Tipping is widely practiced and expected

Porters : VND 5.000 - 10.000 per bag

Waiters in restaurants: 5-10% of total bill

Taxi drivers : 10% of total bill

Tour guides : VND 80.000 per person/per day

Drivers : VND 40.000 per person/per day

Foreign visitors to Vietnam have the opportunity to buy souvenirs made of rattan, gold, silver and stone. There is a diverse range of products, from woodenwares such as wooden buttons or sindora beds to lacquer paintings, bowls and chopsticks, bamboo screens and stone tea sets.

Woven tapestries, “tho cam” handbags and other handicrafts are produced by the traditional skills of the women of ethnic minorities in such rural regions in the north as Sapa, Mai Chau and Dien Bien.

A regular international post service is available. In addition Express Mail Service (EMS) is available to more than 50 countries worldwide with a delivery time of 2 to 10 days.

Vietnam has high international telephone charges. It is important to check the exact amount with the hotel before making a call, as hotel surcharges are often imposed.

VOIP calls which help reduce call charges (for most of International calls from any destination within Vietnam and for domestic calls between the main cities of the country) are now available as well pre-paid internet & mobile card can be bought in the major cities.

Vietnam has abundant food supplies and an elaborate cuisine. Cooking is seen as an art and some Vietnamese dishes have achieved international fame, including such traditional dishes as noodle soup (pho), pork sausage (gio lua), spring rolls (nem ran), and fish balls (cha ca). In addition to Vietnamese food, the larger hotels also serve a wide variety of Continental and Chinese cuisine. In the smaller cities, when the hotels only have one restaurant, ordering a-la-carte may involve a slight wait, consequently it is advised that you take advantage of the large and diverse buffets available at these hotels to minimize any delay.

Never drink water from the hotel tap, no matter what category of hotel you are staying in. Bottled mineral water is available at all hotels throughout Vietnam.  Do not have any ice in your drinks as this is often made from water that has not been purified.

Travelers to Vietnam are required to hold a passport valid for at least six (06) months beyond the completion of their visit and must contain a valid visa. If tourist visas are to be obtained via Vietventures, the following personal data must be supplied to us at least 2 (two) weeks before travel to Vietnam:

 full name as per passport
 passport number, date of issue and expiry date
 date and place of birth
 occupation and nationality

Visas are usually issued by the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok or in the passengers’ home country (against the visa’s approval number), which require the original passport, and 2 photos and for 2 (two) full working days in order to issue a visa stamp.

Visas can also be obtained upon arrival at Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang airports, in which case the stamping fee will be quoted separately. Apart from required details above we further need arrival/departure date and flight information. Vietventures will send a confirmation letter to show to airport staff at the departing airport, confirming that clients will get the visa on arrival. Visas can only be requested via Vietventures in connection with the booking of travel arrangements to Vietnam.

Visa exemption:

 Not more than 30 days: for citizens of Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
 Not more than 15 days: for citizens of Denmark, Finland, Japan, Norway, South Korea and Sweden.

Hotels might reserve the right to keep travel documents overnight at the reception for registration purpose.

The road system in Vietnam is reasonable in the main urban cities. The drives through the countryside can be a wonderful sightseeing experience. However, it must be noted that the roads are narrow and some may be poorly paved when outside the main cities, and as a consequence the drives can be rough and difficult at times.

The journey timings described in your itinerary are based on the usual amount of time a particular journey will take.  However, please appreciate that not all roads can be checked for their condition throughout the year.

Most cars used are manufactured locally by Toyota, Honda and Ford and are for the most part comfortable and ideally suited to local roads. Smoking is not permitted in any vehicle, under any conditions. There is ample opportunity to smoke during photographic, luncheon and sightseeing stops.

If you decide to leave the hotel and go out on your own, there are various means of transport that you may like to take such as taxis or “cyclos”. If taking a taxi or “cyclo”, insist on the meter being switched on before you begin your journey. Due to an effort to stop pollution, most “cyclos” are pedaled as opposed to motor. It is suggested that you carry the name of your destination or hotel written in local language in the event your driver does not understand English. The staff at your hotel can assist you in this regard.

Border crossing into Vietnam is possible from China, Laos and Cambodia. Tourists can pass borders at the following checkpoints :

From China: Vietnam side / China side

 Huu Nghi (Lang Son province) / Pinxiang (Guangxi province)
 Lao Cai (Lao Cai province) / Hekou (Yunnan province)
 Mong Cai (Quang Ninh province) / Dongxin (Guangxi province)

From Laos: Vietnam side / Laos side

 Tay Trang (west of Dien Bien Phu valley) / Muang Mai - Phongsaly Province
 Na Meo (Thanh Hoa province) / Nam Sooy - Huaphanh Province
 Nam Can (Nghe An province) / Nam Khan - Xieng Khouang Province
 Cau Treo (Ha Tinh province) / Nam Pao - Bolikhamxay Province
 Cha Lo (Quang Binh province) / Naphao / Khammouane Province
 Lao Bao (Quang Tri province) / Lao Bao - Savannakhet Province

From Cambodia: Vietnam side / Cambodia side

 Moc Bai (Tay Ninh province) / Bavet (Svay Reang province)
 Tinh Bien (An Giang province) / Phnom Den (Takeo province)
 Xa Mat (Tay Ninh province) / Trapeang Plong (Kampong Cham province)
 Vinh Xuong - by Boat (Chau Doc province) /  Kaom Samnoar (Kandal province)

Local time is GMT + 7 hours.

Governmental agencies work Monday to Friday from 7:30 hrs to 16:30 hrs (excluding one-hour lunch) and are closed Saturday and Sunday.

Banks are open Monday to Friday from 7:30 hrs or 8:00 to 11.30 hrs and from 13:00 hrs to 16:00 hrs and are closed Saturday and Sunday.

Private shops are open from 8:00 or 8:30 hrs to 21:00 or 23:00 hrs. During the Lunar New Year shops may be closed several days before and after as well as during the festive holidays, depending on recommendations made by a fortune teller.

Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam. Learning foreign languages, particularly English, is currently popular among young people in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Danang and other cities. Tourist guides are available for English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Russian speakers.

Vietnam joined the global computer age and internet-service providers are currently operating in most of the Cities. You can access the internet through hotels, Cyber Cafés & Internet/Computer Service Centers. Following are internet addresses with relevant information on Vietnam:

Vietnam Development Gateway - http://www.vietnamgateway.org/

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - http://www.mofa.gov.vn/en

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism - http://www.vietnamtourism.com/

Thanh Nien News - http://www.thanhniennews.com/

Vietnam News Agency - http://www.vnanet.vn/

Vietnam Airlines - http://www.vietnamairlines.com/

Airport departure tax for international and domestic flights is included in the airfare.