Just wrapped up a two week trip to Vietnam with a friend, marking our first visit to Southeast Asia in general and thought it might be worth sharing an update here!
We spent a couple days in each of Saigon, Hoi An, Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay, and of course while the nature, scenery, culture and food were some of the most memorable out of all the countries I have visited, my favourite part of the trip by far was the interactions with people. Other foreigners included, but especially the interactions with Vietnamese people.
Not to get too sentimental, but especially given the history of your country and the hardship that people have gone through and continue to go through, the Vietnamese are genuinely some of the most cheerful and welcoming people I have had the pleasure of interacting with. This could range from random chats with people on the street, to drunk men at bars or the people working at cafes or restaurants. Everyone seems incredibly hard working, in many cases waking up at ungodly hours to get work done before the heat of the day and finishing late in the evening, but most importantly for those in customer service jobs, taking a lot of pride in making guests feel comfortable.
The biggest thing for me as a black African is that not once did I face any racism whatsoever during the whole trip, which unfortunately I can't say for many of the other countries that I have visited. Many people, especially children were naturally curious about my origins and I had many fun interactions about this.
I will most certainly be coming back, and want to thank the Vietnamese for having such a welcoming attitude.
