Do's and Don'ts when Travelling Within Vietnam

Vietnamese people are very gracious, polite, and generous and will
make every effort to make guests feel comfortable. These are the experiences that will enrich your visit to Vietnam.

DO

* Store your cash, credit cards, airline tickets and other valuables in a safe place. Most 4-star hotels have in-room safes; otherwise ask the reception to keep your valuable things in their deposit facility.
* Always be careful of the belongings you carry with you during your holiday.
* Take care of all your valuables. Never leave your bags unattended
* Vietnamese dress conservatively. Despite the heat, it’s best not to show off too much skin. If you do, especially girls, you’ll only draw stares from the locals.
* Dress discreetly while entering temples and other religious places.
* If invited into a home, always remove your shoes at the front door when entering.
* Ask for permission when taking a photograph of someone. If they indicate that they do not want you to, then abide by their wishes. DO NOT offer money or push the issue.
* Use waterproof sun cream if you plan to spend a good amount of time in the water when you travel to Vietnam.
* Change money from a recognized moneychanger.
* Indulge in some haggling while buying goods without price tags whenever you go shopping in Vietnam.
* Travel with recommend tour agencies. Even if you plan to buy tickets when in country, research your journey a little first on the Internet.

DON’T

* Never carry more money than you need when walking around the streets.
* Do not wear large amounts of jewelry. There are two reasons for not doing this: (1) It is considered impolite to flaunt wealth in public; (2) It is more likely that you may become a victim of a pickpocket or drive-by bag snatcher.
* When taking a ride by motorbike taxi (xe om) make sure your bag, if any, is not on display or easy to grab. Bag snatches, although still rare, are probably the most likely crime a tourist would encounter, and it raises the probability immensely if you are tailing a camera or a laptop in the wind.
* Don't wear singlet, 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.
* Avoid giving empty water bottles, sweets and candies or pens 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 the people have no access to dental health. If you want to give pens, ask your guide to introduce you to the local teacher and donate them to the whole community.
* Never sleep or sit with the soles of your feet pointing towards the family altar when in someone’s house.
* Do not try to 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 the local people.
* Physical displays of affection between lovers in public are frowned upon. That’s why you may come across couples holding hands but not hugging or kissing.
* Losing your temper in Vietnam means a loss of face. Keep a cool head and remain polite, you’ll have a greater chance of getting what you want.
* Remember, this is Vietnam, a developing country, and things don’t quite work as you are maybe used to. Don’t be paranoid about your safety; just be aware of your surroundings.

The above advice is meant to help you have a perfect trip to Vietnam.

Do not be overly paranoid though. Generally, Vietnamese people are very appreciative if they see you trying to abide by their customs, and very forgiving if you get it wrong or forget. If you make the effort, you will be rewarded.

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Vietnam Visa - Things you should know

Most visitors still need to apply for a Vietnamese visa in advance to enter the country. Vietnamese visa is inexpensive in comparision 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.
Read who need visa for the visa exemption information.

Who need Visa to Vietnam?
Only citizens of certain countries can visit Vietnam without an entry visa (valid for visit within 30 days). Those countries include: most Asean countries, Korea, Japan & Scandinavians (2005). All other citizens are required to get an entry visa before departure (visa issued prior to departure by Vietnamese consulates or embassies) or a pre-approved entry visa (visa is issued on arrival at Vietnam’s International Airports) supplied before arrival in Vietnam.

VISA EXEMPTION INFORMATION
- No visa required for travel less than 30 days: Citizens of Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Laos.
- No visa required for travel less than 15 days: Citizens of Japan and South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland.
- No visa required for travel less than 90 days or several visits within 6 months: Citizens of France holding valid diplomatic or official passports

- No visa required for travel less than 60 days: Citizens of [updating] holding valid diplomatic or official passports.
- No visa required for travel less than 60 days: APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Holders from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies
- Special Phu Quoc Exception: Foreigners and Vietnamese nationals bearing foreign passports who enter Vietnam through an international border gate and then travel to Phu Quoc Island and stay in Phu Quoc less than 15 days will also be exempt from visa application. Passports must be valid for at least 45 days. After arriving in Phu Quoc Island, if visitors want to travel other localities or stay in the island for more than 15 days, the immigration department will be responsible for issuing visas right on the spot.
- No visa required for Japanese citizens who hold valid diplomatic or official passports
When entering Vietnam to implement diplomatic or Government’s official tasks without concerning about the time of stay. For those who entering Vietnam not for the diplomatic tasks but hold valid diplomatic or official passports can be exempted from entry visa and permitted to stay within 90 days.using an international or local mobile phone.
The cheapest way to make international phone calls is at any of the various Internet cafes around Vietnam, although the quality varies. Two options to save money when calling from a land line (for example, in your hotel) are to either dial 171 or 178 (and then 00) before the country code or to buy a prepaid 1719 phone cards from the post office (prices between 30,000 VND to 500,000 VND).

Overseas Vietnamese visa exemption begins next month
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has given the nod to a new regulation allowing overseas Vietnamese and their families to enter Vietnam without visas as of September 1, and the visa exemption decision meets overseas Vietnamese aspirations..
However, overseas Vietnamese and their spouse and children must still obtain a visa exemption certificate, which allows multiple entries and a stay of up to three months at a time.
The certificate will be valid five years.
To obtain the certificates, overseas Vietnamese are required to submit one of the three following documents at an official representative office in their country of residence:
• a document (such as a birth certificate) from a Vietnamese agency that proves they are ethnically Vietnamese;
• a guarantee by an overseas Vietnamese association based in the country in which they reside or by a Vietnamese citizen; or
• a document from an authorized foreign agency certifying that they are ethnically Vietnamese.
Husbands, wives and children of Vietnamese people living abroad will also need to submit documents that prove their relationship to the Vietnamese member of their immediate family.
Expecting a rush on representative offices abroad, the government’s Committee for Overseas Vietnamese has sent 200,000 visa exemption certificates to Vietnamese embassies overseas.
The move to exempt visas for overseas Vietnamese was announced by President Nguyen Minh Triet during his visit to the US in June.
According to the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, there are currently close to three million overseas Vietnamese, most of whom have settled in the US, France, Australia and Canada. Around 500,000 overseas Vietnamese visit Vietnam each year.

* Vietnam Embassies And Consulates Abroad
* Country Address Website

* Australia : 6 Timbarra Cresent, O'Malley, Canberra : The Vietnamese Embassy in Australia
* Canada : 226 Maclaren Street, Ottawa, Ontario, KP2OL6
* France : 62-66 rue Boileau, 75016 Paris : vnparis@imaginet.tr
* United Kingdom : 12-14 Victoria Road, London W8 5 RD : www.vietnamembassy.org.uk
* United States : 1233 20th Street, NW Suite 400. Washington, DC 20036 : Embassy of Vietnam in the United States

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Vietnam Money and Currency

Currency

Vietnam’s currency issued by the Vietnam State Bank is the Dong (VND). Vietnamese use both coins and paper notes. But as Vietnam is currently changing its money system, there exists parallel two different money systems (old and new) which can cause confusion.

Coins include VND 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500 and 200. These values have paper note equivalences.

The following values: VND 500,000; 200,000; 100,000; 50,000; 20,000; 10,000. exist both in the new polymer form and the old normal paper notes.

Cheques with value as Vietnamese dong include: VND 1,000,000 and 500,000.

Exchange rates

Exchange rate can be referred to at OANDA, The Currency Site: Foreign Exchange Services and Trading

In general, 1 USD is approximately 16000VND and 1 EUR approximates 20000VND

You can exchange your money at the airport before leaving, or at banks and official exchange centers in Vietnam. It is strongly recommended that you do not exchange money in the black market.

Method of payment

Direct payment of cash is most popular in Vietnam. Small shops, restaurants and markets usually do not accept any other payment.

Major credit cards (such as Visa, Master Charge and to some extent American Express) are increasingly being used, especially in big cities and tourist places, but only in restaurants, hotels or big shopping malls with a transactional fee (3%-5%).

Traveler’s cheques are an easy method of carrying money around, and can be cashed at major banks (but not small banks in small towns).

ATM machines

For those hesitant to carry a large amount of cash around, ATMs (automatic teller machines) have become increasingly popular in Vietnam (mostly in cities) and have attracted many foreign visitors.

Most banks offer this service and the registration for an account is simple and fast. All ATMs are locally interconnected. However, ATMs only give in VND.

Banking hours

The hours may differ from bank to bank. Generally banks open from Monday to Friday: 8:00 - 11:30 and 1:00 to 4:00. Some large banks also open through lunch or on Saturday mornings. Banks are closed on public holidays.

Two tier pricing system

In many places in Vietnam, foreigners and visitors still have to pay a much higher fee for entrance or services. However this system is slowly changing as prices are being standardized.

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1. Do I need visa to visit Vietnam?

Yes/No, it depends on your nationality, read our who need visa section for more information

2. What are the World Heritages in Vietnam?

1. Ha Long Bay - UNESCO World Heritage (Dec. 1994)
Halong Bay was added to Unesco's World Heritage List in 1994
Brief description by UNESCO: "Ha Long Bay, located in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1600 islands and islets forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by man. The exceptional esthetic

2. Hue City - UNESCO World Heritage (Dec. 1993)
Hue served as Vietnam's political capital from 1802 to 1945 under the 13 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty. Hue's attractions are the splendid toms of the Nguyen emperors, several notable pagodas and the remains of the Imperial Citadel

3. Hoi An - UNESCO World Heritage (Dec. 1999)
The ancient town of Hoi An used to be occupied by early western traders and became one of the major trading centers of South East Asia in the 16th century. It has a distinct Chinese atmosphere with low, tile-roofed houses made of wood and narrow streets.

4. My Son Sanctuary - UNESCO World Heritage (Dec. 1999)
My Son used to be an imperial city during the Cham dynasty from the 4th to the 12th centuries. It is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural towers of red brick which were built to reflect the divinity of the king.

5. Phong Nha Cave - UNESCO World Heritage (Jul. 2003)
Phong Nha - Ke Bang national park (200,000 ha) is one of the world's two largest limestone regions which includes beautiful limestone formations, grottoes and caves.
Phong Nha caves (over 30 caves and total discovered length of 100km) has the longest underground rivers, the largest caverns and passageways, the widest and prettiest sand banks, and the most astonishing rock formations in the world.

3. Where can I study Vietnamese?

In Hanoi: No. 1, Pham Ngu Lao St., Tel: 8262468
Or : No. 20 Lang Ha St., Tel: 7761123

In Saigon: Lassho Vietnamese Language School for Foreigners
No. 8, Mac Dinh Chi St., Dist 1, Tel: 8233816
Or : . Sai Gon Vietnamese Language School
No. 41 Dinh Tien Hoang St., Ben Nghe ward, District 1, HCMC
Tel: 84-8-8251027
Email: vietnamese@svlsf.edu.vn

5. Is it possible to travel around Vietnam by plane?

Yes, it is possible to travel around main cities in Vietnam by air, see our domestic flights schedule for more information.

6. Can the driver speak English and act as a guide?

No, he cannot. In Vietnam, drivers are just drivers. Tour guides need to be licensed by the National Tourism Authority. Tour guides are the only persons legally entitled to escort tourists. GV specialises in arranging tours with private drivers and qualified professional tour guides.

7. Can I rent a bike and ride myself?

Yes, you can buy/rent bike easily and ride it yourself in Vietnam. However, please remember the traffic and roads conditions may be very different to what you are used to. Only young team is recommended for bike riding in Vietnam. See here for rules of the road when travelling in Vietnam.