What to know before going to Vietnam? With breathtaking natural landscapes and historic cities, Vietnam has increasingly distinguished itself as a destination of choice for travel in Southeast Asia. The country has a tumultuous recent history, marked mainly by the Vietnam War, as well as cultural influences from major powers such as France. To make traveling easier for those planning a first visit to the country, I have listed 19 items on everything you need to know before traveling to Vietnam.
What to know before traveling to Vietnam
1. Visa to Vietnam
You need a tourist visa to enter Vietnam. It is possible to apply for a visa before traveling by filling out an online form and sending documents and passports to the Vietnam Consulate.
Another option is to obtain a visa upon arrival in the country, the so-called visa on arrival. This second option is very common among people who spend months in Southeast Asia backpacking.
2. Travel Insurance for Vietnam
You do not need international travel insurance to enter Vietnam. To take out international travel insurance, we always recommend State life insurance, which is where we make our insurance.
3. Language in Vietnam
The official language of Vietnam is Vietnamese.
4. Vietnam currency
The official currency of Vietnam is the dong (₫ or VND).
5. Weather in Vietnam
Vietnam has great geographical diversity, and thus has different climates at the same time of year, depending on the region. The country is long and narrow and there are more than 3 thousand km of coastline. Between the months of October and March, the so-called winter monsoon occurs, and the northern region of the country is cold and humid. In those same months, the climate in the south of the country is hot and dry. From mid-May to October there is the summer monsoon, which makes the whole country hot and humid.
6. Tip in Vietnam
While tipping is not mandatory in Vietnam, this is an expected attitude in some tourist establishments, such as restaurants and tourist services. The value is around 10% of the service and the professionals who expect tips are waiters, guides, drivers and porters.
7. Traffic
At first, glance, crossing the street in Vietnam may seem impossible, but with a little practice, it becomes – a little – simpler. First, forget everything you know about crossing the street. Second, know that the secret is this: as soon as you have a gap, cross the street, keep going, and don’t stop, as motorcycles and cars are used to dodging pedestrians. Although it is common for tourists to rent motorbikes when traveling to Vietnam, the traffic is very chaotic and disorganized, so driving in the country is inadvisable.
8. Motorcycles
Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest number of motorcycles per inhabitant, which is the main means of urban transport in the country. In Hanoi, there are approximately 8 million inhabitants and about 5 million motorcycles. When riding a motorcycle, it is common for the local population to wear masks to protect their nose and mouth from pollution.
9. English
Generally speaking, not much English is spoken in the country. The portion of the population that most dominates the language is made up of young people and people who work in the field of tourism, mainly in hotels, restaurants, and guided tours.
10. Religion
The data show that Vietnam is a country of Buddhist traditions. However, during my trip, I talked to several Vietnamese and discovered that a large part of the population has no religion. And even without following any religion, most of the population have altars in their homes and worship their ancestors.
11. Sidewalks
In the centers of large cities, sidewalks are used as parking for motorcycles, shop windows, space to place tables and chairs in restaurants, street stalls. That is, anything goes, there is just not much space left for pedestrians who end up taking turns walking between the sidewalk and the street.
12. Food
In Vietnam you eat well and in small quantities, the food is healthy and very tasty. I highlight two typical dishes: Pho, which can be considered the national dish, is a noodle soup with meat and herbs, and Gỏi Cuôn, which is a spring roll made from a fresh, extremely thin rice pasta with vegetables and shrimp. curled up
13. Airlines
To travel around Vietnam, there are several cheap airlines that fly the main routes, such as VietJetAir and Jetstar, but there is also the option of traveling by train, which is a very economical option.
14. Transport
Taxis are usually very cheap but don’t forget to ask the driver to turn on the meter. Taking the bus is a little more complicated due to the language and communication barrier. Another option is to use Rickshaw, but it is also often a little difficult to communicate with drivers, it is practically based on mime.
15. Vietnam War
The war, which ended just under 50 years ago, is still very much alive in the memory of the Vietnamese. Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon) remembers the war through the War Remnants Museum. In addition, approximately 50 km from Ho Chi Minh City, it is possible to take a tour of the Cu Chi tunnels that were used by the Vietnamese during the war. The country still counts on the existence of Social Organizations that support the victims of Agent Orange.
16. Small Sizes
It’s funny to observe that things in Vietnam are very small: people are short, the glasses in the restaurants are small, the plastic tables and stools that are on the streets are also small.
17. Rice
One of Vietnam’s main products and food sources is rice. Its relevance can be seen in the numerous rice fields that spread across the country.
18. Vietnamese Coffee
Vietnam is one of the biggest coffee producers in the world and they drink coffee with ice cubes and condensed milk. Highlands Coffee is a very popular Vietnamese coffee chain in the country and full of local products.
19. Vietnamese Hat
The famous Vietnamese hat is not simply a souvenir. In Vietnam, these hats are widely used by the locals as a means of protection from the sun. They are usually used in more rural areas, or away from large cities.
