Useful Vietnam country guide - Thailand Tours & Holidays

Vietnam

Country Statistics

Time: GMT+7

Dialing code: 00 84

Area:

329,560 sq km

Elevation:

Lowest point: South China Sea 0m
Highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144m

Population:

81,624,716 (July 2003 est.)

Capital:

Hanoi

Government:

Communist

Language:

Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favoured as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)

Overview
Brief History
Highlights
Geography
Climate
Currency
Holidays

Religion
Vaccinations
Customs
Security
Visas
Flights
Our tours in Vietnam

Overview

Vietnam, a country whose name was once synonymous with war, is gradually starting to attract the attention of tourists from around the world. The country’s historical past and modern present, different religions and cultural traditions, old and new all blend to give it a colourful and vibrant image.

A country of contrasts, from the dozens of islands in the south to the haunting beauty of Ha Long Bay, from the fertile land of the Mekong Delta to the rugged mountain ranges of the centre and north, Vietnam has at last opened its welcome arms and smiling faces to the world. Mysterious temples and pagodas stand in stark contrast to the energetic, lively cities of Saigon and Hanoi. The romantic imperial city of Hué houses treasures of a past era, while the beach paradise of Nha Trang offers all a young sun worshipers could want.

The countryside, a mixture of rice paddies and jungle covered mountains, is home to some of the warmest and hospitable people you could hope to find, with a welcoming smile never far away.

Brief History

The early inhabitants of Southeast Asia date back as far as 8,000 BC, and were simple hunter-gatherers. However, a slow southwestwardly migration of Austronesian (Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian) and Austro-Asiatic (Mon, Khmer, Vietnamese) speaking settlers, from China, gradually pushed out the native Australo-Melanesian speaking inhabitants. These new settlers brought with them Chinese agricultural practices based on intensive rice production, so that by about 4,000 BC rice was being cultivated throughout the region, and from about 3,000 BC metalworking started. Read more...

Highlights

Ho Chi Min (Saigon) – pagodas, temples, museums and markets, and nightlife!
Mekong Delta – boat trips, floating markets and village life
Hué –Royal Citadel, tombs and pagodas, boat trip on the Perfume River
Nha Trang – white sandy beaches, coral reefs for snorkelling and diving
Sapa – Ethnic minority hill-tribe villages, trekking and colourful markets
Halong Bay – boat trips, caves, stunning scenery and wonderful seafood

Geography

Vietnam is a long, thin s-shaped country running north to south for over 1,600 km. At its narrowest point, in the centre of the country, it is as little as 50 km wide. The east of the country is over 3,000 km of coastline, stretching from the border with Thailand to the border with China. To the west Vietnam borders Laos and Cambodia, and in the north it has a land border with China. Most of central Vietnam consists of mountains and hill, as does the north and west of the country where the countries highest mountain, Fansipan (3,143m), rises. The countries main areas of cultivation are around the Red River Delta in the north and the Mekong Delta in the south. The two largest cities are Hanoi, the countries capital, in the north and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south.

Climate

Vietnam’s climate is very diverse, due to the wide range of altitude and latitude within the country. This means that there is no good or bad time to visit the country, as there is always somewhere to go where the weather is favourable. Generally speaking the climate is governed by two monsoons.

From May to October the southwesterly monsoon brings rain and high humidity to the whole country, with the exception of areas sheltered by mountains, like the Red River Delta and the central coastal regions. Between July and November typhoons develop over the oceans east of Vietnam sometimes causing damage to the centre and north of the country.

From November to April the northeasterly monsoon brings chilly weather to the north of the country but dry and warm weather to the south of the country.


Hanoi	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rain (mm)	18	28	38	81	196	239	323	343	254	99	43	20
Sun (hrs)	1	1	1	2	4	5	5	4	4	4	3	2
Temp (Max)	20	21	23	28	32	33	33	32	31	29	26	22
Temp (Min)	13	14	17	20	23	26	26	26	24	22	18	15
Days of Rain*	8	11	15	13	14	15	16	17	14	9	7	6
Hum (%)	68	70	76	75	69	71	72	75	73	69	68	67

Ho_Chi_Minh	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rain (mm)	15	3	13	43	221	330	315	269	335	269	114	56
Sun (hrs)	5	6	5	6	4	4	4	5	5	4	4	4
Temp (Max)	32	33	34	35	33	32	31	31	31	31	31	31
Temp (Min)	21	22	23	24	24	24	24	24	23	23	23	22
Days of Rain*	2	1	2	5	18	19	23	23	23	21	12	7
Hum (%)	61	56	58	60	71	78	80	78	80	80	75	68

* denotes number of days with at least 1.0 mm of rainfall

Currency

Vietnamese dong

1 US$ = 15,400 dong

Common notes

200 dong
500 dong
1,000 dong
2,000 dong
5,000 dong
10,000 dong
20,000 dong
50,000 dong
100,000 dong

NB it can sometime be difficult to change large notes at smaller villages so try to keep a stash of smaller notes with you.

You can also change all major currencies with any private moneychangers, at the local markets, shops or hotels, or of course at the any bank, which usually open from 8.00am to 3.00pm, except Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Although all major currencies are usually accepted, the US$ is by far the most widely accepted and preferred currency, with large notes ($50 and $100 bills) getting a better exchange rate.

Travellers’ cheques in major currencies are accepted at all banks, though a commission will be charged.

At banks throughout Vietnam you can draw cash, in both dong and dollars on all major credit cards. 3% commission will be charged for this service. Many souvenir shops, restaurants and hotels will accept payment with credit cards. There is, however, a 3-4% surcharge.

There are ATMs in Major cities like Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Hué, which accept major credit cards.

Holidays

New Year’s Day	-	1 ^st January
Vietnamese New Year (Tet)	-	January/February (4 days)
Founding of Vietnamese Communist Party	-	3 ^rd February
Vietnamese Liberation Day	-	30 ^th April
International Labour Day	-	1 ^st May
Ho Chi Minh’s Birthday	-	19 ^th May
Birthday of Buddha	-	May/June
Day of the Wandering Souls	-	August
Autumn Celebration (Trung Thu)	-	September
National Day (Quoc Khanh)	-	2 ^nd September
Birthday of Confucius	-	November
Christmas Day	-	31 ^st December

For exact dates of holidays and festivals for the coming year please click here

NB Banks and government offices are closed during public holidays.

There are also a number of other festivals governed by the Lunar Calendar, including Buddha’s Birthday, Summer Solstice and Wandering Souls Day.

There are also numerous regional holidays, festivals and fairs throughout the year.

Religion

Vietnam’s dominant religion is Buddhism (which fuses forms of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism). There is also a large Christian community, about 10% of the population, most of which are Catholics. Smaller religions include Islam, Caodaism and Hoa Hao sect.

Vaccinations

Recommended vaccinations and other health protection measures vary and are subject to change. You must consult your GP on current vaccinations needed for your destination. You can also visit our travel health website at:

TravelHealthZone

This has links to up-to-date information on vaccination requirements as well as much more general travel health information and advice.

For direct, up-to-date information on vaccination requirements for Vietnam please click here

Customs

Greetings are usually accompanied with a small bow, a big smile and hands together in prayer. However handshaking is now common in Vietnam.
Vietnam is a Buddhist country and religion is taken seriously. Images of the Buddha are regarded as sacred and should be treated as such by foreign visitors. Always take your shoes off before entering a temple and remember to dress conservatively, shorts are not allowed. Women are forbidden to touch, give to, or receive from a Buddhist monk.
Public shows of intimacy are frowned upon and nude sunbathing is inappropriate. Except on the beach you should try to dress conservatively wherever possible.
The feet are considered as unclean and should not be used to point to things or to touch someone with. It is also considered rude to show the soles of your feet in public, so try to avoid putting you feet up on a chair or table. Try not to touch the head or ruffle the hair, as this is also considered rude. You should also remove your shoes when entering houses. Never leave your chopsticks sticking up out of a bowl of rice this is a powerful death sign - as it looks like incense sticks that are burned for the dead - and is not appreciated.
Tipping is not expected except at large tourist resorts, and then only when a service charge is not included, however a small tip will always be appreciated.
Haggling is expected and you can haggle for just about everything, but for the best results do so with a smile and a light-hearted approach. Always be wary of street sellers, as what they sell may not always be what you think it is.

Security

Vietnam is a very safe country in which to travel. The most common form of crime against tourists is theft, usually by stealth rather than violence, so visitors should take care to secure their personal possessions at all times. Notre Dame cathedral, Saigon

It is also worth bearing in mind that street children, however cute they may seem, are often responsible for a lot of crime against tourists. In more remote areas the risk of muggings and robberies does exist but again is very low.

With so many years of devastating and intensive war in Vietnam it is not surprising that even today unexploded ordinance and landmines are causing some tragedies. All the areas visited by tourists, cultivated land, well-worn paths and inhabited land are safe but areas away from this may not be. With this in mind you should never stray from well-worn pathways and never touch, or pick up any military looking objects.

For more specific, up-to-date security information and how this may affect your tour, please visit our regional security page.

Visas

Most foreign nationals can get a 30-day visa for US$33-40. You must specify your arrival date and this will be when the visa becomes valid. Visas must be obtained before arrival if flying from your home country. If arriving by land from Cambodia, Laos or Thailand your visa can be obtained from the main embassy of that country.

There is a US$14 departure tax when leaving by air to international destinations.

Flights (from the UK)

There are no direct flights to Vietnam and the most often-used stopover airports are Bangkok and Singapore.

You can get a flight from the UK to Vietnam via Singapore. Otherwise you will need to go via Bangkok and two separate flights.

UK to Bangkok return - UK£450to UK£550using the cheapest air carriers (usually with a short stopover).