would you allow your 17 year old and friend to travel alone in Vietnam for 2 weeks?

[Anonymous]

No. Not Vietnam. I would be ok with Europe. Vietnam is harder (unless they have family somewhere?) and I wouldn’t allow my minor child to do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They'll be 18 in early fall.
They can get visas as 17 year olds and hotels will allow them to check in (and we will make reservations in advance)
They have numerous contacts in Vietnam, international calling and data, cash in hand, etc.
Thoughts?

If these contacts are trusted friends and family, I'd say yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They'll be 18 in early fall.
They can get visas as 17 year olds and hotels will allow them to check in (and we will make reservations in advance)
They have numerous contacts in Vietnam, international calling and data, cash in hand, etc.
Thoughts?

No. I wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

I probably would -- I travelled backpacker level in Vietnam and had an amazing experience. My final decision would be highly dependent on the teen's general attitude toward risk.

[Anonymous]

Do they speak the language, or at least understand it when they hear it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They'll be 18 in early fall.
They can get visas as 17 year olds and hotels will allow them to check in (and we will make reservations in advance)
They have numerous contacts in Vietnam, international calling and data, cash in hand, etc.
Thoughts?

No. No. No.

[Anonymous]

Wait until kid is ~26 yrs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait until kid is ~26 yrs

When they are older and if they can travel with people who have been there before or in a group.

[Anonymous]

Get your Japanese Encephalitis vaccines. Friend was completely disabled by it after a trip to Vietnam. She's lucky she survived, but just barely can walk 2 years later.

[Anonymous]

Girls, yes.

Boys, no. I’d be worried they’d sleep with prostitutes.

[Anonymous]

To travel and stay with a Vietnamese family on an exchange program....yes.

Traveling around at age 17....no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Girls, yes.

Boys, no. I’d be worried they’d sleep with prostitutes.

I wouldn’t have thought about that but you are right!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general I would say yes to this situation as OP has described it.

That said, my husband and I are extensive travelers and our experience in Vietnam was one of the more challenging. One example: We got into a semi-scary fight with a cab driver who tried to scam us. My husband shouted back and we got out of the cab he had locked - but not sure how two teens would have handled that. I was pretty unnerved. Other things made it hard too - it wasn’t just that.

I wouldn’t have the same concerns with Bali, Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, etc…

I’ve also traveled a lot and this was not my experience at all in Vietnam. The opposite - some of the nicest people of the many countries I’ve been.

+1 Have been everywhere on the list except Bali and that comment is a head scratcher. I’d send a kid to Vietnam over Thailand and Japan in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I would. I traveled to SE Asia at 18, alone, as a female. Great trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Girls, yes.

Boys, no. I’d be worried they’d sleep with prostitutes.

Girls could just as easily be sold into sex trafficking.