Connecting to a New Culture
Story by Serafina Piasentin
Photography by Dan Vermette
Why should you travel to Vietnam? The flight averages around 17 hours from Toronto, English isn’t prominent, and the temperature can reach 90 degrees even in the winter! Yet, Dan Vermette says all of this makes it the perfect place to visit.
“When I told people I was going to Vietnam, most responded saying that’s the last place they’d visit.” This only convinced Dan to book his flight.
“It won’t be overrun with tourists,” he explains, yearning for that authentic experience. “This way, you can become totally immersed in the culture.”
Dan wants there to be a language barrier. He wants there to be culture shock. There should be a struggle to adjust to a new place; otherwise, everything is curated to you. As Dan puts it, hurtling over language barriers and other differences “makes the trip worth it because you have to work for it.”
So, Dan was all-in when he was invited to travel with a Canadian, a Vietnamese Canadian, and a friend who lived in Vietnam. The language barrier eased considerably since he was travelling with his own personal translators.
Sometimes, though, the Canadians had to fend for themselves in the hustling city. Once they got used to the motorbikes driving on the sidewalks when the streetlights were red or how people would take off their shoes before entering a store, they figured out how to survive in a foreign country: charades.
“English isn’t that big of an issue once you find a solution. Signs will have both Vietnamese and English on them, especially in touristy areas and airports.” But, when interacting with people who only knew Vietnamese, Dan learned to read their body language and communicate with gestures and small words. At no point did he ever feel unwelcome for being a foreigner. Sure, there were times when people in residential cities would stare at him because he was white, but everyone would always smile and greet him. Language should never be the reason to not visit a country. Smiles are the same in every language, after all.
So, why should you travel to Vietnam?
Firstly, it’s cheap. Dan says that the most expensive part of his trip was the flight. He paid $2000 round-trip for two weeks spanning November and December. He does admit that the flight was long—Toronto to Tokyo took 12 hours and Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh City was another five—but the prices in Vietnam made up for it.
Ho Chi Minh, located in the Southern part of the country, is the largest city in Vietnam. However, to stay in an apartment with three bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, and a living space, he and his friends only paid $120 a night. In Gò Công, another smaller city nearby, it cost $20 a night.
He mentions wandering around the city during the day, looking for signs that say “Spa.” A full-body massage, which would cost hundreds in Canada, was only $20. Dan even got his head shaved with a scalp massage for $10. Plus, if you wanted to visit a gym for the day, it was only $1.
If it is expenses that deter people from travelling, Dan adds, “You can always make money back, but when will you get this opportunity to travel again?”
Since Dan met up with his Vietnamese friend, his friend had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of visiting his childhood home. In the middle of the jungle outside Ho Chi Minh City, surrounded by coconut trees, this homestead was a simple oasis. To experience the authentic Vietnamese lifestyle was priceless.
Secondly, Vietnam is beautiful and relaxing. Fortunately, the entire trip was planned for Dan; he was just along for the ride. This allowed him to disconnect from his phone completely, only using it for photographs.
“I take photos because I like the artistic aspect. It’s not something you see every day.” He didn’t even purchase an eSIM, meaning he was entirely without data. Often, Dan would wander around Ho Chi Minh with no direction, proving he felt safe.
On one occasion, he wound up in a well-maintained park where they would sweep the grass every day. He cannot recall the name of this place at first, having focused on the experience itself. He describes stumbling upon a hidden meditation garden with a koi pond and bridge. “It was so peaceful with the sound of the bubbling waterfall,” he says, wistfully. Later, he researches the name: Công Viên Vinhomes Central Park.
Then, Dan begins explaining his experience in Phuóc Long Pagoda, a Buddhist place of worship outside Gò Công. He again only remembers his time there rather than its name. He tells how a Vietnamese man brought bags of fish and turtles and took them on a boat to the island temple. They then let the fish go into the water. “It’s their sign of giving back to the Earth,” Dan explains. Disconnecting from the busyness of the city, responsibilities that wait back home and the digital culture allowed Dan to unwind and just go with the flow. As he watched his fish swim away, he felt like this trip had given him much more than he could ever give back. He recalls swimming in the China Sea and collecting shells along the beach. “Sure, I can find these in Canada, too, but the shells I brought home with me remind me of my memories.”
Thirdly, the food is impeccable. “You can tell they don’t add preservatives, so it’s more natural.” Since Vietnam is full of coconut, banana trees and rice fields, the street markets are full of fresh food. “It’s a nice feeling to go up to one of these booths and support the hard-working people. They aren’t trying to impress you like in restaurants who want your five stars, so buying at markets offers a more natural alternative.” This made every meal in Vietnam memorable. He especially enjoyed the coffee which was made with coconut cream. However, Dan was warned not to ingest the water or ice cubes; however, bottled water was easy to come by, and he reports having no problems with the ice.
Dan concludes that “there was no bad part of the trip.” He has since been back to Southern Vietnam, and would love to explore the Northern half one day. To those who are now convinced to visit, he advises: “Be smart, pack light and just have fun. Don’t have high expectations; just be in the moment and enjoy every interaction.” Ultimately, if you disconnect from what you think life has to be, you can open your mind to another kind of lifestyle, one that is beautiful despite its differences.
Published in the Your Place or Mine? 2025 Edition.
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