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Here we have put together some useful tips and practical information on travelling in Vietnam.
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with Laos:
Lao Bao (Hue) - Denesavanh (Savannaket) (road)
Cau Treo (Dong Hoi) - Nam Phao (road)
Nam Can (Vinh) - Nong Haet (Phonsavan) (road)
Tay Trang (Dien Bien Phu) – Ban Panghok (Muang Xai) (road)
Nam Xoi - Na Meo (road) with Cambodia:
Tinh Bien (Chau Doc) – Phnom Den (road)
Vinh Xuong (Chau Doc) - Kaam Samnor (boat)
Xa Xia - Prek Chak ('Ha Tien crossing') (road)
Xa Mat - Trapeang Phlong (Kompong Cham)
Moc Bai - Bavet (road) with China:
Lao Cai – Hekou (road)
Tam Thanh (Lang Son) - Dong Dang (road)
Mong Cai (Quang Ninh) - Donxing (road)
Ta Lung (Cao Bang) - Jingxi (road) Please remember that bordercrossing formalities are subject to changes. For the latest update please check with the embassy or consulate of Vietnam in your country.
Looking for a quick lunch of soup, salad or a sandwich? Maybe you ought to think Vietnamese. Perhaps an exquisite vegetarian meal? Well, then, why not think Vietnamese? Or is tonight time for multiple dishes, contrasting flavors, varied textures and exotic ingredients? Once again, it’s a good time to think Vietnamese. Or perhaps something healthy and “lite?” Guess what: think Vietnamese. Vietnamese chefs like to refer to their cooking as “the nouvelle cuisine of Asia.” And indeed, with the heavy reliance on rice, wheat and legumes, abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables, minimal use of oil, and treatment of meat as a condiment rather than a main course, Vietnamese food has to be among the healthiest on the planet. Cuisine in this country of 70,000,000 people differs strikingly between the north, south and central regions, but two key features stand out. First, rice plays an essential role in the nation’s diet as it does throughout southeast Asia. But this is also a noodle-crazy population, regularly downing them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, in homes, restaurants and at roadside stands. Noodles are eaten wet and dry, in soup or beside soup, and are made in different shapes and thicknesses of wheat, rice and mung beans. Secondly, no meal is complete without fresh vegetables and herbs. A key portion of every meal, north, south and central, is a platter containing cucumbers, bean threads, slices of hot pepper, and sprigs of basil, coriander, mint and a number of related herbs found principally in southeast Asian markets.
Dangers to your health in Vietnam include Cholera, Malaria and Typhoid. Hepatitis A and E occur; hepatitis B is highly endemic. Dengue fever, diphtheria, tuberculosis and Japanese encephalitis occur Cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness. Malaria risk exists throughout the year in the whole country, except in the major cities. The malignant falciparum form is prevalent and is reported to be highly resistant to chloroquine. The recommended prophylaxis is mefloquine. Typhoid may occur. Polio virus transmission has been interrupted, but complete eradication is not yet certain. Before traveling to Vietnam consult your private doctor on advise for vaccinations and prophylactics.
WARNING: Tet Festival For Vietnamese it's the most important festival of the year. It's the one time per year that families come together for a couple of days to celebrate and spend time together. Special Tet dishes are being prepared and the house is decorated with flowers and Tet trees. Tet is very similar to Christmas in the West.
For visitors it is a mixed blessing. Although the streets before and after Tet are very colorful and there is a special buzz in the air many tourist sites are closed during a period of 8 to 9 days around the actual date of Tet. This includes minority markets in North Vietnam and floating markets in the Mekong Delta. When Tet finally arrives the streets are empty. Before and after Tet travelling around is difficult. Planes and trains are either packed (if you can get space) or fully booked. Prices for transportation go up in the weeks before and after Tet.
Travelling around Vietnam in the period around Tet can be rewarding and a special experience but one has to take into account that many places will be closed. Hundreds of people gather in prayer at the Buddhist pagodas, and for a travellers it's a great time to observe the Mahayana Buddhist and Confuscious rituals that are an important part of Vietnamese life.
Khiri Travel can't take responsibility for any inconvenience experienced before, during and after Tet. We will do our best to offer the same quality services that we usually offer but we can't guarantee this. We are not giving any refunds for inconveniences suffered due to Tet.Tet in the near future:
2009 - Year of the Ox - January 26
2010 - Year of the Tiger - February 14
2011 - Year of the Cat - February 3
2012 - Year of the Dragon - January 23
LINKS: http://vn.embassyinformation.com/ For the latest visa information. http://www.vietnamembassy.or.th/ For the latest visa information of the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok. http://www.cdc.gov/travel/seasia.htm/ Official US Government website which give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. http://www.who.int/csr/don/archive/country/vnm/en/ World Health Organisation, check their latest updates on current diseases and health. www.visa.via.infonow.net To search for the location of ATM machines www.mastercard.com To search for the location of ATM machines Check out this new website, it is dubbed "the Facebook of the adventure travel world", it leads to reputable tour operators in six continents, of which, of course, Khiri Travel is proud to be one! http://www.addictedtotravel.com/
The Dong is the official currency of Vietnam. The Dong comes in denominations of 500 000, 100 000, 50 000, 20 000, 10 000, 5 000, 2 000, 1 000, 500, 200 and 100. Coins are in denominations of 5 000, 2 000, 1000, 500 and 200. The Dong is not freely convertable, which means that you can’t buy any outside of Vietnam, and any you leave with can’t be exchanged anywhere else. Australian, British, Japanese, Singaporean and Thai currency, as well as the Euro, can usually be changed in the larger cities; great difficulty may be encountered in trying to exchange any other currencies. There are ATM machines in most sizeable towns and cities. The ATM machines issue Dong. Quite a few ATM machines accept only local bank cards. Some more upmarket hotels and restaurants accept credit cards.
In banks in the bigger cities you can withdraw cash with your credit card and change traveler cheques. We advise to bring a mix of cash US Dollars, Euros or Thai Baht and Traveller Cheques.
Visitors of most nationalities need a visa in order to visit Vietnam. Visitors of member states of ASEAN are exempted from this. You can apply for this visa at a Vietnamese embassy in or near your country. Please contact the embassy for more details. The visa for Vietnam is valid for one month and occupies a full page in your passport. Please make sure you have enough pages in your passport. The passport has to be valid for at least 6 months. Price depends on the place of issue. For visitors of some nationalities a visa upon arrival is available at the airports of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Danang. This procedure requires some preparatory paperwork and is not 100% reliable. We recommend travelers to obtain their visa before traveling to Vietnam and not to rely on a visa upon arrival. Visa upon arrival are not available at overland bordercrossings. Visa regulations are subject to changes. For the latest update please check with the embassy or consulate of Vietnam in or near your country. For an update of international overland bordercrossings, please see the section “bordercrossings”.
Tipping in Vietnam is not customary. It is highly appreciated though. In more upscale restaurants a tip of between 5 and 10% is recommended. In other places leaving the small change is enough.
Taxi drivers on regular trips don’t expect any tip at all.
Guides and drivers of rented vehicles expect to be tipped. For guides a tip between 2 and 5 USD per day is normal, for drivers between 1 and 3 USD per day. Of course tipping is always related to the quality of services rendered. As of Feb. 2007 airport departure taxes are now included in the ticket!
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