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Visas, Travel Permits
Anyone traveling to Vietnam must have an entry and an exit
Visa before entering the country.
Your visa will read what airports you are allowed to arrive at and depart from, as well as the duration of the
visa. It is possible to get your visa extended for about $10. Don't overstay your visa without prior state authorization.
In different parts of the country, different regulations may apply and you must comply with local government regulations.
You must still register with the local police upon arrival, but this will be taken care for by the hotel staff
when you register. It is customary for the hotel receptionist to ask for your passport so that they can take care
of the necessary paperwork with the police.
If you are planning to travel to Cambodia or Laos after Vietnam, you can get your visas in Saigon or Hanoi.
Customs and Entry Information
Vietnamese customs officers pay close attention to reglementation.
The form which you are required to fill out on the flight into Vietnam asks you to declare how much foreign currency
you are carrying--there is no limit, but you must declare all the money you have with you. It is very important
that you are completely honest about this as this form will be claimed by authorities when you leave the country.
You will also be asked to declare all precious metals, jewelry, cameras, and electronic items. Doing this simply
prevents any hassles when you leave the country.
It is important to have a second copy of the visa application, with a passport photo filled out and ready to give
to the border guard at passport control.
Carts are available "free of charge" in the Saigon airport. If you have nothing to declare, go to the
Nothing to Declare area and wait in line with your customs declaration form. New X-Ray machines have been installed,
and they are film safe.
If you have something to declare, go to the To Declare section. Chances are that they will just want to see what
it is that you are declaring and nothing further will happen.
Leaving the country : if everything is in order, and you have all the necessary paperwork, it is just a matter
of waiting to go through the correct lines. Make sure that you keep the yellow copy of the customs declaration
when you enter the country. You will need it when you leave.
Also, keep any currency exchange receipts in case they question you about them.
Accommodation
Tourist facilities have been improved and all towns have
small hotels and "mini hotels". In the majors cities you will find a full range or accommodation to suit
any budgets. More informations at : Department for Hotel Management of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism,
80 Quan Su street, Hanoi Tel 825 2246 - 826 1115.
Click on left window for complete list of hotels.
Money, Traveler's Checks, Credit Cards
The official currency in Vietnam is the dong, which is abbreviated
by a 'd' following the amount.
Banknotes are in denominations of 200d, 500d, 1000d, 2000d, 5000d, 10000d, 20000d, and 50000d.
Eq about $.02, $.05, $.10, $.20, $.50, $1.00, $2.00, and $5.00. Ho Chi Minh's picture is on every note. There are
no coins in circulation.
The preferred currency is theUS $, however French Francs are also welcomed in large cities. The best thing to do
is bring dollars, change some into dong and use both currencies whenever possible.
Traveler's checks are accepted by the major hotels. When cashing a traveler's check, you will have to pay a 1.5-2%
service charge. At this time, you can only cash traveler's checks at a VietComBank, or a VietComBank approved location.
American Express, Thomas Cook, and Visa travelers checks are all accepted in Vietnam.
Major Credit cards are widely accepted throughout Vietnam, including credit cards issued by American Banks.
Vietnam Hotels can change $ and French Francs against Dongs. Large Jewelry stores can make change this is not allowed
but tolerated.
It is illegal to take Dong out of Vietnam and you cannot exchange dong in any other country. Your options are two
fold, first spend all your dongs, second, change your money back into dollars before leaving the country.
You can telex money into Vietnam and be paid in US Dollars. This is quite simple, provided that the overseas bank
is a correspondent bank with VietCom Bank.
Conduct Or How To Behave and How Not To Behave
Every country has certain codes of conduct for things that
are acceptable and things that are not. Since Vietnam is still a communist country and the authorities have the
potential to be uncooperative if they want to, it is important that you understand some of the do's and don't in
Vietnam.
Always smile and be pleasant.
Don't run around complaining about everything.
If you want to criticize someone, do it in a joking way to avoid conflict.
Expect delays so build them into your schedule.
Never show anger ever! Getting visibly upset is not only rude, it will cause you to loose face, and nothing good
will come from your anger.
Don't be too competitive. Treating your interaction as a cooperative enterprise works much better.
Don't act as though you deserve service from anyone. If you do, you will probably be delayed.
Don't be too inquisitive about personal matters .
Sitting and sipping tea and the exchange of gifts are an important prelude to any business transaction and are
an integral part of building relationships in Vietnam.
The mentality of officialdom is very Confucian, especially in the north.
There are some other things which you should know about Vietnamese
culture to avoid offending people.
Foreigners attract a lot of attention in Vietnam. Wherever you go, people will stop and stare, often pointing figures
as well. This could be annoying, but please be assured that the people who do this do not mean any harm. Take it
in stride and enjoy the feeling of celebrity. You will see many people looking at you with shyness, but as soon
as you show them any kindness, their faces will brighten with happiness.
When entering a Vietnamese home, it is customary to remove your shoes at the entrance. Slippers will be provided
if you enter a "no shoes" home. Not all homes are like this, but most are.
You will often be surrounded by large groups of Vietnamese who want to know all about you. This is a product of
the Vietnamese isolation from the outside world for so long, and a genuine desire to meet foreigners. Questions
about your age, salary, marital status, and family are considered socially acceptable and you shouldn't feel offended
by these questions.
Bear all of this mind, but be yourself in Vietnam and you will have a wonderful experience meeting the people.
Health--How To Keep It
There are, however, certain precautions that all travelers
should take before departing for Vietnam. The most important thing you must do is get vaccinated against Hepatitis
A and B. There is a new vaccine that is available and is effective for a long period of time. It is known as Havrix.
If you are traveling to Vietnam during the rainy season, it might be wise to take steps to prevent Malaria. Malarial
prophylactics are quite controversial, with various different opinions surrounding each drug. the newest, and so
far most effective drug, is called Mefloquine (the generic name is Larium) and Savarine. It is new, has no severe
side effects, and the mosquitoes have not had time to develop resistance to the drug. If you don't want to take
drugs, your best bet is to avoid the mosquitoes that carry the virus. Malaria is carried by one type of mosquito,
the female anopheles mosquito. They are active just after sunset and just before sunrise. Wear long sleeve shirts,
and long pants. Spray exposed body parts with a high deed content mosquito repellent.
Gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, dysentery, and giardia, should be treated with care. Simple traveler's
diarrhea can be treated with Immodium and Ercefuryl. Mild cases of dysentery can also be treated with immodium.
For more severe cases of dysentery and giardia, Flagyl is the recommended cure. Flagyl wipes out all amoeba, even
the good ones, that live in your body. It is extremely important that you do not drink alcohol while taking flagyl.
Dengue fever is a real downer. If you have dengue, or think you do, just rest.
Don't worry about Cholera, as outbreaks are widely reported. It is highly unlikely that you will ever be in a location
where there is cholera. Typhoid is also something that you have no need to worry about.
You should make sure that your tetanus shot is up to date, as well as your Polio booster.
When it comes to sexually transmitted diseases it is up to you to prevent this.
What about rabies and the bubonic plague? Do not make eye contact with a dog. If you are bitten, do not panic.
It takes a fairly long time for the rabies virus to incubate and you will have time to get the vaccine. If you
are bitten on the arm, it takes about 40 days for incubation. On the leg it takes about 60 days. Any animal that
bites can give you rabies, not just dogs. As for the plague, yes, the same as the black death, is still around.
Most people think that the plague is passed through the bites of the fleas that live on rodents (rats, mice...).
You should bring a small medicall kit with you whenever you travel. Things to include are: band-aids, thermometer,
tweezers, sunscreen, insect repellent, chapstick, antibiotic ointment, caladryl, diarrhoea medication (immodium
or lomotil), aspirin or tylenol, antihistamine (also helps relieve the itch from bug bites), a course of antibiotics(about
30 tablets of tetracycline.
You should also make sure that you have comprehensive traveler's
insurance.
Business Hours
Vietnamese people are very early risers, and consider sleeping
late to be a sign of illness. Getting up early in Vietnam makes a lot of sense considering that the early morning
is the coolest part of the day.
Offices, museums, and many shops open as early as 7 am, and even earlier in the summer. Museums usually close around
4 or 5, but shops are open well into the evening. Lunch time takes usually one or two hours in the middle of the
day. Banks close for lunch time. Temples are usually open every day, but it is considered a little rude to come
at meal times. Most government offices are open on Saturday morning, Sunday is a holiday. Many museums are closed
on Mondays.
Electricity
220 volts 50 hertz. As more people buy air conditioners and
other power hungry appliances, the demand for electricity is increasing. Brownouts and blackouts are common in
many parts of the south. In the north there is little or no problem due to an abundance of hydroelectric power.
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