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

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes! This is a great experience for a mature worldly young adult. This is how you learn to be an adult, people.

Plus 1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't need to speak Vietnamese to get around Vietnam, for chrissakes. There is an extensive tourism infrastructure and non-Vietnamese (or even non-Asian) backpackers are everywhere. It's a well-trod destination for young people.

Not true about needing to speak vietnamese

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope. Otto Warmbier

North Korea and Vietnam could not be more different, dummy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't need to speak Vietnamese to get around Vietnam, for chrissakes. There is an extensive tourism infrastructure and non-Vietnamese (or even non-Asian) backpackers are everywhere. It's a well-trod destination for young people.

Not true about needing to speak vietnamese

I've been twice, both times backpacking, don't know any Vietnamese, got along just fine.

[Anonymous]

A big thing missing from the question is the "why?" Why Vietnam and why now? And who are the two kids? Siblings? Relatives? Friends?

There are some answers to that "why" question that might push me to say yes. Say if they happen to have spent all of the last 6 years or more learning the language and culture, saving up money for this trip and were otherwise incredibly responsible especially if they had the option to to stay with family/friends
.
But still I'd worry about raging hormones and impulsivity that are typical at this age clouding judgement. Plus I'd prefer limited time and money be spent on family trips before college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having just spent some time in Vietnam, I would say probably yes.
The main thing I would be concerned about is their riding motorbikes and getting into an accident (or getting stopped by police because I’m pretty sure Americans can’t get the right kind of international license, bit a little cash can take care of that).

Motorbikes are the top concern imho. Regardless of whether they are driving or riding, though especially the former. Hard no from me, but I know they’re hard to avoid.

Then I’d have frank conversation about massages. And to not go to any rooms with any women.

Food safety

Political safety.

No drugs.

[Anonymous]

Hahaha. No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I wouldn’t let my DD at 17.
I might have unreasonable biases though because I’d probably let her do Western Europe[/quote]

Why don’t you just admit what it is? It’s a racist bias.

[Anonymous]

Hell no. I probably wouldn’t let my 17-yr old run around Europe either, for that matter, without a home base with their grandparents. Which may be strange since I was an exchange student at 16 and did in fact travel alone a few times, but…given how that went, no. And my kids have traveled extensively with us. I’d probably allow Europe alone at 18/19. Missed if the kids have a connection/previous experience to Vietnam/Asia. If so, same yes at 18/19

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I wouldn’t let my DD at 17.
I might have unreasonable biases though because I’d probably let her do Western Europe[/quote]

Why don’t you just admit what it is? It’s a racist bias.

Having travelled a lot in Europe and Vietnam, I would say sex workers are much more out in the open and easier to find in Vietnam. That would make me think twice about sending boys to Vietnam

[Anonymous]

With all these warnings you'll caution them about I imagine they'll be safer in Vietnam than their home town

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I wouldn’t let my DD at 17.
[b]I might have unreasonable biases though because I’d probably let her do Western Europe

Why don’t you just admit what it is? It’s a racist bias.

It's a developed economy bias, not a racial bias. When stuff goes wrong in a Western European country, you sort of know what to expect and whether you can trust authority figures. And maybe you might have studied a language you can use. (I recently used my college French to report my cell phone being stolen in Paris.)

I'm a pretty conservative traveler but I've been in some uncomfortable situations. I've been taken off the train at night in the Baltics to fill out visa paperwork in a trailer on a siding, stranded at night in Johor Bahru, Malaysia with no way to get back to Singapore except illegal taxis with sketchy drivers, had friends traveling in Russia and Ukraine taken to the police station for questioning and getting shaken down for bribes. All of these situations resolved - some without any negativity at all, some with just loss of money. But these were all examples of young people traveling perfectly legally and accompanied, on relatively normal trips, and they had some pretty scary moments. I would worry about young American kids being a "mark" and not knowing how to get out of incidents. Plus backpacker life and hostels can be pretty grotty. If I wouldn't hitchike and stay in low-cost hostels in the U.S., I don't see that it's particularly immersive or more authentic to do it another country.

How about one of these tours?

https://www.gadventures.com/search/?destinations=Vietnam

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on what "numerous contacts" mean. If it means someone who would show up if they were in an emergency room, or missed a flight, then yes.

If not, then I'd start with a country that's easier for a parent to get to if something went really wrong.

This. Do you have people in the country who would drop everything for them? Your childhood bff? Extended family? Your college roommate? If not, I’d choose something closer to home.

[Anonymous]

If they seem sensible and mature - yes. I am assuming that they are going to college in the Fall?