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Hints and Tips
When to Travel to Vietnam:
Best: Nov-April. Relatively cool and dry in most areas.
Worst: July-Sept. Hot and humid, with th possibility of typhoons [violent
rain storms].
OK: The rest.
Plan ahead if you wish to travel during the The New Year Festival [late Jan
- early Feb], it can be a problem getting accommodation and transport.
Visa Info:
A full United Kingdom passport with a visa is
required for entry to Vietnam.
Vietnam Chamber of Commerce
Head Office
33 Ba Triey
Hanoi
Tel:0084 4 8250996
Fax:0084 4 8256446/8244617
Vietnam Chamber of Commerce
171 Vo Thi Sau Street
District 3
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel:0084 8 8200085
Fax:0084 8 8294472
Visas cannot normally be obtained on arrival in the country. There is no
requirement for registration with the police unless you are not staying in a
hotel or are working long term in the country.
Further visa information can be obtained from the Embassy in London, details
are as follows:
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
12-14 Victoria Road
London
W8 5RD
Tel:020 7937 1912
Fax:020 7937 6108
Length of stay:
Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights: 5 days: Ho Chi Minh City 1
day, Halong bay 1 day, Hoi An/My Son 1 day, Hué 1 day, Hanoi 1 days.
Recommended: 10 days: Hanoi 1 day, Halong Bay 1 day, Hué 1 day, Ho Chi Minh
City/the Mekong Delta 2 days, Hoi An/My Son 1 day, Da Lat 1 day, Sapa, 1
day, beaches 2-3 days.
Health:
You are advised to contact your GP for medical and
inoculations advice.
There are no regulations requiring Medical certificates for entry into
Vietnam.
Vietnam is not a country for the unhealthy.Medical facilities are poor, and
the climate in the north agravates respiratory problems and rheumatism.
Water should not be drunk unless it has been boiled and filtered.Drinking
water in carafes supplied in major hotel bedrooms is generally safe but
advisable to use bottled water sometimes supplied free of charge.
A small first aid kit is advisable, together with a few syringes and
needles. There is no malaria in larger cities, but AIDS is steadily becoming
more of a problem and other blood transmitted diseases, such as hepatitis,
are endemic.
In the event of an accident or illness, the visitor will need to rely onn
arrangements for medical treatment being made by his sponsor, i.e. the
organisation or the person arranging the visit. If in Hanoi, contact the
Swedish Clinic(Tel:252464).In any but minor cases ,the best advice is for
the traveller to leave the country at the earliest opportunity.Vietnamese
doctors are skilled and helpful, but are very short of facilities and
medicines.
Main festivals:
As the country is mainly Buddhist most festivals are according to a
lunar calendar which changes every year.
late Jan-early Feb, Tet [New Year] Festival, nationwide, one week. The most
important annual event of the country and a wild and noisy time.
February - April, [mid-March for the main event], Perfume Pagoda Festival,
Vietnam's longest festival, a pilgrimage to Huong Pagoda, one of the holiest
places in the country. In Huong Son village.
early April, Thanh Minh [Holiday of the Dead], visiting cemeteries and
temples to pray for the souls of deceased relatives.
June, Tiet Doan Ngo, Summer Solstice Day.
mid-August, Trung Nguyen [Wandering Souls Day], inviting the souls of
ancestors back to their families. Various towns and dates.
Travel Routes to Vietnam:
International Airports are located at Hanoi:
Noi Bai International Airport(HAN).
and Ho Chi Minh City
Tan Son Nhat International Airport(SGN).
The most usual travel routes to Vietnam are from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpar,Hong
Kong,Taipei,Manila and Singapore.
Noi Bai International Airport(HAN)is 45km (28 miles)from Hanoi. Buses and a
small number of taxis are available.
Tan Son Nhat International Airport(SGN)is 7km (4.5 miles)from Ho Chi Minh
City. Buses and a small number of taxis are available.
Departure tax is US$8(SGN)and US$7(HAN).
Activities:
Traditional Dance: Folk music, singing and dancing in traditional
costumes. The best location is at the Temple of Literature [Van Mieu] in
Hanoi. Daily performances.
Water Puppetry: Wooden puppets act fairy tales on the surface of a shallow
pool, originated in North Vietnam. The main venue is in Hanoi.
Cycling : The county's flat and almost traffic free off-highway roads are
ideal for long-distance bike travel. Bikes are widely available for hire.
Hiking and walking: the highland region around Da lat, and also the tropical
forest of Cuc Phuong National Park, 140 km from Hanoi, are excellent for
hiking. Guides can be hired locally.
Wildlife: Cat Ba Island for birdwatching.
Swimming, Scuba diving and snorkelling: Most Vietnamese beaches are
uncrowded, safe and pleasant for swimming. Most resorts provide diving
equipment.
See Vietnam Beaches page.
Caving: The best place to go is Pong Nha river caves, near Dong Hoi, Cu Chi
tunnels, 35 km from Ho Chi Minh City, or Vinh Moc.
Boat trips: Halong Bay, Mekong Delta, Saigon River[an alternative way to see
the city of Saigon, Perfume River near Hue.
War Sightseeing: Ho Chi Minh Trail.