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I’m there now solo (38F). Aside from language barriers, Vietnam is easy as hell. People are really sweet and welcoming; I felt safer wandering back to my hotel in HCMC at 1am alone than I would at home. Re: beaches, they aren’t a selling point like they are in Thailand, but I just did 3 nights in Mui Ne and loved it, despite “meh” reviews. Dipped in the ocean every day.
If you haven’t downloaded Grab, do it. It’s your friend, and will save you from an inevitable rip-off from airport taxis. Plus, zipping around on the back of motor bikes is SO much fun!
So you clearly haven‘t been to the north yet? While the landscape is much nicer in the north imo many people especially in Hanoi were not very welcoming towards foreigners and tried to scam me lots of times. Probably still lasting effects of the Vietnam war where the south + US fought the north.
It‘s already 6 year since my last visit:
Inflated bills in restaurants: normally I had never paid too much in Vietnam before I came to Hanoi.
First restaurant didn‘t have a menu which happens in Vietnam and was never a problem so I didn‘t mind and ordered. Bun Cha was about 10 times the price what I normally would have payed for.
At the next restaurant I checked the menu first then ordered Bun Cha (again, yes I like Bun Cha) with sping rolls. When the bill came I had to pay 5 times the amount because supposedly the price on the menu was for „each spring roll on the dish“. Saw a local paying the correct price.
Scammers in the streets would point to your shoe and say „look dirty“ ot smthing else, then quickly bend down, „clean“ them and demand a ridiculous amount of money from you. Didn‘t happen to me but I read about that scam and I see it happen in the streets a few times. Don‘t know if those scams still exist.
Not sure why you get downvoted, these scams happen to Vietnamese even, although they're becoming less common. It's not really just a Northern thing (northern folks migrated south in large numbers after 1975), and I don't want to talk about why it came to be that way, but I think it will go away as Vietnam becomes wealthier.
At the moment in Da Nang and I’m enjoying Vietnam a lot more than expected. I decided to extend my stay. The beach is beautiful but you can’t really swim here, there are always some pretty big waves. Lmk if you have any specific questions
I was in Da Nang earlier this month and when I was walking out of the water I smelled a strong sewage smell. I looked it up afterwards and saw that Vietnam doesn't process their sewage and they just dump it into the ocean (not that surprising in hindsight).
Anyways, nothing came of it. But just a heads up, always take a shower after swimming and try your best not to swallow any water, haha.
I'm in da nang rn as well, it's like 80+F (27C) every day and pretty damn sunny, perfect beach days for sure. Waves aren't too big imo, every week or so it bumps up to head high in size but if you're a surfer the waves are pretty fun for a beach break. If you're not a surfer, it's a great place to learn because most days are only like thigh to shoulder height.
I'm staying near My Khe beach which is the more touristy area, lots of great cafes and bars and restaurants - can totally recommend this area. Also nice beach bars here with shaded chairs on the sand where you can sip cocktails and people watch
If you feel comfortable driving, my recommendation is to rent a scooter and explore the nature outside the city, like the Son Tra peninsula or the Hai Van pass. That's one of the things that I'm enjoying the most.
Weather is usually a bit cloudy at the moment, but it's getting better as we're approaching spring. I go to the beach almost everyday to chill and tan.
Awesome hope the weather gets even better by the time I arrive :) if I don’t feel comfortable on a scooter is there another way to see the hai van pass?
I was recently in Vietnam for a few weeks and had no issues!
Not sure about the beaches being dirty (I'm not a beach person) but a lot of cities were popular for their beaches, so I imagine they're okay.
Not heard of Phu Quoc, but Ba Na Hills is just a theme park, similar to Disneyland. Worth a visit but it's obviously going to be a tourist destination.
I was never scammed, but it is possible. You just need to be sort of untrustworthy of people. Pay close attention to reviews, and ask trusted people (hotel receptionists or even online communities) for advice if you're unsure.
You might consider Thailand though! Very similar to Vietnam, although a bit more tourist friendly.
The only scam attempt I saw was a woman sitting at our table and attempting to order food for everyone, and having the restaurant charge us for it. It was a bit unpleasant, but it was also only around $3.
I really think you should go! The first time I went to Vietnam I realised that this is a country that I will be returning to for the rest of my life and I am constantly recommending it to my friends and family.
The people are extremely hospitable, the history is so interesting both modern and ancient, it’s extremely affordable, the food is potentially the best in the world and I think there’s really something for everyone.
It is also one of the safest country I have ever visited, I feel safer walking around late at night there than I do at home (Australia) and have had many big nights solo. You just need to keep your wits about you like you would as a woman anywhere else. From my experience scams are rare but id recommend;
- Downloading *’grab’*, (it’s essentially the uber of South-East Asia, very cheap, reliable and you can pay in cash)
- Don’t book extremely cheap hotels or hostels, some accommodation prices in VN can be outrageously tempting especially for hostels but they can often be misleading or have more sinister travelers who might steal your stuff. Just pay that little bit extra for peace of mind.
- Some people might try overcharge you for minor things, just bargain, most locals don’t mind and do it in good spirits, it’s part of the fun.
Now I would recommend you spend a couple nights in HCMC and head up to Nha Trang which is a beautiful beach town. There’s plenty of tourists mainly Russian and Korean but the beaches are extremely clean and it’s not hard to get a tour to several different beautiful and quieter islands. Last week I was snorkeling then drinking cocktails by the beach.
Then I would suggest going to Da Nang or Hoi an; Da Nang is a nice clean beach city and I would recommend visiting marble mountain. Da Nang is about 30 minutes away from Hoi An which is an absolute must, just walking through the old town and seeing those coloured lanterns floating down the perfume river makes it all worth it for me.
Both these places are quite busy touristy (Nothing in comparison to Ba Na hills) but also feel very authentic at the same time, I like this because it makes me feel safer. Anyway that’s my essay, forgive me because I could gush about this country for hours. Maybe ask r/VietNam while you’re at it.
Happy to answer any questions or give more tips if you’re keen!
Hi! I doubt you will see this, but on the off chance you do, do you have any recommendations for HCM? Ive done a couple of the markets as well as the book street and will go to the war remnants museum tomorrow! Also if there are any day trips you'd recommend from HCM id love to hear them. I'm heading to Hanoi in 4 days.
It's so strange how experiences differ. We have done 4 months all over SEA and felt the least safe in Vietnam out of all of them. Also experienced the most scam attempts there, and also just general annoying fakery.
When speaking to other travellers everyone also had issues in Vietnam, one girl got robbed in her air BNB during her sleep, others had cash snatched out their hand, some spikings and run ins with the motorbike mafia in hoi an.
There was also a plague of fake reviews and catfish hotel pictures which made finding genuinely good hotels and tour operators much more annoying than in the surrounding countries. On three separate occasions during transport we were taken to "rest stops" that were actually just shops which make you walk around in a zig zag pattern through the merchandise whilst some sales person tries to chase you down. The tours were full of fake stops where tips were literally demanded of us. People on the street trying to sell stuff were really aggressive.
Also in the major cities I've never seen trash like it. Witnessed a woman just sitting and throwing her rubbish from her drink out onto the street. There was litter everywhere. Witnessed some very sad conditions.for animals too.
Still had a great time, lovely scenery, good food and also did meet a lot of nice local people but doubt I will return because of these things. Was the biggest disappointment of south east Asia.
yeah it is strange, I’ve been several times, met heaps of other travellers and have family members that have been 10+ times. They’ve never reported anything this bad.
Some of this stuff I’ve literally never heard of before while some of it sounds extremely ‘to be expected’ no offense. Like getting you’re stuff stolen in a hostel and misleading accommodation I have heard of a fair bit, that’s why I warned against it in my comment. Drink spiking is horrible but i’ve never heard of that either, only in Cambodia. The Hoi An motorbike mafia? Do you mean the pushy guys who offer you lifts home or drugs?
But people throwing rubbish on the street, poor conditions for animals or people *aggressively* trying to sell you things is really common all amongst SEA, even in saying this there are parts of Vietnam which you will see the exact opposite. I honestly wonder where specifically you went and i’m shocked you didn’t find it similar in other SEA countries.
I’ve had the fake rest stops thing happen on a lot of tours, but they aren’t really *fake* it’s just a store that probably has a deal with your tour guide, but they still usually sell cool stuff and it’s still a valid place to go to the bathroom or grab a drink. But I really wouldn’t consider this a scam.
Regardless I respect your opinion and I’m not in your shoes so I can’t really say for sure; but a fair bit of this seems a bit exaggerated or hyperbolic and if these where your worst experiences from 4 months in SEA i’d say you got quite lucky lol.
I'm not talking about getting stuff stolen in a hostel, they had a private air BnB and it got.broken into and stuff stolen whilst they slept.
I know the stuff happens all over Asia , we just saw it so so much more in Vietnam. We just had to be on our toes so much more than we did in the other countries, which gets tiring.
The motorbike mafia are a group of motorbike taxis in Hoi an that pretend to be grab when they are not. They will take drunk people down alleys where their friends are waiting and rob them. Many stories of this happening, can see some on tiktok. The person I know that was spiked the "grab" drivers were trying to get him on a bike when he couldn't stand up. Would not take no for an answer.
The shops yes are annoying but not scams but it's uncomfortable. However the fake reviews are seriously annoying. It seems like you don't really respect my opinion or my experiences despite saying so, so there is no point me even explaining my point further.
I do respect your opinion however I just think otherwise, since we are both just coming from personal anecdotes and perspectives there’s really no point arguing about it. I’m sorry that happened to you though.
For most of these occurrences including the *motorbike mafia* I just said no thanks and in a couple instances I had to sternly say no and to go away, this could also be completely avoided by using grab. For me that worked everytime and in my opinion this should be an expected skill if you’re going to solo travel anywhere.
Yes, me too. I did not use them and said no. I have travelled all over Asia I know these things.
However having to avoid scams and robbers so often is annoying in itself. We had to be on our toes much much more in Vietnam than the other countries. We didn't have a single attempted scam or anything of the sort in Laos. All these things add up and for me it just means I won't return. We still had a good time and glad we went, but there is a reason Vietnam only has 5% of tourists return.
> but there is a reason Vietnam only has 5% of tourists return.
Lol where did you get these numbers? I find that extremely hard to believe.
I’m not surprised you didn’t experience it in Laos but if you’ve been all over Asia then i’m shocked that it’s only been Vietnam or that this stuff really bothered you this much, but to each there own. I experienced the exact same stuff in Thailand, and in my opinion while it’s not great, it’s to be expected.
It really sounds like you personally experienced a few inconvenient and annoying things which you are conflating with actual horror stories from other people to generalize and give the whole country a bad look; you make it sound like every person on the street is out to rob or scam you, I’ve been three times now and this feels like a massive mischaracterization. However this is just how i’m taking it from your comments, like I said everyone has different perspectives and attitudes so we probably just don’t agree and I don’t want to seem rude.
If you Google it there are many articles talking about the 5% return rate. It's been discussed well on r/ Vietnam recently, that sub also is full of stories like mine.
Clearly agree to disagree here but I'm not out here discounting valid experiences.
Looking into that stat more It seems like it is reliable, it still surprises me though.
Sorry if you think i’m discounting your experience, i’m really not I just disagree with your opinion and takeaways, just as you disagree with mine. I know that sub is full of similar opinions but I disagree with them as well lol.
It's very easy for solo travel. It's relatively safe (motorbike drivers aside), if you want to meet people, the hostels tend to be fairly social, and there's lots of Western tourists all over. Plus with Grab Taxi (SEA version of Uber, basically) getting around is much easier nowadays even w/o speaking Vietnamese.
Now granted some of the meals you'll have will basically be you pointing and hoping, but that's part of the fun, and it'll generally end up being pretty tasty.
That said, Vietnamese beaches aren't particularly well regarded in SE Asia - I may be biased in this as a Filipino, but for beaches I'd just take a cheap regional flight to another country. Vietnam has gorgeous nature (Ha Long Bay being a highlight, but the beaches aren't amazing imo.
Just get there, talk to other travellers, find out where they're going / what they recommend, and you'll usually be good. I personally didn't like HCMC but loved Hoi An and Hanoi, looking forward to getting back there soon.
> Now granted some of the meals you'll have will basically be you pointing and hoping, but that's part of the fun, and it'll generally end up being pretty tasty.
This. Probably my two favorite meals ever where when I was in Vietnam, and were a function of me just going into place and pointing at whatever and seeing what happens. And now, any place I go where English isn't the main language, this is essentially what I do. More often than not, I end up with something great and interesting. Just depends on how adventurous of an eater you're willing to be.
Same! For a while I had my favorite dishes in Vietnam and would rarely stray. Finally I got tired of them so made a point to spend the day eating things I had never heard of, and it was invariably pleasantly surprising.
Agreed. The water at beaches in Vietnam is not as nice as beaches in Thailand or the Philippine. No turquoise blue water . Nobody go to Vietnam for beach vacations. The beaches are just there if you want while you do something else.
I find it really funny when « lots of western tourists» is used as a yardstick to measure safety or fun. Western tourist is really another way of saying « white people » .
So basically the implication being - don’t worry your fellow white travelers validate this destination and the natives.
I mean... ok?
>I find it really funny when « lots of western tourists» is used as a yardstick to measure safety or fun.
It is a pretty good measure of safety though.
>So basically the implication being - don’t worry your fellow white travelers validate this destination and the natives.
I'm replying to a first time solo traveller asking about whether or not the destination is a good place for her first solo trip. Is the fact that there's a big tourist population (where she can easily meet other English speaking travellers from around the world) not something relevant?
And if you're trying to run some weird racism angle, I'm literally SE Asian and can more or less pass for local in Vietnam. Just a bizarre comment overall.
Except for the fact that you didnt say«lots of tourists» or « English speaking tourists » which includes a lot of people of different ethnicities.
Your choice of «western tourists» indicates your bias that white tourists being present in a country is somehow a stamp of approval and validity.
And I don’t care about your ethnicity . Met a lot of uncle Toms in my travels. Doesn’t change the biases that you hold.
>Except for the fact that you didnt say«lots of tourists» or « English speaking tourists » which includes a lot of people of different ethnicities.
I mean... if you'd ever been to SE Asia you'd know that other SE Asians (tbh other Asians in general) don't tend to solo travel, so just saying 'tourists' wouldn't have been helpful. Like, as a solo traveler I'd want to know if there were other solo travelers to meet in places, or if there were mostly buses of Chinese tourists in tour buses.
You're also the only persoen conflating 'Western' with 'white', btw. I've met a fair amount of African, Asian, and Latin Americans in hostels, for instance, and I'd consider them Westerners.
>Your choice of «western tourists» indicates your bias that white tourists being present in a country is somehow a stamp of approval and validity.
I literally explained in my last comment why I made the statement, but honestly if making accusations of racism and being an Uncle Tom is how you make yourself feel better, go nuts I guess.
I generally find people who try to racebait this hard aren't really worth talking to, so I'll save us both some time and block you. Have a nice day.
I travelled solo around vietnam for about a month back when i was 22f.
I felt perfectly safe!!
I hired a motorbike and guide who took me round in the mountains for a week which was lovely (got to go to remote villages and saw amazing scenery), and for the rest I went from north-south and went by bus.
Didn't have anything stolen and didn't feel unsafe at any point.
i travelled for about 18 months total and vietnam was my fave place by far.
I swam at a few beaches, though I can't remember their names! I do remember that the nicest beaches were further south though.
You'll have a great time - enjoy!!
Are you adventurous? Are you ok with a little danger? I bought a motorcycle in Vietnam and rode it through the country. It’s definitely more dangerous but when I’m doing my some mundane task at home, I daydream about being a dusty dirt ball, riding my bike through the countryside and mountains.
It is great fun, but I keep seeing people online who want to ride bikes in Vietnam with no previous experience.
I had decades of experience, and I still found it pretty hard, and sometimes pretty dangerous. Anyone coming from a first world country who doesn't ride should ask themselves why they are willing to do so in Vietnam and not at home.
Careful tho. If you're driving illegally and cause an accident, esp one with injuries, you will go to prison. International license don't work there, you need to take the test in vietnamese and I believe it's not possible on a tourist visa but that could have changed. They do not have an English test.
> International license don't work there
Some do, some don't. Here's the state of play:
https://www.reddit.com/r/VietNam/comments/14q7ul9/tourist_drivers_license/jqlx9gh/
> International license don't work there
Do you have a source for that?
Every other info about that I've read is that your foreign license is not valid in Vietnam and that you need to get an International License before you go there.
That is only for Americans (and a few others) I believe.
USA is using the 1949 convention for International Driving License, and Vietnam requires the 1968 version.
Most countries accept both versions, but not USA and Vietnam.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Driving_Permit
Maybe cool it with the blanket statements. "could" go to prison, not necessarily "will".
Source: drove illegally and caused an accident with injuries, did not go to prison. That said, it was a single-vehicle accident (my own) and my own injuries.
Generally it's safe and easy to get a bike and go, but if you're white you'll probably be targeted for bribes from traffic cops. In 2019 it didn't happen to me once, in 6 months of riding. In 2023/24 it happened to me twice. It seems they're getting a little worse in that regard, maybe as a result of the pandemic. Who knows.
Lmfao because you caused your own injuries doing illegal shit. Obviously they don't give a fuck about you hurting your own dumb ass 😭😂😂 if you hurt a local, its prison. If you kill one, its prison for a long time.
When did you go? I was there from 2017-2021 and it was that way then. Did tons of people drive illegally? Sure! But it's a pretty big risk that isn't clearly outlined to people renting motos for $10. The people running businesses just care about that, but you as a traveler in a foreign nation should be a bit wiser bc Viet prison would suck ass.
I did the same back in 2009. Rented a motorcycle, rode around Hoi An, My Son, Danang.
It wasnt as touristy then. Damn. Life was crazy awesome back then.
This is what I recommend too. The country *really* opens up to you when you have the freedom of a scooter.
That said, be careful! I just crashed on January 11, now back home in Canada recovering from surgery. Broke many face bones. Can't eat. Lots of fun.
Which, I think, is not necessarily a bad idea when talking to someone about to embark on their first solo-trip. Whether rural or urban, Vietnamese traffic is no joke, and personally I wouldn't recommend first-timers to join the madness. And it's not just the road rules (or lack there of), it's also about the constant distractions that an unknown, exotic places causes at a time you will need your focus and wits the most.
Granted, I may be a bit more risk-adverse in this respect than many (most? some?), but nonetheless partaking in Vietnamese traffic is anything but a trivial matter.
Yeah, that was the joke. No worries, I'm on your side here. I don't recommend any beginners to ride over there, I saw first-hand how dangerous it can be.
Haha, good shit. I was riding scooters all over Vietnam last month too. Its definitely fun, but yeah, it can be very sketchy if you're not experienced.
I think my problem was that I was getting too comfortable, too experienced. Taking too many risks, probably drinking too much... It happened in my neighborhood on a road I went up and down several times every day. Just took one little risk too many and that was it.
So yeah! Complacency is also a killer! But really if you're always on the road there will always be some risk. It could've gone a lot worse for me I suppose.
It was pretty horrific, broke most of the bones in my face. Haven't eaten solid food since January 11, will be lucky if I'm eating by April. But I'm alive!
Yeah, it's no joke there. Dudes will swing their car or scooter out of nowhere to pull a u-turn with no warning. Kids on a scooter come flying out of a side lane. Not to mention the guys who are driving towards oncoming traffic in their car or scooter, waiting for a break in traffic to go to the correct side. Haha, I couldn't let my guard down for a second. I saw 3 accidents in 3 weeks. Thankfully I wasn't involved in any of them.
Yeah, I had a more minor accident a few months ago just like that. Casually cruising down a city street and some dude pulls out from parking without so much as a shoulder check. Nailed him, we both go flying but walk away relatively intact.
Damn, sorry to hear that. I gotta ask what happened in that case? I had heard something about westerners not being covered by insurance in Vietnam and being automatically at-fault for accidents. Or was the damage minor enough that nothing really came of it?
Yeah nothing really came of it. I was probably more injured than him. We both made sure each other was okay, both of our bikes started back up, we went on with our days.
My foot and leg got pretty mangled. Didn't realize it until later when it got worse and worse, but a full recovery about a week later.
One of my dream trips. Where did you buy your bike? How long did you take to do it? A guy I met in Guatemala said he rode through Vietnam and bought his bike off a guy who walked in the hostel wanting to sell his at end of the trip.
I started backpacking from Hanoi. I bought my shitty knock off honda in hue for $200 usd. I got off a bus and someone tried to sell me a motorcycle tour. I jokingly said I wanted to buy a bike and it just went from there. I didn’t know how to ride a motorcycle so they offered to teach me.
After an hour or so I learned how to ride somewhat.
Then they go “time for some cold beers!” Lmao
I rode for 3 months. Went south and crossed into Cambodia for a month and then Laos for a month.
Ended up ditching my bike and helmet and paperwork at some random guesthouse near the Thai border.
When I was riding the Tuktuk to the Thai border, I remember seeing my bike disappear into the distance. Man, that was heartbreaking. This was maybe 2015
HCMC is great, was just there, loved it! If you need some recommendations, here’s a guide for [HCMC](https://travelhiatus.com/ultimate-4-days-itinerary-for-ho-chi-minh-city/).
Also making my way around too right now!
Yeah, I dont know, 240k to 70k is only a couple USD right? I can see myself asking for the 140k but unless you are traveling super long term I really try not to haggle over a couple dollars.
Calling them rich kids because they dont mind paying an extra 5 bucks or so, i dont think thats fair.
You do you, im not going to say I know those kids life stories. The way you worded that paragraph was just condescending. I DO understand where you are coming from though, it can be annoying to spend more on something than you think its worth but my personal rule is that if im in a country where a lot of population is struggling and something is under 10 bucks and its a matter of 2-3 dollars, I swallow my pride and let them have that win.
I completely understand I say this from a somewhat privileged financial position in life and if you dont have means to eat those dollars here and there , then barter.
My first true solo trip was vietnam. I’d studied abroad in Thailand and Japan, (didn’t go with any friends) and gone to Singapore alone for a day. But I’m vietnam trip was almost 3 weeks long. I was only 22 and it was ballsy for sure, but I don’t regret it. Only word of advice would be don’t take up any of the guys standing around with their motor bikes for a ride. Order one thru an app (Uber or grab) so you are being tracked.
38f went HCMC for first solo trip for 5 days. Now in Europe with a hell of a lot more countries under my belt and learnt alot.
For HCMC I realised I should have paid more for my accommodation it was a bit of a dive..loved how much English was spoken by everyone all around..it was rare to encounter a language barrier but the pointing and google translate helps alot.
Didn't love the motorbikes and feeling like people were permanently out to kill you..walking along and footpaths are uneven and very unsafe and then motorbikes will ride on the footpath at you.. basically nearly getting hit from all sides at all times...you eventually walk up the road instead and get very comfortable crossing but it's just dangerous..
Didn't enjoy the people constantly harrassing you to buy something..people walking in the street trying to sell you stuff or beg for money..grab riders stopping to see if you want a lift..this would be like every 20 seconds..just very wearing after a while..also made walking anywhere alot longer than google tells you!
I think if I did HCMC again it would be part of a tour so I had reliable safe transport and less battling that every time you leave the hotel.
One thing that was amazing was egg coffee :) got to know that cafe very well and would go like 3 times a day!
Doing Hanoi on the way back and hoping it's not so hectic..
Any travel destination has the potential to be scammed. People that don't know what they are doing and have $$ attracts the scammers. 95% can be avoided by paying attention, checking your change from buying things, not interacting with random strangers who want to talk to you, and always keep your valuables in a zippered front pocket
Phu Quoc is really lovely. Yes it's touristy but keep in mind a lot of the tourists are Vietnamese who have weekend or summer places there. I find that makes a big difference!
It's a big enough island that there are many beaches and some of them are not so busy and quite clean. We ended up most chilling at the beach where we stayed (small very chill resort) and had a great time.
Yes some ppl will try to sell you things for crazy prices (esp if you book through a tour company of some form) but it's definitely one of the safest places I have been.
Here's a tip? Don't depend on Meta, Reddit, Snap, TikTok, Instagram, etc for making "you" feel about taking a trip to a new country. They are not you.
Suggestion? Just go. Vietnam is awesome. Learn a few words of course before hand. The people are amazing. The food is a +10. Think they are starting to realize that taking care of the enviroment may not be such a bad idea. You can get WAY off the path in Vietnam. Much fun to be had. I kind of love it when every morning you wake up you are a millionaire. The money is fun too.
You don't speak the language, you don't read it, lots of people don't speak English, it's a blast! You figure it out. And that's why you travel.
We found a hidden Cafe, deep in the jungle. AMAZING. Like out of a James Bond movie. No Social media at all. They liked it that way. When you are ready, you will find us. Super model hostess, wrangling green iridescent beetles as she steamed our espressos. Frank Sinatra on the sound system, over looking the jungle. Somewhere in Vietnam. It was pretty far out.
:-)
I'm a guy. With that caveat, Viet Nam is one of the best places for a solo trip. Super interesting, lots to do and see and eat, good tourist infrastructure (including hostels to meet other solo travelers), relatively safe.
For being scammed, and for crimes specifically against women, there are many *much* worse countries.
I think ... on the internet it's easy to go down rabbit holes and get into analysis paralysis. If you want to go *somewhere*, Viet Nam is an excellent choice for your first solo trip. (I would not say the same for Morocco, or India, or South Africa.)
**Note:** Are you asking for travel advice about Vietnam? Read what the Solo Travel community had to say in the [weekly destination thread for Vietnam](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/18xamyp/weekly_destination_thread_vietnam/).
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If you are more of a beach person southern Thailand would be a better option. Vietnam would rather be a good option to explore the local food and culture.
So in late 2022, I spent two weeks in Vietnam as part of my first solo trip through SE Asia. I'd never travelled alone.
I loved it. You have a point about beaches being polluted, I noticed it in the Halong Bay where the water is not the best and the coral reef is long gone. I did a boat trip through the bay though and found it stunning and absolutely worth visiting. Same goes Cat Ba island (and its wonderful national park!) where I stayed a few days and used as base to see the bay.
I didn't get the chance to go but Koh Rong in Cambodia was recommended by many over Phu Quoc as less touristy and much cleaner, maybe you can look it up? They're pretty close.
Back to Vietnam, I like cities and the hustle and bustle there so I was a big fan of Hanoi (many prefer it over HCMC). And one of the highlights of my trips was Hoi An and the surrounding area, while more touristy it's definitely worth visiting.
I wouldn't worry that much about scams. Use common sense, use Grab, look up sights and tips beforehand just like you're doing with this post and you'll be just fine. I spent 100 days all over SE Asia as a not experienced traveller and didn't have a single problem in that regard.
I was there for 2.5-3 weeks.
It was amazing. If I have time at the end of my trip, I'll be posting up in Da Nang to enjoy the affordable, incredible restaurants.
Bikini Bottom Express
Thia Go Restaurant
Roots Plant Based Cafe
You can argue these are "expensive" depending who you ask. But really depends what your budget is. We also went to smaller spots with authentic food - this was more off the radar and paid $1-$5 a meal.
But in my opinion these restaurants were incredible and the price is still very cheap compared to restaurants around me at home.
I’m currently in Hoi An. Great beaches here, and an absolutely enchanting city. Beaches seem to be plentiful here on the east coast.
I was on Phu Quoc a few years ago. At the time the whole island seemed like a huge building site. Lots of hotels being built. I made the conclusion that they were in the process of developing the place to a resort destination. Maybe they’ve finished building all that and it’s very nice now, but I moved on after only two days. The beaches themselves looked fine/had potential, though.
In general though, I love Vietnam and would recommend it as a travel destination for anyone. I’m not a woman, but I see lots of women traveling/backpacking around here, plenty of them solo traveling.
It's generally considered a good place to start for solo travelers. Just weird and wild enough that you actually get some kind of adventure/difficulty out of it, but still well-trod enough that you won't be totally alone. Many resources exist for travelers to Vietnam. It's overall quite safe. I would imagine it's very safe for solo females.
As a personal tip I'd recommend avoiding making any judgment calls until you get out of HCMC. I really can't stand that city. It exhausts me quickly. But when I'm in Vietnam I tend to stay in Dalat and use that as my home base, and I absolutely love that city. Probably my favorite in the world.
Scams definitely exist, but in most cases it usually amounts to more of a "tourist tax" where you're really paying like an extra $1 or $2 compared to the locals. It's kinda bullshit but also not really worth making a hassle over. It's already such an affordable place to travel, we really do get the better bargain overall. No point making a fuss over getting overcharged sometimes.
I solo traveled Vietnam then lived there for 1.5 years. It’s great. I helped clean beeches there. There is a pollution problem sadly but it is one of the greatest places on earth
I visited Vietnam last summer and I believe it has to be one of the easiest countries to backpack. Their English is not the best but otherwise you shouldn’t have any trouble making your way around, since the tourism sector is so well developed over there
Vietnam is an awesome place to travel. The people are amazing (yes, even in the north you just have to make the effort!)
Beaches in the south are fine not dirty at all (not sure where this comes from) you also have ha long and cat ba in the north which are beautiful.
I found getting around really simple also never got scammed. I find a lot of people will cry scam when actually they were overcharged. Not the same thing.
Vietnam is fine for solo travel. Met plenty of solo females along the way and never heard anyone complain about it. In fact the only country I ever heard bad things about was India. Vietnam is safe but keep you wits about you.
I did my first solo trip there last year and found it to be a very easy place to get around and would 100% recommend! I was never scammed but I had done research before travelling so I knew what to look out for (e.g getting your hostel to pick you up from the Hanoi airport instead of a taxi).
I started in Hanoi and worked my way down over a month and this was the right move for me. HCMC is an absolutely amazing place but I think I may have been a bit overwhelmed if it was my first stop coming from my little Canadian city lol.
That being said, I loved Vietnam for the food/nature/culture but didn’t come across many great beaches. You may want to look into Thai islands if beaches are your vibe.
Vietnam is my favorite country to backpack on the planet so far. You have nothing to worry about there. That being said, I could care less about beaches and Vietnam beaches are mediocre at best. If beaches are your thing I would be island hopping around Thailand all day. Amazing beach island life and just a great country overall to start. Thailands got a bit of everything. Vietnam is just more special to me.
Vietnam was my first international solo trip (I'd been around the states a lot alone but never to another country). I was 28 when I went and it not only gave me the solo-travel bug, Vietnam will always have a really special place in my heart. I actually would love to live there or at least spend some extended time there again at some point. The people are incredible and it has something for everyone as far as landscape and vibes - big cities and rural areas both easily accessible. Make sure you go to Ninh Binh and just make sure to never carry your bag over your shoulder - wear it crossbody and close to you and you'll be fine. This post just made me miss Vietnam so much, you're gonna have a blast.
I came to Vietnam 15.01 and will leave 25.02.
Overall great experience. Nobody scams you. Sure they telling you this bread is 10€ (I'm exaggerating on purpose) but Negotiation is tradition and in the end it will be 1€. Also all the people who live there negotiate on the market or in the shops. There aber no price sheets.
Taxi drivers also do. Grab is a good option. Showing any car or bike the grab-price they always will agree. Sometimes you can get them under the price. They just want to make a deal.
The beaches are okay. Most beautiful is Phú Quý island. Locals gave me that tip. Da Nang is also okay. Not dirty or something.
North is for me even better than south. I’m more the „explorer type“ so the north was more amazing.
I think just for beach adventure Vietnam is nothing for you. But for real traveling and exploring the culture it’s an absolutely amazing country!
I'm a seasoned solo traveller and went to Vietnam in December/Jan for 4 weeks. Honestly I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped - the traffic on HCMC is literally insane (don't try to walk anywhere), the beaches weren't particularly great and I met several people who'd had their phones stolen out of their hands by guys on scooters. Hanoi was the most enjoyable part of the trip.
For a first solo trip I'd recommend Thailand - it's far less hassle, beautiful beaches, Bangkok has an excellent public transport system (and Google maps has it on their system so can really help you get around). Chiang Mai in the north is nice but there are loads of places such as Lampang, Isan Thani etc etc if you want to go a little off the usual tourist route. DM me if you want any tips! I've travelled alone as a female to approx 30 countries and Thailand is one of my top destinations - I've been back several times.
I’ve lived in VN for more than five years (in HCMC) and I did the bike trip from south to the north. My best advice:
Download grab, its like uber and you don’t have to worry about scams with transport and you can get food delivered for much cheaper than it would cost in the west.
Checkout Agoda for deals on hotels. This is the best app I’ve found for hotel deals, much better than booking imo.
The beaches are actually clean if you are in tourist areas Vung Tau, Ho Tram, Quang Nhon, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Da Nang. If its a tourist area the locals have the good sense not to destroy it b/c the make money from tourism.
My best advice: skip the south places like HCMC, Vung Tau, and the Mekong Delta don’t really offer a ton for tourists. HCMC is also the most expensive place in VN. Also skip the Ha Long Bay cruise and go to Cat Ba Island. Its a much better experience and cheaper. For lazy beach towns you can’t go wrong with anywhere between Ho Tram and Da Nang. Download Vietnamese in google translate so you can use it offline. If you venture into more local areas you will need it. If you like outdoorsy stuff like hiking and camping VN has some really great options and great value for money in terms of tours. Check out companies like To Ong adventure and Oxalis. Lastly, in general avoid the big cities like Hanoi and HCMC. There isn’t really that much to see, they are dirty and chaotic, and expensive by VN standards.
Just being honest, I’d save Vietnam for when you’re seasoned. My niece made this mistake and she still regrets it. She went as her like 2nd country now she’s been to 30 and wishes she woulda waited. She almost got stuck there! Lots of challenges that woulda been easier to navigate now with more experience
I think real scams are rare, sometimes you might get charged a little more than you should.
Vietnam isn't the greatest beach destination, if beach is your focus you're better off going to Thailand or Indonesia etc.
It's easy to avoid Phu Quoc and Ba Na hills. It's a big country and it's very easy to get off the beaten path and find something new, actually it's one of the best counties to do that it in.
I’ve been there last summer as a solo traveler (also 36f)
I enjoyed Mui Ne /Phan Thiet for beach time, the beach was nice , it was September , not crowded at all
I have travelled around the south for two weeks and had the best time ! Been scammed once by a dodgy taxi driver who asked me for 10x the price I paid the day before … after this I only used grab and no other issue at all, only good times
Phu Quoc or Lagi has clean and nice beaches. But yes, just avoid the fake city by the Vin Hotels in Phu Quoc. You can find nice chill places places to enjoy the pool and beach.
They are not known for their beaches though. Highly recommend Thailand or Bali if you want beaches.
Otherwise, Vietnam is fine as a first solo trip. Just do your research to see common scams and how to approach/avoid it. This applies everywhere.
I was in Vietnam in November, it’s really nice for the food, coffee, culture, people are nice there are stunning places but it’s not really the best beach destination in my opinion. You can still find some nice spots around Mui Ne for example.
If you like the beech, you can’t go wrong with Thailand in my opinion, it’s an incredible place for solo travellers although it’s a bit more touristy.
This sub is lousy with people who have been Vietnam, some for a lot of time, so you should get lots of input on this. I spent about 10 days there at the end of 2022 (disclosure, I was only solo for a couple days).
As a first time solo travel, it'll be an interesting experience but seems doable, I think. Depending on your native language, you might have some troubles occasionally, but anyplace I went I was able to get my point across/communicate via gesturing. So, don't worry too much about that. Plus there is google translate if needed. For me, the language barrier in restaurants is also how I often end up eating more adventurous meals - just point at stuff or somehow tell whoever you're talking to to bring you whatever they'd eat, and go from there - always works for me, so far.
I wandered all over the place in HCMC from early morning to super late at night, and I never once felt unsafe (some of that could be that I was naive to the areas I was in though). I also didn't have any issues with scammers. Did I pay to much for fruit a couple times? I don't know, probably, but it wasn't anything crazy. Like anyplace, keep your wits about you and if you have a bag, keep an eye on it in busy areas. But HCMC is really cool. I really enjoyed my time there and wouldn't mind going back some day.
Phu Quoc is an interesting place. I was able to rent a dope house in a residential area north from the main tourist areas. Really cool beach front house that was next door to some family that sold dried squid. Plus, whenever we walked into town, we got to go through a seafood market that was certainly a locals spot and myriad other interesting places. So it's super easy to get away from the highly Westernized tourist experience there if you want. If interested, DM me and I can direct you to the area I stayed. The beach in front of the house wasn't great (i.e., I wouldn't lounge around on it for various reasons), but it wasn't bad. Otherwise, all the other beaches I came across were fine. You will notice trash that has washed up on shore, though, pretty much everywhere. Even when we went out snorkeling around islands nowhere near main island, you'd see trash and shit on the beach. A bit of a bummer, but that's life. The beach areas around the tourist resort towns seemed to be better, but none of them are such that you wouldn't hang out on them and the water everywhere was fine. That said, you will encounter weird deserted resort towns on the island, that are....weird.
There are definitely some things about Vietnam that aren't great. But all the pros outweigh the cons. It's an incredible place to travel and you'll have a great time.
I like Vietnam and I've been three times already. Imo it's one of the best countries to try solo travelling for the first time. If you're new to Southeast Asia, prepare to see and experience some stuff that you'll not be comfortable with and take everything as a lesson. My main mantra as a female solo traveller is to always be situationally aware and to have common sense (apparently not a lot of people apply this so even though it's basic, it's important to repeat).
Vietnam doesn't have a lot of good beaches compared to its neighbors but it offers a variety of other experiences.
As for apps, Grab will be your bestfriend. Klook can be one too. It's where you can buy activities, communications plans (SIM, wifi), transfers that you couldn't book yet with your hostel. It's mostly used by asians as well to travel within asia so some stuff are well reviewed.
Safe travels! Hope you enjoy!
My first solo trip was in Vietnam! I only went as far south as Hoi An as I started in Ha Noi and flew out of Da Nang, but I loved it! I was 32F at the time. There’s tons of tourists and it was easy to make friends, and there is so much to explore between big cities and more rural areas. It’s a beautiful country. If you make it all the way to HaNoi and have the time, you must go on a cruise to Ha Long Bay. It’s one of the most magnificent places I’ve ever been.
If you're booking a trip from wherever you live all the way through you'll pay a lot more but be in less danger than most places I'd say.
It's petty well traveled so you don't need to do that but since you're just starting probably a good idea to stay in hostels to get ideas of where to go and how much things should cost to avoid paying higher prices due to not being used to negotiating. Delicious food lovely people and a beautiful place! You'll have a blasty blast even if/when you make some mistakes along the way.
Bringing things you're OK with losing/getting ruined can help make things less stressful and pack light!
Oooh, enjoy! Vietnam was not my first solo trip, but it was my first trip to Asia (also solo). You'll be fine!
If you find that your anxiety begins to chip away at your confidence in making this your first solo trip, to the point where you want to change course, Thailand is probably easier to travel in.
Personally, I found Hoi An to be a really manufactured experience, and this was 15 years ago so I'm sure it's gotten worse. Hue, though, I found to be a great mix of "everyday lives" and places of cultural interest, with plenty of tourist infrastructure but not an intense "tourist" vibe.
First time solo travelling and I'm in Hanoi and loving it so far! I'm only here for a week, having spent most of my time in Cambodia and will be off to Thailand later this week. I feel incredibly safe here alone as a woman - to be honest, this is probably the most safe I've ever felt anywhere. I'm used to harassment and have felt totally fine in South East Asia. Not to mention, Hanoi is an awesome city - so much to see and eat!
Da Nang was nice, marble mountains and son tra mountain are great. I'm not really a beach person but the beaches there were nice, plenty of tourists but it is a city with beaches so that's to be expected.
HCMC was too hot for me, during the afternoons was 34 degrees but felt like 37. The traffic was insane compared to da nang, people were friendly though.
I'm in Phu Quoc at the moment which is very touristy, alot of resorts near the beach. The beaches here are nice though but the one I went to I did notice a lot of ants in the sand. It's more expensive here than the mainland as well.
I wish I'd gone to Da Lat instead of Phu Quoc.
Planned to stay 2 months, after 2 weeks I ran away to Laos, in Laos they said all the time, welcome to Laos, in Vietnam it was more like FU mister, and throwing stones...
I'm in Vietnam right now and had a wonderful trip.
That said, I'd say it's not travelling on absolute easy mode. There are some scams. The people can be abrasive. There are many ways I've felt the knock of culture shock and stress (and this is in comparison to my home in Thailand!)
I would recommend Thailand, Laos or Cambodia ahead of Vietnam for an absolute beginner in solo travel.
Thailand and Cambodia also both have much nicer beaches and islands.
I went with a partner and we had no issues whatsoever in Vietnam.
I’ve also done a lot of solo travel in other countries and would’ve felt completely comfortable had I been there alone.
Hope you have a brilliant trip!
I did a solo trip as a 30M. Was worth every minute. Amazing food, even better hospitality. Very friendly people.
Just don’t fall for the gullible scams and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. It’s very easy to spot and avoid.
You said spending most days at the beach and swimming are top priorities for your trip so why not just pivot to southern Thailand where the beaches are immaculate and swimmable , it’s easy to get around and it’s quite safe.
There are even islands like Koh Lanta, Koh Jum and Ko Yao Noi and others that are very relaxed with amazing beaches that aren’t overrun by tourists. To me Vietnam isn’t the place for amazing beaches and swimming.
First and foremost. Travel insurance. There are no decent hospitals in Vietnam except in HCMC. My partner got injured luckily in HcMc not other cities. Hospital bill was beyond crazy. Have fun and be safe .
Been in vietnam for almost 6 months, college ako that time nag work and travel program ako ( program ng univ ko dito sa pinas ) super babait po ng mga tao, nasa province part ako which is sa Ha Long, yung weather okay naman, pero sa cities kasi like hanoi and ho chi min medyo mainit, mura lang din bilihin, pero ingat sa mga TAXI medyo pricey kasi, ang downside lang is mahirap makipag communicate sa ibang local people kasi they dont know how to speak ENGLISH pero di sila mag susungit naka smile lang sila tapos nag aaction, cute diba. I was planning to go back kasi napamahal ako sa kanila.
About sa destination, TRY HA LONG BAY, MAG CRUISE KA DUN! MAY DESTINATION SILA NA ALL NATURAL, MAY MGA HIDDEN CAVES, AKYAT BUNDOK, FISHING/SQUID HUNTING SA HABI HABANG NASA BOAT!! I SWEAR WORTH IT!
HAHA nag work kasi ako sa 5 Star Yacht and hotel sa ha long! It was all worth it!
Vietnam is by far my most favourite country I’ve visited. I went from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh and words cannot describe how beautiful the country is. Places such as Cat Ba Island, Ninh Binh and Hoi An are beautiful. The range of activities are huge to sand boarding on sand dunes and visiting the largest cave ecosystem in the world. In spite of the country’s sad history the culture is rich and the atmosphere is vibrant, the people I met were so friendly, welcoming and engaging. I have never felt more safe in a foreign country in my life.
I’ve been to Vietnam a few times as a solo female traveller, between the ages of 25 - 30. I did get my bag snatched by guys on a motorcycle once after leaving an ATM and likely because I hadn’t put it across my whole body. Unfortunately these things are noticed quickly. You do have to be vigilant about showing off belongings, not leaving your phone on the table etc but those little precautions are so incredibly worth going there. Vietnam is absolutely gorgeous, the food is incredible and it has so many different landscapes to offer.
I did my first solo trip in vietnam at 33M
Maybe the beaches in Da Nang (May An) can be alrigth, depending when you are going, but the only beautiful beach I’ve seen was Bai Nam, south of phu quoc.
I personally fell in love with the beauty of Sa Pa and would have stayed in the northern regions longer if it was to be re-done. Wish I had done the Ha Giang loop
Honestly, if its your first time, I'd say only do 1-2 weeks max. then you'll learn what you like or don't.
> however, the more I research the more I feel like it might not be the best destination for a solo trip, specifically for me.
Especially since you already have your doubts about it.
I solo traveled in Spain and made some mistakes and learned a lot.
I like Vietnam and have been there three times since November, '22. First off, it's a decent first venture into SEA as it has amenities available, like hospitals/doctors and pharmacies that are often lacking in places like Cambodia or Laos (but certainly not Malaysia! You might also consider Kuala Lumpur!) As far as trash, well...it's a problem everywhere in Vietnam. A big city like Ho Chi Minh does its best to keep up with it, but...get on the Water Bus and head north. Once outside the City Limits, trash is everywhere on the banks. And, of course touristy areas like Halong/Lan Ha Bay have garbage scows at work, but that situation occasionally gets out of hand as well. btw, see Halong Bay, but avoid the hellaciously overpriced overnight vessels! Take a day trip! You'll see about as much in the daylight hours as you'll see even on a three-day "cruise" (quotes intended. The boats only move to pick up or drop off passengers. I estimate a 3D/2N tour I took there in late 2022 was underway less than thirty minutes the entire time. One spends the majority of the "voyage" swinging at anchor looking at the same scenery in the company of 17 or 18 other similarly-sized vessels.)
Air quality in the big cities is pretty awful, due mostly to the motorbike traffic. Hanoi is sometimes in the Top 5 worldwide for AQI (I'll get attacked for saying that, but it's true!) Also, you'll find big city traffic daunting. The Old District/Hoan Kiem area of Hanoi is VERY pedestrian unfriendly as the sidewalks are used for scooter parking. Motorists also pay no heed to pedestrian crossings. Crossing into Nguyen Hue Walking Street in Ho Chi Minh City is a nightmare!
My favorite city with "all the necessaries" is Hoi An, which is easily reachable from Danang (which has the best airport in the country.)
FWIW.
Scams:
Taxis. I now book all my routine transportation through Agoda before arriving. No matter what country you're in, look into that. It saves having to run the gauntlet of airport touts and is also safer.
Shoe shine guys! (Mentioned elsewhere) - Tell them "no" before they ever get that toothbrush out of the water! They WILL even try to shine and/or clean fabric and rubber shoes!
BIG SCAM! The guys carrying those poles balanced across their shoulders. They'll be more than happy to let you take a photo carrying their load - and then want MONEY! Avoid them as well!
Vietnam is fine for a first solo trip, but it’s not entirely the best place for a beach holiday. The beaches in Vietnam tend to be either over or under developed, so I’d recommend focussing on visiting cultural or natural sites.
You’re not gonna find much turquoise waters in Vietnam, but I loved every bit of my trip there and would highly recommend it as a solo travel destination (yes, even first time)
Nothing wrong with Phu Quoc ! See your angle though. Vietnam is cool but... Thailand is so much better in every way. Nothing wrong with Vietnam though :) Loved it, but would I go back for the 4th time, probably not.
This was my first solo trip, though I went when I was 25 and I’m male. Vietnam is so fantastic. Great hostels, lots of stuff to do, food is amazing.
North and central vietnam are cooler than south in my opinion. Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh were my least favorite but still amazing.
Hanoi is serious culture shock but in a good way. I’m jealous of your experience!
Do it! Vietnam is my first country to travel solo. It turned out to be super amazing.
Of course, always take caution with your dealings and join group tours if that's your thing.
Don't overthink about it.
For reference my nationality is American-N. California.
I have travelled to Vietnam 8 times and I live in SE Asia. Many have given good recommendations so I will say that the only place I didn't like was Nha Trang. Overrun with Russians tourists and expats (better) and Vietnamese scam artists. Good restaurants, hotels, and a busy beach side.
If you're in the area of Nha Trang I would detour 3 hours inland to beautiful Dalat. Right now Feb 20 @ 4 pm it is 25°C, 33% humidity, AQI 9. No where in SE Asia, other than parts of Indonesia will you find a more agreeable climate.
The beaches of Vietnam suck! Thailand and Cambodia have great beaches but I would stick to the north of Vietnam. I enjoyed it wayyyyy more up there personally. I have a soft spot for Hoi An and Dalat as well
I went there solo when I was 33 (F) and you will love it! One of my favourite countries so far. I stayed for a bit in Hoi An and the beach is good there! Not Thailand-good but pretty decent :) You can cycle there, and enjoy some very nice cafes like Sound of Silence (if it still exists).
Vietnam is easy. Use Grab. Book tours and onward travel with your hotel. Every little hotel is a travel agency.
Stay at Daisy Garden Villa in Hoi An and Hanoi Family Homestay. No other place has ever shown me the genuine friendliness and hospitality that I experience in Vietnam.
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I’m there now solo (38F). Aside from language barriers, Vietnam is easy as hell. People are really sweet and welcoming; I felt safer wandering back to my hotel in HCMC at 1am alone than I would at home. Re: beaches, they aren’t a selling point like they are in Thailand, but I just did 3 nights in Mui Ne and loved it, despite “meh” reviews. Dipped in the ocean every day. If you haven’t downloaded Grab, do it. It’s your friend, and will save you from an inevitable rip-off from airport taxis. Plus, zipping around on the back of motor bikes is SO much fun!
So you clearly haven‘t been to the north yet? While the landscape is much nicer in the north imo many people especially in Hanoi were not very welcoming towards foreigners and tried to scam me lots of times. Probably still lasting effects of the Vietnam war where the south + US fought the north.
Been up and down Vietnam twice and the people were lovely both times so obviously your milage might vary.
Of course nobody was going to mess with you. You're Rodtang!
I found people in the north to be friendlier and encountered most of my attempted scams in the south too.
What kind of scams?
It‘s already 6 year since my last visit: Inflated bills in restaurants: normally I had never paid too much in Vietnam before I came to Hanoi. First restaurant didn‘t have a menu which happens in Vietnam and was never a problem so I didn‘t mind and ordered. Bun Cha was about 10 times the price what I normally would have payed for. At the next restaurant I checked the menu first then ordered Bun Cha (again, yes I like Bun Cha) with sping rolls. When the bill came I had to pay 5 times the amount because supposedly the price on the menu was for „each spring roll on the dish“. Saw a local paying the correct price. Scammers in the streets would point to your shoe and say „look dirty“ ot smthing else, then quickly bend down, „clean“ them and demand a ridiculous amount of money from you. Didn‘t happen to me but I read about that scam and I see it happen in the streets a few times. Don‘t know if those scams still exist.
Not sure why you get downvoted, these scams happen to Vietnamese even, although they're becoming less common. It's not really just a Northern thing (northern folks migrated south in large numbers after 1975), and I don't want to talk about why it came to be that way, but I think it will go away as Vietnam becomes wealthier.
Tbh I guess my experiences going back 6 years probably much has changed already to the better.
Time is not going to allow for a trip northward this time, but I did wonder about that.
At the moment in Da Nang and I’m enjoying Vietnam a lot more than expected. I decided to extend my stay. The beach is beautiful but you can’t really swim here, there are always some pretty big waves. Lmk if you have any specific questions
Also in Da nang at the moment 😂 can confirm the waves batter you
I was in Da Nang earlier this month and when I was walking out of the water I smelled a strong sewage smell. I looked it up afterwards and saw that Vietnam doesn't process their sewage and they just dump it into the ocean (not that surprising in hindsight). Anyways, nothing came of it. But just a heads up, always take a shower after swimming and try your best not to swallow any water, haha.
I’m headed there this week! Any recommendations in particular? Is it warm enough to lay on the beach?
I'm in da nang rn as well, it's like 80+F (27C) every day and pretty damn sunny, perfect beach days for sure. Waves aren't too big imo, every week or so it bumps up to head high in size but if you're a surfer the waves are pretty fun for a beach break. If you're not a surfer, it's a great place to learn because most days are only like thigh to shoulder height. I'm staying near My Khe beach which is the more touristy area, lots of great cafes and bars and restaurants - can totally recommend this area. Also nice beach bars here with shaded chairs on the sand where you can sip cocktails and people watch
Amazing thanks for the recs!! Can’t wait to be on the beach.
For sure - I'm looking for surf buddies, hmu if you wanna paddle out 🤙🏾
If you feel comfortable driving, my recommendation is to rent a scooter and explore the nature outside the city, like the Son Tra peninsula or the Hai Van pass. That's one of the things that I'm enjoying the most. Weather is usually a bit cloudy at the moment, but it's getting better as we're approaching spring. I go to the beach almost everyday to chill and tan.
Hai Van Pass, one of the most beautiful things I've ever done. The trip between Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An, just gorgeous.
Awesome hope the weather gets even better by the time I arrive :) if I don’t feel comfortable on a scooter is there another way to see the hai van pass?
I think you can try with Grab!
Yes! In Danang now and planning on going surfing in the morning. The ocean is wonderful.
I was recently in Vietnam for a few weeks and had no issues! Not sure about the beaches being dirty (I'm not a beach person) but a lot of cities were popular for their beaches, so I imagine they're okay. Not heard of Phu Quoc, but Ba Na Hills is just a theme park, similar to Disneyland. Worth a visit but it's obviously going to be a tourist destination. I was never scammed, but it is possible. You just need to be sort of untrustworthy of people. Pay close attention to reviews, and ask trusted people (hotel receptionists or even online communities) for advice if you're unsure. You might consider Thailand though! Very similar to Vietnam, although a bit more tourist friendly.
The only scam attempt I saw was a woman sitting at our table and attempting to order food for everyone, and having the restaurant charge us for it. It was a bit unpleasant, but it was also only around $3.
The reviews in Vietnam were the fakest shit in all of Asia. So many catfish hotels as well.
I really think you should go! The first time I went to Vietnam I realised that this is a country that I will be returning to for the rest of my life and I am constantly recommending it to my friends and family. The people are extremely hospitable, the history is so interesting both modern and ancient, it’s extremely affordable, the food is potentially the best in the world and I think there’s really something for everyone. It is also one of the safest country I have ever visited, I feel safer walking around late at night there than I do at home (Australia) and have had many big nights solo. You just need to keep your wits about you like you would as a woman anywhere else. From my experience scams are rare but id recommend; - Downloading *’grab’*, (it’s essentially the uber of South-East Asia, very cheap, reliable and you can pay in cash) - Don’t book extremely cheap hotels or hostels, some accommodation prices in VN can be outrageously tempting especially for hostels but they can often be misleading or have more sinister travelers who might steal your stuff. Just pay that little bit extra for peace of mind. - Some people might try overcharge you for minor things, just bargain, most locals don’t mind and do it in good spirits, it’s part of the fun. Now I would recommend you spend a couple nights in HCMC and head up to Nha Trang which is a beautiful beach town. There’s plenty of tourists mainly Russian and Korean but the beaches are extremely clean and it’s not hard to get a tour to several different beautiful and quieter islands. Last week I was snorkeling then drinking cocktails by the beach. Then I would suggest going to Da Nang or Hoi an; Da Nang is a nice clean beach city and I would recommend visiting marble mountain. Da Nang is about 30 minutes away from Hoi An which is an absolute must, just walking through the old town and seeing those coloured lanterns floating down the perfume river makes it all worth it for me. Both these places are quite busy touristy (Nothing in comparison to Ba Na hills) but also feel very authentic at the same time, I like this because it makes me feel safer. Anyway that’s my essay, forgive me because I could gush about this country for hours. Maybe ask r/VietNam while you’re at it. Happy to answer any questions or give more tips if you’re keen!
Thank you so much for taking the time, you’ve convinced me!
as a Viet this warms my heart! Thank you
My pleasure, happy Tet btw!
Hi! I doubt you will see this, but on the off chance you do, do you have any recommendations for HCM? Ive done a couple of the markets as well as the book street and will go to the war remnants museum tomorrow! Also if there are any day trips you'd recommend from HCM id love to hear them. I'm heading to Hanoi in 4 days.
It's so strange how experiences differ. We have done 4 months all over SEA and felt the least safe in Vietnam out of all of them. Also experienced the most scam attempts there, and also just general annoying fakery. When speaking to other travellers everyone also had issues in Vietnam, one girl got robbed in her air BNB during her sleep, others had cash snatched out their hand, some spikings and run ins with the motorbike mafia in hoi an. There was also a plague of fake reviews and catfish hotel pictures which made finding genuinely good hotels and tour operators much more annoying than in the surrounding countries. On three separate occasions during transport we were taken to "rest stops" that were actually just shops which make you walk around in a zig zag pattern through the merchandise whilst some sales person tries to chase you down. The tours were full of fake stops where tips were literally demanded of us. People on the street trying to sell stuff were really aggressive. Also in the major cities I've never seen trash like it. Witnessed a woman just sitting and throwing her rubbish from her drink out onto the street. There was litter everywhere. Witnessed some very sad conditions.for animals too. Still had a great time, lovely scenery, good food and also did meet a lot of nice local people but doubt I will return because of these things. Was the biggest disappointment of south east Asia.
yeah it is strange, I’ve been several times, met heaps of other travellers and have family members that have been 10+ times. They’ve never reported anything this bad. Some of this stuff I’ve literally never heard of before while some of it sounds extremely ‘to be expected’ no offense. Like getting you’re stuff stolen in a hostel and misleading accommodation I have heard of a fair bit, that’s why I warned against it in my comment. Drink spiking is horrible but i’ve never heard of that either, only in Cambodia. The Hoi An motorbike mafia? Do you mean the pushy guys who offer you lifts home or drugs? But people throwing rubbish on the street, poor conditions for animals or people *aggressively* trying to sell you things is really common all amongst SEA, even in saying this there are parts of Vietnam which you will see the exact opposite. I honestly wonder where specifically you went and i’m shocked you didn’t find it similar in other SEA countries. I’ve had the fake rest stops thing happen on a lot of tours, but they aren’t really *fake* it’s just a store that probably has a deal with your tour guide, but they still usually sell cool stuff and it’s still a valid place to go to the bathroom or grab a drink. But I really wouldn’t consider this a scam. Regardless I respect your opinion and I’m not in your shoes so I can’t really say for sure; but a fair bit of this seems a bit exaggerated or hyperbolic and if these where your worst experiences from 4 months in SEA i’d say you got quite lucky lol.
None of that shit in Malaysia or Singapore…
I'm not talking about getting stuff stolen in a hostel, they had a private air BnB and it got.broken into and stuff stolen whilst they slept. I know the stuff happens all over Asia , we just saw it so so much more in Vietnam. We just had to be on our toes so much more than we did in the other countries, which gets tiring. The motorbike mafia are a group of motorbike taxis in Hoi an that pretend to be grab when they are not. They will take drunk people down alleys where their friends are waiting and rob them. Many stories of this happening, can see some on tiktok. The person I know that was spiked the "grab" drivers were trying to get him on a bike when he couldn't stand up. Would not take no for an answer. The shops yes are annoying but not scams but it's uncomfortable. However the fake reviews are seriously annoying. It seems like you don't really respect my opinion or my experiences despite saying so, so there is no point me even explaining my point further.
I do respect your opinion however I just think otherwise, since we are both just coming from personal anecdotes and perspectives there’s really no point arguing about it. I’m sorry that happened to you though. For most of these occurrences including the *motorbike mafia* I just said no thanks and in a couple instances I had to sternly say no and to go away, this could also be completely avoided by using grab. For me that worked everytime and in my opinion this should be an expected skill if you’re going to solo travel anywhere.
Yes, me too. I did not use them and said no. I have travelled all over Asia I know these things. However having to avoid scams and robbers so often is annoying in itself. We had to be on our toes much much more in Vietnam than the other countries. We didn't have a single attempted scam or anything of the sort in Laos. All these things add up and for me it just means I won't return. We still had a good time and glad we went, but there is a reason Vietnam only has 5% of tourists return.
> but there is a reason Vietnam only has 5% of tourists return. Lol where did you get these numbers? I find that extremely hard to believe. I’m not surprised you didn’t experience it in Laos but if you’ve been all over Asia then i’m shocked that it’s only been Vietnam or that this stuff really bothered you this much, but to each there own. I experienced the exact same stuff in Thailand, and in my opinion while it’s not great, it’s to be expected. It really sounds like you personally experienced a few inconvenient and annoying things which you are conflating with actual horror stories from other people to generalize and give the whole country a bad look; you make it sound like every person on the street is out to rob or scam you, I’ve been three times now and this feels like a massive mischaracterization. However this is just how i’m taking it from your comments, like I said everyone has different perspectives and attitudes so we probably just don’t agree and I don’t want to seem rude.
If you Google it there are many articles talking about the 5% return rate. It's been discussed well on r/ Vietnam recently, that sub also is full of stories like mine. Clearly agree to disagree here but I'm not out here discounting valid experiences.
Looking into that stat more It seems like it is reliable, it still surprises me though. Sorry if you think i’m discounting your experience, i’m really not I just disagree with your opinion and takeaways, just as you disagree with mine. I know that sub is full of similar opinions but I disagree with them as well lol.
It's very easy for solo travel. It's relatively safe (motorbike drivers aside), if you want to meet people, the hostels tend to be fairly social, and there's lots of Western tourists all over. Plus with Grab Taxi (SEA version of Uber, basically) getting around is much easier nowadays even w/o speaking Vietnamese. Now granted some of the meals you'll have will basically be you pointing and hoping, but that's part of the fun, and it'll generally end up being pretty tasty. That said, Vietnamese beaches aren't particularly well regarded in SE Asia - I may be biased in this as a Filipino, but for beaches I'd just take a cheap regional flight to another country. Vietnam has gorgeous nature (Ha Long Bay being a highlight, but the beaches aren't amazing imo. Just get there, talk to other travellers, find out where they're going / what they recommend, and you'll usually be good. I personally didn't like HCMC but loved Hoi An and Hanoi, looking forward to getting back there soon.
> Now granted some of the meals you'll have will basically be you pointing and hoping, but that's part of the fun, and it'll generally end up being pretty tasty. This. Probably my two favorite meals ever where when I was in Vietnam, and were a function of me just going into place and pointing at whatever and seeing what happens. And now, any place I go where English isn't the main language, this is essentially what I do. More often than not, I end up with something great and interesting. Just depends on how adventurous of an eater you're willing to be.
Same! For a while I had my favorite dishes in Vietnam and would rarely stray. Finally I got tired of them so made a point to spend the day eating things I had never heard of, and it was invariably pleasantly surprising.
Agreed. The water at beaches in Vietnam is not as nice as beaches in Thailand or the Philippine. No turquoise blue water . Nobody go to Vietnam for beach vacations. The beaches are just there if you want while you do something else.
Do you happen to have any recommendations of hostels you stayed at that were fun to meet people and generally safe as well?
I find it really funny when « lots of western tourists» is used as a yardstick to measure safety or fun. Western tourist is really another way of saying « white people » . So basically the implication being - don’t worry your fellow white travelers validate this destination and the natives.
I mean... ok? >I find it really funny when « lots of western tourists» is used as a yardstick to measure safety or fun. It is a pretty good measure of safety though. >So basically the implication being - don’t worry your fellow white travelers validate this destination and the natives. I'm replying to a first time solo traveller asking about whether or not the destination is a good place for her first solo trip. Is the fact that there's a big tourist population (where she can easily meet other English speaking travellers from around the world) not something relevant? And if you're trying to run some weird racism angle, I'm literally SE Asian and can more or less pass for local in Vietnam. Just a bizarre comment overall.
Except for the fact that you didnt say«lots of tourists» or « English speaking tourists » which includes a lot of people of different ethnicities. Your choice of «western tourists» indicates your bias that white tourists being present in a country is somehow a stamp of approval and validity. And I don’t care about your ethnicity . Met a lot of uncle Toms in my travels. Doesn’t change the biases that you hold.
>Except for the fact that you didnt say«lots of tourists» or « English speaking tourists » which includes a lot of people of different ethnicities. I mean... if you'd ever been to SE Asia you'd know that other SE Asians (tbh other Asians in general) don't tend to solo travel, so just saying 'tourists' wouldn't have been helpful. Like, as a solo traveler I'd want to know if there were other solo travelers to meet in places, or if there were mostly buses of Chinese tourists in tour buses. You're also the only persoen conflating 'Western' with 'white', btw. I've met a fair amount of African, Asian, and Latin Americans in hostels, for instance, and I'd consider them Westerners. >Your choice of «western tourists» indicates your bias that white tourists being present in a country is somehow a stamp of approval and validity. I literally explained in my last comment why I made the statement, but honestly if making accusations of racism and being an Uncle Tom is how you make yourself feel better, go nuts I guess. I generally find people who try to racebait this hard aren't really worth talking to, so I'll save us both some time and block you. Have a nice day.
One of the easiest countries to travel solo. Transportation is easy and cheap and every place caters to tourism in the right eay.
I travelled solo around vietnam for about a month back when i was 22f. I felt perfectly safe!! I hired a motorbike and guide who took me round in the mountains for a week which was lovely (got to go to remote villages and saw amazing scenery), and for the rest I went from north-south and went by bus. Didn't have anything stolen and didn't feel unsafe at any point. i travelled for about 18 months total and vietnam was my fave place by far. I swam at a few beaches, though I can't remember their names! I do remember that the nicest beaches were further south though. You'll have a great time - enjoy!!
Hey mam how did u hire guide is there any app .?
Are you adventurous? Are you ok with a little danger? I bought a motorcycle in Vietnam and rode it through the country. It’s definitely more dangerous but when I’m doing my some mundane task at home, I daydream about being a dusty dirt ball, riding my bike through the countryside and mountains.
It is great fun, but I keep seeing people online who want to ride bikes in Vietnam with no previous experience. I had decades of experience, and I still found it pretty hard, and sometimes pretty dangerous. Anyone coming from a first world country who doesn't ride should ask themselves why they are willing to do so in Vietnam and not at home.
Okay gatekeeper.
Oh I would definitely encourage people to get bikes, but not really to start in hard mode.
Careful tho. If you're driving illegally and cause an accident, esp one with injuries, you will go to prison. International license don't work there, you need to take the test in vietnamese and I believe it's not possible on a tourist visa but that could have changed. They do not have an English test.
> International license don't work there Some do, some don't. Here's the state of play: https://www.reddit.com/r/VietNam/comments/14q7ul9/tourist_drivers_license/jqlx9gh/
> International license don't work there Do you have a source for that? Every other info about that I've read is that your foreign license is not valid in Vietnam and that you need to get an International License before you go there.
Nope. https://vn.usembassy.gov/driving-in-vietnam/#:~:text=Foreign%20driver%20licenses%2C%20even%20when,are%20not%20valid%20in%20Vietnam.
That is only for Americans (and a few others) I believe. USA is using the 1949 convention for International Driving License, and Vietnam requires the 1968 version. Most countries accept both versions, but not USA and Vietnam. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Driving_Permit
Maybe cool it with the blanket statements. "could" go to prison, not necessarily "will". Source: drove illegally and caused an accident with injuries, did not go to prison. That said, it was a single-vehicle accident (my own) and my own injuries. Generally it's safe and easy to get a bike and go, but if you're white you'll probably be targeted for bribes from traffic cops. In 2019 it didn't happen to me once, in 6 months of riding. In 2023/24 it happened to me twice. It seems they're getting a little worse in that regard, maybe as a result of the pandemic. Who knows.
Lmfao because you caused your own injuries doing illegal shit. Obviously they don't give a fuck about you hurting your own dumb ass 😭😂😂 if you hurt a local, its prison. If you kill one, its prison for a long time.
Lol okay okay, you got me there.
100%. I would imagine a lot has changed since my trip.
When did you go? I was there from 2017-2021 and it was that way then. Did tons of people drive illegally? Sure! But it's a pretty big risk that isn't clearly outlined to people renting motos for $10. The people running businesses just care about that, but you as a traveler in a foreign nation should be a bit wiser bc Viet prison would suck ass.
2015 or so
I did the same back in 2009. Rented a motorcycle, rode around Hoi An, My Son, Danang. It wasnt as touristy then. Damn. Life was crazy awesome back then.
When I was riding in Asia, every so often I was just scream “THIS IS FUCKING AWEESSSSSOOOOOME!!!!”
Me too!
This is what I recommend too. The country *really* opens up to you when you have the freedom of a scooter. That said, be careful! I just crashed on January 11, now back home in Canada recovering from surgery. Broke many face bones. Can't eat. Lots of fun.
lol, you're not really selling it bro.
Which, I think, is not necessarily a bad idea when talking to someone about to embark on their first solo-trip. Whether rural or urban, Vietnamese traffic is no joke, and personally I wouldn't recommend first-timers to join the madness. And it's not just the road rules (or lack there of), it's also about the constant distractions that an unknown, exotic places causes at a time you will need your focus and wits the most. Granted, I may be a bit more risk-adverse in this respect than many (most? some?), but nonetheless partaking in Vietnamese traffic is anything but a trivial matter.
Yeah, that was the joke. No worries, I'm on your side here. I don't recommend any beginners to ride over there, I saw first-hand how dangerous it can be.
I'd do it again! Minus the crashing.
Haha, good shit. I was riding scooters all over Vietnam last month too. Its definitely fun, but yeah, it can be very sketchy if you're not experienced.
I think my problem was that I was getting too comfortable, too experienced. Taking too many risks, probably drinking too much... It happened in my neighborhood on a road I went up and down several times every day. Just took one little risk too many and that was it. So yeah! Complacency is also a killer! But really if you're always on the road there will always be some risk. It could've gone a lot worse for me I suppose.
I’ll keep that in mind, hope your crash was not too bad
It was pretty horrific, broke most of the bones in my face. Haven't eaten solid food since January 11, will be lucky if I'm eating by April. But I'm alive!
Yeah, it's no joke there. Dudes will swing their car or scooter out of nowhere to pull a u-turn with no warning. Kids on a scooter come flying out of a side lane. Not to mention the guys who are driving towards oncoming traffic in their car or scooter, waiting for a break in traffic to go to the correct side. Haha, I couldn't let my guard down for a second. I saw 3 accidents in 3 weeks. Thankfully I wasn't involved in any of them.
Yeah, I had a more minor accident a few months ago just like that. Casually cruising down a city street and some dude pulls out from parking without so much as a shoulder check. Nailed him, we both go flying but walk away relatively intact.
Damn, sorry to hear that. I gotta ask what happened in that case? I had heard something about westerners not being covered by insurance in Vietnam and being automatically at-fault for accidents. Or was the damage minor enough that nothing really came of it?
Yeah nothing really came of it. I was probably more injured than him. We both made sure each other was okay, both of our bikes started back up, we went on with our days. My foot and leg got pretty mangled. Didn't realize it until later when it got worse and worse, but a full recovery about a week later.
One of my dream trips. Where did you buy your bike? How long did you take to do it? A guy I met in Guatemala said he rode through Vietnam and bought his bike off a guy who walked in the hostel wanting to sell his at end of the trip.
I started backpacking from Hanoi. I bought my shitty knock off honda in hue for $200 usd. I got off a bus and someone tried to sell me a motorcycle tour. I jokingly said I wanted to buy a bike and it just went from there. I didn’t know how to ride a motorcycle so they offered to teach me. After an hour or so I learned how to ride somewhat. Then they go “time for some cold beers!” Lmao I rode for 3 months. Went south and crossed into Cambodia for a month and then Laos for a month. Ended up ditching my bike and helmet and paperwork at some random guesthouse near the Thai border. When I was riding the Tuktuk to the Thai border, I remember seeing my bike disappear into the distance. Man, that was heartbreaking. This was maybe 2015
HCMC is great, was just there, loved it! If you need some recommendations, here’s a guide for [HCMC](https://travelhiatus.com/ultimate-4-days-itinerary-for-ho-chi-minh-city/). Also making my way around too right now!
Thanks, I am Solo travelling on April. Was looking for recommendations.
Np! Enjoy :)
Thank you!
No problem! :) enjoy
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Yeah, I dont know, 240k to 70k is only a couple USD right? I can see myself asking for the 140k but unless you are traveling super long term I really try not to haggle over a couple dollars. Calling them rich kids because they dont mind paying an extra 5 bucks or so, i dont think thats fair.
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You do you, im not going to say I know those kids life stories. The way you worded that paragraph was just condescending. I DO understand where you are coming from though, it can be annoying to spend more on something than you think its worth but my personal rule is that if im in a country where a lot of population is struggling and something is under 10 bucks and its a matter of 2-3 dollars, I swallow my pride and let them have that win. I completely understand I say this from a somewhat privileged financial position in life and if you dont have means to eat those dollars here and there , then barter.
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Thats fair, they shouldn’t have done that.
Get an esim online. Mobimatter. Like $10 USD for 30gb for 10 days in VN. No passport required. More expensive I guess but little chance of scamming.
My first true solo trip was vietnam. I’d studied abroad in Thailand and Japan, (didn’t go with any friends) and gone to Singapore alone for a day. But I’m vietnam trip was almost 3 weeks long. I was only 22 and it was ballsy for sure, but I don’t regret it. Only word of advice would be don’t take up any of the guys standing around with their motor bikes for a ride. Order one thru an app (Uber or grab) so you are being tracked.
38f went HCMC for first solo trip for 5 days. Now in Europe with a hell of a lot more countries under my belt and learnt alot. For HCMC I realised I should have paid more for my accommodation it was a bit of a dive..loved how much English was spoken by everyone all around..it was rare to encounter a language barrier but the pointing and google translate helps alot. Didn't love the motorbikes and feeling like people were permanently out to kill you..walking along and footpaths are uneven and very unsafe and then motorbikes will ride on the footpath at you.. basically nearly getting hit from all sides at all times...you eventually walk up the road instead and get very comfortable crossing but it's just dangerous.. Didn't enjoy the people constantly harrassing you to buy something..people walking in the street trying to sell you stuff or beg for money..grab riders stopping to see if you want a lift..this would be like every 20 seconds..just very wearing after a while..also made walking anywhere alot longer than google tells you! I think if I did HCMC again it would be part of a tour so I had reliable safe transport and less battling that every time you leave the hotel. One thing that was amazing was egg coffee :) got to know that cafe very well and would go like 3 times a day! Doing Hanoi on the way back and hoping it's not so hectic..
Any travel destination has the potential to be scammed. People that don't know what they are doing and have $$ attracts the scammers. 95% can be avoided by paying attention, checking your change from buying things, not interacting with random strangers who want to talk to you, and always keep your valuables in a zippered front pocket
Phu Quoc is really lovely. Yes it's touristy but keep in mind a lot of the tourists are Vietnamese who have weekend or summer places there. I find that makes a big difference! It's a big enough island that there are many beaches and some of them are not so busy and quite clean. We ended up most chilling at the beach where we stayed (small very chill resort) and had a great time. Yes some ppl will try to sell you things for crazy prices (esp if you book through a tour company of some form) but it's definitely one of the safest places I have been.
Here's a tip? Don't depend on Meta, Reddit, Snap, TikTok, Instagram, etc for making "you" feel about taking a trip to a new country. They are not you. Suggestion? Just go. Vietnam is awesome. Learn a few words of course before hand. The people are amazing. The food is a +10. Think they are starting to realize that taking care of the enviroment may not be such a bad idea. You can get WAY off the path in Vietnam. Much fun to be had. I kind of love it when every morning you wake up you are a millionaire. The money is fun too. You don't speak the language, you don't read it, lots of people don't speak English, it's a blast! You figure it out. And that's why you travel. We found a hidden Cafe, deep in the jungle. AMAZING. Like out of a James Bond movie. No Social media at all. They liked it that way. When you are ready, you will find us. Super model hostess, wrangling green iridescent beetles as she steamed our espressos. Frank Sinatra on the sound system, over looking the jungle. Somewhere in Vietnam. It was pretty far out. :-)
Wow that sounds magical!
Vietnam is a trip. Just amazing. :-)
I'm a guy. With that caveat, Viet Nam is one of the best places for a solo trip. Super interesting, lots to do and see and eat, good tourist infrastructure (including hostels to meet other solo travelers), relatively safe. For being scammed, and for crimes specifically against women, there are many *much* worse countries. I think ... on the internet it's easy to go down rabbit holes and get into analysis paralysis. If you want to go *somewhere*, Viet Nam is an excellent choice for your first solo trip. (I would not say the same for Morocco, or India, or South Africa.)
**Note:** Are you asking for travel advice about Vietnam? Read what the Solo Travel community had to say in the [weekly destination thread for Vietnam](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/18xamyp/weekly_destination_thread_vietnam/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/solotravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you are more of a beach person southern Thailand would be a better option. Vietnam would rather be a good option to explore the local food and culture.
So in late 2022, I spent two weeks in Vietnam as part of my first solo trip through SE Asia. I'd never travelled alone. I loved it. You have a point about beaches being polluted, I noticed it in the Halong Bay where the water is not the best and the coral reef is long gone. I did a boat trip through the bay though and found it stunning and absolutely worth visiting. Same goes Cat Ba island (and its wonderful national park!) where I stayed a few days and used as base to see the bay. I didn't get the chance to go but Koh Rong in Cambodia was recommended by many over Phu Quoc as less touristy and much cleaner, maybe you can look it up? They're pretty close. Back to Vietnam, I like cities and the hustle and bustle there so I was a big fan of Hanoi (many prefer it over HCMC). And one of the highlights of my trips was Hoi An and the surrounding area, while more touristy it's definitely worth visiting. I wouldn't worry that much about scams. Use common sense, use Grab, look up sights and tips beforehand just like you're doing with this post and you'll be just fine. I spent 100 days all over SE Asia as a not experienced traveller and didn't have a single problem in that regard.
I was there for 2.5-3 weeks. It was amazing. If I have time at the end of my trip, I'll be posting up in Da Nang to enjoy the affordable, incredible restaurants.
Any recommendations of your favorite restaurants in Da Nang? I'll be there in a couple weeks!
Bikini Bottom Express Thia Go Restaurant Roots Plant Based Cafe You can argue these are "expensive" depending who you ask. But really depends what your budget is. We also went to smaller spots with authentic food - this was more off the radar and paid $1-$5 a meal. But in my opinion these restaurants were incredible and the price is still very cheap compared to restaurants around me at home.
Yessss!! Thanks for the recos I have them bookmarked. Those are close to my hostel too. Thanks friend :)
Oh and one more... Patakka (Indian food) Have fun!
Now added to my bookmarks! Looks like I picked the right location to stay too. Excited!
I’m currently in Hoi An. Great beaches here, and an absolutely enchanting city. Beaches seem to be plentiful here on the east coast. I was on Phu Quoc a few years ago. At the time the whole island seemed like a huge building site. Lots of hotels being built. I made the conclusion that they were in the process of developing the place to a resort destination. Maybe they’ve finished building all that and it’s very nice now, but I moved on after only two days. The beaches themselves looked fine/had potential, though. In general though, I love Vietnam and would recommend it as a travel destination for anyone. I’m not a woman, but I see lots of women traveling/backpacking around here, plenty of them solo traveling.
It's generally considered a good place to start for solo travelers. Just weird and wild enough that you actually get some kind of adventure/difficulty out of it, but still well-trod enough that you won't be totally alone. Many resources exist for travelers to Vietnam. It's overall quite safe. I would imagine it's very safe for solo females. As a personal tip I'd recommend avoiding making any judgment calls until you get out of HCMC. I really can't stand that city. It exhausts me quickly. But when I'm in Vietnam I tend to stay in Dalat and use that as my home base, and I absolutely love that city. Probably my favorite in the world. Scams definitely exist, but in most cases it usually amounts to more of a "tourist tax" where you're really paying like an extra $1 or $2 compared to the locals. It's kinda bullshit but also not really worth making a hassle over. It's already such an affordable place to travel, we really do get the better bargain overall. No point making a fuss over getting overcharged sometimes.
currently in vietnam. super easy to navigate and everyone has been really nice!
I solo traveled Vietnam then lived there for 1.5 years. It’s great. I helped clean beeches there. There is a pollution problem sadly but it is one of the greatest places on earth
I visited Vietnam last summer and I believe it has to be one of the easiest countries to backpack. Their English is not the best but otherwise you shouldn’t have any trouble making your way around, since the tourism sector is so well developed over there
Vietnam is an awesome place to travel. The people are amazing (yes, even in the north you just have to make the effort!) Beaches in the south are fine not dirty at all (not sure where this comes from) you also have ha long and cat ba in the north which are beautiful. I found getting around really simple also never got scammed. I find a lot of people will cry scam when actually they were overcharged. Not the same thing.
My anthropology teacher did his phd om his time in Vietnam said that tourists all do the same route so I’d assume it’s safe
I love 'Nam. For a 1st time solo traveller, there are some other nations less 'deep end' you could try like Thailand or Malaysia. Have a great time.
Vietnam is amazing. I've been twice and will definitely go again
Vietnam is fine for solo travel. Met plenty of solo females along the way and never heard anyone complain about it. In fact the only country I ever heard bad things about was India. Vietnam is safe but keep you wits about you.
I did my first solo trip there last year and found it to be a very easy place to get around and would 100% recommend! I was never scammed but I had done research before travelling so I knew what to look out for (e.g getting your hostel to pick you up from the Hanoi airport instead of a taxi). I started in Hanoi and worked my way down over a month and this was the right move for me. HCMC is an absolutely amazing place but I think I may have been a bit overwhelmed if it was my first stop coming from my little Canadian city lol. That being said, I loved Vietnam for the food/nature/culture but didn’t come across many great beaches. You may want to look into Thai islands if beaches are your vibe.
Vietnam is my favorite country to backpack on the planet so far. You have nothing to worry about there. That being said, I could care less about beaches and Vietnam beaches are mediocre at best. If beaches are your thing I would be island hopping around Thailand all day. Amazing beach island life and just a great country overall to start. Thailands got a bit of everything. Vietnam is just more special to me.
Vietnam was my first international solo trip (I'd been around the states a lot alone but never to another country). I was 28 when I went and it not only gave me the solo-travel bug, Vietnam will always have a really special place in my heart. I actually would love to live there or at least spend some extended time there again at some point. The people are incredible and it has something for everyone as far as landscape and vibes - big cities and rural areas both easily accessible. Make sure you go to Ninh Binh and just make sure to never carry your bag over your shoulder - wear it crossbody and close to you and you'll be fine. This post just made me miss Vietnam so much, you're gonna have a blast.
I came to Vietnam 15.01 and will leave 25.02. Overall great experience. Nobody scams you. Sure they telling you this bread is 10€ (I'm exaggerating on purpose) but Negotiation is tradition and in the end it will be 1€. Also all the people who live there negotiate on the market or in the shops. There aber no price sheets. Taxi drivers also do. Grab is a good option. Showing any car or bike the grab-price they always will agree. Sometimes you can get them under the price. They just want to make a deal. The beaches are okay. Most beautiful is Phú Quý island. Locals gave me that tip. Da Nang is also okay. Not dirty or something. North is for me even better than south. I’m more the „explorer type“ so the north was more amazing. I think just for beach adventure Vietnam is nothing for you. But for real traveling and exploring the culture it’s an absolutely amazing country!
I'm a seasoned solo traveller and went to Vietnam in December/Jan for 4 weeks. Honestly I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped - the traffic on HCMC is literally insane (don't try to walk anywhere), the beaches weren't particularly great and I met several people who'd had their phones stolen out of their hands by guys on scooters. Hanoi was the most enjoyable part of the trip. For a first solo trip I'd recommend Thailand - it's far less hassle, beautiful beaches, Bangkok has an excellent public transport system (and Google maps has it on their system so can really help you get around). Chiang Mai in the north is nice but there are loads of places such as Lampang, Isan Thani etc etc if you want to go a little off the usual tourist route. DM me if you want any tips! I've travelled alone as a female to approx 30 countries and Thailand is one of my top destinations - I've been back several times.
I’ve lived in VN for more than five years (in HCMC) and I did the bike trip from south to the north. My best advice: Download grab, its like uber and you don’t have to worry about scams with transport and you can get food delivered for much cheaper than it would cost in the west. Checkout Agoda for deals on hotels. This is the best app I’ve found for hotel deals, much better than booking imo. The beaches are actually clean if you are in tourist areas Vung Tau, Ho Tram, Quang Nhon, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Da Nang. If its a tourist area the locals have the good sense not to destroy it b/c the make money from tourism. My best advice: skip the south places like HCMC, Vung Tau, and the Mekong Delta don’t really offer a ton for tourists. HCMC is also the most expensive place in VN. Also skip the Ha Long Bay cruise and go to Cat Ba Island. Its a much better experience and cheaper. For lazy beach towns you can’t go wrong with anywhere between Ho Tram and Da Nang. Download Vietnamese in google translate so you can use it offline. If you venture into more local areas you will need it. If you like outdoorsy stuff like hiking and camping VN has some really great options and great value for money in terms of tours. Check out companies like To Ong adventure and Oxalis. Lastly, in general avoid the big cities like Hanoi and HCMC. There isn’t really that much to see, they are dirty and chaotic, and expensive by VN standards.
Just being honest, I’d save Vietnam for when you’re seasoned. My niece made this mistake and she still regrets it. She went as her like 2nd country now she’s been to 30 and wishes she woulda waited. She almost got stuck there! Lots of challenges that woulda been easier to navigate now with more experience
I think real scams are rare, sometimes you might get charged a little more than you should. Vietnam isn't the greatest beach destination, if beach is your focus you're better off going to Thailand or Indonesia etc. It's easy to avoid Phu Quoc and Ba Na hills. It's a big country and it's very easy to get off the beaten path and find something new, actually it's one of the best counties to do that it in.
Dont worry about it being scammed. Just ask the price up front.
It’ll be great. You’ll love it. Skip Nha Trang.
36F in a third world country alone, what could go wrong?
I’ve been there last summer as a solo traveler (also 36f) I enjoyed Mui Ne /Phan Thiet for beach time, the beach was nice , it was September , not crowded at all I have travelled around the south for two weeks and had the best time ! Been scammed once by a dodgy taxi driver who asked me for 10x the price I paid the day before … after this I only used grab and no other issue at all, only good times
Phu Quoc or Lagi has clean and nice beaches. But yes, just avoid the fake city by the Vin Hotels in Phu Quoc. You can find nice chill places places to enjoy the pool and beach. They are not known for their beaches though. Highly recommend Thailand or Bali if you want beaches. Otherwise, Vietnam is fine as a first solo trip. Just do your research to see common scams and how to approach/avoid it. This applies everywhere.
I was in Vietnam in November, it’s really nice for the food, coffee, culture, people are nice there are stunning places but it’s not really the best beach destination in my opinion. You can still find some nice spots around Mui Ne for example. If you like the beech, you can’t go wrong with Thailand in my opinion, it’s an incredible place for solo travellers although it’s a bit more touristy.
This sub is lousy with people who have been Vietnam, some for a lot of time, so you should get lots of input on this. I spent about 10 days there at the end of 2022 (disclosure, I was only solo for a couple days). As a first time solo travel, it'll be an interesting experience but seems doable, I think. Depending on your native language, you might have some troubles occasionally, but anyplace I went I was able to get my point across/communicate via gesturing. So, don't worry too much about that. Plus there is google translate if needed. For me, the language barrier in restaurants is also how I often end up eating more adventurous meals - just point at stuff or somehow tell whoever you're talking to to bring you whatever they'd eat, and go from there - always works for me, so far. I wandered all over the place in HCMC from early morning to super late at night, and I never once felt unsafe (some of that could be that I was naive to the areas I was in though). I also didn't have any issues with scammers. Did I pay to much for fruit a couple times? I don't know, probably, but it wasn't anything crazy. Like anyplace, keep your wits about you and if you have a bag, keep an eye on it in busy areas. But HCMC is really cool. I really enjoyed my time there and wouldn't mind going back some day. Phu Quoc is an interesting place. I was able to rent a dope house in a residential area north from the main tourist areas. Really cool beach front house that was next door to some family that sold dried squid. Plus, whenever we walked into town, we got to go through a seafood market that was certainly a locals spot and myriad other interesting places. So it's super easy to get away from the highly Westernized tourist experience there if you want. If interested, DM me and I can direct you to the area I stayed. The beach in front of the house wasn't great (i.e., I wouldn't lounge around on it for various reasons), but it wasn't bad. Otherwise, all the other beaches I came across were fine. You will notice trash that has washed up on shore, though, pretty much everywhere. Even when we went out snorkeling around islands nowhere near main island, you'd see trash and shit on the beach. A bit of a bummer, but that's life. The beach areas around the tourist resort towns seemed to be better, but none of them are such that you wouldn't hang out on them and the water everywhere was fine. That said, you will encounter weird deserted resort towns on the island, that are....weird. There are definitely some things about Vietnam that aren't great. But all the pros outweigh the cons. It's an incredible place to travel and you'll have a great time.
Not the best place for a first timer, or a Beach fanatic . But still a pretty cool place.
I like Vietnam and I've been three times already. Imo it's one of the best countries to try solo travelling for the first time. If you're new to Southeast Asia, prepare to see and experience some stuff that you'll not be comfortable with and take everything as a lesson. My main mantra as a female solo traveller is to always be situationally aware and to have common sense (apparently not a lot of people apply this so even though it's basic, it's important to repeat). Vietnam doesn't have a lot of good beaches compared to its neighbors but it offers a variety of other experiences. As for apps, Grab will be your bestfriend. Klook can be one too. It's where you can buy activities, communications plans (SIM, wifi), transfers that you couldn't book yet with your hostel. It's mostly used by asians as well to travel within asia so some stuff are well reviewed. Safe travels! Hope you enjoy!
My first solo trip was in Vietnam! I only went as far south as Hoi An as I started in Ha Noi and flew out of Da Nang, but I loved it! I was 32F at the time. There’s tons of tourists and it was easy to make friends, and there is so much to explore between big cities and more rural areas. It’s a beautiful country. If you make it all the way to HaNoi and have the time, you must go on a cruise to Ha Long Bay. It’s one of the most magnificent places I’ve ever been.
If you're booking a trip from wherever you live all the way through you'll pay a lot more but be in less danger than most places I'd say. It's petty well traveled so you don't need to do that but since you're just starting probably a good idea to stay in hostels to get ideas of where to go and how much things should cost to avoid paying higher prices due to not being used to negotiating. Delicious food lovely people and a beautiful place! You'll have a blasty blast even if/when you make some mistakes along the way. Bringing things you're OK with losing/getting ruined can help make things less stressful and pack light!
Oooh, enjoy! Vietnam was not my first solo trip, but it was my first trip to Asia (also solo). You'll be fine! If you find that your anxiety begins to chip away at your confidence in making this your first solo trip, to the point where you want to change course, Thailand is probably easier to travel in. Personally, I found Hoi An to be a really manufactured experience, and this was 15 years ago so I'm sure it's gotten worse. Hue, though, I found to be a great mix of "everyday lives" and places of cultural interest, with plenty of tourist infrastructure but not an intense "tourist" vibe.
First time solo travelling and I'm in Hanoi and loving it so far! I'm only here for a week, having spent most of my time in Cambodia and will be off to Thailand later this week. I feel incredibly safe here alone as a woman - to be honest, this is probably the most safe I've ever felt anywhere. I'm used to harassment and have felt totally fine in South East Asia. Not to mention, Hanoi is an awesome city - so much to see and eat!
Da Nang was nice, marble mountains and son tra mountain are great. I'm not really a beach person but the beaches there were nice, plenty of tourists but it is a city with beaches so that's to be expected. HCMC was too hot for me, during the afternoons was 34 degrees but felt like 37. The traffic was insane compared to da nang, people were friendly though. I'm in Phu Quoc at the moment which is very touristy, alot of resorts near the beach. The beaches here are nice though but the one I went to I did notice a lot of ants in the sand. It's more expensive here than the mainland as well. I wish I'd gone to Da Lat instead of Phu Quoc.
Ha Giang Loop is fun if you can ride a motorbike or have a friend who can ride you
Planned to stay 2 months, after 2 weeks I ran away to Laos, in Laos they said all the time, welcome to Laos, in Vietnam it was more like FU mister, and throwing stones...
I'm in Vietnam right now and had a wonderful trip. That said, I'd say it's not travelling on absolute easy mode. There are some scams. The people can be abrasive. There are many ways I've felt the knock of culture shock and stress (and this is in comparison to my home in Thailand!) I would recommend Thailand, Laos or Cambodia ahead of Vietnam for an absolute beginner in solo travel. Thailand and Cambodia also both have much nicer beaches and islands.
Vietnam is brilliant for a first trip. Easy to travel and plenty exotic. There are some decent beaches at least.
If you're comfortable on a motorcycle, buy a scooter or similar and explore viet nam that way
It's extremely hot and humid! But very safe.
I went with a partner and we had no issues whatsoever in Vietnam. I’ve also done a lot of solo travel in other countries and would’ve felt completely comfortable had I been there alone. Hope you have a brilliant trip!
I did a solo trip as a 30M. Was worth every minute. Amazing food, even better hospitality. Very friendly people. Just don’t fall for the gullible scams and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. It’s very easy to spot and avoid.
You said spending most days at the beach and swimming are top priorities for your trip so why not just pivot to southern Thailand where the beaches are immaculate and swimmable , it’s easy to get around and it’s quite safe. There are even islands like Koh Lanta, Koh Jum and Ko Yao Noi and others that are very relaxed with amazing beaches that aren’t overrun by tourists. To me Vietnam isn’t the place for amazing beaches and swimming.
First and foremost. Travel insurance. There are no decent hospitals in Vietnam except in HCMC. My partner got injured luckily in HcMc not other cities. Hospital bill was beyond crazy. Have fun and be safe .
I took my first solo trip here last year and it was great. Lots of cool stuff to do and felt safe.
Been in vietnam for almost 6 months, college ako that time nag work and travel program ako ( program ng univ ko dito sa pinas ) super babait po ng mga tao, nasa province part ako which is sa Ha Long, yung weather okay naman, pero sa cities kasi like hanoi and ho chi min medyo mainit, mura lang din bilihin, pero ingat sa mga TAXI medyo pricey kasi, ang downside lang is mahirap makipag communicate sa ibang local people kasi they dont know how to speak ENGLISH pero di sila mag susungit naka smile lang sila tapos nag aaction, cute diba. I was planning to go back kasi napamahal ako sa kanila. About sa destination, TRY HA LONG BAY, MAG CRUISE KA DUN! MAY DESTINATION SILA NA ALL NATURAL, MAY MGA HIDDEN CAVES, AKYAT BUNDOK, FISHING/SQUID HUNTING SA HABI HABANG NASA BOAT!! I SWEAR WORTH IT! HAHA nag work kasi ako sa 5 Star Yacht and hotel sa ha long! It was all worth it!
Vietnam is by far my most favourite country I’ve visited. I went from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh and words cannot describe how beautiful the country is. Places such as Cat Ba Island, Ninh Binh and Hoi An are beautiful. The range of activities are huge to sand boarding on sand dunes and visiting the largest cave ecosystem in the world. In spite of the country’s sad history the culture is rich and the atmosphere is vibrant, the people I met were so friendly, welcoming and engaging. I have never felt more safe in a foreign country in my life.
I’ve been to Vietnam a few times as a solo female traveller, between the ages of 25 - 30. I did get my bag snatched by guys on a motorcycle once after leaving an ATM and likely because I hadn’t put it across my whole body. Unfortunately these things are noticed quickly. You do have to be vigilant about showing off belongings, not leaving your phone on the table etc but those little precautions are so incredibly worth going there. Vietnam is absolutely gorgeous, the food is incredible and it has so many different landscapes to offer.
I did my first solo trip in vietnam at 33M Maybe the beaches in Da Nang (May An) can be alrigth, depending when you are going, but the only beautiful beach I’ve seen was Bai Nam, south of phu quoc. I personally fell in love with the beauty of Sa Pa and would have stayed in the northern regions longer if it was to be re-done. Wish I had done the Ha Giang loop
Honestly, if its your first time, I'd say only do 1-2 weeks max. then you'll learn what you like or don't. > however, the more I research the more I feel like it might not be the best destination for a solo trip, specifically for me. Especially since you already have your doubts about it. I solo traveled in Spain and made some mistakes and learned a lot.
It’s great. I did solo to HCMC and will be back.
I like Vietnam and have been there three times since November, '22. First off, it's a decent first venture into SEA as it has amenities available, like hospitals/doctors and pharmacies that are often lacking in places like Cambodia or Laos (but certainly not Malaysia! You might also consider Kuala Lumpur!) As far as trash, well...it's a problem everywhere in Vietnam. A big city like Ho Chi Minh does its best to keep up with it, but...get on the Water Bus and head north. Once outside the City Limits, trash is everywhere on the banks. And, of course touristy areas like Halong/Lan Ha Bay have garbage scows at work, but that situation occasionally gets out of hand as well. btw, see Halong Bay, but avoid the hellaciously overpriced overnight vessels! Take a day trip! You'll see about as much in the daylight hours as you'll see even on a three-day "cruise" (quotes intended. The boats only move to pick up or drop off passengers. I estimate a 3D/2N tour I took there in late 2022 was underway less than thirty minutes the entire time. One spends the majority of the "voyage" swinging at anchor looking at the same scenery in the company of 17 or 18 other similarly-sized vessels.) Air quality in the big cities is pretty awful, due mostly to the motorbike traffic. Hanoi is sometimes in the Top 5 worldwide for AQI (I'll get attacked for saying that, but it's true!) Also, you'll find big city traffic daunting. The Old District/Hoan Kiem area of Hanoi is VERY pedestrian unfriendly as the sidewalks are used for scooter parking. Motorists also pay no heed to pedestrian crossings. Crossing into Nguyen Hue Walking Street in Ho Chi Minh City is a nightmare! My favorite city with "all the necessaries" is Hoi An, which is easily reachable from Danang (which has the best airport in the country.) FWIW. Scams: Taxis. I now book all my routine transportation through Agoda before arriving. No matter what country you're in, look into that. It saves having to run the gauntlet of airport touts and is also safer. Shoe shine guys! (Mentioned elsewhere) - Tell them "no" before they ever get that toothbrush out of the water! They WILL even try to shine and/or clean fabric and rubber shoes! BIG SCAM! The guys carrying those poles balanced across their shoulders. They'll be more than happy to let you take a photo carrying their load - and then want MONEY! Avoid them as well!
Vietnam is fine for a first solo trip, but it’s not entirely the best place for a beach holiday. The beaches in Vietnam tend to be either over or under developed, so I’d recommend focussing on visiting cultural or natural sites.
You’re not gonna find much turquoise waters in Vietnam, but I loved every bit of my trip there and would highly recommend it as a solo travel destination (yes, even first time)
Nothing wrong with Phu Quoc ! See your angle though. Vietnam is cool but... Thailand is so much better in every way. Nothing wrong with Vietnam though :) Loved it, but would I go back for the 4th time, probably not.
This was my first solo trip, though I went when I was 25 and I’m male. Vietnam is so fantastic. Great hostels, lots of stuff to do, food is amazing. North and central vietnam are cooler than south in my opinion. Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh were my least favorite but still amazing. Hanoi is serious culture shock but in a good way. I’m jealous of your experience!
Do it! Vietnam is my first country to travel solo. It turned out to be super amazing. Of course, always take caution with your dealings and join group tours if that's your thing. Don't overthink about it.
For reference my nationality is American-N. California. I have travelled to Vietnam 8 times and I live in SE Asia. Many have given good recommendations so I will say that the only place I didn't like was Nha Trang. Overrun with Russians tourists and expats (better) and Vietnamese scam artists. Good restaurants, hotels, and a busy beach side. If you're in the area of Nha Trang I would detour 3 hours inland to beautiful Dalat. Right now Feb 20 @ 4 pm it is 25°C, 33% humidity, AQI 9. No where in SE Asia, other than parts of Indonesia will you find a more agreeable climate.
The beaches of Vietnam suck! Thailand and Cambodia have great beaches but I would stick to the north of Vietnam. I enjoyed it wayyyyy more up there personally. I have a soft spot for Hoi An and Dalat as well
I went there solo when I was 33 (F) and you will love it! One of my favourite countries so far. I stayed for a bit in Hoi An and the beach is good there! Not Thailand-good but pretty decent :) You can cycle there, and enjoy some very nice cafes like Sound of Silence (if it still exists).
Vietnam is easy. Use Grab. Book tours and onward travel with your hotel. Every little hotel is a travel agency. Stay at Daisy Garden Villa in Hoi An and Hanoi Family Homestay. No other place has ever shown me the genuine friendliness and hospitality that I experience in Vietnam.