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Wanted to visit since my dad was stationed here in the 90s and always talked about how amazing it was. First week was incredible - the food literally changed my life and met some of the coolest locals who showed me their favorite spots in Hanoi.
But man, the tourist trap game is exhausting. Got charged 500k dong for a 100k dong ride, menus magically having different prices for foreigners, and the classic "your bills are fake" scam at a few shops. Shop owners straight up telling me "tourist price" with a smile.
The crazy part is how genuine and welcoming most people are. Had a street food vendor teach me how to properly eat pho and refused payment. Old couple invited me to their home for tea. Makes the scammy stuff feel even worse cause you can see how amazing this place really is.
Still love Vietnam but damn, the constant guard against scams was draining. Maybe I'll come back when I'm less obviously a tourist.
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Istanbul was getting worse over the years I visited.