20 Insider Tips for Traveling in Vietnam

According to the Grown Up Travel Guide, Vietnam is a beautiful, attractive and relatively safe destination in the eyes of foreign visitors, who love to explore the landscape, history, and culture of this land. Let’s find out 20 insider tips for traveling in Vietnam.

1. Discreet clothing

In Vietnam, discreet clothing is a tradition so travelers should remember and respect this tradition. Dress appropriately especially in sanctuaries such as temples and pagodas and please remember to not to wear shorts and short skirts when visiting temples and shrines.

In addition, avoiding provocative outfits is the simplest way to ensure you do not attract unwanted attention during a trip.

2. Pay attention to your personal belongings

Whenever you go anywhere in the world, especially in crowded urban areas, you can always face pickpockets and robberies.

The sudden ride of motorcyclists, grabbing the bag of pedestrians by the roadside is not strange. The visitors need to keep personal items carefully when walking on the street.

3. Prepare to be psychologically inquired into private matters

In Vietnamese culture, if you are an unmarried girl traveling alone, you will often receive questions which are not malicious but you are not comfortable sometimes. To avoid being asked, you can pretend to wear a wedding ring, and explain that your husband does not come along.

A common sentence of the Vietnamese is “How old are you?”. The question tends not to offend as the views of Western guests; however it is simply a way of greeting to Vietnamese people

4. Show your affection in public

In Vietnam, expressing your affection in public is not the right way to behave. Young Vietnamese are becoming more familiar with the Western way of behaving; however, it is not a good idea for the couple to hold hands or kiss in front of local people.

5. Travel around the streets

The most popular means of transportation for Vietnamese people is motorbikes. You will find a motorbike taxi driver ready to take you on a motorbike around the street for only half the cost of a taxi. Motorbike taxi is a fast, economical and trouble-free way to move.

As a rule of thumb, if you are female and not familiar with motorbikes, you can easily embrace the driver’s waist for safety reasons. However, if you wish, you should actively ask beforehand if you can do so. Men will put their hands on the driver’s shoulder.

Be cautious about the idea of ​​renting a motorbike taxi in the evening, as you may face more risk. Driving while being drunk is still a problem in Vietnam but motorbike taxi drivers tend to respect the principle of safer driving during business hours.

Remembering and practicing these simple guidelines, visitors will have an enjoyable time exploring this wonderful country.

6. Learn to speak the native language

This is one of the most important things when traveling and also the first thing that anyone should try to do when planning to come to a new country. English is the language used in all Southeast Asian countries, however, if you want local people to understand what you are saying (especially when you want to ask something important), the best advice for you is to learn some basic sentences. Learning the local language is also good for local people and helps to overcome language barriers with poor English speakers.

7. Try all the local dishes while traveling

In Vietnam, you cannot ignore the food served with lemon, salad, vegetables and special broth from pork and chicken. You can enjoy a bowl of hot noodles in front of the small chairs on the sidewalk. In addition, you can enjoy other street food like fried noodles, fried rice, fried shrimp, and fried cream.

8. Telfast (allergic rhinitis) and Imodium (diarrhea) should be stored

When traveling you can adapt to the food but the body does not adapt to the environment. Therefore, to prepare for the trip more convenient, you should carry with you some common medicine.

9. Always carry a passport

Carrying a passport throughout the journey is an obvious task for all travelers. In Vietnam, all hotels and motels require a passport for inspection before check-in. This is a way to ensure the safety. If you are a forgetful person, it is best to leave your passport at the hotel until you leave and go around.

10. Accommodation

Hotels, motels, guest rooms are places you can choose to stay on vacation. If you choose to travel during the peak period, you should book in advance to avoid out of room state and be able to choose the room that you love.

11. Do not rush!

With many tourists often have the psychological rush to visit many points and participate in many activities at the same time in a short time. If you do not have a plan in advance, your travel trip will be extremely tiring. The best advice for you is to buy the travel guidebook “The Vietnamese plant the rice, the Cambodians watch it grow, and the Lao listen to it grow” of Lonely Planet to get a perfect travel itinerary.

12.  Be careful when crossing the road

To overcome this difficult challenge, slowly settle into the vehicle line under the road, keep the stable speed, do not hesitate, do not stop, do not text by phone or see the map when crossing the street. The vehicle will automatically adjust to you.

13. Ask for taxi rates in advance

If your group has 3 people, the price may be equal or cheaper if you rent a taxi. Be careful with the fake taxi! There are many taxis at the airport. You should book a taxi at the hotel to avoid being overcharged. You do not have to pay tolls, so if you are asked to pay, refuse it. Drivers in Vietnam often do not obey traffic laws. Ask them not to talk on the phone while driving, as they can drive the wrong way and you have to charge higher than the actual. It is also very dangerous.

14. Apply for Vietnam visa on arrival

Visa on arrival is the fastest and easiest way to apply for a visa for Vietnam, especially if you go to Vietnam by air, you should choose this method to more convenient. Please check out requirements of Vietnam visa for US citizens carefully before your trip and contact the service provider if you have any question then.

15. Be careful with dog meat, cat meat

You will be very easy to eat if not noticed. Learn Vietnamese beforehand for these two words to distinguish. Although there was a law that did not consume cats in 1997, it still appeared very much. In the menu, cat meat is called “Little Tiger”.

16. Exchange money

The exchange rate is around 21,734VND = 1 USD. Foreign guests should try to note the figure to tip for accuracy. The secret is you should remember the color of each type of money to avoid confusion.

17. Pronounce the word “pho” correctly

This is a delicious dish that is sold everywhere. You should try to learn the correct pronunciation to avoid misunderstandings when ordering.

18. Seasonal preparation

In the summer, the weather in Vietnam is hot and humid, so you can leave your jeans at home. In winter, the North of Vietnam is very cold, you should wear a thick jacket. Look at the weather forecast before you leave, and bring an umbrella in case it rains.

19. Purchase a SIM card in Vietnam on arrival

You can buy a SIM card at the airport. When you’re done, you can buy a card at any street corner. You can also use free applications to make calls, text messages if Wi-Fi is available. However, be sure to turn off the roaming service before using Wi-Fi.

20. Bring your ATM card

The traveler should not carry too much cash, especially when coming to Vietnam. Vietnam has many ATM machine, so instead of bringing money, travelers should take the ATM card for lightweight.

We hope that the above information will be helpful to you. Have a nice trip in Vietnam!