Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

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crob
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Re: Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

Post by crob »

Ishhh, just got this email.

....

Dear X

Thank you very much for your support.

Kindly be informed Grand Silverland Hotel will be closed permanently from 25th May 2022.

Blah blah, there sending to there other hotel under the silver land brand.

.....


Stayed there for my first 3 nights n it seemed pretty busy. Nice hotel for the price, lots of staff on as well, i wonder how many of these hotels will be back.
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crob
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Re: Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

Post by crob »

Arrive at my place in da Nang n get told the pool is closed for maintenance when I chose this place for the pool... So pretty pissed ... hopefully near by hotels near will let me use there pool if I buy some drinks at the bar.
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Re: Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

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Left Da Nang and In Hanoi now, honestly don't get what the fuss is over da nang, it didn't feel like anything special, I enjoyed it, but won't be rushing back... That said I had a weirdly fun time at Sun World, granted it's been a good 13+ years since being in Europe, so it was kinder fun for me.

Seen the most westerners in Hanoi(that said haven't left the old quarter)... Lots of backpackers, wish I did the backpacking thing in Asia instead of Europe when I was young, they always look like there having fun without sweating about money... Now sinking down some ciders on train street waiting for the train as I'm that sort of trash... Also imodium is rad, yeah, never trusting a breakfast buffet again.
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crob
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Re: Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

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Now in sapa, bus ride up here was nice but the weather here is fucked, feel like I've wasted my time coming up here as everything is clouded out, I can see why people would like this place, but I can see why the hippy types hate the main town, all the screaming from people drinking was giving me the shits earlier... also I kinder regret not booking a home stay as apart of a trek. That said no trekking company's replyed to my inquiries.
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Re: Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

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crob wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 6:53 pm Now in sapa, bus ride up here was nice but the weather here is fucked, feel like I've wasted my time coming up here as everything is clouded out, I can see why people would like this place, but I can see why the hippy types hate the main town, all the screaming from people drinking was giving me the shits earlier... also I kinder regret not booking a home stay as apart of a trek. That said no trekking company's replyed to my inquiries.
You're writing a good trip report, it does seem like Vietnam has suffered badly from the Covid-19. Do you think you may have gone a little too early? Also, how long until the country is back to normal?
Always "hope" but never "expect".
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Re: Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

Post by roadman »

Rent a bike up there, go and check out the surrounding areas. I don't like Sapa at all but there are some wonderful places nearby. Nam Cang is a great spot a bit south. You won't find any tourists there either. TIt is a bit rural though and no English is spoken there. It is Sapa 30 years ago.

Another option would be to hit some of the hot spring bathhouses in the Ta Phin area.
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Re: Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

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AndyKK wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 11:11 pm
crob wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 6:53 pm Now in sapa, bus ride up here was nice but the weather here is fucked, feel like I've wasted my time coming up here as everything is clouded out, I can see why people would like this place, but I can see why the hippy types hate the main town, all the screaming from people drinking was giving me the shits earlier... also I kinder regret not booking a home stay as apart of a trek. That said no trekking company's replyed to my inquiries.
You're writing a good trip report, it does seem like Vietnam has suffered badly from the Covid-19. Do you think you may have gone a little too early? Also, how long until the country is back to normal?
I think there is a real shortage of tourists. I remember pre-pandemic, loads of Euro/NorthAm tourists thronging the District 1 streets, everywhere you looked. In my two separate one-nighters in Saigon, it felt like I was the only westerner in town, during early morning streetside coffee, afternoon lunch and evening bar hopping. At a bar called Rooftop during the Vietnam vs Malaysia SEA football match, there were three other westerners in the packed open-air bar. They could very well be residents. Same at Phatty's sports bar, when the manager knew some of the westerners by name and they knew his. Quite a few customers were Vietnamese. At StormP, a Danish place, there was one other customer besides me at 6 pm. It used to start filling up at the end of the work day.

The same night as the football match, the streets around the Rooftop and Phatty's were devoid of westerners. Made for some lightly populated pubs and restaurants. I'd rate the Fun Level a 3/10.

As I reported above, Vung Tau was practically a ghost town in terms of westerner counts. Quite a few Vietnamese came into town on the weekend, but not nearly as many as in the past. Arriving and departing, Saigon Airport was very empty, unlike the past when huge crowds of people filled the outdoors and interior corridors and check-in lineups.

It may be that westerners are not able to travel now due to high inflation and low incomes, or they're waiting for next autumn/winter period. A major issue is the lack of a long-term visa. I believe that if Vietnam reinstates the 90-day Tourist visa or introduces even longer ones, then the tourist market will expand. I don't see this happening though until the autumn, actually. I myself would not consider going back to VN until then.

PS: By the way, I'm not a tourism type of person. I don't do tours. I prefer long stays and living among the locals.
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Re: Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

Post by Alex »

Thanks for your insights @crob and @ExPenhMan, that's good to know. I might put off my Vietnam visit by a few months as I'd like it to be a bit more lively than what you've described.

They should really sort out their visa mess first. Having only visa exempt and the short eVisa available really is disappointing.
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Re: Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

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I remember pre-pandemic, loads of Euro/NorthAm tourists thronging the District 1 streets
the Rooftop and Phatty's were devoid of westerners
I prefer long stays and living among the locals.

You are so full of shit.
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Re: Entering Vietnam on e-visa, May 2022

Post by ExPenhMan »

roadman wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 12:05 pm I remember pre-pandemic, loads of Euro/NorthAm tourists thronging the District 1 streets
the Rooftop and Phatty's were devoid of westerners
I prefer long stays and living among the locals.

You are so full of shit.
Statement 1 is correct as VN recorded an all-time high of more than 18 million visitors in 2019 and Saigon got a lot of them.
Statement 2 was not what I said. You deliberately manipulated two separate descriptions.
Statement 3 I've done this for years in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Don't forget to take your meds.

End of discourse.
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