Vietnam
Vietnam is a country characterized by a diverse geography that includes mountains, forests, plains, and a long coastline. The country is divided into three distinct regions: the Northern Highlands, the Red River Delta, and the Mekong Delta. (Check the map below)
Useful information
Currency:
VND 1 euro = 26,86 VND at the time of writing. Use XE for real time conversion.
Maximum stay:
30 days or 1 month
Entry requirements for Vietnam:
Valid passport + proof that you’ll be leaving the territory on time.
👉🏼 You will need an online visa prior to your arrival - Do it here it takes minimum 2 days to be processed and they don’t work on week-ends!
List of countries exempted from the visa: List
Capital City: Ho Chi Minh otherwise known as Saigon
High and low season in Vietnam:
👉🏼 High season in Vietnam is typically from the beginning of march to the beginning of may / and from October to the end of December.
👉🏼 Low season in Vietnam is in January and February / May / June / July / August / September
Cost of living in Vietnam:
Vietnam is one of the cheapest country you can go to. Food, accommodation and transport can be very, very cheap. One night in a hostel can cost you as low as 4 euros, and street food for 1.50 euros. As for the transports, you have Grab and Gojek, and day and night buses for a really good price - Check here!
Transportation in Vietnam:
The easiest, if you travel throughout the city is to take a motorbike or their little tuktuk. If you want to travel the country on a budget, then taking the (night) bus is the best option. If money is not an issue or you don’t have much time, they have two very good airline companies (Vietjet and Vietnam airlines)
For the buses: https://vexere.com
Renting a scooter: No need for a drivers license although its always better to have one
SIM card: Viettel
Vietnamese bank without national fees: TP bank and VP bank
Weather in Vietnam:
The weather in the south can be really warm, but once you get to the north it can get really chilly! Ensure yourself you at least have one legging or jogging and a warm sweater if you plan on riding a motorbike, without mentioning a raincoat!
The people:
Like everywhere, you’ll meet nice and less pleasant people. I have not stayed long enough in Vietnam and even less visited the entire country, but I have the impression that in the most popular areas, people will have less patience in general and will be more rude than in the more remote places.
N.B. Not a lot of people speak English here so get your google translate app ready
N.B. A lot of people spit on the floor here, so get ready for some throat clearing sounds
Food in Vietnam
Vietnamese food can be very healthy but very salty. Regarding savory food, their soups (Phò or noodle soup), their fried rice or noodles with pork/chicken/sea food/tofu/beef/vegetables or eggs can be found everywhere. They serve fried nems and spring rolls nearly everywhere too, as well as their famous Banh mi (heated bread usually with butter, egg and cheese or beef or pork or Vietnamese pate, with salad, carrots, mayonnaise and ketchup).
On a sweet note, they have their famous deep fried glutinous sesame rice balls.
Vietnam is also famous for its coffee!
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