GEOGRAPHY

Viet Nam has 3,260 km of coastline and land borders of 1,150 km with China, ,650 km with
Laos and 950 km with Cambodia. With an area of 332,000 square km, Viet Nam's
photography varies from coastal plains to mountain ranges. Viet Nam stretches over 1,800
km along the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula. The country is S-shaped, broad
in the north and south and narrow in the center.

CLIMATE

Viet Nam has a diverse and rather complicated climate because of its wide range of
latitudes and altitudes. Therefore, weather patterns in the principle cities are quite different
and have been changing over recent years. Here below is just an indication of the type of
the weather in Vietnam.
The South
The sub-equatorial climate of the South has two main seasons: the wet (from May to
November) and the dry (from December to April). Most of the rain falls in brief afternoon
downpours, so you can still get out and about, though flooding can be a problem in the
delta. Daytime temperatures rarely fall below 20°C, occasionally reaching 40°C in the
hottest months (March to May). Once the rains start, humidity climbs to an enervating 80%.
The average annual temperature is 26 0C and annual rainfall averages 1,979 mm.
The Central Coast
The coastal lowlands are denied significant rainfall from the southwest monsoon
(April or May to October) by the Truong Son Mountain Range, which is very wet
during this period. The cold and dry winter weather of the north-central coastal
lowlands is accompanied by fog and fine drizzle. Typhoons are quite common in
coastal areas between June and November.
The North
Starting in the north, autumn (September to December) is undoubtedly the most
pleasant season. At this time of year it’s generally warm (average temps above 20°C), dry
and sunny in the delta, though you’ll need warm clothes up in the mountains and on the
waters of Ha Long Bay. Winter (December to February) can be surprisingly bitter as cold air
sweeps south from China bringing fine, persistent mists and temperatures as low as 10°C.
Things begin to warm up again in March, which ushers in a period of good, spring weather
before the summer heat begins in earnest in May, closely followed by the rainy season in
June. This combination makes for hot, sticky weather which takes many people by surprise.
Temperatures, which can occasionally reach 40°C, average 30°C, while humidity hovers
around 70-75%. The rain comes in heavy downpours, causing frequent flooding in Hanoi
and the delta. By mid September, however, the rains are petering out, and from October
onwards it’s perfect sightseeing weather. The annual average rainfall is 1678 mm.

SHOPPING Great opportunities for tourists to buy souvenirs made of silver, gold,
marble and rattan. Products including wooden wares, bamboo screens, marble tea sets,
woven tapestries, Tho Cam handbags and diverse handicrafts are produced by skilled
crafts persons.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Jan 1st New Year's Day
April 30th Liberation Day
May 1st International Labor Day
September 2nd National Day

Viet Nam traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) is a four day holiday that often falls in January of
February. The holiday includes the eve and the first three days of the Lunar New Year.

VISA
Tourists to Viet Nam must obtain VISAS through some Vietnamese travel agencies or
Vietnamese government offices. Visas can be issued at Vietnamese intl airports with visa
authorization granted by the Immigration Office in Viet Nam.
The most important thing is to make sure your Vietnam visa is stamped with the correct
dates and the correct entry and exit points. The standard tourist visa is valid for a period of
up to 30 days. If you’re going for less than 30 days you can either specify the exact dates,
but it is probably best to ask for the maximum period to give yourself more flexibility.
Processing normally takes between a three days and week (some embassies offer an
express service for an extra fee). To be on the safe side, allow several weeks as mistakes
are common and inexplicable delays often occur. When applying for a Vietnam visa, in
general you have to fill in two application forms and provide two passport photos. Forms
normally include full name, nationality, passport number, date of issue, date of expiration,
date of birth, birthplace, present address, occupation, purpose of visit. One of these forms,
with photo attached, will be returned to you with your visa. For some odd reason many
people throw this form away. Don’t, because you’ll be asked to hand it in at immigration on
arrival. If you don't have it with you, blank copies are available at immigration. If you’ve got a
spare photo, all well and good. If not, you’ll have to engage the services of a handy airport
photographer for the princely sum of $2-5. VISAS will be collected at the embassy or
Vietnamese offices in the country of choice of the VISA collector. If you need to extend your
stay for any reason, it is relatively easy to apply for a visa renewal at present. Again this is
handled by tour agents. The first renewal costs around $25-30 (including a handling fee)
and takes three working days to process (please note that government offices are only
open Monday to Friday). The maximum period you can ask for is 30 days and it costs the
same whether you ask for 1 day or 30 days. A second 10-day extension is possible at a cost
of around $35-40. For this second extension you will be asked to show an air ticket dated
after the expiry of your visa.
If visas are to be obtained through www.lenguyentravel.com, please email us for help.

Other entry formalities:
On the plane you’ll be given an Arrival/Departure Card and a Baggage Declaration form.
Hand in the completed Arrival/Departure Card with your passport and duplicate visa
application form at immigration in Vietnam. The Departure Card will be returned to you.
Keep this safely. You usually have to show it when checking into hotels and will be asked for
it in when you finally leave Vietnam.
You should list all valuable items on the Baggage Declaration form, such as video cameras,
portable computers and expensive jewelry. The duty-free allowance is 200 cigarettes, 2
litres of alcohol plus perfume and jewelry for personal use. You can take up to US $7000
into Vietnam in cash or travellers’ cheques; anything in excess of this sum has to be
declared.
Hand the completed Baggage Declaration form to the customs official checking your
baggage, who will give you the yellow duplicate - again, keep this carefully as it is required
on final departure. (NB. You have to show your baggage check when reclaiming your
luggage at the airport on arrival; the stub should be attached to either your airline ticket or
boarding pass.)
Finally, it’s a good idea to make photocopies of your Departure Card and Baggage
Declaration form at your hotel and keep them separately, just in case you lose the originals.
They won’t be accepted in place of the real thing, but may make things slightly easier.

CUSTOMS
Duty-free 400 cigarettes, 1.5 liters of alcoholic drink. Certain goods to the value of US$300
can be imported free of duty. All currency in excess of US$3,000, precious metals and
precious stones must be declared. No antiques can be exported without prior approval of
the Ministry of Culture and Information.

AIRPORT TAX
Domestic airport tax added in the airfare, international airport tax: US$10, children under 2
years old exempt.

TIME
Vietnam is seven hours ahead of London, fifteen hours ahead of Los Angeles, twelve hours
ahead of New York and one hour behind Perth and three hours behind Sydney (give or take
an hour during daylight saving time). Vietnam has standard time throughout the country

CREDIT CARDS Acceptable at big restaurants, large shops, international hotels, banks
(Master Card, JCB, Euro, Visa Card and American Express).

COMMUNICATION International telephone (IDD), fax and e-mail available to most of
countries.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Taxis, pedicabs, motorcycles and bicycles for hire, inter-city
buses

CURRENCY Dong, bank notes: 200; 500; 1,000; 2,000; 5,000; 10,000; 20,000; 50,000;
100,000 and 500,000. Current Dong exchange rates are available on the internet. You can
change cash and travellers’ cheques at exchange desks in big hotels and at authorised
foreign exchange banks in the main cities. Among the banks, Vietcombank usually offers the
best exchange rates and charges the lowest commission (around 1-2%). Note that
commission rates are slightly lower if changing travellers’ cheques into dong rather than
dollars. Vietcombank does not levy commission when changing dollars cash into dong,
though some other banks do. It’s worth bearing in mind that you get a slightly better
exchange rate for $100 and $50 notes than for smaller denominations. When cashing
travellers’ cheques you may be asked for your passport, though this practice seems to be
dying out.
Outside the main cities and tourist areas, authorised foreign exchange banks are few and
far between. So if you’re heading off the beaten path, stock up with enough cash (dollars
and dong) to last the trip. Wherever you are, you’ll always find someone willing to change
dollars cash into dong, though rates will vary. When receiving dong, you’ll be presented with
a huge pile of notes. The largest bill is only 500,000d (roughly $31), so bear this in mind
when changing $100! Refuse any badly torn notes (you’ll find it hard to get rid of them - the
same goes for dollars) and ask for a mix of denominations so that you always have a few
low-value notes in hand.
Note: You can not buy or exchange Dong outside Vietnam

WORKING HOURS  07:30 - 16:30, five days a week, Saturday and Sunday off.
Saigonese and Hanoian seem to start work at 8 am

VOLTAGE 220V, 50 Hz

VACCINATION
'It is important to visit a doctor or specialist travel clinic as early as possible (preferably two
months) before departure to allow time for the recommended courses of vaccinations. This
is particularly important if you suffer from any medical condition and/or are travelling with
young children.
No vaccinations are required for Vietnam (with the exception of yellow fever if you are
travelling directly from an area where the disease is endemic). However, typhoid and
hepatitis A vaccinations are normally recommended, and it’s worth checking that you are up
to date with boosters for tetanus, polio etc. Other injections to consider, depending on the
season and risk of exposure, are
hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, meningitis and rabies. It is best to discuss these with
your doctor.
There is obviously a lot that you can do to protect yourself by taking a few common-sense
precautions. In tropical climates it’s easy to get run down, so one of the keys is to keep your
resistance high by getting plenty of rest and allowing time to acclimatise to the heat,
humidity and unfamiliar diet. It’s important to eat well, especially peeled fresh fruits, and to
keep up the intake of liquids - bottled
water is readily available and hot tea is offered at the drop of a hat.
Personal hygiene is also crucial. Wash your hands frequently, especially before eating, and
clean all cuts, scratches and bites carefully. Note that tap water may be infected, especially
during floods, so use an antiseptic spray on open wounds after washing.
Malaria is present in Vietnam. However, at the time of writing both Hanoi and HCM City have
very low incidences, while the northern delta and coastal regions of the south and centre
are also considered relatively safe. The main danger areas are the highlands and the rural
areas, where Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous strain of malaria, is prevalent.
Your doctor will advise on which, if any, anti-malaria tablets you should take.
Again you can help yourself considerably by not getting bitten in the first place. (Other
mosquito-borne diseases include dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis.) Mosquitoes are
most active at dawn and dusk, when you should wear long sleeves, trousers and socks,
avoid dark colours and perfumes (which apparently attract mosquitoes), and apply repellent
to any exposed skin. Sprays
or lotions containing around 40% DEET (diethyltoluamide) are the most effective, but it is
toxic - keep it away from the eyes and open wounds - and not recommended for young
children. Other, less worrying alternatives are Mosi- Guard Natural, X-Gnat or Gurkha
repellents. Most hotels provide mosquito nets where necessary; make sure you tuck the
edges in well and check for holes in
the mesh. Air conditioning and fans also help keep the little blighters at bay.
When it comes to eating, the most important thing is to choose places that are busy and
look well-scrubbed, and to stick to fresh, thoroughly cooked foods.
Despite appearances, often the small local restaurants with a high turnover of just one or
two dishes are safer than expensive, Western-style places.
Restaurants where the food is cooked in front of you - for example, steaming bowls of pho
soup at a street stall - are usually a good bet, as well as being lots of fun. However, steer
clear of shellfish, peeled fruit, salads and raw vegetables.
On the other hand, yohgurt and ice cream from reputable outlets in the main cities should
not cause problems.
Bottled and canned drinks, such as Coke, 7UP, Fanta and beer, are widely available even
in the countryside. Bottled water is also plentiful and very cheap, though check the seal
before you buy and if the water looks at all cloudy, give it a miss. It’s not a good idea to
have ice in your drinks and never drink water from the tap.
If you do fall ill, pharmacies in Hanoi and HCMC stock a decent range of imported medicines
(check they are not past their “use-by” date). Both these cities also now have good,
international-class medical facilities. Elsewhere, local hospitals will be able to treat minor
ailments, but for anything more serious head back to Hanoi or HCMC.
Finally, don’t get paranoid! By coming prepared and taking a few simple precautions, you’re
unlikely to come down with anything worse than a cold .'
SAFETY : Vietnam has been voted the safest country in Asia. You can travel extensively in
Vietnam on your own with absolutely no problems. There is no terrorism, no discrimination
and no animosity towards Americans or anybody !
ENGLISH : Everyone in Vietnam seems to be learning and speaking English. Standards are
relatively high considering the country has only been open recently. Most young people and
many of those working in the tourist industry speak sufficient English to communicate at
both basic and upper levels.
You will be warmly welcomed with a smile, a hand shake and, of course, a 'Hello' even the
person communicating with you has never spoken an English word !  

Travel and hotel links




LE NGUYEN TRAVEL
OFFICIAL PARTNERS
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Email: info@lenguyentravel.com
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