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Vietnamese people are very friendly, polite and generous. In general, we will make every effort to have foreign guests feel comfortable. In the cities and countryside towns, do not be surprised to be invited into a home to meet the family of someone you may have just met. These are the experiences that will enrich your visit to Vietnam.
Below is a list of Do's and Don’ts to help you avoid some of the social taboos during your visit. Take these into consideration and you will be rewarded with a culturally and socially enriching experience.
Do's
- ALWAYS drink plenty of bottled water. During the summer months you should be drinking a minimum of 2 liters per day. If you drink tea, coffee & alcohol you should increase you water intake accordingly as these will dehydrate you.
- Before venturing out from your hotel, ensure you have a hotel business card from the reception desk. This will make your return to the hotel in a taxi or cyclo much easier.
- For longer excursions from your base hotel, it is always a good idea to carry a roll of toilet paper in your daypack. You never know when you will need it.
- Always dress appropriately. Not only for the prevailing climatic conditions, but also not to cause offence to the local people. Vietnamese have conservative dress codes and it is only in larger cities that these codes are relaxed a little.
- Always leave your excess cash, airline tickets, passports and valuables with the hotels safety deposit facility.
- Always be aware when entering someone’s home as at some homes it is a must to remove your shoes at the front door.
- Always ask his or her permission first when taking a photograph of someone. If they indicate that they do not want you to, then abide by their wishes. DO NOT push the issue or offer money.
Don't
- Never wear shorts, dresses or skirts, or tops with low-neck lines and bare shoulders to Temples and Pagodas. To do this is considered extremely rude and offensive.
- Never give your empty water bottles, sweets and candies to the local people when trekking through ethnic minority villages. You cannot guarantee that the empty bottles will be disposed of in a correct manner and most of these people do not have access to dental health. If you would like to give pens/paper, ask your guide to introduce you to the local teacher and give them to the teacher for distribution.
- Never sleep or sit with the soles of your feet pointing towards the family altar in someone’s house.
- Never venture out from your hotel with more cash than you really need for that day. It is NOT something to be paranoid about, simply do not make yourself a target for pickpockets or drive-by bag snatchers in the big cities. Ho Chi Minh City seems to be a little worse than anywhere else in Vietnam is. On the whole it is one of the safest countries you could wish to travel in.
- Never lose your temper in public or when bargaining for a purchase. This is considered a serious loss of face for both parties. Always maintain a cool and happy demeanor and you will be reciprocated with the same.
- Never try and take photographs of military installations or anything to do with the military. This can be seen as a breach of national security.
- Never take video cameras into the ethnic minority villages. They are considered to be too intrusive by many local people
WEATHER
Hanoi and the Northern Vietnam have a distinct winter and summer season with a dry winter lasting from November to April with average temperatures of 18 - 20ºC. Summer lasts from May to October and is hot and humid with temperatures around 30ºC.
Hue and Danang in the center of the country have very hot, dry weather from February to August with temperatures reaching the mid 30ºC, but can experience some quite heavy rainfall between September and January. Ho Chi Minh City and the south have a hot, dry season from December till April with average temperatures around 28ºC and a rainy season lasting from May through till November. It rarely rains for long periods even in the rainy season with most rain coming in short, heavy bursts.
FOOD
The cuisine of Vietnam comes as a pleasant surprise to many visitors and is definitely a part of the Vietnam experience not to be missed. One of the characteristics of Vietnamese food is that it is always fresh being bought the same morning straight from the market. Food is usually prepared with a minimal amount of oil and served with the ubiquitous fish sauce called nuoc mam.
Typical Vietnamese dishes you can expect to try include pho, a type of rice noodle soup eaten for breakfast; cha gio, deep-fried spring rolls; and goi ngo sen, a delicious salad made with lotus stems, shrimp and peanuts. Due to the strong Buddhist influence in Vietnam, vegetarian food is widely available.
COMMUNICATIONS
International phone charges are steep in Vietnam and many hotels, especially up-market ones, add extra fees.
Faxes can be sent from hotels, business centers and post offices. Again, rates vary. To rent a mobile phone call 821-8465 in Hanoi or 824-2382 in Ho Chi Minh City.
A suggestion for making international calls is to log onto an internet phone provider before leaving home. There are also ones that have been recently set up in Vietnam.
Email and interent is readily available in almost every hotel. Although, a times it can be a little tempermental as the servers tend to be overloaded.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
January 1: New Year's Day
January / February: Tet or Vietnamese New Year. The actual dates vary from year to year according to the lunar calendar. Officially 3 days holiday but many businesses close down for a full week. This is the busiest time of the year for traveling in Vietnam and hotels, flights and trains are often full.
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