Viet Nam Adoption Vietnam Adoption, Asia Adoption

07/18/07

How to Get Around in Viet Nam

Posted by : Rebecca in Viet Nam Adoption Blog at 08:25 am , 479 words, 63 views
Categories: Travel

I would highly recommend getting out of your hotel and exploring Viet Nam during your adoption trip. There is much to learn about your child’s birth country and you will be rewarded with stories to tell them as they grow up. Experiencing new restaurants, shops, museums and just walking around town will give you a much richer in country experience. With that being said, there are a few different ways to travel (and I loved them all!)

Taxis are plentiful, quick, easy and relatively inexpensive. In most areas of the cities you can easily find a cab to take you to your destination. You can also have your hotel front desk call a taxi for you, so it will be waiting outside for you as soon as you leave the hotel. Once you find a taxi company you like, keep their business card with you and request them at all times. There are some unmetered cabs, so be sure to negotiate a price before getting in the car. Even the metered ones can charge a surcharge, so asking about price ahead of time is a good way to avoid being ripped off.
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Cyclos will provide you with the quintessential Viet Nam experience. Note that they’re not all designed for Westerners' wider frames, so you may be more comfortable with one person per cyclo, instead of squeezing in like we did! Cyclo drivers will pedal you to your destination and you’ll get to view the city from a completely different perspective. Again, be sure to negotiate the price before climbing aboard.
If you’re feeling brave and want to travel like the locals do, hop on the back of a motorbike for a heart racing trip through the streets of Viet Nam. Zipping through the seas of motorbikes is a little bit scary and a lot of fun. You’ll find people offering rides everywhere you turn, but your agency’s staff may know which drivers to use. Don’t be surprised if your chauffer waits for you outside your hotel each morning! One morning in Hanoi when I was out shopping by myself I found myself without enough dong for a cab back to the hotel, so I was able to bargain myself a motorbike ride, and it was definitely one of the most memorable experiences I had in Hanoi.
You will see the most of the city when you slow down and take it all in on foot. Walking around (with or without a destination) will give you the opportunity to take in the culture, talk to other people and take in the sights and smells at a more peaceful place. Plus, this is the best way to attract all those coos and clucks that the Vietnamese love to lavish on their babies!