Travel Tips & Guide When Traveling to Vietnam

Prepared by Giang Nguyen Travel Tips ~ Things to know and useful tips Vietnamese people are very friendly, polite and generous. In general, we will make every effort to have foreign guests feel comfortable. In the cities and countryside towns, do not be surprised to be invited into a home to meet the family of someone you may have just met. These are the experiences that will enrich your visit to Vietnam. What to Bring when travel Vietnam It is best to travel light in Vietnam. One medium sized bag and a day pack will provide more than enough room to carry everything you'll need to survive for one month, and still have enough space for the things you'll buy in Vietnam. There is extensive black market for smuggled consumer goods in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, so do not worry about running out of something. Before you leave home complete the following checklist Lightweight and quick dry clothing is most appropriate for the summer months and warmer clothing for the winter months; sun hat; swimming costume. Travel Documents: Passport, visa, travel insurance, air tickets, and itinerary. Health requirements and travel insurance arranged. Flashlight / torch, alarm clock, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, personal first aid kit, toiletries. Money: US dollars or travelers cheques and / or credit card. Raincoat and umbrella Good hiking shoes and sandals. Cable locks or padlock for luggage. Business or name cards with your contact information and email. What to wear in Vietnam The main thing to consider is the weather, as it can be freezing cold in the Northern Mountain and at the same time incredibly hot and humid on the Central Coast. If you are traveling in the North or the Central Highlands during the winter months ( from November to March) definitely bring jeans and a warm coat or sweater. It seems that it is always raining somewhere in Vietnam, so lightweight rain gear is essential. In the hot months ( from April to October ), dress cool but conservative. Many Vietnamese cannot understand why foreigners insist on wearing shorts, tank tops and sleeveless t-shirts when they have the money to dress well. For the Vietnamese, appearance is very important, so if you are dealing with or as an official of any rank, make sure you are dressed appropriately. Currency Exchange in Vietnam

The official currency, the Vietnamese Dong, is non-convertible and is currently at about 21,000 (January. 2013) dong to USD 1. The US dollar, preferably crisp clean bills, is widely accepted among major shops and restaurants. Travelers checks can be cashed at authorized foreign exchange outlets and banks, and always require presentation of passport. There is normally a 2 to 5 percent transaction fee for cashing travelers checks. Visa and Mastercard are accepted in some of the bigger hotels and restaurants. There are also a small number of international banks now operating in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. There are now many 24-hour ATM machines now all over Vietnam. The ANZ machines work with all cards. Vietnam Health No vaccinations are required except for yellow fever if you are coming from an area where the disease is present. However, visitors should be inoculated against typhoid, cholera, hepatitis A & B, tetanus and polio. Malaria is present in most of the region and it is advisable to take precautions especially if traveling off the beaten track. Medical facilities are rather limited in all of the country and it is essential to take out a good medical insurance policy before traveling in case evacuation is needed. Anyhow, please be aware of flu invention Vietnam Food The cuisine of Vietnam comes as a pleasant surprise to many visitors and is definitely a part of the Vietnam experience not to be missed. One of the characteristics of Vietnamese food is that it is always fresh being bought the same morning straight from the market. Food is usually prepared with a minimal amount of oil and served with the ubiquitous fish sauce called nuoc mam. Typical Vietnamese dishes you can expect to try including Pho, a type of rice noodle soup eaten for breakfast; Cha gio, deep-fried spring rolls; and goi ngo sen, a delicious salad made with lotus stems, shrimp and peanuts. Due to the strong Buddhist influence in Vietnam, vegetarian food is widely available. Vietnam Electricity Mainly 220V but in some areas 110V is also used. Vietnam Communications International phone charges are steep in Vietnam and many hotels, especially up-market ones, add extra fees. Faxes can be sent from hotels, business centers and post offices. Again, rates vary. To rent a mobile phone call 821-8465 in Hanoi or 824-2382 in Ho Chi Minh City. A suggestion for making international calls is to log onto an internet phone provider before leaving home. There are also ones that have been recently set up in Vietnam. Email and internet is readily available in almost every hotel. Although, a times it can be a little temperamental as the servers tend to be overloaded.

Tipping Tipping for good service is not expected but is always appreciated in these developing nations. It is customary, though not compulsory, to tip tour guides and drivers at the end of a tour. Hotel and station porters should also be tipped. Vietnam Water It is not advisable to drink tap water in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand or Myanmar but bottled mineral water is safe and available everywhere. Ice in drinks is generally okay in good standard hotels and restaurants but it is best to avoid it on street stalls or in countryside areas. Public Holidays January 1: New Year's Day January / February: Tet or Vietnamese New Year. The actual dates vary from year to year according to the lunar calendar. Officially 3 days holiday but many businesses close down for a full week. This is the busiest time of the year for traveling in Vietnam and hotels, flights and trains are often full. April 30: Liberation of Saigon Day May 1: International Labor Day May 19: Birthday of Ho Chi Minh September 2: National Day AND below is a list of Do's and Donts to help you avoid some of the social taboos during your visit. Take these into consideration and you will be rewarded with a culturally and socially enriching experience; Business Hours Offices are usually open from Monday to Friday from 7:30am or 8:00am until 5:00pm or 6:00pm and often close for lunch between 11:30am and 1:30pm. Some offices also open Saturday morning. Shops open early and close any time between 6:00pm and 10:00pm. Most shops are open 7 days a week. Rules of the road when travel in Vietnam 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Obey the road rules if you can work out what they are Maintain direction no matter what Remember the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Expect the totally unexpected Do not be surprised when a 10-metre boat slung on a pole between two motor cycles crosses the expressway in front of you. Do not be surprised if, despite bird flu, a flock of ducks suddenly fills the entire the highway Do not be surprised if a laden bus (or anything else) comes at you on the wrong side of an expressway. Do's ALWAYS drink plenty of bottled water. During the summer months you should be drinking a minimum of 2 liters per day. If you drink tea, coffee & alcohol you should increase you water intake accordingly as these will dehydrate you.

Before venturing out from your hotel, ensure you have a hotel business card from the reception desk. This will make your return to the hotel in a taxi or cyclo much easier. For longer excursions from your base hotel, it is always a good idea to carry a roll of toilet paper in your daypack. You never know when you will need it. Always dress appropriately. Not only for the prevailing climatic conditions, but also not to cause offence to the local people. Vietnamese have conservative dress codes and it is only in larger cities that these codes are relaxed a little. Always leave your excess cash, airline tickets, passports and valuables with the hotels safety deposit facility. Always be aware when entering someones home as at some homes it is a must to remove your shoes at the front door. Always ask his or her permission first when taking a photograph of someone. If they indicate that they do not want you to, then abide by their wishes. DO NOT push the issue or offer money. Don't Never wear shorts, dresses or skirts, or tops with low-neck lines and bare shoulders to Temples and Pagodas. To do this is considered extremely rude and offensive. Never give your empty water bottles, sweets and candies to the local people when trekking through ethnic minority villages. You cannot guarantee that the empty bottles will be disposed of in a correct manner and most of these people do not have access to dental health. If you would like to give pens/paper, ask your guide to introduce you to the local teacher and give them to the teacher for distribution. Never sleep or sit with the soles of your feet pointing towards the family altar in someones house. Never venture out from your hotel with more cash than you really need for that day. It is NOT something to be paranoid about, simply do not make you a target for pickpockets or drive-by bag snatchers in the big cities. Ho Chi Minh City seems to be a little worse than anywhere else in Vietnam is. On the whole it is one of the safest countries you could wish to travel in. Never lose your temper in public or when bargaining for a purchase. This is considered a serious loss of face for both parties. Always maintain a cool and happy demeanor and you will be reciprocated with the same. Never try and take photographs of military installations or anything to do with the military. This can be seen as a breach of national security.

Never take video cameras into the ethnic minority villages. They are considered to be too intrusive by many local people. Weather in Vietnam Hanoi and the Northern Vietnam have a distinct winter and summer season with a dry winter lasting from November to April with average temperatures of 18 - 20C. Summer lasts from May to October and is hot and humid with temperatures around 30C. Hue and Danang in the center of the country have very hot, dry weather from February to August with temperatures reaching the mid 30C, but can experience some quite heavy rainfall between September and January. Ho Chi Minh City and the south have a hot, dry season from December till April with average temperatures around 28C and a rainy season lasting from May through till November. It rarely rains for long periods even in the rainy season with most rain coming in short, heavy bursts. HANOI (North) Av. Temp (Celsius) May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 28 30 30 29 28 26 22 19 Av. Rainfall (mm) 196 239 323 343 254 99 43 20 DANANG (Center) Av. Temp (Celsius) 29 30 30 30 28 26 25 23 Av. Rainfall (mm) 47 42 99 117 447 530 221 209 SAIGON (South) Av. Temp (Celsius) 29 29 28 28 27 27 27 27 Av. Rainfall (mm) 221 330 315 269 335 269 114 56