People Tell the Story: Vietnam

Posted by on Jun 9, 2013 in People Tell the Story, Vietnam | 3 comments

The people of Vietnam could easily be our favorite from our experience in Asia. We seem to be saying that every time we travel to the next country, but it’s true. Somehow, our impression of people keeps getting better and better. The Vietnamese are so likable because they are extremely friendly, welcoming and overly hospitable.

Name: Trung

Age: 27 

Occupation: Free lance tour guide

Hometown: Hanoi

Trung

Trung epitomized what we perceived as the typical Vietnamese citizen. He was super nice, graciously accommodating and proud to show off part of his country. For 24 hours, Trung was our tour guide, history teacher, and friend during our sail through Ha Long Bay. He shared a wide array of knowledge regarding the formation of what is now known as one of the new “Seven Wonders of Nature” and plenty more about his city of Hanoi. What I liked most about Trung was his perspective on life and his awareness to the benefits of domestic and foreign tourists. Tourism in Vietnam, like many other countries in Southeast Asia, plays a major role in the country’s economy and will become increasingly important. Trung steered away from his family business (a hugely successful candy and sweets shop) in Hanoi’s Old Quarter to follow his passion. Studying tourism and English has put him in a very optimistic position for years to come. He hopes to run his own travel company in the near future.

See what Trung has to say below:

What three words best describe Vietnam?

Safe

Hospitable

Original (keep culture, customs and local inhabitants authentic)

What three words best describe the people of Vietnam?

Hospitable

Hardworking

Patient

What is the top priority of the Vietnamese people?

Family. In the countryside you see people who tend to help each other a lot. Families helping their neighbors. In the cities, people spend more and more time at work but still reserve the weekends for their families. Almost everyone appears with a smile. If we think too much about the economy we will wear our wrinkles. 

How do people typically make a living?

Agriculture. In the past, roughly 85% of people were involved in agriculture. It is still the most common job, but nowadays there is more service and industry since tourism has boomed since the 90s. There are more people in tourism and fewer people farming. The rate of development is higher in services compared to agriculture. We also organize trips to the countryside as part of our tours to allow visitors a chance to see the original Vietnam.

What is your favorite place to visit?

I’ve been a tour guide for three years and my favorite place is still Halong Bay. It’s the most popular destination for almost every guide. And it’s the only place being recognized as one of the newly recognized Seven Wonders of Nature. We take a lot of pride in what Vietnam is known for.

3 Comments

  1. It’s great you found someone who was passionate about his job. I am sure he was a big part of the success in this part of your trip.

  2. I am amazed that in all of the countries you have found great people to help you. Was there a list of accredited tour guides for you to pick from? Vietnam sounds wonderful. Be safe. Love, Gram

  3. Nice to know that there are still good people out there today 🙂

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