Vietnam Tips
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Visa
A Vietnamese Entry Visa is
required for most foreigners. It allows Vietnam visa holders to
enter and exit Vietnam at Hanoi, Saigon and Danang air-ports or at any
of its twelve land borders, three each with Cambodia and China, and six
with Laos.
For those who required a visa for Vietnam, they need to arrange a Vietnam visa before their departure by applying for a visa approval letter online to get the visa stamp at Vietnam International Airports (visa on arrival) or by applying at a local Vietnam Embassy or Consulate. Tourist visas are normally valid for a single entry 30-day stay.
Drinking Water
Drinking water straight out of the tap in Vietnam is not advisable.
Most mid range and higher hotels provide one or two bottles of drinking
water per day. It is best to get in the habit of drinking bottled
water especially if you will be visiting rural areas or other countries
in the region. Always take bottled water with you when you are out
touring. If you have
purchased bottled water, check that there is a proper seal or that the
packaging is intact. Some places have been known to sell recycled
bottles that have merely been filled up with tap water.
First Aid Kit
It is strongly recommended
that you carry a small first aid kit with you. Pack some adhesive
bandages for minor injuries, scissors, tweezers, aspirin or Panadol for
pain and fever, antiseptic for cuts and scrapes, antihistamines for
allergies and insect bites, and medicine for stomach upsets.
Changing Money
The
Vietnamese currency is called Vietnam Dong and abbreviated as VND.
Notes are available in paper denominations of 5.000VND, 10.000VND,
20.000VND, 50.000VND, 100.000 VND and 500.000VND.
The
foreign currency of choice is the US Dollar. Clean USD 100 notes
receive the best rates. You can change money at banks, authorized
exchange bureaus and in hotels. Major hotels in the bigger cities act as
agents for banks and offer the same rate as them, however smaller
private hotels will charge a service fee. The Vietcombank in the popular
tourist destinations will also be able to exchange Thai Baht ;
Australian, Canadian, Hong Kong, and Singaporean Dollars ; Deutsche
Marks ; French and Swiss Frances ; Pounds Sterling and Yen.
VISA, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted in most hotels and selected stores in major cities (HCMC, Da Nang, Hue, and Ha Noi).
Hotel
requirements
Most hotels in Vietnam require that your
passport be kept with the reception during your stay. If you're
paranoid about leaving your passport with the hotel staff, bring a
photocopy of the original with you and hand that over. Most hotels will
accept photocopies as passport substitutes.
Bargaining
Bargaining is a way of life in much
of South East Asia. In Vietnam shops don't have fixed prices so the shop
keeper will start with a high price which you are then expected to
bargain down until you reach a fair price. Bargaining should
always be relaxed and can be a lot of fun but you should remember that
it is considered disrespectful to agree a price but then walk away.
Crossing the Roads
Seems simple ha ha. Trying to cross the
street in Hanoi or HCMC is really an adventure. The key is to walk
slowly and steadily out into the traffic. As long as you keep a steady
pace and make your movements clear, the traffic will flow round you.
Problems will arise if you stop or move too quickly and the
drivers/riders can’t anticipate your progress.
Weather
Vietnam experiences a fair degree of
diversity in climate. The north has distinct summer and winter seasons.
Summer lasts from May until October, when the weather is hot and very
humid with temperatures averaging about 30 degrees Celsius. November to
April are the winter months when the weather is mainly dry and average
temperatures are about 18-20 degrees Celsius.
In the centre of the country (e.g. Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An) the weather is very hot and dry from February to August with temperatures of around 33-36 degrees Celsius, but there can be heavy rainfall between September and January.
The south of Vietnam has a hot, dry season from December through until April with temperatures of around 28 degrees Celsius. May until November is the rainy season, although there are rarely long periods of rain as they are usually short heavy showers.
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