AN UNFORTUNATE END 🇻🇳 the Mekong Delta was NOT what I expected

[@PaddyDoyle.]

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[@alireza_adventure]

[@stoomkracht]

Ok, just expect Netflix to be hit and miss. Notorious for vpn detection in general really...

[@thinktwice4227]

I also got scammed twice in VN.

[@nocancelcultureaccepted9316]

Being scammed is the usual process when it comes to the Vietnamese.

[@davidnguyen8790]

@@nocancelcultureaccepted9316 Are you mad?

[@sgcl10658]

The green thing you showed was in a different province. Melkong delta is big. That is why the lady couldnt take you there, it was not a scam but you went to the wrong place and demanded her to take you a place far from her place.

[@Vixpine]

Honestly, just wanna thank you for all the HARD WORK on this series outside of the journey itself. The filmography was stunning from start to finish, and your editing is on point. And for the hassle of setting a camera up, just to get a shot, then go back to fetch the camera, You really did go all out for us youtube folks. So thank you so much Paddy for your hard work on this series, it was incredible! And best of luck for your next adventure.

[@davesivirn2283]

Great series. After close to 50 years of mostly solo traveling the world, the most important thing is to know when to walk away and live to travel another day. Take care of your physical and mental health first. One thing being a "senior" traveler has taught me is that you are never too old to have an adventure, that getting there slowly is still getting there, and finally a good nights sleep is more important than an extra 100km.

[@petercross6960]

yeah the long distances Paddy was travelling daily is sure to wear anyone out. It's OK to eat up some mileage for a couple of weeks but he is burnt out on this 'cram it all in tour' Seemingly the moped wasn't which is great news

[@zazeel1]

Hey Dave, another senior solo traveller here. And I agree with everything you say. Make your health and wellness first priority, even more important travelling solo, and know when to call it quits. I'm from NZ but I live in Thailand for 6 months of the year. Thailand is a great place to be based if you like travelling.

[@mathieutallard6328]

I did 23000 km in 7 months. Won t do that again........

[@anonymousperson2345]

I do not think it is fair when you said that you were scammed. There was obviously a language barrier and you were not able to communicate with the local people to ask them where they were taking you for that $10 boat ride. The lady was very nice. She was just trying to tell you to get off the boat to get something to eat and look around as that was part of the itineraries for her boat ride experience. I really think that you should not label that as being scammed. You just went to the wrong place and then expected it to be like a tour that was offered at another location. Anyway, as always thank you so much for taking us along with you. Take good care and we will see you at your level 3 adventure.

[@arrrrra4554]

I was scammed at a coffee shop and I was scammed at the night market and my hotel in Saigon

[@ttran163]

If it was a scam, it wouldn't be for only $11!

[@jomontanee]

@@ttran163 I was scammed in Turkey now Turkiye in less than that.

[@dennisgordon7767]

@@arrrrra4554 so what?

[@dennisgordon7767]

You’re right. He went on a “crappy tour” but thats not their fault that thats the only tour they can do. I think he thought the small boat would take him into the channels so he picked then. Basically its on him not asking 2-3 people around on what to do. Its like if i came to a wrong village and asked for a tour and then got mad at them its not what i wanted from another village. Also its $10. For that little money u could just say here is another $10 sing louder than the engines!

[@patrickhausding7540]

Sorry for your unpleasant experience . I've enjoyed your Vietnam Videos a lot because they are very informative and high quality. For this one video in the Delta I have to do justice for the lady. I believe it wasn't a scam. You came to the wrong place and expect to experience something not given there. Just looking around there are full of tourists who came there to experience the floating market and explore different places where locals produce specialties in the region. The lady did the right tour she's probably been doing many times, showing people the floating market and taking people to the different places, for example the place where they produce "hủ tiếu" or rice noodles and many other specialties. In the video, when she took you to that place, she said "just go there and explore around the place and see local produces". Ofc, you don't have to buy anything if you don't want to and you don't need to pay to have a look around. Secondly 250k for an hour ride, in my opinion it isn't expensive and clearly she didn't overcharge. The problem here I think is the language barrier. You came to the wrong place and the lady don't know English. She was trying to get you on the typical tour there, probably she wanted to earn a living too. You can't go to the floating market not expect to see lots of boats, loud machines,... and expect to see the forest, monkey and birds. You just need to do some research beforehand (like you always did visiting other places, i believe) what you want to see and where you should go. But importantly have a good mood and positive energy.

[@tuanvuanh742]

You are all correct. It's just a misunderstanding due to language barrier. Actually he ended the tour early so it's 1 hr. A regular tour lasted for 3-4 hrs if you visit all destinations. 250k for 4hrs of work is cheap. Excluding the gasoline expense, she earned like 200k for a tour, and that's about it, as there is only one tour per day since the market is only opened from 4-8:30 am.

[@Diamond-qx7bn]

Thank you

[@LinhPham-yp7bu]

Hello Patrick, thank you for loving Vietnam and clarify the information for Paddy. So appreciated!

[@nguyentranbaongan]

Yes I totally agree with your explaination Patrick. Just language barrier. He could not explain what he wants to see and she could not explain what she wants to show him 😊.

[@MaiNguyen-tg8rz]

Well said.

[@kippsguitar6539]

In 7 years in Vietnam I also had one or two difficult experiences but they were rare and I generally met the friendliest and most honest people in Asia, I could have put you in touch with some wonderful tour guides in can tho, remember the Vietnamese get up so early, don't go to attractions same time as them, at 8am it would have been ideal, glad you like Saigon anyway

[@cameronh1234]

Which tour guides would you recommend in Can Tho? I’m visiting soon so any tips would be greatly appreciated please :)

[@Nguyenducky]

Sorry to see your journey took a "wrong turn." But that was exactly what went wrong: you just made a wrong turn. The place you wanted (waterways among dense forest of nipa palms) is located in Ben Tre province, only a short 85 km south of Saigon. You went to another part of the Mekong called Cai Rang floating market, located in Can-Tho province. Cai-Rang is known as the "grand-market" of the Mekong floating markets. Can-Tho is about another 80km further from Ben-Tre. You just went too far (and further upstream from the delta). People go to Cai-Rang market to experience the floating markets, mainly shopping and bargaining, a different type of activities than the serenity of the gentle waterways in Ben-Tre. Of course, when you are in the "grand-market" area, it is going to be noisy and dirty, just as you would expect at any big market place. Ben-Tre is also downstream from Can-Tho on the delta, and actually that makes it closer to Saigon (they are both closer to the sea). Another experience you missed is the cajuput forest in the delta, if serenity in nature is your thing. The Mekong delta is vast and diverse. If you just ask for the delta, people can point you in different directions. Whoever gave you the direction to Can-Tho must have thought you want to experience the floating markets (and with some more detailed directions, you could have stopped by Ben-Tre for the nipa-palm waterways before reaching Can-Tho). I honestly don't think the people in Can-Tho tried to scam you. They can only provide you the experience in their neighborhood. For their credit, when you show them the picture of Ben-Tre, they did try to warn you that it is "far" (can't get there with their small boat).

[@PaddyDoyle.]

My bad 😔

[@stoomkracht]

@@alblack9869 can you stop copy pasting the same nonsense

[@Hungdd99]

@@alblack9869 Why do you have to copy-pate your comments so much. Are you trying to smear Vietnam? There are scams everywhere, even in some civilized countries in Europe, just more or less and those who are unlucky will encounter them. Even being robbed, I have read articles about Vietnamese tourists being robbed of Dior bags in Milan-Italy or having their car windows broken to rob in London... I agree in Vietnam there are still many cases of slashing tourists with high prices. But you can absolutely watch videos about that place before coming to know where to go, what to do to limit encountering it. Good luck.

[@atnb8148]

@@alblack9869 You are like brainwashed people. Should learn to respect the culture, way of life, religion of different countries. And no country is perfect and there are good and bad people. This world is bigger and more diverse than you think, you say it's as simple as a frog sitting at the bottom of a well. You have come to Thailand, do you dare insult their venerable King? In Phinipin, do you dare to laugh at the poor people who have to eat pagpag?

[@atnb8148]

@@alblack9869 You are like brainwashed people. Should learn to respect the culture, way of life, religion of different countries. And no country is perfect and there are good and bad people. This world is bigger and more diverse than you think, you say it's as simple as a frog sitting at the bottom of a well. You have come to Thailand, do you dare insult their venerable King? In Phinipin, do you dare to laugh at the poor people who have to eat pagpag?

[@tuanvuanh742]

Sorry for the disappointment, however it is not a scam. It is how Can Tho is. It's just a mismatch of what you pictured and where you decided to pick the tour. Can Tho is the most urbanized province of Mekong Delta and there are no such large swamps or natural canals. There are dozens of provinces in Mekong and Can Tho is definitely not where you expected wild nature sceneries. It is a production hub, and while the touristry industry is meh, the food is actually good. The price 250 000 VND is correct so you are not really overcharged. That is a package tour (admittedly it is boring but not shady), where the driver would take you to different destinations and you will visit those spots. You can can buy or leave, no issue. You did not make a good choice picking a private boat, which is unsafe. There are better boats at Ninh Kieu, with proffessional tour guides. The typical rural "Mekong Delta" pictures you see on google images are not in Can Tho, but to further south, like Ben Tre, An Giang, Dong Thap or Ca Mau. With the keyword "Rừng tràm U Minh" or "rừng tràm Trà Sư" and you can locate spots for wild swamps, or visit Hà Tiên (An Giang) for pretty beaches. Thanks for your good series.

[@neilallison8521]

It was your choice where to go in the Delta. We had a wonderful trip to the Delta on a bus tour which incorporated all the things you wanted to see.

[@doodahgurlie]

He doesn't do proper research then blames the people or falsely accuses them of scamming him when he basically scammed himself.

[@tuanvuanh742]

Wow I guess I need to add some narration with time marks here so you all can understand the context. Also I hope that would help vindicate the lady driver: she DID NOT scam. Too many people don't actually view the video and just comment based on the tittle. Honestly I think you should remove the Scammed words. That's pretty nasty for the lady. 4:16: "don't ask me where i am because i don't know". This is where the misunderstanding started: You expected a green canal tour. They thought you wish to visit the popular floating market. No scam here. Just a misunderstanding. 5:09: that's a proper boat from travel agency, with lifeboats and tour guide. You'd better book for tours like this. Price is also the same, around 250-300k. 7:02: you did realize this is an industrial city but still failed to realize there are no green canals here. Those canals are in rural areas, not in urban area. Sorry for the polluted river, it's the backside of industrialization. We gotta have solution for this issue soon. 7:25: the lady said "hổng biết tiếng nước ngoài haha" - "I don't know foreign language lol" "đi đi rồi xuống chơi. Để đồ lên trển chơi hồi xuống" "You can put your luggage here and visit this shop as you will. You go around and get back here whenever you want" "đi lên trển coi người ta làm hủ tíu, đi vòng vòng đi hồi xuống" "You can go around and see how they produce noodle and pancake. Just come back later." There are no implies that you have to purchase anything. And the staffs in the noodle shop is not really pushy. 8:49: while you are explaining about your suspect of the scam, the lady is quite worried: "hổng biết nói tiếng tây, ...giục nó lên coi mà nó hổng chịu lên" - "I don't know foreign language. I ask him to visit the noodle shop but he didn't want to" 9:27: "where are you taking me": I will answer this; typically, for a short package tour for Float market, you are gonna visit 3 destinations: The Floating Market, The Noodle Factory, a private fruit garden. You don't need to buy anything, and even if you do, the price is the same as in supermarket. The tour often lasts 3-4 hrs. For a longer tour, you need to pay around 600k and there are more destinations like some isles, ancient temples... Due the language barrier, the lady driver could not explain to you and she looked quite nervous when you decided to end the tour early. 250k for 4 hrs of work is cheap - not to mention the expense of gasoline. That is her regular wage. Although she is not a professional tour guide, she did honest work. 9:31: you are showing pictures of other provinces; they are indeed in Mekong Delta, but not Cantho. There are nothing like those in Cantho, sorry. 10:13: you can see the expression of the man. He looked guilty seeing you ended the tour early. The lady in the background "cái gì vậy a Thiện?" "Is there any issue brother Thien?" 10:31: "I fell for it hook like and sinker", again, sorry, this is a huge misunderstanding. Overall it is a misunderstanding. The lady did a honest work. Hope you will be better prepared next time.

[@MovingOurWorld]

Thanks for taking the effort to translate that. Interesting read.

[@tuanvuanh742]

​@@MovingOurWorld I just watched the video and I felt bad for the lady. She tried to go extra miles to accommodate and the client threw water on it; labelled her as Scammed is unfair. Had he asked a travel agency there, they could prepare or advise a green canal tour for him. A bit of searching would be helpful, as popular tourist spots are all listed there. Hope Paddy will do enjoy the Mekong delta next time.

[@Davida21]

I got up at the crack of dawn in Can Tho to go down the delta. We had an actual tour guide as well as a driver for myself and my two friends. He DID stop at 1 restaurant but it was only because, as he was able to explain to us, it was the last chance for a bathroom for a few hours. The delta on the way to the market is quite dirty and busy but the market is a lot of fun! After the market the boat took us down the pretty waterways. I'm not entirely convinced this was a scam but a misunderstanding with the wrong expectation of what you were getting

[@theaveragejoe5781]

Almost as if he went there on purpose 😉 "I really wanted to go to the southern tip, but bad Vietnam with its scams put me in such a bad headspace..."

[@dustinthewind72]

Paddy, you did a great job so far in the series, until this episode. Just like you said at the beginning of the video, you were tired and sick. No, you did not got scammed. You just got to the wrong place, because lack of research. When you sum up your trip in Vietnam in the next video, I hope that you will see what you haven't seen. Take care.

[@jasonle5760]

Why go with a random couple who flag you down on the side of the river? You didn't communicated what you wanted and just hopped onto a boat expecting it to be what you saw online. They didn't scam you. You got exactly what you paid for, a boat tour. And they charged you the agreed amount. Please do not generalise the entire Mekong delta. It is a beautiful part of the country and you only experienced 1 part of it. I would suggest you do your research and go to the places that meet your expectations rather than blaming on the location or people. Your video is not a true representation of that area and your negative comments will not help the people who live there. You are better than that buddy. Hope your next trip is better!

[@Pat_KraPao]

I noticed a theme in his videos where he positions himself as a victim.

[@douglasmorales3197]

Whatever. It is what it is. Boat ride not as advertised & obvious rip off tourist trap at dingy shop plus pollution obvious in video. video. My 40 years of Asia travel confirms similar few adventures.

[@sweetjane6506]

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience in the Mekong Delta. It can happen. I was there in 1994 when Viet Nam was just opening up to foreigners and will never forget all the smiling children waving to us from the river bank. The Vietnamese are much more jaded now, as you would expect. Tourists sometimes get scammed, but given the history of Viet Nam, you can't really blame people. They are just trying to feed their children. I've also met tourists who refused to give crippled beggars 25 cents for a bowl of noodles. On my first trip to Viet Nam, there wasn't any tourist infrastructure, so they took us into factories where they were making incense and rice wrappers. I remember the tour guide yelling at the driver to stop and we all trooped into a field to meet some peanut farmers while he translated. It was actually pretty interesting, but maybe this sort of tour doesn't always work. I'll always admire the Vietnamese people for their incredible ability to overcome adversity, and the transformation of their country over the last 25 years in amazing. Please don't let a few bad experiences colour your opinion of this beautiful country.

[@danhphan206]

As a Vietnamese, I’ve always dreamed of a journey just like you, Paddy. Thank you so much for taking me with you on your journey. I’ve learned a lot from you. So sorry for not a very happy ending but you are always welcome here in Vietnam. Wish you will get well soon and ready for another amazing adventure! Love from Level 2, Vietnam!

[@PaddyDoyle.]

Thanks 🙏

[@truongvm1970]

Hi Paddy, sorry to hear that you were unwell and the trip had to end that way. Again being a Vietnamese, I would like to thank you for sharing your Vietnam's experience with all the people. Perhaps the rush at the end also contributed to all what happened. If I were you I would have chosen a homestay in Mekong Delta and get information about the places to see from the landlord instead of going to such a random place, you did It that way in Ba Be Lake and it turned out to be a very positive experience. I thought the two simple people in the vlog badly wanted to do some business and might have thought that using their boats and bringing you around would be good enough. I am not sure if it's a real scam. It's a pity that you did not go to the southern most point in Ca Mau - lots of mangroves, good seafood and very peaceful down there with all the canals between the mangroves, the villages and the ocean. Wishing you the best for level 3 adventures. Truong

[@varadkilor2420]

Hey, Truong Vu, need some suggestions with regard to Vietnam trip. Is it possible to connect in any way?

[@jadeskinjoyce]

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't have a nice experience in the Mekong Delta floating market. But I don't think it was the lady's fault because I'm not sure how and where you booked the tour because that's not the usual tour. And most tours take you to a restaurant or a souvenir shop anyway so she was just doing her job. You just happened to go to the wrong place and unfortunately the busiest place in Southern Vietnam and the scammed word is very harsh and misleading. As someone who was born and grew up in the southern part of Vietnam, I was disappointed with your choice of words but I can definitely tell you that you have not seen all of it. The further south you go, the more countryside you will see. It is actually one of the most peaceful parts of Vietnam with much less pollution compared to Saigon. You can’t just see one part of the Mekong Delta and judge all of them to be the same. Anyway I did really enjoy your Vietnam journey. Hope you feel better and perhaps come back to Southern Vietnam with a local tour guide who can show you how beautiful it is.

[@Vietnamesi]

Love your comment!

[@worldnomaderic]

I love the honesty! Traveling isn't always Instagramable. I went to the Mekong Delta 3.5 years ago and found the same experience. Loud and lots of trash. We were taken to a floating restaurant for breakfast where the generator sat 3 meters away and was SO LOUD. I even saw a boat captain run over plastic bags, pick it out of his boat prop, and then put it back into the river! I loved the north, but not the south of Vietnam. Thanks for sharing your true experience and feelings!

[@heroes8844]

Hmm, the couple did warn you. They just take to where you wanted to go and the price is like 10$. Scam is a bit much. As for the restaurant stop, the women was being nice, she probably realize you made the wrong choice so she tried to fix it even though she has to stop and wait, but with limited english you probably misunderstand her and think she is pushy but thats how most vietnamese is, they are just that overfriendly to almost pushy at time. "Come on, eat up. Dont be shy" Grandma said, that type of pushy sincere. My conclusion is, i think you just made a misinformed decision. Mekong delta is a huge network, if anyone planned to go there make sure do some research beforehand

[@sudestasiatiqueguidesdevoy6000]

How a so called experience traveller can think about visiting and understanding the delta in one hour and be so unprepared ?!? Can Tho is not My Tho, Ben Tre is not Chau Doc, and so on .. The "I waaant the Instragram pic, pleeease giiive me Instagram pic" moment was very funny or very embarrassing ahah !

[@michelg2257]

Same thought, he has experience and stll it seemed that he went on the first "delta"tour he found.

[@sudestasiatiqueguidesdevoy6000]

@@michelg2257 It would be ok if he wasn't painting those people as scammers. That was probably untrue and unnecessary. It would have been such a better story if I admit he did the wrong thing to visit the area in no time at all and encourage people to go deep in the delta, not as he did. Actually, many (if not all the) excursions from Can Tho to Cai Rang Floating Market are going to some small canals after visiting the market and some fabrics afterwards, but obviously he was not in the mood.

[@baekimin21]

@@sudestasiatiqueguidesdevoy6000 you’re so right. I’m disappointed with him, unsubscribed

[@michelg2257]

@@sudestasiatiqueguidesdevoy6000 No he got is chest infection so he took it easy. Also i think he only enjoyed the north, after that the series went downhill.

[@chadd9748]

@@baekimin21 same! As much as he shows himself dancing around and singing random songs, he really comes off as negative person overall. He seems like a nice guy but, just a negative guy or a guy that doesn't want to embrace others? I know he's well traveled but it almost seems like he does it to collect stamps and not to really learn about the people and culture. Case in point, the guy has lived in Thailand for what? 10 years? And all he can say is "sawatdee ka" in a high pitched voice and somehow were supposed to look past the fact that he's lived there for 10 years and that's all he picked up!? He's a teacher and it's clear he doesn't want to be a student... Just my observation.

[@satune07]

Mekong Delta is a very large area, you need to find a travel agent to advise you. You can't get pictures from google and ask the boatman to take you there. She's not fooling you, that price is normal.

[@lewis_bui]

Hello. I am a Vietnamese. It's a pity that you have had bad experiences in Can Tho. This is another type of tourism, the early morning floating market of the merchants, the fruit is very fresh and cheap. River water is seem dirty because it is alluvial water, apart. The place you want to go, where there are coconut forests, is another city, Ben Tre. Going deep into the southernmost part of Vietnam, you will feel more peace, mangrove fields, rice fields, seafood fields. But remember, you also need a local guide, I encourage young people, they are very enthusiastic and want to celebrate the beauty of Vietnam.

[@stoomkracht]

Paddy did not want to go on anymore. That was clear from last videos, and so preparation was also off. Wanted to rush things and just go home because had enough of it for now. That is fine, we're all human. It also impacted his decisions. But that mention of going of to level 3 might be a but too early seeing these experiences. Relax, charge up, prepare and only go when ready.

[@lewis_bui]

Yep. I feel Paddy's fatigue at this video. Thank you for the videos about Vietnam, I have watched them all. See Paddy soon !

[@anhbinbaccuc8850]

There are proper boat tours booked through hotels, tours companies and by the waterfront stations of Can Tho city which most local and foreign tourists are using....you don't just meet a random person and follow them...this is really a bad start .......The purpose of early boat tours is to see the floating market at 3-6am,.....by 7am on ward everything gets quiet, this is when you take the serene boat tours to the villages ........In Vietnam there are tour companies for a reason, ....don't meet random person and follow them not in the western world, and certainly not Southeast Asia .....Please take care everyone

[@ocelong1412]

The people in the Mekong delta r the most humble people ive ever met, and i feel sorry for u but at a same time u should do more researches about a place before going. I dont think they wanted to scam you or anything here, maybe its bcuz of your mood

[@MinhMom]

Hello Paddy, this is Minh from Vietnam. Hope you are well and speedy recovery again, I am so sad when you wrap up your trip in Vietnam with some bad memory but believe me, maybe you didn't have enough time and didn't have the right map or strategy when you visit the south side of Vietnam. You should travel more deeper into each province to discover food, scenery, and culture... I bet you will never feel disappointed. Anyway, this is a lesson learned for the future trip, we should invest more time in the detailed plan... Hope you can come back south side Vietnam in the future (if any) Finally thank you very much for your contribution to common and everyone, I'm still a big fan of yours and looking forward to the next journey from you. 😄😄😄

[@MinhMom]

​@@alblack9869 yes AI Black, I didn't say you will be safe or not be scammed in Vietnam, even if you visited a developed country like Europe or US... can you make sure we can not meet some bad things like this? Let's think positive more, my friend. We will try to avoid it ASAP and find the positive things, a good place to discover, every journey always have good things and bad things, so I want to say it's good or bad based on how your preparation, in order to minimize the bad things and maximum the good things.

[@christinelmcgowan]

Paddy, my husband and I are planning a trip to Vietnam this fall and absolutely LOVED your entire series. We travel often and completely understand the travel fatigue and how hard it can get. We appreciate your honesty and showing your true trip, not a façade that some videos like to show. Thank you for your videos, they are excellent!!

[@booyong76]

I really enjoyed the North Vietnam episodes of this series. After Hoi An, you just looked fatigued, irritable and not enjoying yourself as much. The ending of the series was a disappointment. South Vietnam has much more to offer and I just think you needed more time and be in good health to enjoy, plan and appreciate it better. I think you were also feeling "homesick" for being away too long from home, family, girlfriend, and familiar things. This series has 21 episodes and I would say only 4 episodes featured southern Vietnam, so it just goes to show that it was very rushed. It deserves more justice. I'm pointing these things out not because I don't like you or your work or want to criticize, but simply because I just want to give you candid feedback. Lastly, I don't really think you were scammed. The couple operating the boat seemed to want to please you and didn't quite understand why you were cutting the boat ride short. It didn't help that there was a language barrier as they didn't know what you wanted or expected. You had something completely different in mind that they didn't offer. That area is a floating market and so it is normal that it would be hectic. People sell early in the morning to avoid the intense heat and humidity of midday. The merchants wake up early to go sell their goods. To conclude, you did an awesome job vlogging and taking us on a motorbike ride through VN, especially the landscapes of northern Vietnam. We need a South Vietnam Revisited series in the future. Rest well and best wishes to you!

[@greenvillagemekong2519]

Hi Paddy, I am so sorry that I felt unwell during that time but I really wish to suggest you and other travelers to read and find a good homestay with honest guides to have a great experience. Everywhere in this world, you can meet scammers but I do not agree if you say "the whole place is a scam sadly". I think your bad health really affected your mood that made you not to have the right choice and feeling. Many travelers do not enjoy the floating market because they take big tourist boats, then they do not have the real experience. On the other side, you are an independent traveler that is great but you should be more well-prepared to have a great discover. Anyway, thanks for coming to Mekong.

[@greenfieldbuddy8331]

It’s not scam. Just misunderstanding. Nothing is overwhelmingly wrong here. Just your emotions that are overloaded.

[@hungtran1971]

Yess! 100% agree with you, as Vietnamese i don’t see any wrong here, only his mental’ s weakness😉

[@lubo8767]

Loads of dirty scams in Vietnam though

[@greenfieldbuddy8331]

@@lubo8767 yea but not this one

[@eleanortrebicki3694]

Wise move Paddy to pack it in. People so often push their bodies when they shouldn't and pay the price down the line. This series was amazing and hope you take a while to recoup and rest. Thank you for all you've put in to this series

[@locyentam]

You got yourself in that situation on your own mate. In the city there are hundreds of registered tour boats which are equipped with safety gears like life vest and lifebuoys. They are owned by local people and registered with the City Tourism Board. If you had done a better job you would have seen at the pier where these boats dock a huge sign listing different types of tour to the floating market or to little canals in the countryside. All prices are listed clearly in the sign. In addition to that, people working on these registered boats do speak English in case you need to tell them what you want to see and if you want to have your tour customized or tailored to your taste. Unfortunately you had gone with a lady who just wanted to make some living by turning her little boat into a mean to make some dollars for her family. She didn't speak your language and didn't understand you were swearing BS this BS that. She was trying to tell you to go and have a look how they make noodles or something like that. Lots of Vietnamese visitors to the floating market from other parts of the country specially from big cities like Sai Gon or Ha Noi never know or see such a thing so to them it is interesting and the place does sell souvenirs to Vietnamese visitors. The lady may just have simply thought that is what all visitors want to do. In my opinion, she looked like she had never been to school just like many other people of her generation did not have a chance to go to school during and after the Vietnam War. Imagine with such limited education together with the willing to make a living with her little boat what would you expect ? She is clearly not a professional tour guide or operator. Canals with serenity in countryside in the Southern part of Sai Gon do exist and plenty plenty tourists have seen them, not just on Instagram. It is just you who didn't get it right then whinged about it. To accuse her conducting of a scam is so wrong. Then you complained about the noise at the market. Get real. The market has been like that before Vietnam began opening its door to the world to welcome tourists from other countries. It is a real market. It is not set up with music, flowers or decoration for tourists to take photos. It is where farmers meet from 3am to sell their farming produce and buy what they need to bring home. Traditionally the type of engine or motor they use to run their boat is the one that was made around the Vietnam war's time. It is very basic and noisy. And because you pushed your body physical condition to its limit then got sick, felt unwell, you could easily get mad by noise. I can't see a traveller who has been in few countries in South East Asia is still unrealistic and unfamiliar with the region's culture. I have heard about English whinging culture and this is just reinforcing it. Probably consider changing the thumbnail for this video as it does not show what the story is about

[@sunrisejak2709]

I wouldn't characterize your Mekong river tour experience as a scam. I would think it's miscommunication or wrong expectations. But scam? That's an insult to the people who did not over charge you, took you to where hoards of tourists go assuming that's what is "normal" and seemingly did not try to cheat you. What you needed was a good translator.

[@lovepetchannel6997]

He is wrong but acted as if he had been a victim. Taking advantage of poor people to get more views.

[@sasvaruk]

I believe paddy told those vietnamese he want "Mekhong Delta Tour" or even show the pictures. Do u think they don't know or don't understand that ?

[@sunrisejak2709]

@@sasvaruk I think what the tour boat operator provided is simply all they understand. The route was likely what 99% of their customers expect. The pictures or any attempt at communication simply didn't sink in.

[@sunrisejak2709]

@@sasvaruk Thailand has similar river tours of the Chao Praya River in Bangkok. If you don't speak the language you're gonna get the standard tour which also includes tourist traps and restaurants and snake shows that are just part of a "canned standard tour route". I live is SE Asia for 30 years and his experience would have been different had he had a Vietnamese friend explain precisely what he was hoping to see. Even then it's likely what they provided is all they know how to do. But he was NOT scammed.

[@lovepetchannel6997]

@@sasvaruk He was in Cai Rang Floating Market, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mekong River Delta. He showed the Mekong Tour to them, it meant they would take him around that place with their boat. The place that he wanted to go to was in another province, more than 100 kilomiters from there. He went to the wrong place. That why he didn't see nipa palms, monkeys, or birds. He should have checked his detination carefully. Mekong Delta is very big with many different provinces. If he asked any locals in Cai Rang Floating Market where he made this clip, they would take him around that river to see how people lived on small boats.

[@DaiCaThanh71]

250k VND ( over 10$) for an 1 hour boat tour alone is too cheap to be a scam. I think they are just normal smallboat owners who wanted to earn some extra, not a professional tour guide.

[@nicknguyen2491]

That's exactly what he meant. Would you pay a penny to go to polluted places

[@kevinong2245]

It's a perspective thing, if you re a local and don't speak English. What seems like a chaos, pollution and massive noise and activities, to them its the world they know and only opportunity. They are not professional guides nor they claim to be. Perhaps Paddy assumed

[@baekimin21]

@@nicknguyen2491 because he went to the wrong place!!

[@indiafood4671]

Vietnamese people will always love you no matter what you do.Thank you for all your efforts to introduce our country.

[@thelstan-the1stkingofengla712]

All the experiences this guy got doesn't mean the south Vietnam or Mekong delta is bad place to go. I got there by myself and definitely an unforgettable moment for me. The problem is this guy didn't search info and choose the right tour/ agency to go. The place that lady took him is exactly what he showed from his phone, plus that was just 250.000vnd = 11usd its not a big money even to us to Vietnamese people. And please sounthern Vietnamese people are so gentle and friendly, no one is going to bring danger to you. So the tourism just going back after last 2 years of covid, don't make videos like this if you don't understand anything about culture, visiting spots.. just don't make it worse! Please!

[@jpagany745]

@@alblack9869 yeah, Thailand has a reputation of having dozens of "grape" and murder cases of tourists in the last 20 years, while Vietnam have "ZERO" serious crime cases like that.🤣 and let alone the philippines, the crime rate is among the worst in south east asia

[@jpagany745]

@@alblack9869 yeah the families of people who were ra..p.e and killed in thailand must say the same thing as you 😂 and even worse because it's not petty crime

[@jollibee2802]

@@alblack9869 my wife is Pinoy and crime is absolutely out of control there. Pick pockets to violent crime. Vietnam in comparison only has people cheating you on money

[@stoomkracht]

@@shawnslc804 uhm the end point is the same as from where he started.

[@kevinong2245]

Sometimes Paddy is blank about the places to go for Can Tho, My Tho or even Dalat. Being an adventure to just show up, it happens to anyone of us, so don't blame ourselves or others. Every thing in travelling solo and doing contents and feeling tired... Biggest lesson, do some homework and pray for the right intuitions if you merely speculating. 😂

[@tangdinhvu]

tôi có thể hiểu cảm xúc của bạn lúc này, nhưng thành thật mà nói bạn đã không còn đủ sức để cảm nhận những điều mới ở một nơi mới. Khi bạn chưa sẵn sàng hãy dừng lại một thời gian và trở lại với sự nhẹ nhàng hơn. Chúc sức khoẻ Paddy.

[@satune07]

Anh ta chạy xe suốt 2 tháng, đi nhiều chỗ và ko có nghỉ ngơi. Cơ thể anh ta đã kiệt sức ở đồng bằng sông cửu long. Cảm xúc công với bệnh của anh ta, làm cho cảm xúc của anh ta đi xuống. anh ta đã đặt nhầm chỗ đại lý du lịch, và ko có sự tìm hiểu trước khi đi. Người phụ nữ trong video không phải lừa anh ta, mà anh ta mua tour nó sai chỗ. Anh ta nghĩ đồng bằng sông cửu long nó nhỏ, chỉ cần đưa tấm hình và sẽ có người dẫn anh ta tới nơi. Dù gì, những cảnh quay video của anh ta rất đẹp.

[@tangdinhvu]

@@satune07 thật tiếc khi anh ấy đã dừng lại mà chưa thể tìm hiểu về con người và văn hoá vùng đất màu mỡ này, mình đã mong chờ những cảm nhận của anh ấy khi đến miền Nam, nhưng từ lúc ở Đà Nẵng đã bắt đầu cảm nhận rõ sự mệt mỏi của anh ấy, đến được Sài Gòn có lẽ cũng đã là một sự cố gắng rất nhiều rồi

[@satune07]

@@tangdinhvu anh ta cũng như nhiều youtuber khác, họ đi liên tục, ko có thời gian để cơ thể phục hồi. Hiện tượng này ko chỉ xảy ra ở VN, mà xảy ra với các nước khác. Thường thì đến cuối hành trình đều như vậy. Mình theo dõi hơn 10 kênh youtube tương tự như anh này, và ko thấy ai quay về Miền Nam cho ra hồn. Họ đi từ bắc vào nam, đến Đà Nẵng là thấy hụt hơi. Được cái là anh này quay góc quay nó đẹp. Hy vọng anh ta dành thời gian cho sức khỏe của anh ta nhiều hơn.

[@haiphong691]

Mekong river's so long over 2000km. The color of river is from alluvial. It's good for rice fields and farms. Short river, from mountain, is clearly than long river. It's dirty for city-man, but it's gold for famers.

[@SUPERGENKI]

Superb video lad. You know, that first shot where you are simply sailing on the river/canal, I could have watched a full hour of that. Brilliant video, many thanks. Greetings from Bangkok, Thomas

[@tupham-hl1my]

She never cheated on you. I think the next trip is not so good. Because you already love Thailand

[@helloaloe5217]

Paddy, you would not expect a PRIVATE boat tour along Mekong for halfday for just 250k dongs, would you? Vietnam is cheap, but not free. You spend more time and fuel driving tiring yourself, rather then enjoying pickup from chmc and lazy day. not ALL the places in Vietnam could be done without group tour as solo traveller.

[@nguyenthiphuonganh]

If this guy were in America, he would get sued the hell out of him for 5 million Dollars by the old couple. He recorded them and posted their video on KZbin without their permission, moreover he called them scammer because of 10$. He expected them to give him 100km boat ride forth, 100km ride back for TEN DOLLARS.

[@baekimin21]

Yeahhh you’re on points but unfortunately that many of his followers just blindly believe what he said that it’s a scam. I feel frustrated for the old couple.

[@onequeensquest5585]

I love your videos. You are so real and honest. I hate when people pretend that there are no scams and shady people when touring. Your candor is refreshing.

[@quangvinh1153]

This was not scammed. Price 250.000 vnd (~11$) per local boat for one person is so cheap. You saw a lot of tourist on tour-boat with yellow jacket, it cost nearly 200.000 vnd (8$) / person. She took u to local food shops for breakfast with Hu Tieu Noodle, some local candy stores. The place wasn't crowded but she took u to right place to buy some souvenir You were at the market on river, not on land, special. Of cause, there were crowded with many local fruit -veg boats. A hundreds of tons trade everymorning. And the river Delta Mekong is so long, through many countries with begin Himalaya (china) Myanmar, -Laos- Thailand- Cambodia and the end vietnam. That reason Why the color of river water is. This is a good sight for famers with many rice field farms for the second biggest of rice export over the world. You're exhausted with long road trip and change the seasons in VN. Now, the time you need to go back with your family for relax, rest and communicate social.

[@kmnuyen8848]

the problem is he goes to mcdonald's but wants to serve pizza, they serve big mac at the right price but you complain about not bringing you margherita,and he calls it a scam, it's his fault. He went to a place that was too far from where he wanted to go, those people tried to serve him what they provided, they certainly thought that was what he wanted.

[@fortran57]

Yes go to Vietnam is wrong

[@kmnuyen8848]

@@fortran57 at least you won't worry about being graped and killed like in Thailand 🤣

[@HoangNguyen-zy4sd]

@@fortran57 You don't have to worry about the list below when you come to Vietnam Murder of Adam Lloyd in Kanchanaburi Murder of Vanessa Arscott in Kanchanaburi Murder of Hanna Charlotta Bäcklund in Phuket Murder of Kirsty Jones in Chiang Mai Murder of Hannah Witheridge in Koh Tao Murder of David Miller in Koh Tao Murder of Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf in Phuket Murder of Elise Dallemange in Koh Tao Murder of Luke Miller in Koh Tao Murder of Christina Annesley in Koh Tao Murder of Nick Pearson in Koh Tao Murder of Valentina Novozhyonov in Koh Tao Murder of Dimitri Povse in Koh Tao and many more, There are 60 unexplained deaths of Brits in Thailand in two years , 18 victims in Koh Tao alone

[@fortran57]

@@kmnuyen8848 The tourist should stop visit Thailand they are plenty of developed country, maybe they just like to taste a pizza

[@stevenphung8848]

Paddy, loved this entire series I watched each episode religiously. So sad how it ended, I’m gutted for you. I also went on the Mekong Delta tour when I was in Vietnam but had a great time it was nothing like what you experienced, I hope it doesn’t put others doing the Mekong Delta tour ..... as what you did, wasn’t it. all the best, steve!

[@SunlightMaggot101]

I had a strong feeling this would happen eventually since your Da Lat - Mui Ne ep, I mean I could see a clear sign of the situation: you didn't have time & had to rush, that puts quite a stress influencing your destination decisions. So yeah I think you missed the target of travelling by bike & the "what to do at destination" in 3 eps in a row. Reasonable & I'm not blaming since 2 months = a rush if you include the Northern loop - I even saw a vlogger had to leave VN and came back later just for the Northern Loop. Your itinerary order was supposed to be perfect - speaking from someone travelled to almost the whole of Vietnam, tho time was not on your side at all - you'd need at least 3 months.

[@GERS316]

My heart goes out to you. I'm sorry your trip ended this way. Thank you for sharing every moment with us, overall it looks like you had an incredible experience. Time for a rest, enjoy!

[@robbie5413]

Well done Paddy! Thoroughly enjoyed the series! I understand your sensible decision not to push to the southern point. I got sick in Vietnam once and had to change my travel plans. I recovered much quicker as a result. Get well soon!

[@ianluong8039]

Every one had been very kind to Paddy while pointing out that he did not get scammed. 250,000 is around $10 for two people and an exclusive boat is more than fair even in VN. He made no attempt to communicate with them except to put on an annoyed face throughout the trip. If it was anyone else, we would have called him an entitled and ignorant tourist. To call them charlatans to an audience of hundreds of thousands of people is unbelievable and would/should be sued if it was in any other country.

[@Craolia]

My partner and myself have 4 days left of our 3 week scooter trip around Vietnam which we started in Hoi an, it has been such a great help and entertainment to watch the whole series while we were heading into the parts of the country you had just visited, we are having a wild and amazing adventure and have ended up using quite a few of the routes you took. We have found ourselves relating alot to your opinions about certain places and things in Vietnam, thank you for your honesty ( and incredible dancing ) and doing what you do Paddy. Have a fantastic and well deserved rest and awesome future adventures

[@Joskelyn1]

it's a pity that you got so badly. as for me, the Mekong Delta was a bull's eye. There are hundreds of canals covered with water coconuts in the area of Ben Tre, and you can travel there in a small boat in absolute silence, away from other tourists. And great for motorbikes small tours. Ben Tre is the place You wanted to visit with the best small canals and it is nicer city than Can Tho. I was also on a trip to Can Tho and apart from these large watermarkets, we also visited beautiful fruit plantations, smaller canals with guide who speak perfect English and told us a lot of interesting things and it was great but it was 7 hours tour not 1 hour. The most important in Can Tho tours are these markets, it is a base, no nature so I would not call this scam, just misunderstanding ;) The cities in the Delta are crazy, but I like its intensity. It is very interesting how different experiences can be made from the same places. It is a pity that you are quitting because I was counting on more relations with Delta, but of course I understand that You do not share my Mekong Delta love ;) and I look forward to further adventures :)

[@PaddyDoyle.]

well sounds like you had a better time than I, the man in the hotel told me to go there so I just assumed it was the 'place' to be.... silly Paddy, lesson learned

[@ZastinHuynh93]

@@PaddyDoyle. so sorry you couldn’t get the Mekong Delta experience you wanted Paddy. I was busy with mid terms and just caught up to your episodes just now. When I saw your snap shot of Google Map in the previous episode, I had a bad feeling because that route is not where the canals are. You should have went a little eastward around Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang. Well, it’s a shame you missed it but I look forward to your series in ThaiLand now. Have some rest and take care.

[@Horcsogg]

​@@PaddyDoyle. ye, better to stick to something you see on the internet and sign up for it there, chances are these small hotels and restaurants just try to scam as many tourists as possible by sending them to a fake shitty cruise

[@lusd4839]

This is a place that is highly voted by international magazines. Did you notice that he was very tired from the beginning, not interested in learning more in the first place. I think he should take a break before he kills a lot of people and his own, hope he comes back when his mood settles down.

[@grahamblack1961]

I've just done a tour of the delta with a professional reputable tour company, it was a fantastic experience and incredibly cheap.

[@davidnguyen8790]

Hi Paddy, you've changed the title of the video. That's great. It reflects what happened as shown in the video. I hope you will have a good rest in Thailand and go back to Vietnam to complete your journey from North to South. The scenery in the Mekong Delta region is totally different from the North. You videos are among the best on KZbin. Thanks.

[@tumivn]

You were not patience enough, Mekong Delta is a amazing place. E.g., An Giang province is a gem in my point of view. I will show you the photos to help you understand what Mekong Delta looks like. Only An Giang took me at least 8 days for exploring. Hope that you can come back again and change your view of those place. F.Y.I, I'm living in HCMC and was from Hue city in the central of VN.

[@JoshKeogh]

Love your videos paddy but I think it was unfair and unfortunate to shine such a bad light on the Mekong Delta and the end of the trip because you followed two strangers onto a boat without even knowing what you’re paying for.. there are so many different tours in the Mekong and so many beautiful places and amazing people. You could have gone to one of the many amazing eco homestays with knowledgable English speaking guides (had an ex interpreter from the vietnam war for mine) and gone on a mangrove tour that takes you through the peaceful mangroves and to all the places where they produce hand made goods, fishing villages, farming etc. With all the planning you did in the other places it was surprising that this is what you ended up doing.. anyway hope you feel better mate, well done on completion and looking forward to the next country, rest and recoup 🤙🏻

[@minhthudang3442]

Theo tôi giữa hai người không hiểu ý nhau. Chứ không thể gọi là lừa? Vì một tua đưa khách ngồi ngắm sông có 250.000vnd bằng 11usd, một mình một thuyền thì với giá đó là quá bình thường.

[@PaddyDoyle.]

Fair point. At 4am,chest infection and completely over being in Vietnam... I was easily persuaded onto the boat. Wrong area which is my fault, but they sold me by doing the traditional rowing motion... But yeah just used the engine the whole time and the pollution was awful. Literally hell on earth that river.... Felt like they knew what to do to get me and my money whilst knowing I was t gonna see anything I wanted to.

[@JoshKeogh]

​@@PaddyDoyle. Fair enough mate 🙂 looked like you weren't in the right health and state of mind anyway - you know for next time! There was definitely a language issue haha, mainly engines are used on the main river as it has a strong current and usually you swap to a row boat in the mangroves. Its hard to tell where you were, I assume Can Tho as they do have the main shipping route there (which is what I think you saw). With an official private tour you can go to the peaceful mangroves and meet the local producers amongst other options - and if you'd ventured to Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Cai Be or My Tho I think you'd have enjoyed it more 🙂 I know it makes a good title but its not a great look to say you got scammed when you didn't even know what you were paying for (the price was way lower than the official private tours).. and to paint the whole Delta as just a polluted unpleasant place to be after only going on an unplanned side of the road tour of the main shipping route haha. Fyi If you go again and have more time definitely keep going to check out Phu Quoc. 😍 Looking forward to the next adventure mate and cant wait to get out to Asia again myself and make some videos again.. we should meet up next year!

[@dennisgordon7767]

@@PaddyDoyle. i woudlnt blame them. They just tried to make some money taking you on the river. Other boats also take you on the river so whats the difference right :). Youve lived in asia long enough to know their comfort status is diff from ours. When my gf was booking me airbnbs it was like she was excited places had walls. Where i was depressed looking at the photos. Overall this is a good heads up for ppl like me who were told to check out mekong delta but not sure what to expect. I def wouldnt do this even on a boat w no noise cause it looks like shit. Enjoy ur rest. And come back and do Danang right haha

[@congbinh4120]

I am Vietnamese, I am so sorry about that sadly journey in delta. So sorry about the scam tour, that made me really sad when I watched your video. I have many friends in Mekong Delta, and I went there several times, Local people so sweet not like in your video. The nature realy nice, alots of coconut tree, manything they made by coconut tree. They grow alots fruits, we can go to inside to eat. I like style in there, so much times on the boat, because the rives everywhere. There are still many great places for you to explore in Vietnam. I hope that you always keep good memories in our homeland Vietnam. Love you so much for shared many good videos in my country. Thank you so much!!!

[@tuanvuanh742]

Scam gì ông ơi, đại ca đòi đi rừng tràm mà vô giữa thành phố trung ương nhảy tour chợ nổi Cái Răng thì đào đâu ra rừng với rạch? Deadline dí quá nên tìm hiểu không kỹ, chứ ghé Bến Tre Đồng Tháp có ngay. Xớn xác tìm hiểu không kỹ nên thất vọng thôi chứ giá đó phải đạo rồi.

[@vananle6764]

@@tuanvuanh742 chỉ là anh ấy đang cố để chạy trước khi hết hạn visa thôi. tin chắc rằng anh ta chưa tìm hiểu kỹ về nơi mà anh ấy đến. Rồi dật tít đánh đồng cả khu vực.

[@tuanvuanh742]

​@@vananle6764 ừ, thực sự bên mình dịch vụ, hướng dẫn cũng chưa tốt lắm nên mới có hiểu lầm. Vấn đề visa cũng gấp gáp nên deadline cũng rát. Thực ra ngay lúc đó nếu ổng bình tâm tí ra quán cafe ngồi 30p google thì muốn kênh rạch gì cũng có. Từ Ninh Kiều chạy ra vườn cò Bằng Lăng có 50 cây chứ nhiêu. Hay chạy ra vườn tre Hậu Giang, cũng tầm 30 cây số thôi. Thôi tại anh tại ả tại cả đôi bên, rút kinh nghiệm thôi.

[@doodahgurlie]

As a Vietnamese, if you watched the whole video and listen to what the old lady said and did, you should be sad for her. She was scammed by this video Paddy made painting her badly when it was his fault for booking the floating market tour instead of the one in Ben Tre with the nature and coconuts.

[@kelvinnguyen8349]

To see what you showed in your photos, you need to get on a boat from Ben Tre or Tien Giang province!

[@douglaswilliams4274]

Paddy, you did not give up. It is all about the journey, not the destination. The journey has been perfect. An amazing journey.

[@Tommytranwildchild]

Not a scam.. it's a packagetour. Food,mekong,singing. You didn't DYOR

[@iantroup]

I don't think people realise the amount of effort it takes to run a YT channel. You are an inspiration mate - have a nice break. Already looking for ward to your next series, take care.

[@johngagne986]

Thank you, my friend! I loved this series and your, as usual, fantastic treatment of the story line, video and production value! You are an amazing talent and wonderful person mate. Go home. Hug Ms P. Rest your mind body and soul and gear up for the level 3! Can't wait to see you in December.

[@PaddyDoyle.]

COPY THAT mate!

[@amirhasan7845]

Enjoyed all ur videos. Waiting for level 3 . Go peddy

[@justinenglish3660]

You totally missed it, she took you to the tourist attraction on your tour where you can practice making rice for free.

[@NNyi123]

Thank you for showing/sharing a fair version of your experience. Usually all the KZbin travel videos look like everything is amazing and there is no bad experiences. I've traveled a lot, the reality is foreign tourists will get scammed. And the environment is given absolute zero consideration in a lot of these areas by the locals and the government. I'm glad you included the footage of the pollution.

[@PaddyDoyle.]

Amen 🙏

[@Stanveljkovic69]

I purchased dozens of tours in Vietnam from the hotels over the last 10 years. Never had 1 single issue.

[@ThailandThomas]

Really loved that opening shot on the river Paddy. it was so beautiful. You are a master film maker. Went down hill fast after that, it was very hard watching you so stressed out. We all have our bad days while traveling, you were not feeling well. Some days just don't work out as expected at all. That is life! Not the ending we were all hoping for, I hope you get to go back and finish your journey in Vietnam. Don't let Vietnam win! On to the next big Paddy adventure. Paddy Doyle Level 3. Excited to see what is next mate!

[@PaddyDoyle.]

thanks Thomas! not the ending I wanted, but the ending I was given ❤️

[@worldwidejake]

You weren't scammed at all. You stuffed up and went to the wrong spot. They can't understand you and you can't understand them. This is misinformation. You acted rude and like a child because you were tired.

[@sflxn]

I hate to say it but paddy had a really bad time the last 3 weeks due to lack of research. In every city he’s been the last 3 weeks, he’s done nothing but go to the worst tourist traps and then fall for a tout coming up to him in this episode. This is “how not to travel 101” not next level. I’ve been traveling for over 20 years. The mistake he made are the same ones I made in the first 3 months. Never after that.

[@DanielHYNg]

Learning the local language is the most powerful weapon while you are travelling. See you in Level 3.

[@X_theOracle]

My first visit to Vietnam was in 2007, arrived in HCMC on a BUS from Phnom Penh Cambodia. Got mugged in an alley by a transvestite just a block away from my hotel, happened within an hour of arriving. Had just been to an ATM to get out cash for the few days I was staying there and, was walking back to my hotel to put away some money and my wallet, when I was suddenly confronted by this ladyboy who tapped my bum hassling me. Moments later I realised my wallet was taken, people were very helpful as i was trying to find the person. My wallet appeared on the ground in the alley empty, but still with all my cards. Lucky only cash was taken. But that incident made me realise to be more careful. I usually only carry as much money on me to cover expenses for the day.

[@VinArchives]

They didn’t scam You but rather you scammed yourself! You agreed to do the tour, offered to pay them 250k and voluntarily stepped on to their boat. You can not say they scammed you! It’s unfair to bad mouth them just because you didn’t experience that IG scenery you had visualized in your head. You are one moody guy and it’s your fault that you didn’t have a good time there

[@doodahgurlie]

He also didn't pick the right tour! If he'd watched videos that Sonny from the Best Ever Food Review Show made years ago, he'll see that's the tour he went on. Not the IG one where you're floating down the river. LOL! And the woman was telling him to walk around and take a look and enjoy himself. She didn't say to go eat at her friend's restaurant or buy souvenirs.

[@michaelmead4306]

Well didn’t he say that the boat tour advertisement was something that it wasn’t. It showed he would be going to the things in the pictures but where he really went was around the bay which has nothing to tour or see. Just push him to places to eat and buy things. That was a scam. IF the pics on the advertisement for the tour showed where he really went do you think he would take that? I don’t think so. Scammed and I would be pissed too.

[@168secondssomewhere]

From my point of view you didn't get scam at all. You went to the Cái Răng floting market and still far away from the Cần Giờ insta nature you expected. for the rest, yes this place is a bit crazy but don't forget that mass tourism as completely transformed the floating market. When you see the amount of tourist boat on the place you can't expect something better.

[@PaddyDoyle.]

Yeah after reading the comments I can see my mistake for sure. My channel is not the typical perfect social media bullshit, if I make mistakes you'll see them. I'm not perfect and never will be. I will try better 🙂

[@168secondssomewhere]

​@@PaddyDoyle. Thanx for your answer! I think the good part of that day trip is that you will never ever forget the tour boat 😃

[@tomnguyen2246]

It's your own fault, Paddy. You should have bought a tour to Can Tho -- Mekong River from your previous stay at the Hotel. You were both physically and mentally stressed of loneliness, which caused your emotions to destroy your enthusiasms, excitements, enjoyments, appreciations, motivations, etc. You could have requested for 6 months -- 1 year Visa and replaced with all the negativities and lack of open-mindedness.

[@melissacaballero289]

Thank you for taking us on this incredible adventure with you Paddy!! I loved every minute of it, even the low points!! You have no idea how much your videos bring me joy. I'm sorry you got sick and it ended this way, but please don't feel defeated. It's just part of the story. Hopefully now you are well rested and relaxing in Bangkok. Call Gary and go get a beer!!! Can't wait to hear about level 3 - but don't rush!! We'll be here waiting for you once you're ready. Sending much love to you my friend xxx

[@Ken-rj2le]

People usually book a one day tour from hotels in Ho chi Minh at very cheap rate, then the tour guides will bring u around as they know exactly where to go or where to eat. The boat owner isnt a tour guide and was just trying to earn a living. Using the word “scam” is a bit too much I think.

[@sckhoo]

i took a similar tour from my hostel. it was good. nice pho from the boat, some fruits, and coffee. sorry that yours is not as pleasant.

[@lollofunky]

ok ok your video is one year old, I am writing in September 2023 from Can Tho. I've been here two weeks teaching English, volunteering. I am sorry to see and read about your very bad experience. Maybe you were tired and sick. Or in a bad mood. But apart from the market it is a nice city. Full of lovely gentle sweet and funny people!

[@justinenglish3660]

You missed the endless fertilecountry of mekong land

[@tigernguyen1380]

Aloha from Hawaii! The best Vietnam series I’ve ever watched. Haven’t been back to Vietnam since the pandemic. Can’t wait to follow parts of your adventure.

[@philip5899]

Unfortunately I see it as a combination of many things that go wrong together. 1. The locals try to earn a living. Some honest, some not so but that’s because they have learned how to make easy money with tourists. Of the few excellent visitors who observe and respect local culture, there are many bad examples of oblivious and obnoxious tourists who spoiled it for the rest and taught the locals bad behavior. 2. Language barrier. When you are in cities like Saigon, Hanoi etc, the level of education and exposure to tourists means that you are more likely to be able to converse somewhat easier. You can’t expect that in the Mekong river where essentially the fishermen and farmers live. They are unlikely to be able to understand foreign language. You can see that there’s no common understanding between you and the lady. Let me be clear. I’m not condoning their behavior but there’s usually give and take in any situation and your expectation of them is somewhat unreasonable too.

[@cedr]

Loved this video, I realize this is not the way you wished to end your magnificent journey through the Vietnam but it gives the whole Vietnam series such pure, honest and realistic impression. Sometimes the things just go wrong and it is so good to be able to see it, it is so much better to end on a realistic low note than be fake or hypocritical for views/clicks/clout. Thanks for the videos! Keep doing what you doing, you inspire others to go on our little advetures!

[@davidnguyen8790]

Hi Paddy, I feel sorry for you to end your journey that way. This is NOT a scam. Anyone who understands Vietnamese language will see that. The couple was honest. They did what they had to do. They didn't overcharge you. They took you to places they normally did with other tourists. You are the one to be blamed. You went to a random place, took a random and wrong tour. That tour was not supposed to go to places as you've seen on instagrams. Those places are miles away. You were at an urban area with very large river and busy activities. Do a proper research before you go. You put the word SCAMMED on the title of this video. This is misinformation and somehow laughable. Anyway, you've made great videos on this Vietnam series and made wise decision to quit as you're unfit to continue your journey. I wish you well and thank you very much for your very high qualitiy videos.

[@petercross6960]

this comment is the truth, thanks David

[@anthonynguyen9779]

Hahaha, this trip of yours reminds me so much of my trip to Bagkok Thailand in 202. Sorry for the bad experience with Mekong Delta but you have missed a prettiest part of VN; it'd have reminded you of Thailand beaches.

[@nofood1]

2002 ?

[@anthonynguyen9779]

@@nofood1 202? I ain't that old. Yes, 2002.

[@nofood1]

@@anthonynguyen9779 check your typo. 😅 cheers

[@VanLe-vt2zo]

Hi Paddy, I can see that you can choose Thailand as home but not Vietnam. I've watched every your single video in Thailand and in Vietnam. I can see how much fun and enthusiasm that you have gotten in Thailand and in the first week in Vietnam. Your mood started dropped since you visited Cat ba insland. Since then, I can see that you just run for a sake of running only. Hope to see you next time. Take care and all the best.

[@jomontanee]

Hello, I am aPaddy’s Thai subscriber. Please don’t feel down, Paddy had a rough time in Thailand too, not only Vietnam. I think traveling for so long get on some nerves. So please don’t feel it is Vietnam that wears him down. No, not at all. Love Vietnam from Thailand. HUG. 🇹🇭❤️🇻🇳

[@leevikiviranta9071]

his visa was expiring soon....that was a one thing what makes extra stress also....i hope that Vietnam will bring back 3 months tourist visa as it was before covid

[@VanLe-vt2zo]

@@jomontanee , hi Jo, thank you for your comments. Beside all other factors, to me, one of the factor that wore him down is the 30 day visa. And, it is not like all other overseas KZbinrs making videos in Vietnam, Paddy may not feel confortable with Vietnamese life styles. I can notice this feeling when he saw the kids in Sapa, dressed up for money purposes. Vietnam is like that. Paddy needs to change his points of view of Vietnam to suit. Otherwise, his feeling always will be hurt. My background is Vietnamese. I have stayed in Bangkok for 3 years, so I understand.

[@ttran163]

You were at the end of the journey; it is easy to understand that you were tired after days of riding the motorcycle. You got Vietnam fatigue. You missed your gf and the pristine Thailand. You wanted to end the journey right away, that's why you declined the activities, just want an abrupt withdrawal. FYI: The brown color of the river is that of sediments from thousands of miles, not pollution. There were some trash, but not too bad. The things you saw floating on the water were water hyacinth. The Mekong delta is Vietnam's least developed, least industrialized region. Pollution is not an issue here. The people might be not as openly friendly due to the language barrier, but, deep inside, they are the friendliest, generous, no nonsense, down-to-earth people I know. Good luck on your next adventure of a new country, but let's invest more effort to plan the trip, to know more about the culture, and spend enough time to discover the place before come to a fair assessment of any place, not a quick reason why to end the trip before come back to the comfort zone.

[@hdcordes6299]

Paddy, hope you feel better and don't mind a little tough love but.... You did NOT get scammed when you go a tour of floating market in Can Tho after paying for a tour of floating market in Can Tho. The pics you are showing are in Ben Tre and it can be crowded too (pre-Covid). They also stop at places to eat and you can buy candy etc but still not a scam. I hope you don't give much merit to my opinion and if you do, I hope you take it as constructive criticism only. I have to be honest and tell you, this Viet tour is some of your worst work yet. There is much more to Viet Nam than cà phê trứng in HaNoi, the dragon bridge in DaNang or a club in Disrict 1 Siagon. Maybe next time, even if you only pick one province, spend some time, hang out with locals, and spend a day in their life. You learn so much more and leave with a much better experience than spending the entire series, bitching and complaining from tourist spot to tourist spot. Anyway, hope you feel better. How you get whatever is going on back together and best wishes.

[@hungtran1971]

As the famous Norwegian youtube Harald Baldr, he is Solo traveller also but let see how he approaced to local in nature and nice behaviour! So much admired him!

[@tedvu1426]

Hi Paddy. I have been following your Vietnam series from the beginning. I saw an excited biker at awe with nature scenes in northern Vietnam slowly physically and psychologically deteriorated as the trip wears on. Aside from the tight schedule you set for this challenge, perhaps the focus of the trip became more for your audiences rather than for yourself. For your future trips, please slow down, especially when not in good health, mingle and get to know the locals rather than constantly looking for awe factors. On positive note, your filming technique, music choices and communication skill is impeccable. I look forward to your next series and hope your experience will be better than that of Vietnam series.

[@phathuy5834]

Hi Paddy, we're sorry for your unsatisfactory experience. The Mekong Delta is a typical culture and life on the river, and people are generous and sincere. I don't think it's a scam, but she's just good at what she does every day, the language barrier is a matter of her not being able to bring the experience you want (eating on a floating raft, folk food). Hope you will have more information before joining and energy to explore the rest of Vietnam. Wishing you good health, positivity and enjoyable experiences.

[@kenostraat1500]

Sorry to see you had such a tough time in the Mekong Delta. I was there in February 2020 and had a really good time. Did many of the things you did but had a better experience. There was a lot less people and the tour boat operator we had was really nice and treated us well. Highlight for us was the trip in the basket canoes and a cooking lesson afterwards.

[@mrg8537]

I did a two day one night organised group tour around the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh city which is probably the best way to do it. As part of the tour we stayed in a home stay, visited a few factories (sweet factory) and took a very short boat ride along a picturesque canal that you showed on your phone. I certainly don’t think it is worth spending more time than that there. It is badly polluted. It is full of people trying to sell you something.

[@hadessah368]

Thank you so much Paddy. This was an epic adventure. I have seen so much of Vietnam through you. Thank you and enjoy your well deserved rest. See you in a few weeks!

[@justinenglish3660]

This is Can Tho, not Ben Tre. Mistake on your part

[@JumpingWatermelons]

Paddy, that river delta is f*cking HUGE. You can't get on a random boat expecting you'll automatically end up at the site of some pictures you saw online. Had to be tough traveling while sick though, and also, it seems, worn out from the really long and hurried trip you've been on. In the end, it was a great choice to skip the southern end, so a bad 1 hour boat tour ended up helping you make a larger correct decision

[@PaddyDoyle.]

Yeah I hear ya. At that point all I wanted to do was leave Vietnam. Proper rubbish in the south IMO

[@franziskaklaiber5768]

Random boat experience. Hshs that is exactly what it was.

[@alexkm7651]

Bro just had a mental breakdown with the smallest of things even if nothing affects him like in Dalat, don't make the title scam when it's your fault, no scam here at all you just ordered the wrong food, and take a break before you go anywhere else, or you will put the title scam wherever you go

[@hungtran1971]

👍❤️🙏🏼 thanks for understanding!

[@crespop7]

I was there recently! What really made me uncomfortable was all the villagers asking me for money when on the boats

[@Sombrenam]

Sorry for your experience but your conclusion may be misleading to some people. Not all parts of Mekong delta are like this, you just went to wrong place. Apparently you went to the city of Can Tho which homes to the biggest floating market of Vietnam, don't expect nature in a city like this, it obviously has markets and lots of boats,... you should go to other provinces or take some tours, don't try to be cool for not taking tours cause these are areas filled with rivers, swamps and jungles, you cant go by yourself and have a full experience within few hours. The lady is actually very nice to you, her tone is loud doesn't mean she yells at you. You should do research before coming to a place and not assume everything based on the bad experience. I know Paddy was sick and driving all day long is stressful, this is just my clarification to everyone for not judging Mekong delta through this video. I still support you Paddy and hope you will getting better soon for your next adventure.

[@kippsguitar6539]

I agree, I never got scammed there in 7 years

[@xdgs567z]

He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time….the language barrier didn’t help either

[@minhthudang3442]

Chủ kênh đánh giá vậy dễ gây hiểu lầm

[@robinsee_ing]

My wife is from Can Tho City, and I been visiting there for past 10years. He really missed the spot. It is 1 of the wonderful little city, he can go Soc Trang and Ca Mau or to Phuc Quoc. What a shame.

[@thingsthatmakeyougowowwow]

Sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience in the southern part of the country. From watching your videos, I feel like it’s better to start from the south when you’re still fresh, full of energy, and mentally prepared to cope with any types of unusual environmental factors. Thank you for sharing and enjoy your next journey.

[@PaddyDoyle.]

Absolutely

[@andrew_to]

Great work Paddy. Get well soon. I really enjoyed this series and look forward to seeing Vietnam for myself.

[@lovepetchannel6997]

I must say that you are completely wrong. You were wrong then you said they scramed you. Looking at their face, I am sure they are honest. They didn't know English to explain or understood what you wanted them to do, and you recorded them, then showed the world they were bad people. You acted as if you had been a victim. Your clip title is horrible. You want to take advatntage of them, of your prejudice to attract more views. I LOOK DOWN ON YOU. I look at their face and I must say that they are not like what you have thought.

[@stoomkracht]

Well it's also not really smart to be a tour guide with zero English skills and "saving face" also plays a part here maybe. But yeah partly agree, it definitely was not a scam. Click bait.

[@lovepetchannel6997]

@@stoomkracht They are not tour guides. They are actually locals who have taken people across the river with their small boat for years. He suddenly appeared there and asked them to take him around that place. He should have booked a tour before or told the hotel to do that.