I've been living in Saigon for 4 years. Even within this highly touristed city, you just need to venture 5 minutes outside of the city centre to see Vietnam as

I've been living in Saigon for 4 years. Even within this highly touristed city, you just need to venture 5 minutes outside of the city centre to see Vietnam as it really is. I've spent time in 5-6 different cities and towns and for sure, if you stay on main street it's very generic, or sterile. Rent a bike, set out in a random direction for 20 minutes; you won't find any TripAdvisor listings but the local culture is alive and well. Most people expect to land somewhere new and have the local lifestyle at their fingertips, but that's not what the beaten track optimises for.