'Leave it at home': Warning to Australians visiting iconic travel destination just eight hours from Sydney and Brisbane
Aussie tourists heading to Vietnam for a cheap, exotic holiday have been told to avoid an embarrassing faux pas when visiting the south-east Asian nation.
Brian Shapland says Vietnam has become a preferred holiday destination for Australians for very good reasons: The people are friendly, it’s close, exotic, cheap and there is very little crime.
Mr Shapland should know.
He lived there for 15 years after falling in love in Saigon and marrying a local.
The teacher and former swimming champion talks about the holiday bargains.
Stay in a smart hotel for $55 a night in Saigon - with a full buffet breakfast thrown in.
In the cities, dine at any restaurant that is crowded, he said.
Locals have a good eye for quality and value.
Vietnam also has endless beaches, golf courses and ritzy hotels to rival the very best.
And it is eight hours away from Sydney and Brisbane.
And when you go to Vietnam please leave your superiority complex at home, Mr Shapland said.
You will find a highly sophisticated community that has quietly become a regional manufacturing and cultural superpower producing everything from shoes to microchips, textiles, steel and high-end electronics - and breathtaking symphony concerts.
Vietnam has 104 million people, up from 77 million 25 years ago, Mr Shapland said.
Ho Chi Minh City, still known by its original name of Saigon, is Vietnam’s largest city where futuristic skyscrapers rub shoulders with quaint alleyways lined with ancient temples.
The French colonial influence remains with grand colonial buildings set in leafy boulevards.
Most major attractions are within walking distance, Mr Shapland, who was born in Toowoomba, said.
He went to Vietnam in 2001 as a swimming instructor and ended up coaching the national squad before running kindergartens and working at an international school.
Vietnam will be thrust once more on to the global stage on April 30 when the country marks the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon.
There will be military parades, symphony concerts, cultural events and fireworks to mark the reunification that came when North Vietnamese troops overran the presidential palace forcing the US out of the Vietnam War.
Mr Shapland expects to see North Vietnamese T-54B tank number 843 back in action.
It was the first tank to burst through the chained gates of the south Vietnamese presidential palace in 1975 as US helicopters airlifted the last evacuees from the roof.
Number 843 was restored and greeted with wild enthusiasm on the 40th anniversary of the event.
Tourists can trace the conflict in graphic detail at The War Remnants Museum.
Not far away are the Bin Thanh markets, the Chu Chi tunnels and floating markets of the Mekong Delta.
He recommends the town of Hoi An for tailoring.
“You get measured up in the morning and your new suit is ready by the afternoon,” he said.
When Mr Shapland first got to Saigon the internet was unreliable and internal flights expensive.
That has all changed, he said.
“Over the years the county has made significant investment in transportation, highways, airports and metro systems in the larger cities,” he said.
“The Internet and phone calls are inexpensive and reliable.
“Hotels and resorts can be inexpensive, and taxis and the local Grab taxi service (like Uber) are cheap and provide a user-friendly App service.
"The most notable improvement has been in its internal air travel.
“This has all been possible with the significant improvements in literacy rates and the rise of the middle class and their consumer economy.”
Bars stay open longer and supermarkets stock fine wine and Western food.
“There are still the favourite tourist sites in the north such as Hanoi Old Quarter and Ha Long Bay, Sapa where it snows, and the Imperial city of Hue,” Mr Shapland said.
He recommends the city of Danang, the ancient town of Hoi An and the mountain city of Da Lat.
Visit also the Chu Chi tunnels and the canals of the Mekong Delta with their floating markets.
“Vietnam has a coastline of over 3,000kms with interesting and seaside resorts and hotels that cater for all budgets and activities in such places as Vung Tau, Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Danang, Phu Quoc island but don’t be scared to venture off the track to other great coastal resorts such as Con Dao Island, Quy Nhon, Lang Co, Cam Ranh and Quang Ngai,” Mr Shapland said.
There are Disneyland-style attractions on Hon Tre Island in Nha Trang.
One of his favourite destinations was Danang.
“Danang is just North of the ancient city of Hoi An and is a rapidly developing coastal city with clean golden beaches similar to Australia,” he said.
The Australian Surf Life Saving association trained the lifeguards.
“Hoi An surprises and delights me every time. The old village, river boat tours, nearness to the beach, restaurants and shops with clothes, clothes, and clothes. Don't be afraid to bargain with Vietnamese shopkeepers,” he said.
Mr Shapland recommends the stylish Wafaifo Resort within walking distance of Hoi An.
Expect to pay around $200 a night.
He suggests your visit should be from December to March when the weather is cooler.