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Vietnam
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Vietnam holidays

Overview
Country info
Holiday ideas
Holiday offers

Nuoc mam is a type of fermented fish sauce – instantly identifiable by its distinctive aroma – without which no Vietnamese meal is complete

Taken from The Traveller's Handbook.

Vietnam holiday experts at WEXAS will tailor-make all aspects of your itinerary to create a Vietnam holiday, personal to you.

Vietnam tailor-made holiday highlights

Hanoi
Located in the north of Vietnam, the elegant capital city has many highlights including the Temple of Literature and the hectic alleys of the Old Quarter. Another attraction is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the former leader's body is displayed in a glass box. Or simply sit at a cafe and soak up the French colonial feel.

Hoi Ann
A beautiful riverside town, situated halfway up the coast. Once one of South-East Asia's major international trading ports, Hoi Ann has a great sense of history amongst its streets of crumbling houses. Explore pagodas, Vietnamese and Chinese temples and the ornate Japanese Covered Bridge. Browse tailors and handicraft shops at night when the old town is lit with the soft glow of paper lanterns.

Halong Bay & Beaches
Halong Bay's romantic landscape is made up of limestone karsts rising from a green sea. Nearby, the country's beaches are just opening up to tourism, but many offer excellent snorkelling and diving. Nah Trang is a lively resort while Mui Ne is quieter, with multi-coloured Saharan-style sand dunes.

The Cu Chi Tunnels
One of the most visited sites in Vietnam, where Viet Cong guerrillas fighting the Americans lived in a series of complex tunnels – originally built during the earlier war with the French – which zigzag from the southern tip of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, near Cambodia, to the Saigon River.

The Mekong Delta
Explore the floating markets, a sea of conical hats, where locals trade pumpkin with pineapple or sit sipping noodle soup. Gaze at the emerald rice paddies, fruit orchards and coconut palms.

People & place

Vietnam facts

Capital: Hanoi
Language: Vietnamese.
People: Vietnamese (88%), Chinese, Thai, tribal groups.
Religion: Buddhist (55%), Christian mainly Roman Catholic (7%), Other and non religions (38%).
Size (sq km): 329,560.
Population: 85,500,000.
Population density/sq km: 250.

Etiquette

A handshake and vocal greeting is normal. Be careful to dress appropriately: only in the larger cities might the dress ethic be relaxed. Avoid shorts if possible, do not wear singlets, short dresses or skirts, or tops with low neck lines, especially if visiting temples or pagodas. Remove your shoes when entering someone's house and always ask permission to take a photograph of someone. Vietnamese people should not be touched on the head.

Shopping

Lacquer painting, reed mats, embroidery, mother-of-pearl ornaments, conical hats.

Food & drink

Based on a mixture of Vietnamese, Chinese and French traditions. Breakfast is generally noodle soup, and noodles or rice provide the basis of most meals. Fish sauce (nuoc mam) is an essential accompaniment. Specialities include nem (pork mixed with noodles, eggs and mushrooms, wrapped in rice paper and fried), banh chung (glutinous rice, pork and onions), and Pho (beef noodle soup with rice). Refreshing green tea is available throughout the country, while coffee is served rich and fresh, as well as iced. Local draught beer, Bia Hoi, is additive free and costs little. Rice wine and snake wine are also popular.

International Airports

Noi Bai (HAN) is 45 km from Hanoi. Tan Son Nhat (SGN) is 7 km from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Internal travel

Good roads and good but limited railway. Buses are overcrowded, tourists can use mini-buses, or hire chauffeur-driven cars.

Red tape

Visas

(UK/US) Required. Vaccinations required BCG, Cholera, Diphtheria, Hep. A, Hep. B, JE, Malaria, Rabies, Typhoid, Y. Fever2

Vaccinations

Driving requirements

International Driving Permit and a test taken in-country.

Reps in UK/US

UK: 12 Victoria Road, London W8 5RD, tel (020) 7937 1912, fax (020) 7937 6108, email consular@vietnamembassy.org.uk. US: 1233 20th Street, Suite 400, NW, Washington, DC 20036, tel (202) 861 0737, fax (202) 861 0917, email info@vietnamembassy-usa.org.

UK/US reps in Vietnam

UK: 4th & 5th Floors, Central Building, 31 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hanoi, tel (4) 936 0500, fax (4) 936 0561, email behanoi@hn.vnn.vn. US: 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, tel (4) 772 1500, fax (4) 772 1510.

Currency

New Dong (D).

Finance

Traveller's cheques in US dollars widely accepted. Visa and Mastercard becoming accepted.

Business hours

0730-1200 and 1300-1630 Monday-Saturday.

Safety & life expectancy

Safety information

Safe.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy: M 68.30, F 74.0

Useful websites for travel

www.vietnamembassy-usa.org, http://hanoi.usembassy.gov, www.vietnamtourism.com.

Local media

Saigon Times, Vietnam Economic Times, Vietnam News and others are published in English.

Tourist boards

Below is a selection of some ideas for holidays to Vietnam. This is simply a taste of what we can offer. If you're interested in a specific Vietnam itinerary then please call one of our consultants on 0845 643 6561.

Victoria Phan Thiet Beach Resort,Vietnam

With the idyllic scenery of palm-fringed white sand beaches on the South China Sea, the Victoria Phan Thiet Beach Resort and Spa is the ideal place to recharge your batteries....

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