Vietnamn is currently one of the world’s most talked-about travel destinations. After opening its doors to marketing-economy in 1989, the “Land of the Ascending Dragon” has established its reputation as a unique and genuine South-East Asian experience in tourism. A visit to this fascinating country will indulge your senses and open your mind.

Vietnam offers great touring potentials with spectacular natural scenery, a coastline of 3,260km of unspoiled, white sand beaches and stunning lagoons.  In addition, the country has more than thousand historical, cultural and architectural sites, which are officially classified as national heritage, including hundreds of great values.  Five of them, Halong Bay, the ancient capital of Hue, Hoi An ancient town, My Son Cham Towers and Phong Nha – Ke Bang Caves have been recognized as world cultural heritage sites by UNESCO, further more, Nha Trang Bay has also been one of the most beautiful 29 bays of the world. Most visitors to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the beauty of the country’s nature settings.  They can choose a range of itineraries from travel agencies offering tours, historic sites visits, forest and mountain trekking, sea bathing, cave exploring, sightseeing, etc. Besides, Vietnamese festivals and celebrations offer a colorful introduction to the traditions of the country, which are an expression of a truly distinct and fascinating culture. 

GEOGRAPHY   

Vietnam lies in the eastern part of the Indochine Peninsula, bordered by China, Laos and Cambodia.  The country covers an area of 329,241sq km and stretches on 1,650km from north to south.  Three quarters of the country is mountainous and hilly.  The highest peak, Mount Fansipan reaches 3,143 meter high in Northwest Vietnam.  The Red River Delta (15,000sq km), in the North, and the Mekong Delta (over 40,000 sq km), in the South are the most cultivated areas in the country.

GOVERNMENT

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam

CLIMATE

Vietnam lies in the tropical and East Asia monsoon zone.  The climate is determined by two monsoons.  The rainy season, in summer, lasts from May to October and the dry season, in winter, lasts from November to April yearly.  The average temperature in the North is around 13oC to 17oC in winter with occasional drizzling rains and in summer the temperature range from 27oC to 34oC.  In the South, the climate undergoes less variation with an average annual temperature about 27oC to 32oC.

Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate that varies significantly from the north to the south:

POPULATION

81 million (according to 2004 census divided into 54 ethnic groups, the largest one being the Viet or King, accounting for 80% of the whole population. Among the other groups are Tay, Muong, Chinese, Khmer, etc.

CAPITAL

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is located in the Red River Delta, north of the country

LANGUAGE

Vietnamese is the official language, but there is also a large variety of local dialests. Some English, French, Russian, Japanese and Chinese is popularly spoken as well.

RELIGION

Buddhism is the major religion but there are also significant Taoist, Confucian, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Muslim and Christian minorities.

MONEY

Vietnamese dong (VND) is the official currency in Vietnam.

Paper notes include: VND 500,000; 100,000; 50,000; 20,000; 10,000; 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500; 200 and 100. Coins include VND 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500 and 200.
Foreign currencies and traveler’s cheques can be exchanged into Vietnamese Dong at banks or foreign exchange agencies. But can be difficult to change outside of the major cities.
Credit cards such as VISA, American Express, Mastercard are popularly used, especially in cities, major hotels and tourist centers. There are some ATM machines appearing now in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Nha Trang, Hoi An.
Throughout the country, US dollars are widely accepted.  However, the bills must be relatively new with no writings or tears. 

Before leave Vietnam, Vietnamese dong can be changed into foreign currencies at the airport.

BUSINESS HOURS

·         Governmental agencies work 8 hours/day from 7.30am to 4.30pm (excluding one-hour lunch). Saturday and Sunday are close.

·         Banks are open from 7.30am or 8am to 11.30am and from 1pm to 4pm. Saturday is opened for half-day service from 7.30am to 11.30am.  All banks are closed on Sunday.

·         Private shops are open from 8am or 8.30am to 9pm or 10pm.

Public Holidays

January 1         New Year's Day, (one day holiday)

April 30            Saigon Liberation Day, (one day holiday)

May 1               International Labour Day, (one day holiday)

September 2    National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, (one day holiday)

Vietnam Traditional Lunar New Year Festival - Tet Nguyen Dan: (Four day holidays).  Tet holiday usually falls at the end of January or middle of February by solar calendar. The holiday begins on the last day of the last lunar month and lasts through the first three days of the Lunar New Year (Tet Nguyen Dan)

VISAS

·         Most visitors to Vietnam need a visa to enter the country (except for citizens of countries that signed an agreement of visa exemption with Vietnam).  Entry visas are obtainable at offices of Vietnamese diplomatic missions or at the first point of entry to Vietnam.  To secure a visa to Vietnam, the applicant is requested to submit: 1) the original passport, 2) two copies of the application forms, 3) 2 passport-sized photos and entry visa fee. Click here

·         A 30 – day tourist visa is usually sufficient for most visitors though it is possible to arrange 3 – month or 6 – month multi-entry visas for business people. In order to conveniently obtain a visa, those traveling with An Thai Travel are kindly requested to send the following information to the An Thai Travel at least 7 working days before the entry date: passport details, arrival date and point of entry. After 3 working days, the applicant will receive a faxed letter of visa authorization from An Thai Travel. Each applicant must fill out 2 application forms and present his / her valid passport and the letter of visa authorization upon collecting his /her visa at the office of the Vietnamese diplomatic mission concerned.

·         In emergency cases, An Thai Travel can arrange collection of visas on arrival at international airports (NoiBai, Tan Son Nhat, DaNang) and international seaports (Halong , Haiphong , Danang, Quinhon, Nhatrang  and Saigon ).

·         Visa extension: travel agencies offer this service.

CUSTOMS

Visitors must fill out customs declaration forms on arrival. The copy should be kept and handed in on departure.

A  - ENTRY:      Visitors are authorized to bring in the following items duty – free:

Cigarettes: 400 – Cigars: 50 – 100 – Tobacco: 100gr  - liquor: 1.5 l

Personal effects of a reasonable quantity. Small gift items valued at not more than US$ 300.

Note: There is no limit to the amounts of cash, precious metals and gems that visitors may bring in, but amounts of over US$ 7,000 must be declared.

The following items are prohibited:

-            Weapons, explosives and inflammable objects.

-            Opium and other narcotics.

-            Cultural materials unsuitable to Vietnamese society.

-            Infected animals, plants or foodstuffs.

B – EXIT:          Goods of commercial nature and articles of high value require export permits issued by the customs authorities. Antiques, some precious stones and animals listed in Vietnam ‘s red – book may not be brought out of the country.

TELEPHONES, FACSIMILE, EMAIL, WIDE-BROAD BAND NETWORK

The international phone code for Vietnam is 84.  It is possible to make international calls or sent faxes from a post-office or hotels.  Email and internet are available in most urban areas throughout the country.  Domestic long-distance calls a made by dial 0, followed by the area code and phone number. It is very easy to make a phone call inside Vietnam.  Most hotels will allow local phone calls free of charge.

HEALTH

Before their departure, traveller should see a physician at least six weeks in advance and receive all the appropriate vaccinations.  We also recommend supplemental insurance that provides medical evacuation in the event of a serious emergency.

·         No vaccinations are presently required for visitors to enter Vietnam. However, it is advisable that precautionary measures be taken for cholera, malaria, hepatitis A & B, typhoid and tuberculosis.

·         Although international medical centers are available in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City , it can be expensive for emergency care. Therefore, health and emergency medical insurance prior to visiting Vietnam is highly recommended for foreigners.

·         Clinics with qualified Vietnamese and foreign doctors to treat foreign patients:

HANOI:                                                 HO CHI MINH CITY

VietDuc Hospital                                  Asia Emergency Assistance

40 Trang Thi St., Hoan Kiem Ditrict          65 Nguyen Du St., District 1

Tel: (84.4) 825 3531                               Tel: (84.4) 829 8520

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 paramount importance characteristics of Vietnamese food is that it is always fresh being bought the same morning straight from the local market. Food is usually prepared with a minimum of oil and served with the ubiquitous fish sauce called “nuoc mam”. Typical Vietnamese dishes you can expect to try include “pho” a type of rice noodle soup eaten for breakfast, “cha gio” deep-fried spring rolls, “goi ngo sen”, a delicious salad made with lotus stems, shrimps and peanuts and specially “cha ca La Vong”, cubes of fresh fish fried in butter to be recognized as the one of the most one thousand delicious dishes of the world.  Due to the strong Buddhist influence in Vietnam, vegetarian food is widely available.  An amazing assortment of fresh tropical fruits is usually on offer, which will round off a meal perfectly.

WATER

It is not advisable to drink tap water in Vietnam but bottled mineral water is safe and available everywhere. Ice in drinks is generally in good standard hotels and restaurants but it is best to avoid it on street stalls or in country areas.

GETTING AROUND VIETNAM

·         You can travel to various provinces, cities and towns by air, road, or train.  Domestic flights are available every day.  Private car, minibus, motocycles and cycles can be easily hired. Click here.

·         More than 25 international airlines fly into and out of Vietnam including Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines (Vietnam), All Nippon Airways, Air France, Aeroflot, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, CathayPacific Airways, China Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Eva Air, Emirates Airways, Garuda Indonesia, JapanAirlines, Korean Airlines, Lao Aviation, Lauda Air, Lufthansa German Airlines, Malaysia Airways, Philippine Airlines, Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines, Siem Reap Air, Royal Air Cambodge and Thai Airways.  Click here

·         Airport tax for every passenger on every departure:

-          International flights: US$ 14 at Noi Bai Airport, US$ 12 at Tan Son Nhat Airport, US$ 8 at Da Nang Airport

-          Domestic flights: already including in airfares.

·         For information and bookings, please contact our company, An Thai Travel, the sales agent of these airlines.

TAXI

If you have not arranged for an arrival/departure transfer, you can always take a cap, which is available at the airport and at the hotel. Whether you are arriving at Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City it is best to take a metered taxi to the hotel. Driver may want to negotiate a price before leaving the airport, but do not agree to this. Rather you should make sure they switch the meter on and pay the amount it displays when you reach your destination. Taxi fares vary according to the type of vehicle (i.e. a modern A.C car is more expensive than an older non A.C vehicle). As a guideline you should expect to pay the following amounts for a taxi from the airport to your hotel:  Hanoi: US$10- US$15; Ho Chi Minh City: US$7 – US$10.

During your free time there may be occasion to use local taxis. These are inexpensive, about 6,000 VND for a first km.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO

·         Color print films and videotapes or fresh negative film is widely available at reasonable prices. Popular brands is Fuji, Kodak and Konica. Positive color print film is only obtainable in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

·         One – hour service photo shops are ubiquitous in tourist areas. Positive film and digital cards can be processed and printed only in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi.

ELECTRICITY

Vietnam uses 220 voltages

WHAT TO WEAR

·         Throughout the year, it is advisable to wear summer clothing: thin clothes in light color. In December and January, warm clothes are recommended for visit to the northern provinces.

·         It is advisable to bring umbrellas in the rainy season from May to November in southern and northern Vietnam, from August to January in central Vietnam.

·         The wearing of suits for business is now common in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Dress should be respectable, especially if entering religious premises such as temples and pagodas.

SECURITY

·         In big cities, do not bring along valuables as you going shopping or sightseeing in the street.

·         It is dispensable to give alms to beggars and to buy souvenirs from street vendors.

·         Foreign currencies should be exchanged at banks or authorized exchange money in the street.

·         It is advisable not to ride on “ honda – om “ by oneself

SHOPPING

The following items are preferred by foreign travellers:

·         Carved wooden furniture, fine lacquer-ware (there can be shipped home on request).

·         Traditional Vietnamese hand – made silk dresses, kimonos, embroideries, etc.

·         Simulated antiques, fine ceramics, old watches or Zippo lighters, etc.

·         Copies of famous paintings.

TRAVEL TIPS

Things to remember

·         It's in your best interests not to drink the tap water, especially after flooding!

·         Avoid cyclo ride after dark.

·         Dress modestly and appropriately when visiting local dwellings and religious sites, etc.

·         Leave your valuables behind before a night out on the town, or going to the beach.

·         When crossing the road, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, always keep looking to the left and right and walk slowly!

·         Do not offer money directly to minority people - instead donate to a local charity or offer a small gift, such as pens.

·         Try at least once the delicious, local street food.

·         Always ask permission first before taking photographs, especially in minority areas. 

Things do not to miss

• Sleeping out on deck on a boat in Halong Bay
• Ordering custom-made clothes from the local tailor shop
• Taking a slow cyclo ride through the French Quarter of old Saigon
• Eating pho ga (chicken noodle soup) at a street side noodle stalls.
• Watching the traditional water - puppet performance in Hanoi.
• Experience the full moon festivities in the ancient town of Hoi An.
• Drinking rice-wine in the minority villages of the north
• Taking a boat along Hue's Huong (Perfume) River, visiting the Royal Mausoleums.
• Overnight in a homestay in the Mekong Delta's riverside orchards.
• Bartering for a bargain at Saigon's largest market, Ben Thanh Market
• Taking a stroll through Hanoi's Old Quarters.