Police
While visible, local police generally don't speak English. Police are not paid much, so corruption remains a problem. Police are most commonly contacted with complaints about dodgy travel agents -- in practice there is little they can do, but if it makes you feel better, why not.
Healthcare
Vietnam's health care, while better than that of neighbouring Cambodia and Laos, remains rudimentary by Western standards. For serious injuries, you want to get evacuated to Singapore or Thailand. You have travel insurance right?
Transport
Vietnam has a comprehensive public transport system. Planes, trains and buses cover the entire country comprehensively. The going is slow though and don't make the mistake of trying to fit too much of Vietnam into a short trip -- otherwise you'll spend the bulk of your time travelling. Both bus and train fares are very affordable. If you're travelling over Tet, you need to book as far in advance as humanly possible.
Visas
Most nationalities require a visa for Vietnam -- most organise their visa in advance, but it is possible to organise a visa- on arrival if you are flying in. For more information see our Vietnam visa page.
Vietnamese language
The Vietnamese language is difficult. It uses a modified Roman script and is tonal. The script can be confusing to foreigners as some of the roman letters have very differnet sounds to what they do in English. Getting the baisc (counting, hi and thank you etc.,) are easy, but you'll need a bit of time to get a good grounding in the language. In tourist centres many Vietnamese will speak some English, but a lot will speak none. In more remote areas, English speakers can be very rare. Some older Vietnamese will speak none.
Weather
There are two seasons -- the hot dry season and the hot wet season. Chances are if you're from anywhere outside the tropics, you'll find Vietnam to be very hot -- and sweaty. Vietnam is affected by three main weather patterns, meaning different parts of the country can have wildly different weather at the same time of the year..png)
Vietnam can be challenging to travel in
Vietnam sees a lower return rate than it's neighbours and it is beleived that the root of this problem are the scammers. One needs to understand that not every Vietnamese person you meet is out to scam you, but unfortunately many in the tourist industry are. The further you get off the tourist trail you get, the more scam free the experience is likely to be, though it will be a trade off as the remote areas are logistically more difficult to travel in.
Vietnam is worth it
It truly is a magnificent country, but it's more work to travel here than in neighbouring Cambodia, laos and Thailand. Have your wits about you, always, always, always ask for personal recommendations from other travellers, and don't obsess about being ripped off. You Will Be Ripped Off at some stage or another -- that's just a part of the Vietnamese experience unfortunately. On the upside, the vast majority of people are honest, hard working Vietnamese who have no interest whatsoever in ripping you off but will more than likely enjoy a few fresh beers with you on the street corner. Relax, don't let the scammers get to you, and you'll enjoy it.
When to go
There is no perfect time to visit Vietnam. Generally speaking, destinations in the north such as Hanoi and Sapa are great in October, November and December, as you’ll see little rain and should have clear skies and temperate conditions.
The coastal stretch from Hue down to Nha Trang is great in the first half of the year, from January through to July, while Saigon and the Mekong Delta are best from November through to February or March. Hoi An, Da Nang and Hue see heavy rain and frequent flooding in October and November. Please check our weather section for more localised advice.
How long to go for
How long have you got?! For a first time visitor looking to see just a small section of Vietnam — say north, central OR (not AND!) south, you can see quite a bit in a week, but as soon as you start travelling you really want to push for a longer stay—Vietnam is a deceptively large country.
We’d say a trip from north to south including Ha Long Bay, Sapa and the Mekong Delta (along with all the highlights in between) requires a minimum of two and a half weeks. You could do it in two, but you’d need a holiday at the end to recover. Four weeks is an ideal top to tail length trip.
If you are planning a longer stay, it pays to familiarise yourself with Vietnam’s visa rules. They change often and some rules are sometimes enforced haphazardly.
What it will cost
Your budget will depend very much on your style of travelling. If you’re comfortable in simple accommodation, eating street food, not drinking too much alcohol, travelling using cheap transport and steering clear of heavily touristed (and so more expensive) destinations, you can survive on around US$15 per day — less if you’re especially frugal and travelling as a couple. Watch out for fancypants dorms which are often way overpriced for the standard when compared to what you could pay for an air-con private room in a normal guesthouse.
Most independent travellers tend to spend a little more. That air-con room is tempting, as is the pool and WiFi, latte and occasional VIP bus or short domestic flight. All these conspire to push daily budgets up to around a more comfortable US$30 per day.
If your tastes veer more towards the luxurious, then Vietnam does offer terrific value for accommodation north of the US$100 to $150 mark, with food and entertainment costs potentially rising accordingly. Likewise, you can also spend a lot more a night for truly luxurious settings—think private pool villas—flying everywhere and fine dining the whole way along.
What to watch out for
Vietnam is a safe country to travel in. Petty theft is a problem in tourist centres, especially Saigon and Nha Trang where snatch and grab robberies are a major issue. Violent crime against foreigners remains rare, but use your common sense when out in the evening and stay in control. If you feel threatened, especially in a bar or club environment, swallow your pride and leave.
Having adequate travel insurance cover is essential.
Vietnam’s road toll is high. Drunk driving is common. Always, always, always wear a motorcycle helmet when on two wheels. Don’t ride (or drive) stoned or drunk. Drug laws in Vietnam are severe, but enforced haphazardly. Just because the street seller who sold you a bag of pot didn’t get arrested doesn’t mean you won’t be.
Basically if you wouldn’t do it in your home country because it is stupid, why do it in Vietnam?
