Vietnam Travel Tips & Advices for Travellers
Vietnam Visas
Visitor to Vietnam should apply for a visa in advance at least two weeks.Apply to your local Vietnamese Embassy or in some countries, to private agency which makes the application for you ( for a fee) . There are different types of visa – tourism, business , professional- and regulations change constantly , so following serves as a guide only.
Tourist visa (single rntry or multiple entry ) are issued for one month and can be extended at travel agents in Vietnam for a further 15 days .Two application forms nee to be filled in and you must state your intended points of arrival and departure.
Vietnam Visa
Vietnam Customs
You are permitted to bring in duty-free 200 cigarettes,50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, 2 litres of liquor ,gift worth up to US$ 50 and a reasonable quantity of luggage and personal effects . Items which you cannot bring in include opium , weapons , explosives and cultural materialss unsuitable to Vietnamese society.
Tourist can be bring an unlimitted amount of foreign currency into vietnam , but they are required to declare it on their customs form upon arrival.Visitors must also declare all precious metals ,jewellery , camera and electronic devices in their possession- if you don’t need this stuff ,then don’t bring it.
Vietnam Money
Vietnam’s unit of currency is dong (vietnam dong-vnd).Currently circulates in bank notes of : 500vnd , 1000 vnd, 2000 vnd , 5000vnd, 10.000 vnd ,50.000vnd , 100.000 vnd, 200.000 vnd , 500.000 vnd , and in coins : 200vnd ( useless), 500vnd ( can’t buy anything) , 1000 vnd , 5000 vnd.
The exchange rate of Vietnam dong to 1US$ is about 18,469 (Thursday 14th January 2010)
Arriving in vietnam by air
The easiest way to get to Vietnam is by air .International flights are available to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City , and direct service is expected to be available to Da Nang .
Hanoi
Noi Bai Airport is served by direct flights from Bangkok ( Thai , Vietnam Airlines , Air France ) , Berlin ( Vietnam Airlines ), Dubai ( Vietnam Airlines) , Hongkong ( Cathay Pacific, Vietnam Airlines), Guangzhou ( China Southern Airlines), Moscow ( Aeroflot , Vietnam Airlines ), Paris ( Air France ), Seoul (Vietnam Airlines ), Singapore ( Singapore Airlines ), Taipei ( China Airlines , Vietnam Airlines ) …..
There are bus and taxi services from the airport into central Hanoi . Guides to use taxi safety
vietnam travel facts for visitors
Ho Chi Minh City
Recently , Tan Son Nhat Airport is served by flights from Amsterdam ( KLM Airlines ), Bangkok ( Thai , Vietnam Airlines ), Berlin (Vietnam Airlines ), Dubai ( Vietnam Airlines ), Frankfurt ( Lufthansa ), Hongkong ( Cathay Pacific , Vietnam Airlines ), Jakata ( Garuda Indonesia ), Kuala Lumpur ( Malaysia Air ), Manila ( Philippines Air ), Osaka (Vietnam Airlines ), Paris ( Air France ), Phnom Penh ( Vietnam Airlines , Cambodia Air ), Seoul (Vietnam Airlines ), Singapore ( Vietnam Airlines , Singapore Airlines ), Sydney ( Qantas ), Tai Pei ( Eva Air , Vietnam Airlines , China Airlines )
Tan Son Nhat is located just 15 minutes from the center of the city. You can get to the center by bus or taxi Travelling by bus (govement’s bus with air conditioner) is the cheapest way to the center is just cost about 3000vnd – 4000 vnd /ticket ( about 200.000vnd if you take a taxi ). You can catch it at the bus-stop just 15-20 m from the Passenger terminal.
Arriving in vietnam by Sea
For the moment the only maritime route into Vietnam is by cruise ship.Enquire at your local travel ageeent.
Arriving in vietnam by land
There are currently four land entry points into Vietnam . The Chinese border has two offical crossing at Dong Dang and at Lao Cai . Dong Dang frontier can be crossed by train on the Beijing – Hanoi line , but Lao Cai only traversed by bus and on foot . The border point with Laos is at Lao Bao and is another bus and foot crossing unless you are on the Da Nang – Savannakhet international bus .Buses from Phnom Penh in Cambodia cross at Moc Bai.(today, there are buses that travel from Moc Bai to Ho Chi Minh City just for 20.0000 vnd/ticket). If arriving or leaving by any of these points , it must be specified on your visa and immigration card otherwise you will be turned back.
Departure
Always reconfirm your international flight ticket at least 72 hours in advance . Have your immigration card and customs form ready to hand in
Preparation for leaving:
- Double check all the documents to bring along with you: Passport, Visa, Air/Train tickets, money, credit cards, precious things, and the like.
If you are leaving by air, wherever else you might go after checking out hotel, don’t forget to be present at the airport at least one hour before the departure time.
- If you go by train, at least half an hour before the departure time you must be at the station gate.
- Should you have lots of things in your luggage, quickly bring them to the packaging place nearby to pack so that you could come back to the lounge for in-time boarding.
- If you did not have time to buy gifts, spend some time on shopping here as international airports are ideal places for a country’s souvenirs. But of course, they are almost a little bit more expensive.
vietnam travel
Vietnam Map
Live online map of all vietnam’s city (vietnamese/ english) with full address…http://diadiem.com
HCM City map
Hanoi City Map
Vietnam Climate
Vietnam breaks down into three climatic zones : North, Central Highlands and South.
In the North there are four distinct seasons, with temperatures descending to around 10oC in drizzly wintertime Hanoi . If you visit mountain ereas at this times you will need warm clothing and a saintly attitude towards the lack of hotel heating.Spring picks up in April/May when the infamous drizzle gathers strength and temperatures rise to 15-20oC. In summer ,brilliant hot sun (30oC) alternates with heavy rain ,the letter peaking with typhoons brought by the south-west monsoon in August and September .By October/November a calmer transitional autumn leads into the winter of December – February.
The Central Highlands have the highest rainfall in Vietnam , with most falling during the April – Octorber rainy season .
In the tropical South and along the central coast as far as the Hai Van Pass the weather pattern is more straightforward : either it rains or it shines .The rainy season gets going in April and patters on until October/November . From October to December the South-central coast becomes the target of typhoons. January – March is the driest period, although humidity remains high .Temperature oscillate between 27oC-33oC.
Vietnam weather on Msn : http://weather.msn.com/region.aspx?wealocations=Vietnam
When to Go to Vietnam
Visitors should take into account that around Tet , the colorful Vietnamese New Year celebration which falls in late January or early Ferbruary , flights into ,out of and around the country are likely to be booked solid , and accommodation can be almost impossible to find .The New Year festival is more than just a one-day event it goes on for at least a week before and two weeks after Tet you are likely to encounter some difficulties in booking hotels and flights ; this applies also to the whole of eastern Asia.
What to Bring to Vietnam in your trip
Bring as little as possible . Many travellers try to bring everything .Keep in mind that you can and will buy things in Vietnam, so don’t burden yourself with a lot of unnecessary junk.One medium sized bag and a day pack will provide enough room to carry everything and enough space for the things you’ll buy.
Lightweught and compact are two words that should be etched in your mind when you’re deciding what to bring.
-You only need two sets of clothes( 1 to wear and 1 to wash),dark colored clothing is preferred because it doesn’t show the dirt.
-Washable and lightweight nylon running or sports shoes
-Sandals are sppropriate footware in the tropical heat.
-Plastic bags or nylon”stuff bags”-they keep things not only separate and clean but also dry.
- Sunglasses protect your eyes from the scorching Vietnam sun. Amber and grey are said to be the two most effective color for filtering out harmful ultraviolet rays.
-Bring zinc cream for your nose and lips, sunscreen (UV) lotion and something to cover your head.
Books on language. If you are traveling to a foreign speaking country you may
want to think about taking a long a book that has some common phrases in the
language of the country that you are visiting.
Jeans. Leave the jeans at home if you can since they weigh more and are harder
to carry around. As well they take a longer time to dry if you have to wash some
of your clothes and hang them to dry in your hotel room
