Vietnam

Understand

Vietnam was ruled by an imperial dynasty until 1945, and has been a socialist state under an authoritarian system since reunification in 1976. The country has about 100 million inhabitants and provides a staggering variety of forest landscapes and a complex cultural history.

Get around

thumb|A train in Hanoi, Vietnam thumb|The Vietnamese are experts at transporting huge piles of goods on (motor)bikes.

See

Vietnam will show you sides of Asia that you've dreamed of. Lush rice fields at the bottom of stunningly gorgeous highlands, colourful water markets on the streams of the Mekong Delta and the endless bustling city life of Hanoi, where anything from school children to fridges and huge piles of vegetables are transported on the back of countless motorcycles. Although Vietnam's huge cities are rapidly transforming into modern Asian metropolises, traditional culture is never far away.

Do

Trekking Vietnam is an ideal way to enjoy and experience beautiful nature of Vietnam, from the yellow farmers' terraces in harvesting season of the north (Sa Pa), to the off-the-beaten-path Central Highlands, or the frenetic activity of the Mekong Delta in the south.

Chinese chess (cờ tướng) is a popular game in Vietnam, and you will often notice the elderly having games in the public parks. If you know how to play, this can be an opportunity to befriend the locals. A uniquely Vietnamese tradition pertaining to Chinese chess is human chess (cờ người), typically played at temple and village festivals during Tết. As the name suggests, the pieces are played by humans dressed in traditional Vietnamese costumes, usually with 16 teenage boys on one side and 16 teenage girls on the other, and a choreographed traditional martial arts fight between the two pieces always ensues whenever a piece is captured.

Retreats, spas, meditation and yoga are popular in Vietnam, with Hoi An in particular becoming a hub for like-minded individuals.

Eat

thumb|Gỏi cuốn fresh spring rolls, cao lầu noodles (a specialty of [[Hoi An), nước mắm dipping sauce and local beer]] thumb|Bánh mì: French baguette stuffed with pâté, herbs and pickles

Food is at the very core of Vietnamese culture: every significant holiday on the Vietnamese cultural calendar, all the important milestones in a Vietnamese person's life, and indeed, most of the important day-to-day social events and interactions - food plays a central role in each. Special dishes are prepared and served with great care for every birth, marriage and death, and the anniversaries of ancestors' deaths. More business deals are struck over dinner tables than over boardroom tables, and when friends get together, they eat together. Preparing food and eating together remains the focus of family life.

Yelp and Tripadvisor are not widely used by locals in Vietnam, and reviews on those directories are usually posted by tourists. Foody is the go-to restaurant rating directory for the Vietnamese, and also functions as a food delivery and restaurant reservation app. While the interface is available in English, the downside is that almost all reviews are in Vietnamese.

Vietnamese cuisine varies from region to region, with many regions having their own specialties. Generally, northern Vietnamese cuisine is known for being subtle, central Vietnamese cuisine is known for being spicy, while southern Vietnamese cuisine is known for being sweet. There is also distinctive Vietnamese-Chinese cuis…

Drink

Drinking in a Vietnamese bar is a great experience. One of the interesting things is that during the day, it is almost impossible to see a bar anywhere. Once the sun goes down though, dozens appear on the streets out of nowhere.

Watch out for ice in drinks. Factory-made ice is generally safe, but anything else can be suspect. Factory ice has a hollow, cylindrical shape. Avoid irregular chunks of ice as it may be unclean.

Sleep

thumb|Night in Hanoi, over Hoan Kiem Lake Lodging is not an issue in Vietnam, even if you are travelling on a tight budget. Accommodation in Vietnam ranges from 100,000-dong dorm accommodation in hostels to world-class resorts, both in large cities and in popular coastal and rural destinations. Even backpacking hostels and budget hotels are far cleaner and nicer than in neighboring countries (Cambodia, Thailand, Laos). And even cheap hotels that charge as little as 250,000 dong for a double room are often very clean and equipped with towels, clean white sheets, soap, disposable toothbrushes and so on.

Service in many of the very inexpensive hotels is quite good (since the rate that a person pays per night could equal a typical Vietnamese national's weekly pay), although daily cleaning and modern amenities like television may not be provided. In hotels costing a few dollars more (300,000+ dong, more in Hanoi) you can expect an en-suite bath, telephone, AC and television. As with hotels elsewhere in the world, mini-refrigerators in Vietnamese hotels are often stocked with drinks and snacks, but these can be horribly overpriced. You are much better off buying such items on the street. Adequate plumbing can be a problem in some hotels, but the standard is constantly improving.

It is a legal requirement that all hotels register the details of foreign guests with the local police. For this reason they will always ask for your passport when you check in. The process usually only t…

Stay safe

Vietnam has made a huge leap forward in terms of economic development and tourism, and many of the most feared annoyances are minor concerns. Vietnam is still a poor country, though. Tourists are considered money mules, and milking them is no crime. Nevertheless, outside of tourist hotspots, crime and scams against foreigners are rare.

Stay healthy

Tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis are endemic in rural Vietnam. Malaria isn't as much a concern in the bigger cities such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but always remember to take liquid mosquito repellent with you. It may be very useful, especially in the countryside and crowded neighborhoods.

Street food, including blended ice drinks, and food in restaurants is mostly safe to be consumed due to much improved hygiene. Vietnamese are very clean people, there are bins everywhere and interiors/floors are mostly tiled. Use common sense and follow the tips under the Traveller's diarrhea article and you will be fine.

Tap water is not safe to drink.

Contact lens solution is seldomly sold by pharmacies. You will have to find to specialised lens store or an optometrist to get it.

Respect

In traditional Vietnamese culture, elders are treated with great deference and respect. While expectations are more relaxed when foreigners are involved, it's a good idea to show politeness, respect and restraint towards those who look older than you.

It's common to be stared at by locals in some regions, especially in the rural areas outside of big cities, and in the central and northern parts of the country. Southerners are usually more used to foreigners. Wherever you are, though, expect some probing questions whenever a conversation starts: How old are you? Are you married? Do you have children? While these might seem nosy in the West, they're perfectly normal, good-natured questions here that help people determine how they should address you. The best thing to do is just play along. You probably don't know much about their culture; it's only fair that locals wouldn't know much about yours.

An Asian woman travelling with a non-Asian man may attract unwanted attention. As of April 2019 these prejudices have almost completely disappeared, but some assumptions linger — rooted partly in memories of the American War era — and she may occasionally be treated dismissively or spoken to rudely. A more common experience today is simply that locals will assume she is Vietnamese and address her in Vietnamese rather than English, regardless of where she's actually from.

All couples should be aware that public displays of affection are generally considered disrespectful in Vietnam, …