Tourists recall unpleasant incidents from Hoi An Ancient Town
Tourists recall unpleasant incidents from Hoi An Ancient Town
Recent trips to Hoi An Ancient Town have not been what some local holidaymakers have expected, with several writing to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper and recalling unpleasant incidents they have experienced at the famed World Heritage Site.
Hoi An, a beautiful small town in the central province of Quang Nam, was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. While the ancient town has long been known for its honest tourism, several Vietnamese tourists have recently warned of dishonest traders there.
One Tuoi Tre reader named L.P. said people should be aware of a woman called Hoang, who forces tourists to buy her floating candles at exorbitant prices.
Releasing floating candles stored in paper flowers onto the Hoai River is among the most popular cultural activities in Hoi An.
According to an email sent by P., Hoang approaches tourists and begins moaning about her hard life, begging them to buy her candles. Then, without the tourists’ agreement, Hoang starts releasing the floating candles into the river, and forces her customers to open their wallets.
P. had to pay VND80,000 (US$3.5) for five candles he did not want, he said. He initially gave the woman VND10,000, which is the usual price for the service, but she rejected and angrily insisted on receiving VND80,000.
The upset tourist had no choice but to give her the money. “It is not about the hefty price I had to pay, but the dishonesty of the woman that angered me,” he said.
On April 18, one Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter went undercover as a tourist to the area, and had the same experience with Hoang as P.
Hoang again started to lament her life and cried even harder when the Tuoi Tre reporter asked how much her candles cost. The woman then forced the correspondent to release five floating candles to the river.
When asked about the price, she said “this is a good deed so you can pay whatever you want.” However, when the reporter gave her VND10,000 as per the correct price, Hoang started swearing and demanded that she receive at least VND30,000.
Tuoi Tre has verified that Hoang is in fact Dang Thi K., a local resident, and that her dog’s life is totally made up.
Another Tuoi Tre reader has also complained that the boat services taking tourists along the Hoai River to nearby craft villages and local attractions are charging unfixed prices, with boat owners swearing at customers in rejection of their offers.
“This is not what I expect to see at a World Heritage Site,” the reader, hailing from a southern province, wrote. “This is totally unlike the friendly and peaceful Hoi An I have heard of before.”
Tuoi Tre visited the tourist wharf on Bach Dang Street, where more than 50 boats of different s are docked, waiting for customers.
Whenever a tourist walks past the wharf, they will be besieged by a number of people, inviting them to board their boats with no official prices.
One boat owner named T., who has eight tourist boats, charged a group of fewer than ten people VND200,000 ($8.9) for a trip to two craft villages, and VND300,000 ($13.4) if there were more than ten passengers.
V., who runs more than ten boats, offered a price of VND100,000 per person per hour for tourists, with a different price for locals. The time tourists have to wait for the boat to be fully loaded is also included, adding to the feeling of being ripped off, they told Tuoi Tre.
“The prices are negotiable because the government has not set any official fare,” V. said.
