禁漫天堂

Hello Mike,

Welcome on board !

Please note that I have created a new thread on the Vietnam forum from your post so that members can guide you.

All the very best,

Bhavna

I have relatives in both Ha Noi and Saigon but I don't know them. How can I plan a safe trip to Vietnam and not get scammed when I am there?
-@mikedellgolf

Right there you have a major leg up on those of us who initially came here without any contacts.

I highly recommend you work hard at getting to know them.

There are likely cousins who speak/write English well enough to help you find your way here.

It's probable that they will want to roll out the Red Carpet for you while you are here, and as a Vi峄噒 Ki峄乽 on a 6 month entry (with a 5 year Visa Exemption Certificate) you'll certainly have the opportunity to experience Vietnam in ways that most foreigners never will.

However, if for some reason you aren't comfortable doing much to get to know them, there are plenty of trustworthy Vietnamese citizens who can guide you in your activities for a reasonable fee.

I have relatives in both Ha Noi and Saigon but I don't know them. How can I plan a safe trip to Vietnam and not get scammed when I am there?
-@mikedellgolf

Right there you have a major leg up on those of us who initially came here without any contacts.

I highly recommend you work hard at getting to know them.

There are likely cousins who speak/write English well enough to help you find your way here.

It's probable that they will want to roll out the Red Carpet for you while you are here, and as a Vi峄噒 Ki峄乽 on a 6 month entry (with a 5 year Visa Exemption Certificate) you'll certainly have the opportunity to experience Vietnam in ways that most foreigners never will.

However, if for some reason you aren't comfortable doing much to get to know them, there are plenty of trustworthy Vietnamese citizens who can guide you in your activities for a reasonable fee.
-@OceanBeach92107

Mike,

OB is a very knowledgeable guy. Also consider those you meet along the way, on the golf course, not sure about tennis, but badminton is very popular here! I enjoy also.

Both your parents are Vietnamese, (citizens with right of return, I believe) but not sure of how that works for you too.

Regardless, I pray you have a wonderful time here, your ancestral home.

MAc

I heard from my cousins who visited Vietnam on a regular basis that the women in Vietnam are very aggressive in chasing guys from the US who are good looking, highly educated and have money. I have all three. Where can I find a "local" who can help me navigate these pitfalls? Thank you in advance.

You'll definitely big a big hit. My personnal suggestion if you're planning on dating is to maybe avoid using Tinder and dating websites, and avoid meeting girls at "western-style" bars. Your Vietnamse level is unclear in your post. If you've got some basic Vietnamese, then meeting women (I assume women in your case from your post) in more standard settings should be safer and much more enjoyable. That's only my opinion of course, other posters might have opposite suggestions.

I heard from my cousins who visited Vietnam on a regular basis that the women in Vietnam are very aggressive in chasing guys from the US who are good looking, highly educated and have money. I have all three. Where can I find a "local" who can help me navigate these pitfalls? Thank you in advance.


You'll definitely big a big hit. My personnal suggestion if you're planning on dating is to maybe avoid using Tinder and dating websites, and avoid meeting girls at "western-style" bars. Your Vietnamse level is unclear in your post. If you've got some basic Vietnamese, then meeting women (I assume women in your case from your post) in more standard settings should be safer and much more enjoyable. That's only my opinion of course, other posters might have opposite suggestions.
-@WillyBaldy

Mike,

if you are so inclined 'stay within more normal settings, as WillyBaldy suggest. if you are聽 Buddhist, attend a local Pagoda where/if you find yourself comfortable. bus/coach and inexpensive so is over-night travel going some away from your arrival point.聽

Wondering also if your Tieng Viet capable.

As far as women are concerned, just think with your mature self. Check at a local college for someone who will help you navigate Viet Nam. English is also more likely spoken.

Take to heart what OB, WillyBaldy,聽 have said, ...sounds like you will have a wonderful journey

Best of everything to you.

MAc

How much money do I need in order to have a very comfortable trip for six months?

I heard from my cousins who visited Vietnam on a regular basis that the women in Vietnam are very aggressive in chasing guys from the US who are good looking, highly educated and have money. I have all three. Where can I find a "local" who can help me navigate these pitfalls? Thank you in advance.

Best,
Mike
-@mikedellgolf

How much money you need will likely be determined by your relatives and how they react to you.聽 If they are willing to work as a sort of free tour guide, you could save a lot of money but if they see you as an ATM, look out.

As far as women who are attracted to your "blue passport" as much as your self-attributed good looks, it really depends more on you than it does on them.聽 For every story of an American who got taken advantage of, I am sure there is another one of a girl who got left behind with crushed hopes when her "true love" return to Westminster, CA.聽 I have a friend who's son has a great time in HCMC nightspots, which I am sure his wife at home would not appreciate.聽 Just don't throw away money and be ethical yourself.

@THIGV

Thank you.聽 I speak very little VNese.

I am going to graduate from college in two weeks with a degree in Computer Science and decide to change my travel plan.聽 I already accepted a good paying consultant job that I am going to work until November '23.聽 I will then take six months off to travel to VN.聽 I currently have about 35K in savings and with six months of consulting work, I will save another 45K for 70K total.聽 My plan is to travel from HaNoi to Saigon to visit relatives, sightseeing, and playing A LOT of golf and tennis along the way.聽 聽I won both the high school tennis and golf聽 state championship before hanging them up for Computer Science major in college.聽 When I go to VN in November '23, I will meet two cousins in VN who will be my tour guide to keep me safe and from getting scammed.聽 I spoke to my cousins on the phone and they were very excited about being my tour guide.聽 I will cover expenses for both of them.聽 I hope 50K will be enough to last six months for the three of us (I'll give each of them 10K before I come back to the US).

Btw, my cousins told me that due to my status (well spoken, good look, educated, athlete), they can introduce me to young ladies whose families are wealthy and members of the Communist party.聽 I laugh at that notion.聽 I told them it has to be someone who speaks fluent English because I speak very little VNese, LOL.... But I will see what happens.聽

@mikedellgolf just hope you are ugly and poor, then you will be fine... Just imagine being so conceited that you think anyone would care about you and your money!!! LoL and Jog on

@mikedellgolf just hope you are ugly and poor, then you will be fine...

Working perfectly fine for me

Just imagine being so conceited that you think anyone would care about you and your money!!! LoL and Jog on
-@Ed Howard Williams

We should probably cut him just a little slack though.

He is, after all, 21.

If you have an iphone, there is an amazing app.聽 You speak into the phone in English and it repeats what you said in Vietnamese.聽 聽A Viet hears that and then replies in Vietnamese.

The phone then repeats that in English.聽 My son, who speak and understands not one Vietnamese word, recently used it in Vietnam with great success.聽

I'm following this thread with great interest

@mikedellgolf just hope you are ugly and poor, then you will be fine... Just imagine being so conceited that you think anyone would care about you and your money!!! LoL and Jog on
-@Ed Howard Williams

One of my cousins from the US went back to VN to visit in November '22 after graduating from college.聽 He went to VN by himself and got trapped by a VNese girl, she got pregnant and they are now engaged.聽 My parents were very worried about me going to VN until my aunts re-assured my mother that my two cousins will be with me all the time.聽 My cousins in VN told me that women in VN are very aggressive to expat who are from the US, educated and good looking.聽 They asked me if I am interested in meeting young women聽 whose parents are high level government officials because those ladies are interested in guys like myself, LOL...I told them that I might be interested in dating in VN only if they speak fluent English, and have interests in tennis and golf like me.聽 My cousins laughed and told me that my dating pool in VN is very small because not many ladies in VN play tennis nor golf, LOL...

This will be my first trip to VN so I really don't know what to expect there.

If you have an iphone, there is an amazing app. You speak into the phone in English and it repeats what you said in Vietnamese.聽 A Viet hears that and then replies in Vietnamese.
The phone then repeats that in English. My son, who speak and understands not one Vietnamese word, recently used it in Vietnam with great success.
-@williamherron13

I can speak VN'ese with my mom and dad but in mostly "broken" Vietnamese.聽 Yes, I am very aware of translation app.

Best when you are out and about to carry cash only...use a VPN when on your laptop if using public wifi. There's no need to invest or buy anything of significant value in Vietnam so if you come across people that want to show you something just ignore them. If renting probably best to go through a a reputable agent. If you are there for only 6 months I'd avoid the girls. Your biggest hurdle getting back to the states unscathed will be the women...your relatives will also want to set you up with single women so be prepared for that. I'd avoid the girls and find a women in your own country especially if you are rich, good looking and wealthy

Best when you are out and about to carry cash only...use a VPN when on your laptop if using public wifi. There's no need to invest or buy anything of significant value in Vietnam so if you come across people that want to show you something just ignore them. If renting probably best to go through a a reputable agent. If you are there for only 6 months I'd avoid the girls. Your biggest hurdle getting back to the states unscathed will be the women...your relatives will also want to set you up with single women so be prepared for that. I'd avoid the girls and find a women in your own country especially if you are rich, good looking and wealthy
-@panda7

I am neither rich nor wealthy, only good looking, athletic, and educated .聽 My mother biggest fear is that I will hook up with some girls in Vietnam

When I went back to VN to visit my dad, his GF would bring her niece up from Can Tho to Saigon. I guess she was hoping I would fall for her niece, get married and bring her to the US and eventually bring my dad's GF to the US too. The second time I went back to visit my dad, she brought a second niece, this one was barely 18 and I'm 50 at the time and same thing, hoping I would fall for either niece.

When my mom passed away, his GF started planning their marriage and at this time, my dad had dementia and pretty much bed ridden. They somehow got married but his mind was gone so I heard he failed the mental competency questions at the embassy or something like that. She's pretty resourceful so somehow last year she got a family member in Florida to sponsor her so she is currently living in Florida. Don't think being married to my dad had anything with her going to Florida.

Just be smart about it and if you happen to meet a girl, use protection. A lot of Vietnamese thinks the US is the land of milk and honey but don't realize you have to work your butt off to afford to live here. You make more money but you also pay more for everything and not speaking the language or knowing anyone here will be tough for anyone.

You are going to get eaten alive if you don't change your attitude!! you talk about 35k this and 75k that ,聽 whatever, Why you would say that in a forum is weird, if you talk like that in Vietnam you are going to get eaten by people that are only interested in that, make sense? Many if not most nice girls make a few hundred bucks a month. wake up!! have a nice time.

You are going to get eaten alive if you don't change your attitude!! you talk about 35k this and 75k that , whatever, Why you would say that in a forum is weird, if you talk like that in Vietnam you are going to get eaten by people that are only interested in that, make sense? Many if not most nice girls make a few hundred bucks a month. wake up!! have a nice time.
-@Joelalaland

exactly what I have been thinking all the way through this post, this is a prime example of someone who just wants to put pen to paper on the forum & get some kind of weird kick out of it.

Take care be safe ,Youse street smarts dont flash your money around otherwise before you know it empty pockets.

Have a wonderful time with your family make lots happy聽 memories.

Allow my to butt in on your life with some observations. That's what we do on this forum, it won't hurt much!

I realize you are 21 and haven't had much experience with money and what you know about Vietnam is from your American family who have old memories and fears so it's not your fault.

If you have any street sense, you're not going to get scammed in a meaningful way. You have Vietnamese skin! It is foreign-looking people who get jacked up prices. Things that don't have prices marked, and some that do, can be bargained for. Try it in a respectful way, some places expect it. By scams I mean being overcharged for stuff.

Sorry but I would worry more about your family, not scamming, but taking advantage of you. The poorer they are, and the less they work, the more worry. Your two cousins I guess don't work as they are available for you to pay their way for 6 months. Good deal for them. What if two or three more show up available to travel when you arrive?

Have you told them about the $10,000 pots-of-gold yet? Please say no, I think that is ridiculous. You are paying their expenses, they don't need any more. Have you thought about how much are you putting in all those family red envelopes for Tet? Instead of being like them, as part of the family, you are showing off, setting yourself apart as a patronizing US family king.

I also think 6 months is way too long for a first trip. What if your cousins are very different from you? Bad travel chemistry can ruin a trip. What if you find VN food, sanitation, motorbike maniacs, heat, oppressive? I would do 2-3 months. You can see plenty. Nov-Dec, leave before Tet. Travel and airfare around Tet is very expensive.

You are going to love the girls. Aggressive? I think not. More like self conscious, selfie-obsessed, family-oriented, and sure, interested in foreigners. In every city, visit English clubs. They will be mostly late teens/early 20s, speak enough English - they don't need to be fluent - and you can help. Go to Facebook groups: search city name + "English". Also search "Expat" to find golf and tennis advice. You won't find man-eating feminists like in America.

I also recommend you get motorcycle qualified before you come, for safety. A weekend class.

BTW what kind of multi-month visa are you coming on?

By yourself staying in Airbnb or Agoda 3 stars (research it) your expenses alone can be under $1600 eating Vietnamese food. Extra $$ for tennis + golf. Extra $$ for cousins. Extra $$ for Tet gifts. Have a good trip!

How do you survive within 6 months? If you don't want to get scammed better don't have eye contact with unnecessary people. I have experienced of forced shoe cleaning, I just ran away.