Vietnam is a rich country bursting with breathtaking landscapes, delicious cuisine, and powerful history. From the serene and crystalline beaches to the bustling cities, and lush countryside, Vietnam offers something unique for everyone. As I had been to Thailand, I had an idea of what to expect. However, the reality far exceeded my expectations! If you are thinking about booking a trip to Vietnam you have made the right decision, and will no doubt love every moment of your travels! Before you embark on your journey, make sure to take a look at my travel guide to read up on what to expect when traveling in Vietnam.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN TRAVELING IN VIETNAM
VISA
Depending on your home country, you may be required to obtain a tourist visa prior to entering the country. As US citizens, my friend and I needed to purchase our 30 day visas. My friend went straight to the Vietnamese Embassy in NYC, which was quite expensive ($70). I, on the other hand, opted for the much cheaper E-Visa ($25). I was a bit hesitant about it at first after having read a few articles of people saying the E-Visa wasn’t accepted at the airport. The process was actually very quick at immigration, and my E-Visa was accepted without any issues. I completed the application online, and within 2 days I had my E-visa.
CURRENCY
The main currency in Vietnam is the Dong. The exchange rate is about 25,578 to the euro. This means 1 euro is equivalent to 25,578 dongs. I was very confused at first since I was not used to dealing with such large numbers. Imagine my surprise when I exchanged 50 euros and received over 1 million dongs in return! There are exchange counters easily available at the airport, and throughout the cities.
LANGUAGE
The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. On the contrary to other Southeast Asian countries, such as, Thailand, Vietnamese does not use characters. This is due to the French colonization of the country. In fact the influence is still seen in some traditional dishes and in the architecture! Although Vietnamese is the official language, mostly all restaurants and hotels speak a basic level of English. We had no problems communicating with the locals, and even learned a few words in Vietnamese while we were there!
WEATHER
There is one word to describe Vietnam when it comes to weather, and that is hot! Southern Vietnam has two seasons; wet (May- October) and dry (November – April). Whereas, Northern Vietnam has a more tropical climate with four seasons. I went in April as it was right before the wet season in the South, and one of the warmer seasons in the North. What I encountered was eternal heat, and almost 100% humidity! When I say that I started to sweat as soon as I walked outside I am not exaggerating. My friend and I were definitely not expecting the heat, and I actually got very dehydrated my first few days there. Therefore, make sure to drink enough water, and by that, I mean at least 2L daily!
FOOD
The food in Vietnam consists of quite a lot of noodle and rice dishes. I love Asian food in general, so was in heaven. I never knew there were so many different types of noodles! The street food was very safe to eat and actually quite delicious! In Hoi An, my friend and I tried almost all of the local street food we encountered! Due to the tropical climate, there was also a lot of exotic fruit. All of our breakfasts consisted of passion fruit, dragon fruit, mango, and lychee. The fruit was a refreshing treat for those hot and humid days.
INTERNET
If you wish to stay connected while traveling in Vietnam to access directions or to stay in touch with friends and family it is quite simple and inexpensive! Upon arrival at the airport, and right before going through passport control there are tables selling SIM cards. They offer 10GB of internet daily for 30 days, and it only costs 10 euros/12 dollars. Of course you must ensure that your phone is unlocked or the foreign SIM won’t work. My friend’s phone wouldn’t accept the SIM and we had to rely on my phone for internet throughout our trip.
TRANSPORTATION
Vietnam is a long and narrow country, meaning that it takes time to get from one city to the next. Since we only had 10 days, my friend and I chose to travel via plane because it was fast and inexpensive. If you have more time, you can also check out the trains and overnight buses. Between Hue and Hoi An ( which was about a 4 hour drive) we booked a semi-private guided excursion that stopped at multiple landmarks and drove us directly to our hotel. In the cities, taxis are readily available, as well as, the application Grab. Grab is very similar to Uber, and we often used it to get an idea of how much the transfer should cost in order to avoid getting over charged by a taxi driver (which happened more than once).
In the actual cities we managed quite well on foot for the most part. However, in Hoi An it’s city culture to rely on bicycles as the main form of transportation. In fact most hotels even offer free bike rentals!
SCAMS
As a westerner it is almost impossible to blend in while traveling in Vietnam. Unfortunately, standing out as a tourist also means you are a target of many scams, and higher than normal prices. You need to be persistent when it comes to haggling, as you will probably find a cheaper price further along. My friend mentioned more than once that I was quite good at bartering, but maybe it’s only because I’m stubborn!
The two main scams to look out for are the taxi prices from the airport, and the restaurant prices.
1. Taxis: The first time we took a taxi they charged us triple the amount of what the price should have been. We learned the second time not to accept the first offer you receive from a taxi driver at the airport. My suggestion is to download the Grab app, that way you have an idea of how much you should be paying.
2. Restaurants: Believe it or not, restaurants actually have two sets of menus. They have the Vietnamese menu for locals and an English version for tourists with higher prices. We encountered this on more than one occasion and the prices were more than double. Therefore, watch out for restaurants that have a lot of locals yet the English menu seems a bit expensive.
Safe Travels,
Vip <3
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