How I did it: I had an opportunity to work on an international business project, so I chose Vietnam from the list of possible countries, since I had always wanted to visit.  I spent a week in the country (and a few more weeks in neighboring countries), focusing on the southern area around Saigon.  I also spent a few days in Hanoi, which has a very different feel and was a great contrast to the southern areas.  I cannot recommend Vietnam highly enough for a short or long-term visit.  The people are incredibly friendly and helpful.  I was welcomed into private homes for meals, and given impromptu language lessons every time I asked about vocabulary or pronunciation.  The food is delicious and amazingly inexpensive by Western standards.  I have visited many countries, and this is now one of my favorites.

Lessons & tips: Take plenty of time to meet the locals.  Don't just roll by in an air-conditioned bus - actually get out and talk, ask questions about their lives, eat the food they offer, and visit the locations they suggest.    Pack light so that you can get around easily.  Learn a few words in Vietnamese - even if it's just "hello" and "thank you."  Consider the climate during the season you'll be visiting.  And if there's any way to squeeze it into your schedule, stop over in Cambodia (just next door) and tour Angkor Wat.

Resources: Nearly everything can be done online nowadays, if you like to plan ahead.  But as I mentioned, the locals are endlessly helpful with recommendations for restaurants, places of interest, hotels, transportation, entertainment, and so on, if you are the sort of person who likes to fly by the seat of your pants.  Do take a portable phrasebook - although most Vietnamese people speak a bit of English, sometimes you just need that one specific vocabulary word, and sign language won't cut it.

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Mar 10, 2010, 01:34PM PST | 0 comments | 2 cheers