Welcome to a world where the colours are more vivid, where the landscapes are bolder, the coastline more dramatic, where the history is more compelling, where the tastes are more divine, where life is lived in the fast lane. This world is Vietnam, the latest Asian dragon to awake from its slumber.
Nature has blessed Vietnam with a bountiful harvest of soaring mountains, a killer coastline and radiant rice fields, Vietnam is a cracker. Inland, peasant women in conical hats still tend to their fields, children ride buffalos along country paths and minority people scratch out a living from impossible gradients.
It is a nation of determined optimists who have weathered war after war, survived colonialism and communism, and are now getting to grips with the wheeler-dealer world of capitalism. Fiercely protective of their independence and sovereignty, the Vietnamese are graciously welcoming of foreigners who come as guests not conquerors.
Don’t believe the hype. Or the propagandist party billboards that are as common as statues of ‘Uncle Ho’. Believe your senses, as you discover one of the most enriching, enlivening and exotic countries on earth.
Most visitors still need to apply for a Vietnamese visa in advance to enter the country. Vietnamese visa is inexpensive in comparison to any other countries' visa fees ranging from US$45 - 85 if application is sent directly to the Embassy or US$25-55 if your visa has been pre-approved. A fairly convenient visa on arrival process has recently been introduced, but this requires a pre-arranged application to Hanoi Immigration Department and is generally helpful to nationals of countries without Vietnamese embassies.
By Air
With more limited time, flights present the best option to hop between the further apart destinations in the north, south and central areas of Vietnam.
Vietnam Airlines (VN) has daily flights between Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hue, and Nha Trang. Regular flights are also provided between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Dalat, Buon Ma Thuot, Hai Phong, Na San, Phu Quoc, Qui Nhon, Pleiku, and Vinh.
Pacific Airlines offers domestic flights between major cities as well as travel routes to Bangkok and Taipei at a generally lower rate than Vietnam Airlines.
Sea/River
A local area network operates between ports. Cruise services are available. Contact the Embassy for information prior to departure.
Simple water-means of transportation are widely used among Southern Provinces, while canoes are used to travel within bays and islands along the coast.
Driving on your own:
Chauffeur-driven cars are available for hire. Motorbikes are for rent in major cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Dalat. You can buy one at very low price in any of these cities.
Documentation: An International Driving Permit and a test (taken in Vietnam) are mandatory before driving. However, foreigners’ motorbike- licenses are hardly checked by the police.
Climate
Because of its geography, the climate in Vietnam varies greatly from north to south. Tropical monsoons occur from October to April in the north and south and from May to September in the centre, this is when most of the country's rain falls. It is almost totally dry throughout the rest of the year. It can get exceptionally hot, however, all year round, but the north has a cooler time between October and April. It is best to travel between the shifting of seasons. Temperatures around the country often reach 40C in the height of the hot and rainy season (May to September), but the northern highlands and Hanoi can often seem chilly in the winter.
Required Clothing
Loose, natural fabrics all year, but warmer clothing is required in the highlands, and in the winter in north Vietnam. Rainwear is essential during the wet season.
Sightseeing
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam and a backpacker’s haven, is a melting pot of East and West, with Chinese and French influence from the past. The city has maintained the beauty of its colonial architecture of the 1970s and 80s, and is in present days turning itself in one of the most popular Southeast Asian travel destinations. An interesting highlight one must not miss is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to the northwest of the city center. The site houses the body of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s most prominent leader, in a clear glass. To visit the place, make sure to get there early as it is open for just a short time in the morning. Cameras or video recorders are not allowed in the building and must be left at the reception hall. After a short taxi ride from Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, visitors can see Van Mieu or the Temple of Literature, which is the country’s first university. The One Pillar Pagoda is another famous spot, with unique ancient architecture and history. Known as the symbol of Vietnam, the pagoda was built to worship Avalokitevara, or Guan Yin to the Chinese and Japanese.
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s economic hub and a great place to explore and appreciate the beauty of the country’s rich history and multicultural heritage. You will never get bored as there is plenty of Vietnam sightseeing to do in and around Ho Chi Minh City. To understand about history and the development of the country, visit the Historical Museum. A huge library of information and weapons used in the Vietnam War can be found at the War Museum. Then check out the famous Notre Dame Cathedral and its beautiful French architecture. See one of the oldest Chinese temples in Vietnam here at Thien Hau Temple or walk along the bustling streets of China Town for an impressive Vietnam sightseeing experience.
Halong Bay is Vietnam’s natural wonder that has been a major tourist attraction for many years. It affords some of the country’s greatest sceneries, such as limestone islets, rock formations, lagoons, caves, coves, cliffs, powdery sand and a lot more. Some of the main attractions include the Thien Cung Cave, Dau Go Cave and Cat Ba Island. Add Halong Bay on the top of your travel itinerary as this excellent destination is now listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Time zone
GMT+7
Language
Vietnam’s official language is Vietnamese, a tonal language spoken as a mother tongue by 90% the country’s population. Vietnamese is written using a 29 letter alphabetical system. However, the accent of Vietnamese varies from province to province. Besides Vietnamese, around 50 other languages are spoken by ethnic minorities. English is a popular foreign language and is used in most offices, restaurants… in big cities or tourism places. French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese… are also popular and can be found in tourist places.
English is the most popular foreign language in Vietnam and is taught is school. Many people speak English and information in English can be found easily in big cities such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh; and growing tourist places such as Da Nang or Nha Trang. Guides in English are usually offered.
French and Russian are fairly popular, especially in Northern Vietnam.
Currency
The US Dollar is the most used foreign currency. British, Australian Singaporean, Japanese, and Thai currency, as well as the Euro can normally be exchanged in the bigger cities; however, difficulty may be experienced trying to exchange any other currencies. There is a service charge for exchanging money in banks.
Essentials
Medical & Health
Hanoi Family Medical Practice
Suite 109-112, A1 Van Phuc , Tel: 844-843 0748
Professionally managed and staffed family health clinic with dull emergency medical services including medevac. Foreign and local doctors include experts in tropical medicine, natal care, psychology and other discriplines.
Hanoi FrenchHospital
1B Phuong Mai, Tel: 844-577 1100
Professionally managed and staffed family health clinic with dull emergency medical services including medevac. Foreign and local doctors include experts in tropical medicine, natal care, psychology and other discriplines.
Columbia Asia
8 Alexandre de Rhodes, Dict 1, Tel: 848-823 8888
24-hour accident & emergency unit with foreign and professionaly qualified local doctors. Counselling Services available in Ho Chi Minh City.
Franco-Vietnamese Hospital
6 Nguyen Luong Bang, District 7, Tel: 844-411 3333
Full health care and medical emergency facilities and services with French and Vietnamese doctors.
24-hour Emegency contact: 848-411 3500
Useful Numbers:
Police: 113
Fire: 114
Emergency: 115
Time: 117
Information: 1080
Directory Assistance: 116
International Operator: 110
Email & Internet
Thank to the technology, E-mail and Internet services are available in most hotels and posts in Vietnam. An other place where you could find the same service is Cafe Internet in the street of major cities. Normally the post will charge you 100 VND per minute for internet service ( about 0.006 USD ) but it could be 150 VND ( 0.009 USD ) or more in the hotel or Cafe Internet. Evident, isn't it?
Electricity
Electric current in Vietnam is 220 volts at 50 Hertz but outlets of 110 volts at 50 hertz are somewhere also available. Today, most outlets are flat pins. The rest are round pins.