Customer Reviews

Globe Trekker - Vietnam

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After having travelled around Vietnam for a month recently, I bought this as I thought it would be great to show friends more about the country etc.

This dvd is an absolute waste of money. It's extremely short - the main movie only goes for 45 mins. She shows you nothing in depth of Hanoi or other towns. She offers hardly any advice about where to stay etc. Her trip on the Reunification Express was pitiful. She didn't show any other options on this train - apart from sitting on a hard and cheap wooden seat for 24 hours. There are heaps of other options on this train (air conditioned sleepers etc).

Do yourself a favour and don't waste your money buying this dvd.

This movie has spectacular scenery, and is very well photographed. It is chock full of usefull information for a person whom is considering a trip to vietnam. It gives very useful information on what to see, how to dress etc. All gives warnings of what not to do or where it is better not to go. The movie gives a great feeling of what it is like there.

Justine Shapiro is the host and narrator for this tour of Vietnam, a country that became very famous in the 1960s and early '70s with the United States involved in a big war over there. In fact, Justine's first statement comments on that: "I've been here 12 hours and it still feels kind of strange, an American traveling in Vietnam."

In Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), mopeds and bicycles outnumber cars, 100-1. Four million people live there. You can get a hearty breakfast for 20 cents. Other highlights, tidbits and observations from this "tour:"

Every weapon that was used in the Vietnam war can now be tried out by tourists. We also got a quick tour of the vast underground tunnels and rooms the Viet Cong used.

The country's coastline runs 2,000 miles One beautiful spot where Shapiro stayed overnight was Na Trang, Vietnam's "premier seaside resort."

Vietnam remains one of the poorest nations on earth. The average national income is about $250 per year but they are friendly people who always made our host feel welcome. .The spectacular scenery didn't come until only six minutes were left when we saw (something that sounded like Hai Long) Bay, with its 3,000 limestone islands which have many caves inside them. We got a tour of one of them. Three-quarters of Vietnam is mountainous and much of it remains unexplored to this day. I was hoping to see more the beautiful scenery in this country. That was the only disappointment in this DVD. I'm not complaining, though, because I did learn a lot about this country that will always be famous because of the war.

Among the extras, there is another "tour" on this disc, one called: "Treks In A Wide World: Motorbiking In Viet Nam. Zay Harding takes us on another tour of Vietnam beginning with the Ba be Lake National Park in the northern part of Vietnam not far from China. Harding is a bit full of himself, but he has a good sense of humor and will try anything to impress the ladies or get a laugh.

I have enjoyed watching this DVD several times. The cinematography is great, and it gives a nice overview of Vietnam. Since I will be traveling to Vietnam sometime next year to adopt a baby, I wanted a DVD on Vietnam that would give me a sense of the country and the people, and I am very pleased with it.

My only complaint is that it's too short! It left me wanting more!

Here we go again. I enjoyed most of this DVD about Vietnam. The part that really rattled my cage about Ms. Shapiro was her venture into a one star hotel with non existent plumbing. At least she will have you believe that virtually all hotels have 4th class accommodations. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am an American and I visited Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An and Saigon in November 2009. All of my hotels were sparkling clean, had functioning plumbing and were well lit. My tour of Vietnam cost about $100 a day which is very economical by most standards. I suppose if you were searching for a very cheap hotel and wanted to spend about 10,000 Dong (about fifty cents) per night, this is what you would find. For those who saw this video, and for those contemplating a trip to this wonderful country, please go and have the experience of a lifetime. The people are friendly, the scenery is phenomenal and the cost will surprise you. Cheers!

Justine Shapiro experiences Vietnam with great respect. She tries to show the everyday nature of the country rather than concentrate on tourist points. Vietnam comes across as a land with a cultural heritage much much deeper than the shattered 1960s version of the country recalled by U.S. history.