Vietnam Traveler's tips

TRAVELERS?? TIPS [@O@Ss,w-y
?)ip2~B4Cnv
1. GENERAL NOTE s6LP9W&J)i
t!t0p"F-_qC
1.1. Weather qY J
QnYt

%vZ9A)HAzr Expected temperature and weather in locations in your itinerary
E,eGf'\ Hanoi ¡§C Halong: Sunny and hot: 22 -30oC _)EO n6b5b8e9s6Tm
Hue ¡§C Hoian: Sunny and hot: 24 -35oC
*~]$e"\6Ry O Saigon -Mekong: Sunny and hot: 23- 34oC 9OM~[wv@
Seam Reap ¡§C Phnom Penh: Sunny and hot: 23- 34oC
Mfn NKY ,b)N0P{U?
1.2. Local flight schedule could be changed at short notice. This is beyond our control. However, we undertake to do our best to minimize any inconvenience caused E }7FP9g"t nf

3iT~*t4e%[#x{{ 1.3. What need to be brought in Vietnam
*]*~%aH!GtZ - International Airline ticket
RS I$x)zM,o[ - Passport and photocopies of your passport
A-q8^1JxV V - Visa or Visa approval letter and some color passport photos (size4x6cm) (at least 2)
*GvWU@z!W/u - Insurance document (if had) *a2k1q/F ^\
n7ec|w
- Cash in US$ or Euros 20??s and 100??s
A-Px1aU7_6gH3@a - Other equipment (please refer to our suggested equipments list below)
h2FPw"X ? Suggested Equipment List
Obei2{%y} Below is a suggested equipment list. Dress in Southeast Asia tends to be quite casual because of the warm, humid, tropical climate. For women, casual cotton pants and skirts are most acceptable for daytime wear, but bare sundresses and short shorts are frowned upon, especially in pagodas & temples.
I };~ze(Z1m5|#`q A sweater, sweatshirt, light jacket, or fleece pullover is a good idea when visiting the northern areas in the winter ( from November to March); and, because the climate is tropical, it is useful to have a windbreaker or rain poncho as protection against the unexpected rain showers that tend to occur. #Ib{;I
OcaN_
General c8Efg/M~_
? Duffel bag - waterproof and with a lock, or easily wheeled suitcase
c'@VTWtJ ? 5-6 zip lock bags (They come in handy for all kinds of uses.)
a{!f\2_7Ue^~ ? Sun glasses or reading glasses g0a a!w6}
? Good walking shoes and sandal T G#dbUNz3`8e
? Good trekking shoes ( for trekking tour) or slippers ( for beach relaxing tour) (Cv2jM;Ke \Z|X8{
Optional *?Q1P6BJS%U
? Camera and film (m;[XT a-@*qu#x9T
? Mobil phone
Ea0m8J5z"v ? Head phone and your favorite music compact dis (CD).
7Cr&XP#k A ? Favorite Books/ Vietnam Guide book ( highly recommended Lonely Planet)/ Dairy 5}:O-e Eq%wQM
? Biro pens, pencils/note book ZI&BuU7a,sZe
? Pictures of your family NZ7@yru f|EX

ct,^p4jD|8G#v5l 1.4 Basic Clothes
,G6F+p#S4?^,}8jpw ? Good walking shoes or cloth sneakers (They are light and dry easily. Good for driving.) !a4}'p&i `3ZJ
? 3-4 pairs of socks b6u A8{.Jo [W~;A[4Y
? Polar fleece pullover or jacket or sweater ( if travel in the north from November to March)
6eDi4R7C#H ? 4-5 T-shirts or blouses .Yf
u*~#Ba R-X4w!ID n
? Wide-brimmed sun hat
"Iy(J'W#EP0{)j ? Underwear (3-5 sets, depending on your desire to wash) X4`U r;h
? Mid-calf lightweight walking skirts or dresses or loose pants (women) 9z8V!N/| y5b |V
? 1-2 bandannas
u.l8ts ][AI0u ? Bathing suit
hK
V4A U{c ? Long-sleeved shirts
f i!N6ry_ ? Raincoat or poncho @ C y;Lxx8O o
Z
P#OD)i7Z
1.5 Health equipment and Medical Items a~2R9?re9k
No actual vaccinations are officially required. Malaria prophylaxis is no longer recommended but visitors are advised to check with their doctors or travel immunization clinics regarding the advisability of inoculation against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A & B.
"OnI6Or^5{/dQ Although we do not expect you to get sick, it is better to be prepared. We do carry a medical kit with bandages, splints and the like. However, our leaders (tour guides) are not permitted to dispense personal medicines to clients. It is important if you bring a complete, personal medical and first aid kit along with a few other essential items. We suggest the following (Note: You will need to pack sharp objects in checked baggage due to tightened airline security):
K aHn*iV:@ f ? Aspirin or Tylenol Band-Aids and betadine ointment
nrh;t#}8v ? Throat lozenges and cough medicine
4lxV3c2f Ij ? Cold medicine and antihistamines
3L"t!W%HPH3_@ ? Cipro - an antibiotic for indigestion
%ulW4[tD ? Chaps tick
a9q@i\&A ? Suntan lotion 100% UV effective (25 SPF or higher) Um(J
J0cX6w C3S
? Biodegradable soap (The blue bottles of Mountain Suds are excellent) %x,P9o,p+{} |1yzU.M
? Pack towel/washcloth CR:v)`W
I
? OB tampons (women) $D K1x*y+Em`3E`
? Hand/body lotion
(k2Urp~ |V)~ ? Brush/comb dI:SV[k{s.Zd
? Toothbrush/toothpaste 1a9|L6^1dM}X
? Eye drops &VkFV VL,f9WZE
? Facial breathing filters (optional for Kathmandu) )H"S-D8gFE%Md,K
? Antiseptic toilettes ^!C3r0} L+de{*T;x}
? Insect/ mosquito repellent "^`+JSb0gz
? Sewing kit with scissors, tweezers, and needle. (Note: You will need to pack sharp objects in checked baggage due to tightened airline security.)
\ ? e[6bI7I9GKM?v B&w1j`8u TE
1.6 Customs regulations t
OLh!j
Arriving in Vietnam, all visitors must fill in Declaration Forms and show their luggage to Customs Officials upon request. There are no limited amounts of foreign currency, objects made of gold, silver, precious metals and gemstones or plated with silver or gold but visitors must declare these in detail on the customs forms.
A`!W%NKi8Q7ej ENTRY: Tourists are authorized to bring in the following items duty-free: Cigarettes: 400 pieces; Cigars: 50-100; Tobacco: 100 gram; Liquor: 1.5l.
\,L%}m\N'W1I Personal effects of a reasonable quantity. Small gift items valued at not more than US$ 500. i4s5GSy|
Note: There is no limit to the amounts of cash, precious metals and gems people can bring in, but amounts of over US$ 7,000 must be declared.
2D#dq,loN It is prohibited for any visitor to bring into Vietnam the followings: iU~K7?U
P
* Weapons, explosives and inflammable objects. Y;f9Y/v:V1?
* Opium and other narcotics.
Gv U%X Z\M$z4y%F * Cultural materials unsuitable to Vietnamese society. ^'umC"`
EXIT: Goods of commercial nature and articles of high value require export permits issued by the Customs Office. Antiques, some precious stones and animals listed in Vietnam's red-book may not be brought out of the country. ZXs5IjS$G

c p&AG+Xpl%m+R 1.7 Security %d3o$sL%ua1g'WL
In big cities, do not bring along anything valuable as you go shopping or sightseeing on the street.
K/S%g$C)W$OD7e It is dispensable to give aims to beggars and to buy souvenirs from street vendors. ]&WRo+V5T)W
Foreign currencies should be exchanged at banks, or authorized exchange bureaus. Never exchange money on street.
6wq8`m4k"l*_ P#i*itK
1.8 Drinking
Yu)VR3Nh} Sz"g_ Bottled water and mineral water are obtainable at any shops in most cities. It is advisable to drink boiled water and not to drink ice and tap water. The most reliable local brand is LA VIE (Don??t confuse them with the imitations such as La Ville or La Vierge). Aquafina of Pepsi and real Evian also available at many shops.
s*G9{.QQ$? 2~%G.?,IU~
p$\ v-^8M+S}X
1.9 Tips for guides and drivers &Z)a8XH
Z2RO[)m
The amount of tip money is totally based on your trip satisfaction with service of guide and driver and it does not compel (according to your culture). However, US$ 2-3/ per day/ per tourist is acceptable for both guide and driver. *QESs&`y{cH/DgGn

K+FY}Dkt0q3x:r_ 1.10 Others
1puA'wa5x_
KA!\
Z|a
~3q_K Taxi: Taxis with meters are available in big cities. The current price is about US$ 0.5 per kilometer. Most metered taxi drivers can speak a little English. :X'p{~iL

i/c
t
Z~ Business hours: (GMT + 7)
'pY_:F;UD * Offices: 08:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and 01:30 p.m. to 05:00 p.m., closed on Saturday afternoon and Sundays
g2X}?#JT * Banks: 08:00 a.m to 03:00 p.m, closed on Friday afternoons, Saturday and Sunday.
s4n+O4dz*nxE
.agsK$I R5K;L#a Electrical current: 220 volts A.C.
%XGLzb Telephone: Long distance calls should be made at post offices, hotels or telephone booths (phone cards are available at post offices). Normailly, hotels will get 15-20% service charge of the bill. Ne`9I4aE,U
~4[SncMWq
h \"AT!TE5u8e
3. RESTAURANT , BARS AND CAFE
l5Q
n7r~)])b ? In Hanoi
@9W~.@U#[[L+H
A!dP(N){jOb BOBBY CHIN :jlh Xw[3u
1 Ba Trieu St.,
]M|\m6xxf5?  943 8578 Serves Fusion cuisine and offers a nice ambience for the late evening with drinks and shisha.
7u4U\/T\0` `
\F(g
vn\7SA KOTO
b5NX;?s c lf._ 61 Van Mieu St.,
I9zI:O&kQ4Q  747 0338 Project for street kids. Very friendly and dedicated staff and real good food. Located in opposite to the Temple of Literature. Breakfast and lunch, dinner in from Fri to Sun.
-A i8sl$Z Don??t miss it! \'\,fDs$vO%i
dUt;v(DYp$vR5u
AU LAC
b$pJb(a9T 57 Ly Thai To St., jKw+^!h&i-N2j(k
 825 7807 Courtyard setting, snack and dishes from all over, reasonable prices. Located just in opposite to the Metropole hotel. -?WR"^,}\
0apN\J,F[P3pO
HANOI GARDEN ;?o0zhxZO
36 Hang Manh St.,
nZ7YI C  824 2402 Nice courtyard setting with water cascading down one wall. Delicious Vietnamese fare and good prices O-p8KuV'?Sq
Y5ug9`lO
LITTLE HANOI ¡§CThe Original PWd3EV-EaDM4DX U
9 Ta Hien St., &L@.hm&I-xqi3Y
 926 0639 Located in the Old Quarter. Serving authentic Vietnamese cuisine at very reasonable prices. Good service. $L[2i M*Y |"Z9G%\
Don??t confuse with another place also called little Hanoi. Ask for the original! /c.x y5V%I%Jp"]8E

%|&X.bGN HIGHWAY 4
Y9pjo_ bqn 5 Hang Tre St., 5GGo z1E7}(Z5n
 926 0639 Vietnamese authentic and Rice wines. Sometime really unique are the house made liquors.
1{.R/[!cM7Z [D A must! 8g,?9Vt H

1P(F[Y&{}5r"bC THE DELI/ PRESS CLUB
}V2jnd-@ 59A Ly Thai To St.,
-^Q i!M jx1z  934 0888 Fine dining ^o h3[y.@
Deli also offers from Mon to Fri set lunches at very reasonable prices.
i
L9D5V%Wh v;o A highlight! J[z cq-J
c

)AgTp.}4Y7^e PAN E VINO
hx ]+U0wiL/Hg 3 Nguyen Khach Can St.,
` t/}"h(K)M!d  826 9080 Italian Restaurant and Enoteca.
?me uDJ$] Located near the Opera House. |,A j t`6]wq
Italian Chef Marco offers excellent food and a good choice of wines at reasonable price.
r[ C/AF@ f
.m9J
G^@/`,an ? FINNEGAN??S
1a8A$KH:@*[P/zxpD 16A Duong Thanh St.,
v$P2G,M5`.|3]/G  828 9065 Irish Pub xdyFm)m
Cold beer and snacks. Very recommendable H9ex!w7H4B
l(T

,cL/C#C3a9Txu3iVo1U MINH??S JAZZ CLUB
&](VO1?
o o*QoHe 31 Luong Van Can St., +i8^K-m!KR t/M
 828 7890 Hanoi??s first Jazz club. ~1RiFo!i
Located in the Old Quarter. Daily Live Jazz. eNYd3o gx6^n

W1qy%g/zT$Ib_r%m MOCA CAF?.
#tDj$L/{TY 14 Nha Tho St.,
q2m#l']bsx  825 6334 Very popular Bistro in a picturesque street closed to the Cathedral.
P{Q,l'U3BbK4O5FaF b"J G Pf1N
VINE ^ t$Ac[8tR
3 Xuan Dieu St., Tay Ho Dis K^q
Y5g
 719 8000 Wine & Food ?,R4~1n)F\z
Among the best international spots in town; excellent service. D%L~3I.k_7JZSkI
A+]M'|$F7m"|

;N(m1Y;KI9}B 4. IMPORTANT CONTACT DURING YOUR TRIP IN VIETNAM
n4Ul?n"SM zA"H\ Normally, our guide will give you the guidance and take necessary actions in all cases. However, there are some contacts that you should have during your trip. )i2P)LL%{'?rx1z F"R9y,q


^|1c2|-Q:[%zI Tony Tran¡§C Travel consultant n;WlL/JE/PO
Hand phone: 0979800588 9Y Zd*k^n
Hotline: (04) 9446230 r:cQrTE7u
Email: [email]info@activetravelvietnam.com[/email] iw9vbEE
Website: [url]http://www.activetravelvietnam.com[/url]