The Concise Vietnam Travel Guide
I’m going to start with a big statement: Vietnam is by far and away the best place I have ever travelled to. Period. And I don’t say that lightly. Having travelled to over 50 countries, it faced some stiff competition, but Vietnam is just such a wonderful place with exceptional people, food, culture and scenery; therefore, I’d highly advise everyone to take a trip there if they can!
I’m sure if you’re reading this you’ve either booked your first trip to Vietnam or will soon be doing so. Firstly, you’ve made a great choice. You will love it! Secondly, there are some things you need to be aware of before travelling to Vietnam. Although I don’t want to alarm anyone (!), it is essential that you prepare correctly for your trip to avoid any mishaps or stress.
Travel Tips for Vietnam
A few golden nuggets of advice...
Getting a Visa
If you plan to stay in Vietnam for longer than 15 days, you’ll need to obtain a visa to do so. Getting a visa isn’t as straightforward as some countries and does involve a little legwork, but your life can be made easier by companies who can help you and make the process a little less tedious. Let’s talk through each step of the process:
- You must contact the Vietnam Embassy and ask them for a letter of admission. If you’re unsure how to do this, don’t worry - there are a multitude of online companies who can do this for you. I personally use: https://www.ultimatevietnam.com/vietnam-visa-on-arrival/
- Once your request has been submitted, you’ll receive your application within around a week. Once received, print it out, fill it in and attach a couple of new passport photos to it.
- Pack it in your hand luggage along with some US dollars (around $40 to be on the safe side). The visa process occurs before baggage collection, so make sure your visa application and cash are securely stored in your hand luggage.
- When you arrive at the airport in Vietnam, head straight to the visa application area immediately. If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed on your trip, it’s that there will be massive queues at the visa desk, so hot-footing it from your plane to the visa desk is advisable. It may take up to three hours to be seen, but typically it’s around an hour and a half. Patience will be required, which I know will be difficult after a long haul flight, but trust me - it’s worth it!
Clothing
Although what to wear when you’re in Vietnam may seem like an obvious thing, there are a few things you need to know (and pack) before heading off on your travels. The dress code in Vietnam is pretty laid back, with skirts, shorts, t-shirts and vests being clothing staples. However, if you are visiting temples or mosques, you must have adequate clothing, i.e. a big scarf for women to cover their heads and shoulders with, and trousers for men to wear. Plus, these will also come in handy on both planes and buses where the air conditioning can make it very cold indeed! We always advise having these options available to you at all times, i.e. carrying extras just in case you need them. Preparation is the key, and clothing is no different!
Wi-Fi
One worry I had before I travelled to Vietnam was whether or not I’d be able to get Wi-Fi, but luckily everywhere seems to have it, so don’t worry about not having internet access!
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog - I hope you found it useful and informative.
Have a great day!