| General information
Vietnam lies in South-East Asia and is has a 3,300km coastline with the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea; as well as sharing land borders with China, Laos, and Cambodia.
Population - 84 million people
Total Area - 329,560 square kilometres
Capital - Hanoi (3 million people)
Time Zone - Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +7 hours
Communication
The international country code to dial into Vietnam is +84. To dial overseas from within Vietnam, dial 00 followed by the relevant country code and phone number.
Emergency numbers in Vietnam are: Ambulance (15); Fire (14); and Police (13).
It is very easy to telephone inside Vietnam. All hotels will let you make local phone calls, many don't even charge you. International phone calls are possible from many post offices. At some places, international direct dialling (IDD) has become commonplace. There is a telephone card, the UniphoneKad. Cell phones are popular. If you have one you can buy a prepaid phone-card and own your private contact number while travelling in Vietnam. The system in Vietnam is GSM.
The Internet was officially permitted in Vietnam in 1997. Internet cafes have sprung up everywhere and computer terminals in the lobbies of guest houses and business centres in hotels. If you have an established email account with a non-Vietnamese service provider, accessing your mail from Vietnam will require you to download your mail through a Web-based service or there is always Yahoo, Hotmail, etc. Access fees at Internet cafes are about 4,000 to 5.000 VND per hour.
Post offices are usually open from 8.00 am to 8 or 9.00 pm. Postcards cost about VND 10 thousand for a booklet of ten from the post office. Children also sell them, but they are more expensive. Don't be too annoyed by them, if they save you a trip to the post office it's probably worth paying a few dong more. A postcard to Europe/USA costs 5,400 VND, a letter 8,400 VND (depending on the weight). They take about 2 weeks to be delivered.
Currency/Money
The currency is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). Notes are available in denominations of VND 100,000; 50,000; 20, 000; 10,000; 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500; and 200 hundred.
Coins have just recently been re-introduced and are available in 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500; and 200 Dong denominations.
The USD is widely used in Vietnam's cities. The Euro is exchangeable, but not as popular. Bring clean bank notes with you. Dirty or torn notes might be refused. Larger notes (i.e. 100) often get a better exchange rate than smaller ones.
VISA, MasterCard and American Express cards are accepted in major hotels, restaurants, and shops in the urban areas. Travellers Checks are easily changeable at banks and moneychangers all over the country. Commissions are US$1 for a US$100 TC at Vietcombank, US$2 at ANZ Bank.
Check today's Vietnamese dong Exchange Rate from OANDA.com, The Currency Site.
Caution: These exchange rates are a reference guide only.
Actual rates in-country will be slightly higher or lower.
Visas/Passports
The following travellers do not need visas for Vietnam: Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Korea (Democratic Republic), Mongolia, Romania, Russian Federation and Ukraine. Nationals of Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand do not require visas for stays of up to 30 days; as well as The Philippines (for stays of up to 21 days); and Denmark, Finland, Japan, Korea (Republic), Norway and Sweden for stays of up to 15 days. Transit passengers continuing their journey within 24 hours, provided holding valid return or onward tickets do not require visas. At present, visas can be issued for either groups or individuals.
Travellers from all other countries are required to obtain a visa before travelling to Vietnam. However, all regulations, including those concerning which counties require visas, cost of visas and validity of visas, are very complex and subject to frequent change. It is therefore advisable to contact the consular section at the Embassy before any travel to Vietnam.
Types of Visas: Vietnam offers the following tourist visas to foreign travellers:
Single-Entry (approx US$70); Express Service (approx US$100); Multiple-Entry (approx US$130). Tourist visas are valid for one month from proposed date of entry. Visas can usually be extended for another month in some of the larger towns at extra cost. All passports must be valid for at least one month after expiration of the nominated visa.
It is advisable to check all information regarding Vietnam visas, as well as passport and entry requirements, with your relevant embassy prior to travel.
Language
The official language is Vietnamese, a mix of mostly Mon-Khmer elements with some Thai and Chinese. The language is tonal and monosyllabic. Most minorities continue to retain their languages.
Today's main foreign language, especially among the young, is English. In the north, French and Russian are still quite widely spoken. The script of modern Vietnamese is based on Latin with accents, and was formed and created by the Jesuit priest Fr. Alexander De Rhodes in the 19th century. Also spoken in parts of the country are Chinese and Khmer; as well as mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian). Some common Vietnamese words/phrases include:
Hello - PRONOUNCED chow
How are you? - own khway-eh kowm
Thank you - cam un
I don't understand - kowm hee-you
How much? - bow new
Police - kowm an
Man - nam
Woman - noo
1 - mote
2 - hi
3 - bah
4 - bone
5 - nam
6 - sow
7 - bye
8 - tam
9 - chin
10 - moo-ee
Religion
Vietnam is home to four of the world's great philosophies and religions: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Christianity. Over the centuries, Confucianism, Taoism & Buddhism have fused with popular Chinese beliefs and ancient Vietnamese animism to form what is known collectively as the Triple Religion.
Confucianism, more a system of social and political morality than a religion, took on many religious aspects.
Taoism, which began as an esoteric philosophy for scholars, mixed with the popular Buddhism of the peasants, and many Taoist elements became an intrinsic part of popular religion.
Buddhism is the religion most Vietnamese are likely to say they follow, but when it comes to family or civic duties they follow Confucianism while turning to Taoist concepts in understanding the nature of the cosmos.
Ancestors play a part in most people's daily lives. While they are not worshipped in the religious sense, they are treated almost as if they were alive today, being offered food and drink and having incense burned on their altars.
Official breakdowns of religion in Vietnam are: Buddhist (9.3%), Catholic (6.7%), Hoa Hao (1.5%), Cao Dai (1.1%), Protestant (0.5%), Muslim (0.1%), none (80.8%) - 1999 census.
Transportation:
Local inner-city bus systems are not good in Vietnam. Fortunately, there are other convenient ways of getting around. Taxis with meters are fairly cheap. The first two kilometres cost 12.000 VND and every subsequent 200 meters cost 1,000 VND.
The Cyclo, or pedicab offers easy, cheap and enjoyable transportation around Vietnam's cities. Riding a cyclo is also the best way to explore a city. The driver pedals behind you while you sit comfortably in the front and watch the movie of street life passing by. The average price for a ride is around US$0.20 per kilometre and is cheaper by time rather than distance. A typical price is US$1 per hour. Many of the drivers are also very knowledgeable about their city and will speak at least some English or French or Russian.
Food
Eating in Vietnam ranges from cheap noodle soups on the street for about US$0.25 to a banquet in one of the luxury hotels. Vietnamese restaurants offer a broad selection of international fare including French, Italian, American, Indian, Chinese and Japanese.
Perhaps the best known Vietnamese dish is Phở, noodle soup with meat. It is very cheap at about US$0.60 per bowl and usually well spiced. The main types are: Pho Bo with beef, Pho Bo Tai with rare beef fillets and Pho Ga with chicken. Cơm - steamed white rice is eaten for lunch and dinner. Nước Mắm is the fermented fish sauce used to spice absolutely everything in Vietnam.
Seasonal fruits such as dragon fruit, rambutans and longans, fresh vegetables and local seafood are widely available, although supply can vary by region and season. All fruits and vegetables should be cooked or peeled before eaten. Drinking water or ice is generally not recommended, even in the cities. Bottled water is cheap and readily available, so we recommend you don't take the risk. Vietnam is a beer culture. There are plenty of local as well as imported brands. 333, Carlsberg, Hanoi, Tiger, Saigon, LaRue, San Miguel and Heineken are some common brands.
Shopping
Vietnam is good for shopping. Hot items on the tourist market include lacquer ware, mother-of-pearl inlay, and ceramics, colourful embroidered items (hangings, tablecloths, pillowcases, pyjamas and robes), greeting cards with silk paintings on the front, woodblock prints, oil paintings, watercolours, blinds made of hanging bamboo beads, reed mats, carpets, jewellery and leatherwork. Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have the best choice when it comes to shopping but Hoi An in central Vietnam is also a very good place to look for souvenirs.
Embassy Locations
To view a list of Vietnam embassies around the world, including foreign embassies within Vietnam, click on this link to EmbassyWorld.com.
Health
No vaccinations are officially required to visit Viet Nam. However it is prudent to have up-to-date inoculations for Polio, Meningitis, Hepatitis A&B, Tuberculosis, TABT (Typhoid, Paratyphoid A&B and Tetanus), Cholera, Malaria, and Japanese Encephalitis. In addition, we suggest you contact your personal physician or clinic specializing in international travel.
Vietnam does have a wide variety of medicines available, but you may not be familiar with them. You are advised to bring any prescription medications (in the original containers) currently required. You should pack a small medical kit, which includes sunscreen, insect repellent, diarrhoea medication, ibuprofen or aspirin and antibacterial ointments.
For those who wear eyeglasses, we recommend bringing an extra pair, as the quality of local replacement services varies. It is strongly suggested that you have a dental check-up before departure. Medical care facilities are available, but are limited outside of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and can be expensive for emergency care.
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