent a motorbike and get out into the villages. People are not accustomed to seeing anyone, (most people see Vietnam on a bus, or train). The children are eager to shake your hand, and say hello. A smile is always met with a smile, and you get a feel for the life of the average Vietnamese.

It is a good idea to have a laid back attitude, and minimal expectations. Vietnam is similar to the rest of Asia in that time, meaning punctuality, means something different. And while you may have been promised a big tour bus, if there are not enough people, you get a mini bus. Often the ac on the air con bus isn't working, or is not working effectively.  

We took this tour while we were staying in Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon around District 1, & by many southerners). It is one of the most popular day tours, and also included the Cao Dai Holy Temple. We had an English speaking guide that was knowledgeable, and had a good sense of humor. He and I shared many stories, as he had served in the Vietnam war, and my Dad did as well.

The bus was unexpectedly on time and we boarded at 8:15 a.m.. We stopped at quite a few hotels to pick up other passengers so it was a good 45 minutes before we were on our way. The city of Ho Chi Minh is more a province than a city, stretching from the South China Sea to the Cambodian Border. It took what seemed like hours before we left the urban sprawl of the city behind, and made our way into the countryside, heading northwest towards the border.

I continue to be amazed at a world that thinks violence and war is the answer to anything. Of course most people know that it is more about profit than anything else. What a shame. There are many books written by soldiers that served in Vietnam during the war. They are horrific, and war seems to make animals out of even the most gentle soul. It is the only way to survive.

However, civilians suffered, and continue to suffer as we have left a legacy that continues to haunt, maim and kill people even today. Not just in Vietnam but in Laos, and Cambodia with unexploded land mines. And from a very personal perspective, as a child whose father left several times to fight the war, dealing with the feelings of abandonment, living daily not knowing if your dad would return home, then having to learn to cope with the shattered soul that did return, had a profoundly negative effect on an already turbulent time in my life, the years from 13-16, and beyond. 

References: My own experience. The Lonely Planet's Guide to Vietnam, Around Ho Chi Minh City.

Back to Yoga Bound Travel     Back to Yoga Bound Home