Every country has their pros and cons. If you are traveling to Vietnam and you are imagining everything to be paradise and perfect – think again. Vietnam is far from a flawless country and as a traveler you can get frustrated, tired and sometimes even angry. It takes a while to adapt to another country’s culture but once you’ve gotten used to it, you’ll embark on an adventure that you will never forget. And you will be so happy that you traveled here in the end.

Instead of painting a picture-perfect place though, it’s important to also highlight the flipsides of it so it won’t take you by surprise. Here are four frustrating things about traveling in Vietnam:

1. Getting a Vietnam visa is important – very important!

Getting visa on arrival at the airport of Vietnam

If you haven’t applied for a Vietnam visa yet, make sure that you do before you enter the country. Some Asian and European countries can stay in Vietnam visa-free for up to 15 days, but if you are a citizen of a country that requires a Vietnam visa, make sure that you get it before you land at the airport. Also make sure that you have your Visa on Arrival papers, money (USD or EUR works) and photos of you so you can present it to the immigration officers. Some travelers have been denied entrance because they forgot one or two of these things. Don’t be like them.

2. There will be people who will lie to you

Everything in Vietnam is negotiable which can be both a pro and con. You might find that taxi drivers, tailors, hotel staff and even travel agents might lie to you so you pay a bit of a higher price. Go with your gut feeling, ask around what a “normal” price is and make sure that you agree on a price before you enter that taxi.

3. Traffic can at times be very chaotic

Impression, colorful scene of traffic in Ho Chi Minh city

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are probably well known for their hectic traffic and thousands of motorbikes on the streets. This can be very stressful at times and trying to cross the street might give you a minor heart attack, but you get used to it so quickly that soon you won’t even notice how you have become a master of crossing the streets of Vietnam. But if you are thinking of renting a motorbike and drive yourself, be aware and careful. Roads are not as developed in many places and as stated, traffic is downright crazy at times! Make sure you are a very confident driver before deciding on this.

4. Like in every country, locals can either be nice or less nice to you

Warm people the Vietnamese

I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of nice locals and the ones who weren’t particularly friendly, I didn’t really bother to think about twice. Important to note is that when the Vietnamese speak, they are usually very loud. It might sound like they are arguing but they’re actually just having a normal conversation (it takes a bit of getting used to). At times you might think the locals are being pushy and rude to you, but trust me – they are like this to other locals as well. Don’t let this bring down your mood though because around the corner there is a local that is willing to welcome you with open arms and help you with whatever you need.

Traveling in Vietnam was one of the best things I did and the positives definitely won over the negative side of it. It truly is one of the most beautiful places to visit and there is so much to do and see here that you will almost feel overwhelmed. The expat and digital nomad community is growing as well and more internationals are starting to make their move to Vietnam. Even if there are times of frustration, you will slowly embrace the culture, live it, learn it and love it.