7 tips for foreigners in each Vietnam travel trip

Coming to Vietnam for the first time, many Western tourists are often shy and confused when imagining the distant S-shaped land. They also have many misconceptions because they have never been to and interacted with Vietnamese people. According to the experience of compatriots who went before, Western tourists often pass on the following lessons and notes.

Be careful when crossing through the road

One of the tourists when visiting Vietnam on a group tour, compared Vietnam’s traffic interestingly. He said that this is “one of the wonders of the world”, it is like a ballet in which the actors are millions of people driving vehicles. streets, about how they skillfully maneuver to navigate the roads.

Most of the big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City have a lot of traffic, but they don’t follow any rules. Therefore, foreign visitors are often confused when they do not know how to cross.

Read more: The best place to visit in Vietnam with family (suitable for outdoor activities)

Say “NO” to dog and cat meat

If you love cute cats and dogs as well as consider them as an indispensable close friend, during the tour to Vietnam, foreign guests must pay attention to two words: dog meat and cat meat. Dog meat and cat meat are two popular dishes in Vietnam. Be careful with a certain shop owner’s offer for Little Tiger (Cat Meat).

Attention to different the definition of currencies

The currency of Vietnam is “dong” with various denominations and quite a similar appearance, it is easy to get confused. Therefore, you should pay attention to distinguish the denominations of currencies when buying things to avoid losing money for no reason. It is possible to distinguish based on noticing the denomination printed on the bill, not too much attention to the appearance because most of the bills are similar.

Accurate pronunciation of “Pho”

Pho is a dish with a delicious flavor that no tourist in Vietnam Tour misses the opportunity to enjoy. Pho is sold in many restaurants in many cities, but perhaps the most traditional flavor is still in Hanoi. Just like many guests say Vietnam: stormy weather is not in Vietnamese grammar. Most visitors pronounce it as “Fuuh” or “foe”.

Attention weather

Weather is an important issue for any tourist. Before starting the tour, you must pay attention to the weather at your destination so that you can bring appropriate clothes. In summer, the weather in Vietnam is often hot and humid, visitors can comfortably wear cool clothes. Bring a jacket, sweater, scarf, and closed-toe shoes since the North has a lengthy, cold winter. Many visitors are also impressed with Saigon’s very interesting morning, sunny afternoon, and rainy weather.

Prevention of fake taxi

According to travelers’ experience, there are many scam taxis at the airport. Therefore, during the tour to Vietnam, please book a shuttle bus to the hotel where you stay. They will come to the airport to pick you up to reduce risks and unnecessary costs. You do not need to pay for tolls if they ask you to refuse immediately. Please ask the driver not to talk on the phone while driving as it may make your schedule longer. At the same time, talking on the phone while driving can also be dangerous with complicated traffic conditions in many cities.

Buy a phone with a sim card

One of the essential things when traveling to Vietnam is that you should buy a sim card in advance to insert into your phone. Thus, it will be more convenient to contact friends in Vietnam or save a large number of phone charges. Besides, you can use chat applications like skype, Viber, and Zalo by connecting to free Wifi.

In the eyes of foreign visitors, besides the things to be careful about when participating in a Vietnam tour, Vietnam is also a place with charming scenery, friendly people and an attractive place. to travel again.

Vietnam travel experience for foreigners

In Southeast Asia, Vietnam is known for its diverse tourism that attracts tourists. With many activities such as exploring the beautiful natural landscape with all kinds of different landscapes, relaxing on the beach, diverse culture and long history are the “materials” that make Vietnam more beautiful in your eyes. international friends. If you are intending to explore this S-shaped strip of land, then immediately pocket the following useful travel experiences!

Flight routes to Vietnam

Currently, it takes at least 19 hours to travel to Vietnam, including stops in Hong Kong, Manila, Taipei, Incheon, or Narita before continuing on to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. major cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, or California as the starting locations. Major carriers like American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Eva Air, Hongkong Air,… are available for travel.

Vietnam has more than 10 international airports. There are 3 main places where you can see a lot of flights landing from many different countries around the world such as Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) ) and Da Nang International Airport (Da Nang).

How to apply for a Vietnam visa

Obtaining a Vietnam Visa approval letter is the first stage ( entry letter). Many travel companies in Vietnam sell it. Usually, if you book a Vietnam tour package, travel agencies will give you this letter as a free gift.

Just make sure that all the information like your name, date of birth, nationality, and gender is the same as it is stated in your passport. Otherwise, you cannot go through customs.

Since February 2017, Vietnam has legally operated E-visa (single entry within 30 days of traveling to Vietnam). This form allows you to go to the 3 airports mentioned above and also the airports in Can Tho, Hue (Phu Bai), Phu Quoc, Nha Trang (Cam Ranh), and Hai Phong (Cat Bi).

On the official E-Visa page, you can view the application procedure. You will have a Vietnam visa online in hand so there is no need to fill out an application form or pay anything extra. You’ll spend less time at the airport as a result. Just note that E-Visa is only used when you enter and exit Vietnam by plane as it is not accepted at land or water borders.

Currency

The easiest method to make purchases in Vietnam is with the Vietnam Dong (VND), which is the local currency. At Vietnamese airports, you can easily exchange dollars for Vietnamese dong at fair exchange rates, or you can have some bank offices handle the transaction for you.

How to discern the value of each invoice because there are so many numbers is one of the biggest annoyances. To recall its color is the trick. Trading in Dollars is possible while visiting Vietnam. But be careful to understand the conversion rate. Otherwise, many con artists will charge much more than the item is actually worth.

Note the regulations on entry to Vietnam

People entering Vietnam, besides the required documents to carry such as passports with at least 6 months validity, Vietnam visas, identity papers, etc., also need to pay attention to other types of luggage. Especially at the time near the holidays and Tet, several cases were arrested and items were recovered at airports and border gates.

Luggage to be carried

In light of this, travelers to Vietnam are permitted to bring luggage that is required for daily needs or other travel-related purposes, such as jewelry, foreign money, gifts, etc. Unless the bag meets the exempted standard The customs declaration must include a statement of the outstanding tax.

People’s bags upon entrance and departure must be declared to customs, along with any necessary documentation.

– Baggage sent prior to or following the journey

– Bring 300g of gold or more

– Bring foreign currency in cash over 7,000 USD or other foreign currencies of equivalent value; Vietnamese dong over 15,000,000 VND

– There are goods temporarily imported for re-export, temporarily exported for re-import

– Bring medicine, narcotic drugs, psychotropic drugs

– For people entering the country with luggage exceeding the tax-free quota

– With a 5-year passport, at least 30 days before its expiration, you will be able to renew it once for no more than 3 years, and for a 10-year passport, you must renew a new passport.

Where should you stay in each particular destination?

For any place, being in the heart of the city is one of the best things you can do to get a taste of local life. That means, being able to explore your surroundings can save you time and travel costs. Instead, it will be more interesting to just wander through all the vibrant streets with a very Asian atmosphere, taste Vietnamese street food and witness daily life.

Additionally, if a city has a beach, it is preferable to remain nearby so that you can unwind as much as possible. Don’t stress out too much about not being able to investigate the neighborhood or the local culture. Almost all beachfront hotels provide daily complimentary shuttle service to the city/town center.