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Vietnam Guide

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Introduction to the country

Vietnam is a country located on the farthest part of the Indochina Peninsula to the east. It is reputed to be the fifteenth country in terms of the population worldwide. The largest city in the country is Ho Chi Minh while Hanoi serves as the country’s capital city. The official language of the country is Vietnamese.

When To Go? / Best Time to visit

August to October and February to April are reputed as the best times to visit Vietnam. This is due to lighter rainfall and more moderate temperatures.

How do I get a Visa?

To visit Vietnam, you will have to make arrangements for your Visa prior to your journey. This will give you the opportunity to get 30 days’ visa as opposed to 15 days for those who want to get Visa after they are already in the country. You can visit the Vietnam embassy in your area for more details.

Do I need Vaccines?

You will not be turned down from entering the country because you have not taken a particular vaccine if you are coming in from Western Europe or some other countries. However, it is strongly recommended that you take some vaccines for your own protection. The vaccines include Rubella, Mumps, Measles, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Hepatitis A and Typhoid. If you are considering a long time visit, then you should also consider vaccinating against Rabies and Hepatitis B.

Travel Safety

Vietnam is a generally safe country to travel to. It is rare to hear about reports related to sexual assaults, robberies or muggings in the country as the country’s police are very effective. However, if you are going to be riding a motorcycle or bicycle, you should be very careful as the rates of traffic accidents are very bad. Due to the Vietnam war, some explosives still remain undetonated in the country. Leaving well-traveled paths and rural roads could put you at risk. Also avoid the urge to touch mines, mortars, artillery shells or rockets. If you want to swim or carry out other water-related activities, make sure you are aware of the hazards as the water could contain dangerous sea creatures like stingrays, sea snakes, scorpionfish and stonefish.

 
 

What To Pack?

If you are going on a trip to Vietnam, some of the items you should consider taking with you include:

  1. Clothing and hygiene

    • A jeans pair

    • Six t-shirts

    • A bathing suit

    • A shorts pair

    • Deodorant

    • A towel

    • A small shower gel bottle

    • A small shampoo bottle

    • A dental floss package

    • A razor

    • A toothpaste tube

    • A toothbrush

    • 5 boxer shorts pairs

    • 8 socks pairs

    • 1 sneaker pairs

    • 1 flip-flops pair

    • 1 T-shirt – long sleeved

  2. Medical kit

    • Hand sanitizer

    • Tylenol

    • Antibiotics (as prescribed by your doctor)

    • Earplugs

    • Eyedrops

    • Antibacterial cream

    • Hydrocortisone cream

    • Band-aids

  3. Miscellaneous

    • LifeStraw

    • Universal adaptor/charger

    • Plastic bags

    • Zip-lock bags

    • A combination or key lock

A female should consider adding make-up kit, hair brush, a light cardigan, a swimsuit and female hygiene products to the list above.

Essential Language Phrases

  1. Some essential Vietnamese phrases that will come in handy in Vietnam include:

    • Hello – Xin Chao pronounced as sin chow

    • Thank you – Cam O’n pronounced as gam un

    • Yes/No – Da/Khong pronounced yah/comb

    • Excuse – Xin Loi pronounced Xin Loi (sin loy)

    • I don’t understand – Toi Khong Hieu pronounced as toy comb hey-oo

    • See you again – Hen gap lai pronounced as hen gap lie

  2. Directions

    • Where is the bathroom – Nha ve sinh o dau pronounced as nah vey sin uh dow

    • Turn right / Turn left – Re phai / Re phai pronounced as ray-uh fy / ray-uh try

    • Go / Stop – Di di / Dung lai pronounced as dee dee / yung lie

    • Slow down – Cham lai pronounced as chum lie

  3. In a bar or restaurant

    • Menu – Menu pronounced as meh-noo

    • No sugar – Khong du’o’ng pronounced as comb dew-ung

    • A little bit spicy, please – Mot chut cay pronounced as mote choot kigh

    • I need water – Toi can nu’o’c pronounced as toy cun nook

    • Very delicious – Ngon qua pronounced as ngon wha

  4. Market

    • How much – Bao nhieu pronounced as bow nyew

    • Too expensive – Mac qua pronounced as mack wha

  5. Numbers

    • 0 – khong pronounced as comb

    • 1 – Mot pronounced as mote

    • 2 – Hai pronounced as hi

    • 3 – Ba pronounced as ba

    • 4 – Bon pronounced as bone

    • 5 – Nam pronounced as num

    • 6 – Sau pronounced as saow

    • 7 – Bay pronounced as by

    • 8 – Tam pronounced as tam

    • 9 – Chin pronounced as chin

    • 10 – Mu’o’I pronounced as muy Hanoi

Hanoi is located on the Red River banks. It is among the oldest world capitals. You can find unique museums, ancient pagodas, and colonial buildings. It is a great area for foot exploration.

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Min is Vietnam’s financial and business hub and has a conspicuous history that started centuries ago. It is a popular destination for tourists as a result of its pagodas, ornate temples, sleek skyscrapers, classic French architecture, and fascinating culture. It also has fantastic restaurants for local, Chinese and French cuisine.

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is a natural beautiful Northern Vietnam wonder close to the border of China. It is dotted with 1,600 limestone islets and islands and has a size of more than 1,500 sq km. In 1994, the area was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has a surrealistic scenery and wide biodiversity range, making the area a top choice for movie directors. You can access the area through a bus, minibus or car as well as by taking a helicopter.

Hoi An

Hoi An is a trading port that still bears the look of what a trading port in Southeastern Asia looked like between the 15th and 19th century. You can only access the city by road as it has no train station or airport.

10 Best Things To Do In Vietnam

If you have never been to Vietnam, you should prioritize it on your bucket list. The adventure and fun in the country are immeasurable. The location and culture of the people also make it unique; you will enjoy every bit of your travel. There are lots of amazing destinations and features.

Besides the places, the fun and entertainment activities range widely; here are the top ten best things to do in Vietnam;

1. Light a lantern in Hoi An

Hoi An is renowned for its unique color from the Lantern Festival. The festival runs for seven days. You will notice the difference on the streets because of the colored patterns on both sides of the Hoi An Bridge. The decorations run to the Hoai River Square.

Every local stops their daily schedules to take part in his seven-day activity. At least 50 workshops are involved in the competition to create the most attractive pattern. Only traditional colors are used.

2. Visit Halong Bay’s neighbor

The limestone towers rising from the turquoise waters attribute to its ranking as the most beautiful spot in Vietnam. Local guides will most likely suggest this; it should be on every visitor’s list in Vietnam.

It is characterized by hundreds of boats and cruise trips. Although the bay is huge, the ships here are also many, they are almost crowded.

3. Cruise Mekong Delta

You have to travel for 4,000 kilometers from Tibet Himalaya to get here. The Mekong delta is a peaceful and laid down part of the island. The rice paddles and silted villages are still distinct characteristics of the delta.

Ride on a cargo boat or cruise with the commercials on specific parts of the river. You can cruise from Cai Be to Can Tho for night fun.

4. Drop in the cave

Hang Son Doong is the largest cave in the world located in Quang Binh. The region is renowned as wild and impenetrable. It is in the middle of Vietnam and borders Laos.

The cave can fit a skyscraper; it is both wide and tall. It is the epicenter of having fun; you will need a guide and safety gear to descend to the caves.

5. Visit the coffee land

The central highlands of Vietnam hold the magic of the country. The traditional villages and thundering waterfalls define the Ede people that dominate this region. The silted structures can be identified with the breast marks; they are restricted to use by only women of the house.

Visiting Buon Ma Thuot gives you a different perspective of coffee. It has the biggest coffee company with every paddy field and farm in the region bearing its name. You will learn a lot from the locals concerning coffee growing and processing.

6. Taste the best pho in Hanoi

You should not leave Vietnam if you haven’t found and tastes of the tasty meal. It has specific ingredients; rice noodles, green onions, boiled beef, and clear stock.

You can easily find it on the street corners of Vietnam. It is also a favorite and common meal for families. Restaurants here boast of the secret recipe.

7. Familiarize with its past

The current generation has no experience with war but they are victims of circumstances. The history is rich and alive in the economy and social life of Vietnam.

While the country has made tremendous steps to resolve and rebuild, the conflict effects are still remembered in Ho Chi Minh city. Be sure to visit the Ho Chi Minh City Museum.

8. Worship the Vietnam Style

Tay Ninh is probably the busiest and unholy city in the world. It is within the Mekong Delta. The noisy streets and stalls in the city do not match with Cao Dai Temple.

9. Bike ride in Hue

Hue is the region between North and South of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. It became distinct after the Vietnam war. It is a significant element of the Vietnam history coupled with historical sites.

It offers good ground for cycling, especially in the morning to view the historical sites. The perfume river offers panoramic views. It is located in the tranquil parts of Vietnam that were previously controlled by the Nguyen, the second emperor. A leisure cycle through the UNESCO World Heritage Site offers good views of Vietnam, history.

10. Take a walk in the love market

Sapa is renowned for its love themes. It is a favorite place for most tourists that visit the place to sing love songs to each other. You can easily find romance here because the air is full of love.

Love is the atmosphere. There is trusted romance in the town but the night comes with more secrecy that visitors may not be familiar with. The love market has secret locations if you are willing to take the risk.

Vietnam offers everything you can dream of in a vacation. The food, dances, sceneries, wildlife, and zealous locals distinguish this tourist destination.

Typical costs (Accommodation/Food/Drinks/Transport/Activities)

The country is generally cheap, meaning you don’t have to spend so much on food and accommodation. You can get accommodations from as cheap as 100,000 VND, which is equivalent of 4 USD while opting for a private room could cost about 350,890 to 425,000 VND, which is an equivalent of 15 to 20 USD a night. You can get a decent local meal for less than 20,000 VND which is just an equivalent of 1 USD. You can take a tourist bus from one of the country’s ends to the other for just 1,200,000 VND, which is an equivalent of 50 USD. You could get great excursion for less than 10 USD equivalent, bicycle tours, and cooking classes for about 15 USD and canyoning in Da Lat for a minimum of about 20 USD.

Money Saving Tips

    • Local foods are cheaper.

    • For a long journey, you can opt for night sleeper trains or buses so that you can save your accommodation cost.

    • Tourist buses are cheaper than local transportation

    • Use FlyVietnam or VIetJet airlines as their fares are cheaper

    • Try to bargain prices as locals tend to charge tourists higher

    • Don’t bother about getting a sim card as the country is littered with free Wi-Fi you can always use for communication.

    • Always get information from the hotel staff on the cost of transportation fare and other activities, so that you can use that to bargain.

    • It is not safe to drink tap water. It is best to pack a water bottle that comes with a purifier.

How to get around?

A cyclo is amongst the least expensive means of transportation as you will be required to pay less than 1 USD for a short ride or up to 2 USD for a longer ride. You can also opt for motorbike tax with fares also starting from below 1 USD. Stay away from public buses as much as possible as they are more expensive. Taxis in Vietnam cost less than 1 USD per kilometer. You can use plain for long distances to save time. For instance, you can opt for a 2 hours flight, instead of a 30 hours train journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City for a fare of 25 USD for the flight.

Things To Do and Not Do

    • Dress conservatively

    • Take a lot of water because of the heat

    • Position your bag where you can always see them (at your front) when you are walking down the streets.

    • Remove your shoes before entering a local’s home if you get an invitation

    • If you to sight-see, use the train as much as possible

    • Always have some toilet paper with you, in case you have to use the convenience

    • Have a hostel/hotel business card at every time. You can just show this to the cyclo or taxi driver and you will be fine.

    • Beers are cheaper than water

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Conclusion

Vietnam is a nice tourist destination that you might want to visit at least once in your lifetime. This article gives you general information about the country and everything you need to know about visiting Vietnam.

Note: Some links are links of our affiliate companies.

 

 

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