Americans have the WRONG idea about this country

As an American, Vietnam is probably not what you think your next trip should be, but after living here for more than seven years, I think it's one of the best countries in the world to visit. Honestly, everyone from around the world should visit Vietnam, but especially Americans. Let me explain why. Less than half of people in the U.S. even have a passport. Americans would all be better off if we experienced more of the world. As Americans, we've been told our entire life that America is the greatest country in the world, and most of us believe that wholeheartedly without ever having been to a single other country to compare it to. There's a lot of awesome things about America. There's nothing wrong with thinking it's a great country, but because we believe that, it keeps a lot of us from being curious about other places. The world is a big place, and there's a lot of countries that have some amazing things to offer that just don't exist in America. Vietnam is one of those places. So let's start with affordability and value for money. One USD is equal to 25,000 Vietnamese dong. You literally become a millionaire very quickly. You can get a coffee for a dollar or a great meal for two bucks. A beautiful hotel room with an ocean view is cheaper than a rundown motel in America. People like to get upset if you call Vietnam cheap, but it's the reality here. If you're coming from America, you're going to be shocked in a good way at how much things cost, but you definitely shouldn't come here just because it's cheap. There's also incredible food, welcoming people, interesting culture, and beautiful landscapes. It's just the cherry on top that you don't have to stress about every purchase you make while you're here. You can just relax and enjoy the experience. The next and probably most important thing is the Vietnamese people. They're friendly, welcoming, and proud to show off their country to everyone. Surprisingly, there's no hostility towards Americans despite the complicated history between our countries. In my experience, when Vietnamese people think about America, the war isn't the first thing that comes to mind. They're curious about our way of life, interested in American culture. They're incredibly welcoming to anyone that wants to come visit. They've obviously got plenty of reasons to be bitter against us, but the Vietnamese have moved past that part of their history. From the Vietnamese perspective, the war with America was a tiny blip in the overall history of fighting against other countries like China, France, and Japan. Vietnamese people understand that governments start wars, not the regular people. So I promise, they're not going to hold it against you. I think a lot of Americans have an outdated mental image of what Vietnam is. They picture a poor, war-torn country. That's just not the case. This is a rapidly developing country. The economy is booming. Cities are expanding. The infrastructure is getting better every single day. There's a real sense of optimism about the future. And because of that, you'll find people that are genuinely excited to show off their country so you can experience what modern Vietnam is really like. Vietnam is also an incredibly safe country, even if you're traveling alone or bringing your whole family. A lot of Americans assume that traveling in a foreign country is automatically more dangerous than staying at home. But in reality, the crime rate is a lot lower in Vietnam than it is in the United States. And that's something you'll notice when you get here pretty quickly. In all my years living in Vietnam, I've never felt unsafe walking around, never been close to any physical danger, even walking around nighttime hammer drunk. Not that I recommend that. Probably the worst thing that can happen is you get scammed out of a few bucks buying fruit at the local market, or maybe get into the wrong taxi cab. But these are minor inconveniences. They're not going to completely ruin your trip. So safety is not something you need to be super concerned with when you're traveling in Vietnam. But phone data is. When you're traveling in a foreign country, the best choice is always going to be an eSIM from Airlo. They're leading eSIM company worldwide. Prices are super affordable. I've used Airlo in more than five different countries now. I just came back from a week in China. I had data for the entire week without an issue. eSIMs are 100% digital, so you don't need a physical SIM card. It's super convenient. You won't have to wait in line to buy an expensive SIM card at the airport. You just choose a data package. You're automatically going to be connected the moment you land in that country. I've got a discount code you can use. TravisT3. You'll get three dollars off your first eSIM. Airlo has affordable data plans in more than 200 destinations. So wherever you're traveling, you're going to be able to get set up with data quickly and easily. When you're traveling in Vietnam, it's definitely the best option. So download the Airlo app. You'll get three dollars off your first eSIM. Use the code TravisT3. It's lunchtime now. We got to get something to eat. Now you've probably already heard that Vietnam has delicious food. But I think the interesting comparison to make when I'm speaking to Americans is this. In Vietnam, local food is fast food. And I'm not talking about McDonald's or KFC. So what's also about local food in Vietnam is it's faster and cheaper than fast food in America. But it's also cooked fresh and healthier for you. So I'm gonna let you see in real time how long it takes to get a meal here. This is my go-to spot to eat lunch. It's called Cam Tam. I eat here probably four or five times a week. I eat here so much, I don't even have to order. They already know what I want. Yeah, I'm hungry. All right. So that was about 45 seconds from when I walked in the door. Let's see what we got here. So the dish is called Cam Tam. Cam Tam is broken rice. On top, we've got a pork chop. This is Suon. We've got a fried egg. We've also got braised pork. So when I order, I would say but you don't need to know any of that. You can just point out whatever looks good. This is one of the most popular lunch meals you can get in Vietnam. They're all over the place. These are family-owned restaurants. Doesn't get any more local than this. They're grilling up pork chops throughout the day. Everything's always warm, fresh. This meal is going to be 70k, which is about just over $2.50. And the tea is free. And this is just one example of Vietnamese food. There's so many different types of options. Everything is always cooked fresh, simple ingredients. For the most part, you're getting meat and vegetables with either rice or noodles. In America, it's expensive and inconvenient to eat healthy. But in Vietnam, it's completely the opposite. Local food is cheap and healthy. McDonald's does exist here, but it's just not popular because it's going to cost two or three times the price as a meal like this. And it's going to take you 10 minutes to get served instead of 30 seconds. So you've got to come try the food in Vietnam after a few days eating fresh food. Your body's going to thank you. Now let me eat lunch. We'll get out of here. So usually when you're planning a trip, you got to make some choices. Do you want to visit a big city or maybe see some historical sites? Maybe you just want to lay on the beach or take a cruise. In Vietnam, you can pack a lot of different types of experiences into one trip. Vietnam's a very long country, north to south. So you've got different seasons and landscapes throughout the country. So for example, you could check out Ho Chi Minh City, which is crazy busy, but exciting nightlife. Then you can relax on the beach here in Da Nang. You can visit museums and see the historical sites in the capital city of Hanoi, and then take an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay. You could easily squeeze all that into a 10-day trip. If you got more time and you want to get wild, you can see the biggest caves in the world in Phong Nha, or drive motorbikes in the countryside and check out Ban Giap Waterfall. You can even ride ATVs in the sand dunes of Mui Ne. The variety of landscapes and experiences is incredible. So why should Americans visit Vietnam? It's not because it's cheap. It's not because there's incredible food or beautiful beaches and mountains everywhere. Those are great reasons, but the biggest reason is perspective. Travel has a way of challenging what you thought you knew. I'm not putting down America or pretending that Vietnam is perfect, but living here for the last seven years has changed the way that I see the world. And I think a lot of Americans would benefit from having that same type of experience. So if you do visit, come with an open mind and you'll experience a country that's probably nothing like what you imagined. Thanks for watching. You should definitely watch the next video over here. I'll see you over there.