I spoke nearly no Vietnamese and bikepacked across rural northern Vietnam for 3 months after buying my bicycle in Hanoi.
People in the city can speak some English, but even if they can’t they’re so earnestly helpful that I was able to easily buy clothes, bicycle repair items, get my bicycle repaired, buy food everyday(pho lyfe) be invited to tea and then a family feast, take shelter from a rainstorm, the stories of their generosity go on.
How well can one get by as a tourist without speaking Vietnamese? Vietnam has been around the top of my list for places to visit for ages.
Very well.
I spoke nearly no Vietnamese and bikepacked across rural northern Vietnam for 3 months after buying my bicycle in Hanoi.
People in the city can speak some English, but even if they can’t they’re so earnestly helpful that I was able to easily buy clothes, bicycle repair items, get my bicycle repaired, buy food everyday(pho lyfe) be invited to tea and then a family feast, take shelter from a rainstorm, the stories of their generosity go on.
It’s definitely a good country to visit.
Thank you for sharing. The language barrier is mostly the thing that has held me back. I know some vocabulary related to food, but that’s about it.
absolutely, you’ll be good.
I could barely count to ten and knew how to say pho, and still enjoyed my entire trip and made friends, so you’ll be fine.
Thanks again! Glad you had such a good experience and I’m looking forward to going there myself.