Tourist information about Vietnam

General information about Vietnam and vacation

As a hero of one film about Vietnam said: "You can understand a lot about Vietnam in five minutes, but a lifetime won't be enough for the rest"

Welcome to the world of exotic Vietnam – a world of harmony and natural beauty, rich spiritual heritage and interesting history. Tourist Vietnam today offers interesting historical, cultural and natural attractions; rich and interesting national cuisine; traditional crafts, the results of which can be brought home as souvenirs; excellently developed tourist infrastructure with low prices for services and vacation; a great variety of types of vacation from thoughtful acquaintance with the history of the country when visiting museums and attractions, to active water sports on wonderful beaches. But the most popular type of vacation, as usual in warm countries, is beach vacation.

Vietnam relatively recently opened its doors to mass tourism, and the flow of Russian tourists, albeit with a big delay, widely poured into these doors. It has become especially interesting for those who have already visited other countries of Southeast Asia, especially popular Thailand. But do not think that Vietnam is similar to Thailand. Yes, these countries are competitors for the Russian tourist today, but you need to understand that such an abundance of entertainment and freedom as in Thailand cannot be obtained here.

In Vietnam, much is possible and you can find almost everything, but stricter morals and traditions, as well as the political course, are likely to never make Vietnam the same as Thailand. Here you will not find, as in Thailand, an abundance of sex tourism; there is no high-quality medical tourism here yet; shopping is a bit more modest, although prices are somewhat lower than in Thailand; the number and scale of ancient historical attractions is much smaller, and this can no longer be corrected.

Just 10 years ago, Russian-speaking tourists in Vietnam were not so easy to meet, and Russian speech could only be heard in the most popular resorts of Mui Ne or Nha Trang. Menus or signs in Russian were a great rarity. But today many resorts in Vietnam have become almost Russian. In the popular resorts of Mui Ne and Nha Trang, signs, up to road signs, are duplicated in Russian, and only a rare restaurant does not invite visitors with a Russian menu and "barkers" meeting them with the words: "Good evening, look at our menu". And foreign tourists ask each other in surprise: "Where are there so many Russians here, did we accidentally confuse the country?".

However, there are not many Russian tourists at every resort, and there are still tourist places and attractions in Vietnam where the foot of the Russian mass tourist has not set foot. Of course, for some, a large number of vacationing compatriots nearby is not an incentive for vacation, but the presence of a large number of Russian-speaking staff and information in Russian greatly facilitates staying in the country for those who are not experienced travelers and do not speak a foreign language. You can come to popular resorts in Vietnam quite calmly without knowing the language, and you will not experience any difficulties.

Theoretically, Vietnam, being a socialist republic, is building socialism. But, with the inherent Vietnamese nation's natural inclination towards entrepreneurship, "luxuriant" capitalism reigns in the country today, reaching unprecedented proportions. Almost every resident of the country, by our standards, is an entrepreneur. Everyone sells something, produces, repairs, provides some services. It is difficult to find a Vietnamese house on the ground floor of which a shop, workshop or guesthouse would not be equipped. The offering of services and sale of goods does not always seem appropriate to Russian tourists (sometimes goods or services are simply imposed without your consent, moreover, at rather high prices for Asia). You can be deceived and unexpectedly become a buyer of some unnecessary goods or services here at every step, and all this can easily be perceived as fraud or deception, although for the Vietnamese themselves it is simply a traditional form of doing business. Such are the traditions, and this can only be accepted as it is, having previously prepared for it.

There are enough places in Vietnam today where you can go on vacation without problems. Among the resorts of Vietnam there are those where you can spend at least a month, sunbathing all day on the beach. There are very interesting excursion places, in which, however, it is not worth staying for more than a few days. Here is just briefly about some of them:

In Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, visit the famous Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword) early in the morning to see the morning exercises of local residents, or in the evening when the benches around the lake are occupied by elderly and young loving couples. Visit Uncle Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum near the presidential palace to touch the recent history of Vietnam.

From Hanoi, be sure to go on an excursion to Halong Bay, where you will be breathless at the sight of more than 2000 limestone islets.

If you want to experience the life of an ancient people, go to the highland town of Sapa and spend the night in a real village house with representatives of ethnic tribes.

To feel the cultural and spiritual heartbeat of Vietnam, stay in the old imperial capital – the city of Hue. This is a haven of palaces and pagodas, burials and temples.

In the old town of Hoi An, you will wander for hours through the bustling streets between numerous souvenir shops, countless cafes and restaurants, between tailoring and shoemaking workshops, where they will sew anything to order. Near Hoi An is the typical port city of Da Nang, famous throughout the world for its magnificent beaches.

To escape from the "buzzing" of millions of motorcycles in the big cities of Vietnam, you can head west to the humid green rice fields and quiet villages in the Mekong Delta. To relax, relaxing on the snow-white sands of warm beaches, go to the island of Phu Quoc. To get both snow-white beaches and a lot of active entertainment, visit Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Phan Thiet in the south of Vietnam.

Are you ready to travel? If yes, then do not forget to finally read our notes and recommendations about Vietnam and hit the road.

What you need to know about Vietnam

• State structure

  Vietnam is a Socialist Republic (Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam). The head of state is the president. The highest legislative body and state authority is the unicameral National Assembly. Administrative-territorial division: 57 provinces, 4 cities under central jurisdiction.

• Population

  Total over 60 nationalities and ethnic groups. Approx. 88% of the population are Vietnamese (Kinh). Official language is Vietnamese, belongs to the Austroasiatic family. Believers – 55% Buddhists, 7% – Catholics, among mountain peoples (Yao, etc.) traditional beliefs are strong. About 90% of the population is concentrated in the valleys of the Hong Ha and Mekong rivers, on the coastal plains, where the density exceeds 1000 people per 1 km2. Average population density 247.7 people/km2. Rural population 79%.

• Religion

  Vietnam is traditionally considered a country where Buddhism predominates. Indeed, Buddhism is followed by the largest number of followers, but this is only 9.3% of the total population. Next come Catholics, who are 6.7% and very few other religions. However, contrary to the common belief that Vietnam is a very religious country, in fact, a 2005 study shows that up to 81% of Vietnamese are atheists.

• Language

  The official language of the country is Vietnamese (Viet). Part of the population can speak English, French and Chinese. In tourist areas and resort areas, you can almost everywhere communicate in English. The Russian language has become very widespread in Vietnam, and today in the popular resorts of the country, almost every Vietnamese associated with tourism can communicate in broken Russian, or at least knows a few words.

• Nature

  Most of the territory is occupied by mountains. In the north – the Hoang Lien Son range (height up to 3143 m, Mount Fansipan); along the western border stretch the Truong Son Mountains (Annamite Mountains). In the southern part of Vietnam – plateaus and plateaus of Kon Tum, Darlak, etc.; on the coast – lowlands (mainly in the deltas of the Hong Ha River in the north and the Mekong in the south). The strongly elongated territory is divided into three parts: northern (Bacbo), southern (Nambo) and the narrow strip of Chungbo connecting them. Most of the surface of the plains is cultivated. Nature is preserved in Bach Ma-Hai Van National Park, reserves and wildlife sanctuaries.

• Economy

  Vietnam is an agrarian country with a developing industry. Most industrial enterprises were built with the assistance of the USSR. They produce most of the electricity, coal, and engineering products. In the south of the country, enterprises built with the help of foreign capital operate – for the assembly of electronic equipment, bicycles, and motorcycles. There are large oil reserves on the country's continental shelf. The export of crude oil provides the main part of foreign exchange earnings.

  75% of workers are employed in agriculture. The main crop is rice. Other export crops – Vietnamese coffee, tea.

  The monetary unit of Vietnam is the dong.

Weather in Vietnam and tourist seasons

Vacation in Vietnam is possible at any time of the year. There is always a warm and sunny corner with excellent weather here, you just need to choose the right place and time. As in most countries of Southeast Asia, there are only two seasons here – the rainy season and the dry season. The time of the seasons differs by region. Despite the misconception that it is always hot in Vietnam, this is not entirely true. In the north of the country in the mountainous areas of the Sapa resort, it is cold in winter, and even snow falls.

The rainy season in Vietnam is not at all like in American movies – when rain pours like from a bucket and does not stop for weeks. The rains here are heavy, but last only 20 minutes, and an hour later the sun is already shining and there is no trace of the past downpour. Most often, even at the peak of the rainy season, rains occur in the evening or at night.

The price drop season throughout Vietnam is from May to September. This period is best for planning a trip for those who want to see the country and save a little. It is at this time that hotels and guesthouses offer discounts on accommodation in their rooms (sometimes up to 30%), special offers from airlines appear, and there are few tourists. The weather does not present any special surprises during this period, with the exception of the central part of Vietnam (Hoi An, Da Nang, Nha Trang), where hurricanes are possible on the coast in September-November.

In the south of Vietnam (Saigon, Mui Ne, Phan Thiet) – the main tourist center of the country, the rainy season lasts from May to November, but during this time the inconveniences are caused not by rains, of which there are not so many, but by strong winds, waves and sometimes a sky overcast with clouds that do not let in sunlight. The ideal time to visit this area is considered to be the dry season – from December to April.

On the central coast (Hoi An, Da Nang), on the contrary, it is dry and sunny from May to October, high humidity begins only in November. You can also vacation here all year round, however, as mentioned above, there is a possibility of hurricanes in September-November. In December-February, the ocean is very rough here and swimming will be quite difficult at this time.

In the north of Vietnam (Hanoi, Ha Long, Sapa), the season attractive for tourists lasts from May to October. And from November to April it can be quite cold here – from +10 at night to +20 during the day, but hotel prices also drop.

In the mountainous areas of Da Lat (1500 m), Buon, Phuot and Sapa, it is quite cool at night all year round, and in the winter period from October to March the temperature drops to +4C. Even in the hottest months – March and April, the temperature rarely exceeds +26C.

More about seasons in Vietnam and when to go.

Time in Vietnam

In summer and winter, time in Vietnam is ahead of Moscow time by +4 hours.

Useful information

Electricity. Also, as in Russia, 220V 50Hz is used here. Sockets for two-pin plugs are used, you will not need any adapters.

Communication, Internet. WiFi internet is available almost everywhere in hotels, cafes and airports for free. Using a Russian SIM card in roaming even with connected options is very expensive. It is much cheaper to buy a local SIM card. More about the Internet and how to buy a local SIM card read in detailed instructions here.

Punctuality. The punctuality of the Vietnamese and their transport, in our opinion, is far from ideal. You can safely add half an hour or more to any scheduled time. If, for example, when buying an excursion, you are told that it will end at 18:00, then with the greatest degree of probability it will end no earlier than 20:00. Approximately the same applies to tourist buses, especially their arrival time.

Excursions. When buying an excursion in Vietnam, be sure to clarify what is included in its cost, and what else you will have to pay extra for, and it is even better to read reviews about the excursion on the Internet. The fact is that the Vietnamese, with their inherent entrepreneurial spirit, when selling excursions may forget to mention that after paying $30 for the excursion, you will still have to pay, for example, $5 for the entrance, $5 for the cable car ride, etc. And sometimes Vietnamese guides, even knowing that everything is already included in the excursion, try to take additional money from tourists.

Maps in hotels. In Vietnamese hotels, you cannot always find free maps of the area, similar to how it happens in Thailand. You can find free advertising maps of the area at airports or in travel agencies (tourist information), buy in a store or print in advance from the Internet.

Rains. The best barometer of an approaching rain is the locals. They determine with 100% accuracy that it will soon start raining, so if you notice that they put on raincoats and hide goods, rain within the next half hour is inevitable.

Shopping. Do not rush to immediately buy Vietnamese souvenirs and gifts in markets and specialized stores. Most goods, including souvenirs, coffee and tea, clothing, toys can be purchased cheaper in large supermarkets such as Go (Big-C), Coop Mart, Lotte, Xanh Sm, etc.