8 Big Misconceptions Americans Still Have of Vietnam (we were so wrong)
It’s about realizing that almost everything we thought we knew about Vietnam was wrong.
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We’re Noelle and Jonathan, a full-time travel couple on a mission to live in 100 countries.
As we explore Vietnam, we’re not just checking off tourist spots — we’re diving into everyday life.
Before coming to Vietnam, we carried a few assumptions with us. Some obvious, others so small we didn’t even notice them. Like many Americans, we imagined a country shaped mostly by history, war movies, and old stereotypes. But after spending more than two months traveling through Hanoi, Da Nang, and Hoi An, something unexpected happened. A lot of what we thought we knew about Vietnam didn’t quite hold up.
This travel documentary explores eight big misconceptions Americans have about Vietnam, from chaotic traffic and communist stereotypes to Vietnamese food, tourism, and what modern life in Vietnam actually feels like. Along the way, we discovered crowded cities filled with energy, incredible street food beyond phở, fast-moving local culture, and some of the kindest people we’ve met anywhere in the world.
What surprised us most wasn’t just how developed Vietnam is, but how differently life flows here. The traffic, the food culture, the entrepreneurial spirit, the blend of tradition and modernity. Vietnam challenged our assumptions in ways we never expected.
And somewhere between crossing chaotic streets, eating Mì Quảng in Da Nang, and getting pulled into everyday life, we started asking ourselves the question we wouldn’t have expected just a few years ago: Could we actually live here?
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LINKS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
✈️ Vietnam Tourism Information
• Official tourism information for planning travel in Vietnam, including destinations, food, culture, and itineraries.
🔗 https://vietnam.travel/
🛂 Vietnam E-Visa
• Official government website for Vietnam e-visas and entry requirements.
🔗 https://evisa.gov.vn/
Background music by @SongCreationsByCraig
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21 Comments
Awesome clip. As an expat American living here very fair content. One of the things Vietnamese do so well is move on. We as Americans are still stuck in the war.
Alot of people have opinions about places they never been
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It's very dangerous here because there's a virus called Vietnam. It invades you, it makes you feel happy and safe, it rearranges you at the cellular level. This virus changes your worldview on what is enough, what happiness is, tolerance, friendliness, and you can never return to your old self. The Vietnam virus is truly dangerous.
USA Americans
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Really liked this video! I too liked how you didn’t put everyone in a box but honestly brought up some thoughts some may have. I found my own thoughts and beliefs alive in some of your misconceptions…
Many Viet Kieu in California including my relatives are still believing Vietnam is a Communist country, where no freedom of speech and people are starving. They believe life in Vietnam is like the stone age, people are being locked up and dying. Whenever any of us disagree with them, they gather more people like themselves attacking us and calling us spy or undercover communists. How have we come to this kind of believe for the last 50 years? Who started his? I don't know but I think it is part of American Propaganda.
Noelle and Jonathan, you guys did a fantastic job here. As a Vietnamese person who was born and raised in Vietnam but has lived in the US for 2 decades and traveled to Vietnam almost every year, I totally agree with everything you guys said. One thing I’d like add, people who “misunderstand” Vietnam the most is actually the Vietnamese who came to the US after the war but haven’t been back for decades. They can’t imagine how much progress Vietnam has made, and to be honest, a lot of them actually are still super bitter about the past, wouldn’t let go and wish Vietnam would fail. If you get a chance to condense it into a 2 min short, I think it will be something people can easily share with anyone who wants to understand contemporary vietnam. I really enjoy your videos so please keep up the good work.
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8:00 we never call it the American war, we call it "The resistance war against American imperialism".
Appreciated you both stopped by to visit. Hope to see you both again in the future. Safe travels where you go!
Vietnam has many islands, too, you know, not just inland.
I am Vietnamese but living in Australia but I have to say that in Vietnam technology is a lot better, you can find wifi everywhere in a coffee shop not like in Australia not always I can find wifi for free. Vietnam is still developing country and don’t forget we been through a lot with War, and had about 20 years catching up and Vietnamese people the most forgiving people we don’t hold the hatred against the people who hurt us in the past. Life’s moving on !
Though Vietnam is a communist country, half of it, the southern part, was capitalism. In my opinion, it's a mixed system, or somewhat similar to socialism.
Where in the U.S. do you live? Why did you only know about pho? Vietnamese restaurants have flourished across cities all over the U.S., offering rich and diverse menus. You must have lived in a rural area with only one Vietnamese restaurant. With only that observation of yours, I can see you need to go outside of your buble to explore first before saying things.
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I'm Viet nam…vad cám ơn bạn đã đưa những thông tin trung thực chính xác về mọi mặt ở đất nước tôi.Hẹn gặp lại
From some other video of expat actually living in Vietnam, the biggest challenge for them is the paperworks.
Vietnam is not underdeveloped. Of course it's definitely not a developed country yet. But that only matters in time. Hey did you know Vietnam had one of fastest growing economies in the world? Last year it was 8% which is impressive. It is forecast that Vietnam will overtake Thailand this year in terms of GDP and PPP.
Trong tiềm thức, người VN phân biệt rất rõ người dân Mỹ và Chủ Nghĩa Đế Quốc Mỹ cho nên đa số người dân VN ko có căm ghét gì người dân Mỹ. Trong Chiến Tranh vẫn có rất nhiều người Mỹ Phản Đối chiến tranh VN.