spitthedog wrote:After traveling from Cambodia > Vietnam > Laos and west trough Thailand it struck me that Vietnam is now the best value in SEA.
Great food everywhere. You really appreciate how great Viet food is once you leave there and travel Laos by road. Viet street food has everything from sophisticated duck salads to those huge plates in the buffet rice shops. Such a contrast to Cambodia.
And the beer. Only 60 cents for a bottle of Tiger.
We travelled through the central highlands where air con not needed.
Only 100k dong per night for a room if you stay in the non english script locals places.
And everything is organised.
The humble guesthouse in Thailand has virtually gone the way of the dodo. Been replaced by 400 baht "resorts" all throughout the country. Most of them always look empty and the rooms generally small and pokey.
We stayed in a hotel in Banglamphu for 600 baht and i shit you not i could not get through the front room door without squeezing my body sideways.
My frame had trouble getting through the bathroom door. The beaches of Rayong were lovely but full of Scandanavians and no brits.
As the street vendors get moved out of Khao San road and beer prices not particularly cheap , it makes Vietnam look very attractive for long stayers.
No forms to fill out when we entered Vietnam. No questions asked for other SEA citizens.
No rubbish everywhere in Vietnam like erm...
No driving like chimpanzees on crack.
I should imagine the healthcare is alot less life threatening and above board.
Oh, and the hammock cafes all throughout Vietnam. The world needs more of those. Why doesnt Canbodia adopt them?
If only the buggers learnt more Engrish though. They make khmers look like language geniuses.
Once upon a time in a land where the currency was being devalued to compete with Chinese exports, Lord Playboy and I drank Pilsner Urquells brewed in the Czech Rep for $1.50 and found them a bit too expensive.
So we went to Saigon Exports @ $1.25 and that was too expensive.
So we went to Bababas @ $1.15 and that was too expensive.
So we went to Saigon Reds @ $1 and that was too expensive.
So we went to 30 cent granny Beer Hoi and that was just right.
Vietnam is the best value in Indochina for beer switching without a shadow of a doubt.