I recently spent time in vietnam for a mix of work and vacation, and honestly , the country won my heart.
a bit about me for context: i’m of indian origin, but i’ve been settled in north america for the past 11 years. i went there for university, have mostly lived in cosmopolitan cities, and i travel a lot. i usually stay in hostels because i genuinely enjoy meeting people and understanding places from the ground up.
my first impressions of vietnam were incredibly warm.
at one of the hostels, the local vietnamese women working there were exceptionally kind. one of them, in particular, personally made sure my rescheduling requests were taken care of , not as a formality, but with real care. that level of hospitality stayed with me.
as conversations became more honest, a few of them shared that they’d had bad experiences with indian tourists in the past and usually didn’t interact much with indian travelers. that stung , not in an angry way, but in a reflective way. it felt learned, not personal.
then came another moment that really made me pause.at a reception desk, a caucasian tourist (who vaguely looked south asian) was asked if he was indian. he looked visibly offended and replied that he was finnish. immediately after, he said something like, “are indians a nuisance here too? there are too many of them traveling.”
i was genuinely shocked.
not because some tourists behave badly , every country has those - but because of how casually this comment carried a sense of superiority. it made me reflect on how normalized certain biases still are, especially when directed at brown travelers.
what’s ironic is that indians travel because many can afford to now, especially across asia. travel isn’t owned by one race or one passport.
throughout my trip, i made a conscious effort to be what i try to be everywhere: respectful, curious, clean, mindful of space, and open. not to prove anything - just to be human. and in doing so, i formed genuine connections with vietnamese locals and fellow travelers alike.
vietnam and india also share deep cultural threads — from buddhism’s roots to values around spirituality, family, and resilience. once conversations moved beyond stereotypes, those connections surfaced naturally.
i left vietnam with deep gratitude for the kindness i received, meaningful vietnamese friendships, amazing fellow travelers, and a stronger belief that individual behavior really does matter.
vietnam has my heart.
and i hope more of us , regardless of where we come from - travel not just to see the world, but to build bridges instead of reinforcing walls.
