Travel Tips for Vietnam
TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO VIETNAM
Area Overview - Vietnam is one long, s-shaped country, capped at either end by its two biggest cities - Hanoi (north) and Ho Chi Minh City (south). Ho Chi Minh is also known by its former name, Saigon. In the middle of the country, you’ll only be an hour away from Laos on side and have beautiful beaches on the other. Most people do a trip starting in the north and then make their way south. Others, like us, go the other way, but we’re definitely the minority. You’ll find the most transportation options going in the southern direction and you’ll end up in or near Ho Chi Minh City, which as a ton of options for travel to other neighboring countries (like Malaysia, Cambodia, or Laos).
Brief History - Vietnam was originally heavily influenced by Chinese culture, then the Japanese used central Vietnam as a trading port for its ships. Historic Vietnam was different kingdoms. North / south. American war, then united in 1974.
Getting Around - Vietnam has a lot of options. Within cities, you can use Grab at the more populated destinations. Otherwise, you can use taxis. Taxis are nefarious in Vietnam. MaiLinh is one of the more dependable brands. Make sure the meter is on, and if you see it moving fast, stop the ride and get out. In smaller cities, it’s not uncommon for hotels and other establishments to rent motorbikes (scooters or motorcycles) and bicycles. We used bicycles a few times. If you’re used to riding a motorbike, then feel free to go that route. Just recognize that the driving is a little frenetic and accidents aren’t uncommon. For intercity travel, you’ve got buses, trains, private cars, and, of course rented motorbikes. Buses also have spotty reviews from travelers with people frequently being asked to pay more when boarding a bus, or finding the center aisle of the bus packed with friends of the driver, or getting dropped off well before the intended destination. Sleeper buses, specifically, are on some people’s to-do list. Instead of regular chairs, they’ve basically got super reclined seats (that don’t un-recline). One other fun option, that’s pretty unique to Vietnam is riding on the back of a motorbike with an experienced driver. Run by a company called “EasyRider”, you’ll be paired up with a driver, and you’ll travel to your destination on the back of a bike, with your pack lashed to the rack on the back of the bike. As for the rented motorbike option...you can find lots of articles online about them. It’s definitely an adventure that some are more excited than others to take. After seeing about 25% of motorbiking backpackers with bandages on their knees, feet, and legs, we were glad we didn’t go this route. For trains, you can’t book them through the official Vietnam railway website (they only accept Vietnamese creditcards), so you’ll have to book through your hotel host or through a third party website like, https://baolau.com. For buses, you can also use third party websites like Baolau or https://www.bookaway.com/. Sometimes, the third party websites will included added services for bus tickets, like transport from your hotel to the departure destination.
Currency & Prices - The exchange rate for the VIetnamese Dong (VND) is favorable for western countries. Taxis for medium and short distances are <$5USD, buses and trains are <$10USD, and midrange dinners are <$15USD, street food is <$3USD, while expensive dinners can take you up to $50USD. Clothing and souvenirs span the gamut. Housing is also reallu cheap <$50USD/night for good hotels and homestays across the country. Tours, cruises, private cars, and entrance fees can get expensive. We booked a private car from Hoi An to Da Nang for $145. It included stops at many tourist sites along the way, but it was probably one of the most expensive things we booked on the entire trip.
Water / Food Safety - Drink bottled water and make sure fresh veggies/fruits/ice are all made/washed with drinking water. To be extra safe, only eat cooked food outside. Generally, in places like Hoi An or Hanoi with lots of tourists, you’re safe to eat fresh stuff in most tourist-oriented restaurants because they know who they’re catering to and care about their reviews.
Personal Safety - Pickpockets and scams are your most common threats to safety. You’ll read a lot about scams in Vietnam. Just know that you’ll get taken for a total of $10-15 throughout the course of your trip. It’s not that much, and it’s easier to just accept than to walk into every transaction like its a life-or-death situation. Be ready to be firm in negotiations or with vendors when you know how much something should cost and be willing to walk away when needed. Also, use your hotel/airbnb/homestay host or concierge to book things on your behalf to help ensure you’re getting the right price and the right outcome. As an example of one scam, we had a homestay host charge us slightly more (e.g. +5VND) than advertised at the end of our trip for certain items we had purchased. Annoying, but not the end of the world.
Top Places to Visit - The most popular spots in Vietnam are Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, and Sapa in the north, with Hoi An in the center. There are many other cities, but those are the most common. HCMC and Hanoi are big cities. Sapa is mountainous rice fields. Ha Long Bay is a picturesque bay. Hoi An is a historic old town famous for its tailors and is right next to a budding high-end beach town, Da Nang. This is only the tip of the iceberg for Vietnam. You could easily spend a month here visiting the many small cities that we haven’t mentioned here, like Phong Nha, Da Lat, Hue, and others.
Electricity / Outlets - Vietnam uses European-style two-pin round plugs ('C'-type is the most common variant found): Voltage is at 220 V 50 Hz (as opposed to 110 V 60 Hz in US). Nearly everywhere will have combination outlets that also take American-style two-pin flat plugs. We didn’t find a single outlet that needed a converter for our American electronics.
Wifi / Phone - Wifi is generally available at most hotels, restaurants, cafes, etc. However, if you want continuous access either buy a SIM on arrival or get an international plan (we like Google Fi!). Google Fi does work in Vietnam. You’ll get an “H+” data connection which feels at least as fast as 3G.
