Vietnam Travel Scams and How To Easily Avoid Them

7 Important Reasons to Work with a Travel Consultant When Planning a Trip to Vietnam

Vietnam is quickly becoming one of the leading destinations in the world. In August 2018, Vietnam received 1.32 million visitors in that month alone. Naturally, you want to get to this developing country before it becomes oversaturated.

So how should you do it?

We recommend hiring a travel consultant to help you plan your trip to Vietnam. Let’s look at some of the advantages that a travel consultant brings when traveling to Vietnam.

Avoid the Scams

Vietnam remains a developing country and is, unfortunately, a hub of scams. Most seasoned travelers expect to have to negate the occasional street seller trying to overcharge people. But what they don’t expect, is their tour operator to be in on the act.

Take the recent story of a Vietnamese cruise company fined after supplying a junk boat for a tour to Ha Long Bay. A real travel consultant will ensure that your tour operator is licensed, and you get the experience you expect.

Get Off the Beaten Track

Everyone goes to Hanoi, Saigon, and the Mekong Delta. The problem is that they have become so oversaturated with tourists that they are no longer authentic.  Many travelers want an authentic experience and they want to go to the place’s others don’t. A travel consultation with a professional will take you to places that are off the beaten track.

Why not go to Da Nang and the rural villages? Or go into inland Vietnam and see a side of the country others don’t? You can with a travel consultant.

Take the Stress Away

Type ‘hotel overbooking Vietnam’ and you’ll spot hundreds of reviews of disreputable establishments that have attempted to rip tourists off by selling their rooms to someone else. Do you want this sort of stress when you arrive in Vietnam?

The same goes for the taxi scams in Vietnam, which involve fake taxis, broken meters, and going the long way to drive up the price. The popular destinations of Hanoi and Saigon are notorious for these scams as it’s where most tourists arrive in.

A travel consultant can organize transportation and transfers for you in advance to ensure you never encounter the scammers in the first place.

Get You the Upgrades You Want

You’ve likely heard of some stories from Vietnam about people receiving downgrades because of shoddy operators. Take the tales of famed travel blogger Nomadic Matt. He mentioned that some people who had booked single rooms on a trip to Ha Long Bay were forced to share because of overbookings.

When you pay for an upgrade you expect an upgrade. Vietnam travel consultants have built up relationships with local operators. They can get you the upgrades and you will receive those upgrades when you arrive.

Understand Your Specific Needs

Anyone can book a trip to Vietnam and see the main sights. You might even decide to take some day trips to places that people don’t ordinarily go to. But you don’t know if you’re going to like those places until you get there.

Travel consultants will speak to you and find out what you like and what you want to see. If you prefer to travel in style, you’re not going to find yourself at one of the rundown street markets in Da Nang.

If you want to get away from the crowds, they might direct you to Con Dao Island, which is just a one-hour flight away from Saigon.

Insider Information

The true value of a travel consultant is also finding out the insider information. This is vital for both protecting you from scams and ensuring that you have the best time in town.

For example, let’s say you’re in Cambodia and you’re preparing to go to Vietnam. Someone in Phnom Penh tells someone from the UK that they need to get a visa for Vietnam for their 10-day vacation.  If they’d have consulted with a travel agent, they would know that UK citizens can enter Vietnam without a visa for up to 15 days.

It’s this type of insider information you get when you work with a travel consultant.

Protect Yourself

We’ve spent a lot of time discussing some of the things that could go wrong. But not a lot of people are aware that a travel consultant also represents security.

Is your hotel in Saigon trying to overcharge you? Did you miss your flight and you’re frantically trying to rebook? Is the maître d’ not giving you the service you expected?

Just call your travel consultant and they will solve the problem for you. It’s that simple.

Last Word – Make Your Vietnam Trip Special

Vietnam has a lot to offer, but it’s also a developing country that has developed a reputation for being hard on unsuspecting tourists.  Hire a travel consultant and make sure that you have the vacation you want.

So, when are you going to Vietnam?

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About The Author: Adrian Rubin is a freelance writer, avid traveler, and Philly photographer.
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Image Source:  Pixabay.com