Traveler to Tourist: Going Mainstream

Hundreds of boats are dedicated to moving thousands of tourists around Halong Bay. The Vietnamese have turned the logistics into a work of art. Take a tour in Vietnam, and you'll see that these people have capitalism in their blood.

Nothing makes me feel more “touristy” than working with an agency. Having salespeople push their high-dollar products on me, then setting foot on a bus full of Westerners being micromanaged by a tour guide is no way to travel. Thinking about it now makes me shudder. So why would  I do it three months into my adventurous, low-cost, flexible, and independent travels? Economics.

After nearly a week in the Sa Pa region of NW Vietnam, I made my way back to Hanoi, from where I planned to stage a 3-day  journey to Halong Bay, a geographic amazement and nominee for the New Wonders of the World. I waited for my train to Hanoi in the town of Lào Cai, Sa Pa’s nearest railway stop. Tourists in tour groups were arriving from Sa Pa by the busload to hit the same train, and continue on to their next destinations in Vietnam. Seeing them in their cartoon T-shirts, buying things from street vendors with no attempt at negotiating, and being rounded up like cattle by the Vietnamese tour guides was enough to convince me that I had to “do” Halong Bay independently.

Hey, I’ve worn silly T-shirts and been too tired to haggle over a half-dollar bottle of water, but I did so independently, as a single being interacting doe-eyed, excitedly, and sometimes inadvertently recklessly with my new environment. Groups, by their very nature, destroy that special possible relationship with the people, culture, and surroundings. They crash domineeringly into situations, oblivious to their surroundings. This can be a hugely powerful force in business and battle, but is a poor method of integrating with new cultures.

Finally, after a light eat, I traded in my railway booking receipt for the actual ticket. The attendant, like most Vietnamese who deal in any way with tourists, also doubled as a tour booking agent, an occupation involving little more than a phone call and offering the chance for decent kickbacks. She tried to sell me on a $55 3-day/2-night package to Halong Bay. After being turned off by the throngs of tourists and dictatorial tour guides outside, I found it easy to resist her pitch. My goal then became to independently travel Halong Bay for $55 or less.

Upon arriving in Hanoi, I started planning. Transportation was going to be a major issue and would require taxis and a couple buses to get to the ocean. Once there, finding a boat would be a crapshoot and costly since I was alone. It became glaringly apparent that there was no way I could independently plan a fun Halong Bay experience without big money or insider connections.

With limited days left in Vietnam before my visa expired, I caved in, reluctantly deciding that a tour package was the only economical way to see Halong Bay. Quite simply, there was no way I would have been able to plan a 3-day/2-night Halong Bay trip as inexpensively as what the tourist agencies promised. Additionally, I would have dozens of logistical details to work out, phonecalls to make, payments to cover, and issues along the way. Going with a tourist package was a one-stop shopping experience, where everything was provided: transportation to and from my hotel, all meals, tickets for the Halong Bay protected area, hotels, boats, swimming, and canoeing. Indeed, I turned in my Traveler badge for the shameful Tourist dunce cap, if only for three days.

Though my expectations were incredibly low, I returned from Halong Bay pleasantly surprised by the experience. Don’t expect to see me as a converted tourist. I’m maintaining my independent traveler ways unless I happen upon another safety, budget, or logistics problem that can be handled practically by only a travel agency.