Vietnam - Travel, Visa, Culture, Currency

A Special Trip to Vietnam

Vietnam is the country located in the eastern part of South East Asia touching its border to Cambodia, Laos and China.

In past Vietnam has gone through the major war with United States in mid-20th century. Vietnam can be mainly divided into: North, Central and South Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City (republic and corporate city) in south is the country's largest city, Hanoi (oldest city) in north being the second largest city and Da Nang (newly developed) in Central is the third largest city in the country.

Visa :

For many Countries, Tourist Visa is free like Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom and few others. 

Though for Indian passport holders, they need a pre-approval letter of invite beforehand itself. You can opt for e-visa for a month or 3 month. Can use Vietnam Visa pro for online visa application.

Carry visa-on-arrival pre-approval papers, 2passport size photos and cash (USD/ VND) with you. 

When you land Vietnam, you will have to fill a Visa form along with the white background photo of yours and hand over to the Visa officer at the counter. Stamping Vietnam visa is immediately done by the officers and you need to pay 25$/ person for the same. After which you can go through the immigration and there you are open to explore the wonderful country.

Visa Fees :
Tourist visas are generally valid for 30days. Should you wish to extend your visa, go to the immigration office. Even many tour operators can also extend your visa for a fee.
One can apply visa via Travel agency such as vn or Vietnam-evisa.org . Agent charges a fee of $15 to $20 and around 2-5 working days. Just print out the confirmation they send ahead of the trip. You can apply for pre-approval letter via https://vietnamvisa.govt.vn/ ; https://www.myvietnamvisa.com/status.html . 

Tourist Visa Stamp Fee at the Airport: 

3month multiple entry- 50$/person; 

1month single entry- 25$/person

Currency :

Vietnamese Dong (VND) is used everywhere in the country. Even, US Dollar (USD) is also accepted everywhere. But as a traveller, if you want to spend wisely, then strictly take and use Vietnamese dong along with you, because we found the currency conversion rate really bad and shopkeepers always ask for higher rate, if you pay in USD. Credit card acceptance, especially for Visa is spreading in Hotels, Restaurants and shops in big cities.

When we visited, the currency rate was: 1USD = 23,300VND approx.

Also, be careful while exchange of money with shopkeepers as 10,000 dong looks a lot like 100,000 dong, and 50,000 dong looks a lot like 500,000 dong.

Telecom :

You can purchase SIM card at (Hanoi/ Ho chi minh/ Saigon‘s) airport from Viettel. 

Less than $20 for 20GB (!) of data.
Many Hotels provide Dial call, just check there extra fees. Faxes can be sent from good Hotels and Post offices. Many free wi fi spots can be found around Hanoi and Ho chi Minh city.

Language :

People speak Vietnamese (or Kinh), the national language. In north and Central Vietnam, as a tourist you might find language problem, as very few locals speak English and that too most of them understand bit of English and speak very improper English. (like their pronunciation was - shape to safe, shats why to that's why; retoran to restaurant, icrm -icecream) ;)

In most of the tourist places, you will hear people saying "Xin chao", which means as mentioned below:

•  Hello – Xin chào (sin chow)
•  Thank you – Cảm ơn (gauhm uhhn)
•  Excuse me/Sorry – Xin loi (seen loy)
•  What’s your name – Ban ten gi (ban thane zee)
•  My name is… – Toi la… (thoy la…)

Transport :

Via Flight -

There are three International airports in Vietnam:

Da Nang International Airport

Noi Bai International Airport - Hanoi

Tan Son Nhat International Airport - Ho Chi Minh City

There are many domestic airlines flying in between cities like Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Da nang, Ho chi Minh like:

JetStar - Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (approx. 950,000VND)

Vietnam Airlines - Hué, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc Island

Jetstar, Lion Air, Tiger and of course, AirAsia Flights - (150,000- 400,000 VND).

Via Road:

Downloading the Skyscanner App and using the 12Go website to the bus and train schedules ahead of time will help.

Hire a xe ôm (motorbike taxi) to take you to the train station and buy your tickets directly there. Or, when you arrive by train buy your ticket out of town right away. Tickets do tend to sell out days in advance, so don’t go to the train station with no ticket expecting to hop on the next train.

Via Train:

Vietnam Railways (vr.com.vn) runs a single-track train network- Ho Chi Minh.

Picturesque sampler of Vietnamese rail travel and the overnighters from Hué to Hanoi (11–16hr) and from Hanoi up to Lao Cai, for Sa Pa (8–9hr). Soft-sleeper berths on the Hanoi–Hué route.

Soft seats offer more comfort, especially in the new air-conditioned carriages, some of which are double-decker; the newer berths, unfortunately, tend to have flatscreen TVs operating at an ear-splitting volume. On overnight journeys, you’d be well advised to invest in a berth of some description, though since the country’s rolling stock is being upgraded it’s not always possible to know exactly what you’re getting. The new hard-berth compartments are now quite comfortable and have six bunks, three either side – the cramped top ones are the cheapest, and the bottom ones the priciest – though some of the old hard-as-nails relics remain in service. Roomier soft-berth compartments, containing only four bunks, are always comfortable. 

Trains to Hué and Da Nang are operated by Livitrans (livitrans.com)

Country’s main line shadows Highway 1 on its way from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, passing through Nha Trang, Da Nang and Hué en route. From Hanoi, three branch lines strike out towards the northern coast and Chinese border. One line traces the Red River northwest to Lao Cai, just an hour by bus from Sa Pa. Another runs north to Dong Dang; this is the route taken by trains linking Hanoi and Beijing. The third branch, a shorter spur, links the capital with Hai Phong.

Five Reunification Express services depart daily from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and vice versa, a journey that takes somewhere between thirty and forty hours. Most services arrive between 3am and 5am in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Most expensive services from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City you’ll pay around 1,500,000- for a soft sleeper berth, and around 1,250,000. Hanoi to Hué are 750,000.

Train from Da Nang to Hanoi costing around 750,000 VND.

Via Bus/ Taxi/ Bike:

Most popular routes with tourists are the shuttle from Da Nang to Hué (2–3hr)

Private Bus tickets between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, with customers free to stop off for as long as they like at the main points en route – Da Lat, Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Da Nang, Hué and Ninh Binh.

Motorbike taxis known as xe om and start at around 10,000. Fares are around 15,000d for a short hop, or from 20,000d in HCMC or Hanoi.

We booked the chauffer driver private car for Da Nang to Hue stopping by in between twice. Luckily we got a very good driver taking care of us like family. And then another car from Hue to Hoi An.

National bus services :

Open tour buses- occasional tourist sight, such as the Marble Mountains and Lang Co, Mai Linh and Hoang Long have good reputations.

Sample prices are $35 and up from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, $25 from Ho Chi Minh City to Hué, and $5 from Hué to Hoi An.

Bus around Ho Chi Minh City will cost a maximum of 4,000 VND per ride.

Taxis are good for short ride within central Hanoi. Average tariffs are about 12,000d-15,000d per kilometre. Try to only use MAI LINH OR VINASUN TAXIS.

Cyclo is a bicycle rickshaw-fares are between 10,000VND and 25,0000VND for a short ride, between 25,000d and 40,000d for a longer or night ride. Like we hired once in Hanoi for a night long ride and paid 50,000VND after a bargain as rickshaw drivers tend to ask much higher. And then another short ride to drop to hotel which costed 10,000VND.

$68-70 -Open Bus Tickets (stops at all the major tourist destinations with a flexible schedule)

$50 per day for a car 

$7 per day for bikes

Clothing :

You can wear anything you are comfortable in. But for visiting most of the Pagodas - you will have to wear cloths which is till below your knee.

Pagoda in Hoi An

Best Time to visit :

The best time to visit Vietnam is from February to April and August to October as the temperatures are not as intense and the rainfall is milder. In April when we went, in few of the cities like Hue and Hoi an it was so hot during afternoons, that we had to purchase an umbrella locally, and make sure to have your hat and googles.

Accommodation : 

If in case you are taking the tour, then mostly the travel agents will book and provide you with the hotels as well. 

But if you booking on your own, then you may book the hotels online via various sites like expedia, booking.com, agoda, tripadvisor and many others are out there. 

Just make sure to book your hotels beforehand and on time, as for us we booked at the last moment i.e., within a week of travel; hence, most of the hotels rate spiked up and hardly good hotels were available because during our travel days it was 4 days long holiday in Vietnam, which we got to know later on, via a tour agent, who asked to postpone the trip if possible. :D

Budget: $5-8 (dorm); $18-25 (private);      Mid-Range: $30-45; Splurge: $60+

Healthcare :

Usually people of Vietnam is very caring and humble. For any Health emergency, below are few of the best hospitals/clinics to visit:

Hospitals in Hanoi

1.     International SOS Clinic - 51 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho; Phone (04) 3934 0666- reach by taxi from street (old quarter) for approx 85,000 vnd. 

2.     Family Medical Practice Hanoi - Building A1, Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound, G/F, Kim Ma Road; T : (84-4) 843 0748

3.     Hanoi French Hospital - No 1 Phuong Mai, Dong Da ;T : (84-4) 574 0740

4.     Hanoi Medical University Hospital, Dong Ba.

Ha Long Hospitals:

1.     Vinmec International

2.     Quang Ninh General

Hospitals in Danang

1.     Family Medical Practice 

2.     Vinmec Da nang International

3.     Hoan My Da nang

4.     Hoi An Medical Services

5.     Thai Binh Duong Pacific Hospital

In Hue - Hue Central Hospital

Food :

Initially when we were travelling, heard from many friends that food is a problem in Vietnam especially for vegetarians, but believe me we found it better than Malaysia.

Street-side pho, bread, meat sandwiches (called bahn mi), donuts,; popular brew-Bia Hoi;

Bun Cha Hanoi(grilled meat served over noodles wit tangy broth that u pour over noodles)

Nem Ran/Cha Gio /Gỏi cuốn(spring roll from rice paper,noodles, pork, shrimp) 

Sit-down meals for less than $5 and street food snacks for 0.20$. 

pho street food- $1/ 20,000 VND, 

1.5 ltr water from store - 10,000 VND. 

Beer/ soda -20,000-35,000 VND. 

Coconut – 30,000VND. 

Bananas-20,000 VND

Soup- 50,000 dong

Street food: $1-2;     Restaurant: $3-6;   Very nice restaurant: $10++;    Beer in a shop: $0.88/ In a bar: $1.32 - $2.65

Banh Cam (Sweet stuffed fried bun with sesame seed layering)

Shopping:

Vietnam is famous for its Coffee, Wooden work; pottery art and souvenirs.

Coffee ranges from brand to brand and shop to shop. The same coffee in different shop you can find at a lower cost. So, finally we got an authentic coffee shop from were we got 100gm few packs of mild coffee in 45,000 VND.

Coffee filter is a must buy as its so different , a small basic steel filter you can get in 40,000 VND

Souvenirs like Wooden medium size elephant you can get in 150,000 VND. Beautiful owl souvenir in 90,000 VND; 

You can find basic Bamboo hand crafted purses in 190,000 VND, Price ranges from 160,000- 450,000 VND.

Various kind of Herbal Tea and Green Tea are also famous in Vietnam. We got to try various herbal tea via this sweet lady in one of the ancients homes. Believe me, I don't drink tea, but whatever 4-5 kinds of tea I tried there were really like having more and more.

Infact on your way from Da nang to Hue, you can find many Tea tree oil shops, we initially wonder what is it, as everything was written in Vietnamese, but after every few distance can find small road side shops storing yellow kind of liquid in bottles. We initially thought its petrol. But then after translating the words written on board in google translator, we found its some kind of tree oil, so then we enquire with our driver and he explained its various kinds of tea tree oils, directly made here and sold which are highly beneficial. So, while returning we bought a bottle of 100gm Tram oil in 150,000 VND.

Online Planning :   The website www.baolau.vn is very useful, and generally accurate. Enjoy your trip.

For any queries you can drop down your comments in the comments section.