Hanoi to Saigon along the coast - VIETNAM

Hanoi with its wide boulevards is a fairly pleasant city to walk around though the presence of the communist stink is evident, especially around the HCM Mausoleum and other fine properties occupied by the top ranking officials. Halong Bay - the coast dotted by massive limestone rocks (see photo) is a fine place for leisure boating. Down the coast I didn't particularly enjoy Hue and Hoi An - not for a lack of impressive sites and cultural vibe, but for the flood of tourists over the Christmas season and a stream of entrepreneurial local salespeople interested in their money.

The last time I visited Ho Chi Minh City / Saigon, was almost 9 years ago. I really enjoyed HCMC at that time - the people watching was amazing as they lived a typical developing world / third world life. Oh how fast our world is changing! HCMC now is awashed with upscale European stores, endless streams of motorbikes (gone are the cyclos), huge shopping malls - its just not the old Saigon I enjoyed just 9 years ago.

Maybe I am spoiled by the friendliness of the people of Myanmar, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and even Nepal, but I found the Vietnamese very unfriendly, and often rude. Of all countries I have visited, Vietnam is the scam capital of the world. You need to be very alert and street-wise or you'll be scammed and cheated around every corner.

Got the point? I didn't really enjoy this trip to Vietnam. If ever I go again, I would not get close to any of the big cities and I'll get as far away from the tourist trail as possible. Maybe tourism have wasted the charm of Vietnam. I'm sure there's still something good to be found around the off-the-beaten tracks.