Laos Tourist Information

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Update Vietnam basic Information 2011

Currency
The currency of Vietnam is "Dong" (abbreviated "d" or VND).

Bank coins are 200d, 500d, 1000d, 5000d. Bank notes are 1,000d; 2,000d; 5,000d; 10,000d; 20,000d; 50,000d, 100,000d, 200,000d and 500,000d.

Unlike most of Vietnam's neighbouring countries, the US Dollar is widely accepted. At this the official rate of exchange is approximately VND 18,500 to USD 01.
Credit Cards and Travellers' Cheques are accepted at most of hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops but in major cities only. Visitors are recommended to carry US Dollar in small notes. Travelers can change their money for Vietnamese Dong (VND) at banks, hotels and jewelry shops throughout the country.

At present there is no restriction on the amount of foreign currency that a visitor may bring into Vietnam, however very large sums should be declared on arrival.
Exchange rate at Jan 2010
1 Pound Sterling = 32,000 VND
1 US Dollar = 19,500 VND
1 Euro = 23,000 VND
Check the last update of exchange rate at Vietcombank www.vietcombank.com.vn

Food & Berverage
Vietnamese food often comes as a wonderful surprise! It has a very distinctive style, although it is also clearly influenced by Chinese and, to a lesser extent, French cuisine. Freshness is of paramount importance so ingredients are bought fresh from the local market on a daily basis.
Meals will usually include rice or noodles as staples along with a vast array of vegetables, and meats like chicken, duck, beef, and pork. Good quality seafood (fish, calamari, prawns and crab) is widely available and you'll find that fish sauce is a condiment which accompanies almost every meal. The most famous Vietnamese dish is spring rolls either deep fried (known as cha gio in the south and nem ran in the north) or served fresh (bi cuon/bo bia) with a combination of raw vegetables and grilled prawns, crab, pork or chicken. Pho (noodle soup) served with either chicken or beef, fresh green leaves, beans sprouts, and red chilly is also found throughout the country. If you are after a snack try a banh cuon, a steamed dumpling stuffed with minced pork or prawns, black mushrooms and bean sprouts.
The French colonial period has left a legacy of delicious continental food. Often street cafés have a distinctly French feel with crispy baguettes, pate, crème caramel, banana flambé, and sweet pastries on the menu.
Vegetarians: Vegetarians should not have any difficulty in finding a great selection of food in Vietnam as there is a strong Buddhist influence and Chinese and Vietnamese vegetarian dishes abound.
Food Allergies: If you have food allergies or preferences, please make them known to your Tour guide who will do their best to ensure that your requirements are met.

Drinking
Bottled water and mineral water are obtainable at any shops in most cities. It is advisable to drink boiled water and not to drink ice and tap water. The most reliable local brand is LA VIE (Don't confuse them with the imitations such as La Ville or La Vierge). Aquafina of Pepsi and real Evian also available at many shops.
Approximate costs for drinks bought in a shop in the street are shown below.
1l of purified water = USD 0.3
30cl bottle of soft drink = USD 0.35
60cl bottle of local beer = USD 1
Note: Prices in restaurants and hotels can be as much as double those specified.
Tea, similar to Chinese green tea, is one of the most common drinks in Vietnam. Coffee was introduced by the French and is usually strong, thick and served complete with drip filter, so you know it's fresh! If you ask for milk it will usually be sweet condensed milk.
Popular beer are: Local brand: 333, Hanoi beer, Saigon beer and international brand Carlsberg, Heineken, Tiger and Foster

Film and developing
Fresh negative film is widely available. Popular brands are Kodak, Fuji, Agfa and Konica. Memory cards for digital camera could be found easily, but be careful with its quality. Image printing from both negative film or digital file are obtainable in cities and towns. The tourists say that the negative film is cheaper than abroad.
One-hour service photo shops have become ubiquitous in places where tourists abound. Positive film can be developed only in Saigon and Hanoi. Most reliable and centered-located Film developing shops are 19 Nguyen Cau – Ba Trieu St. and Photocen – 77 Ly Thuong Kiet in Hanoi and Shops on Nguyen Hue Blvd., District 1 in Saigon.

Shopping
The following items are quite unique and have good quality:
* Carved wooden furniture, fine lacquer ware (these can be shipped home upon request).
* Traditional Vietnamese hand-made silk, linen and cotton dresses, kimonos, embroideries, etc.
* Simulated antiques, ceramics, old watches or Zippo lighters, etc.
* Copies of famous paintings.

Others
Taxi: Taxis with meters are available in big cities. The current price is about US$ 0.5 per kilometre. Most metered taxi drivers can speak a little English.

Business hours: (GMT + 7)
* Offices: 07:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 01:00 p.m. to 04:30 p.m., closed on Saturday and Sundays
* Banks: 08:00 a.m to 03:00 p.m, closed on Friday afternoons, Saturday and Sunday.
Electrical current: 110-220 volts A.C.
Telephone: Long distance calls should be made at post offices, hotels or telephone booths (phone cards are available at post offices). Normally, hotels will get 15-20% service charge of the bill. Internet phone is an alternative choice and much cheaper, with around 0,1USD/minute to Europe or America
Internet: Internet cafes with ADSL can be found easily in Vietnam. Cost for an hour is around 0,5US$.

Tip and Gratuities:
Tipping is not obligatory in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, however, if you meet with exceptional services or kindness, a tip is always appreciated. A tip for good service might be about 5% of the bill.
Bargaining: Bargaining is a way of life in much of South East Asia. In Vietnam shops don't have fixed prices so the shop keeper will start with a high price which you are then expected to bargain down until you reach a fair price. Bargaining should always be relaxed and can be a lot of fun but you should remember that it is considered disrespectful to agree a price but then walk away.
Laundry: Most of the hotels we use in Vietnam provide a laundry service although this can be quite expensive, sometimes as much as US$1 per item. Alternatively the side streets of most towns and cities are teeming with laundries where the average cost per kilo of laundry is US$0.70.

Weather
Vietnam experiences a fair degree of diversity in climate. The north has distinct summer and winter seasons. Summer lasts from May until October, when the weather is hot and very humid with temperatures averaging about 30 degrees Celsius. November to April are the winter months when the weather is mainly dry and average temperatures are about 18-20 degrees Celsius. Please note that in the mountainous regions of the country, temperatures will be much lower than this, so warm clothing is required if you are travelling to hilltribe areas during the winter months.

In the centre of the country (e.g. Hue, Danang and Hoi An) the weather is very hot and dry from February to August with temperatures of around 33-36 degrees Celsius, but there can be heavy rainfall between September and January.
The south of Vietnam has a hot, dry season from December through until April with temperatures of around 28 degrees Celsius. May until November is the rainy season, although there are rarely long periods of rain – it is usually short heavy showers.

About the Author

15 years in Travel Business in Vietnam , Laos & Cambodia
working for Asiana Travel Mate in last 3 years as online Advisor

Online contact: www.asianatravelmate.com

Local  Offices:
113C Bui Vien Str. District 1.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone: +84-8 38 38 6678

Saigon Tourist Information Center
92-94-96 Nguyen Hue str. District 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone: +84-838250615

 

Hanoi Tourist Information Center
7 Dinh Tien Hoang Str.
Hoan Kiem Dist.
Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: +84-4 39263370

Truly Halong Center
21 Luong Ngoc Quyen,
Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: +84 4 39263449

 

Hue Tourist Information Center
45 - 47 Le Loi Str.
Hue City, Vietnam
Phone: +84-54 3942 233

 

"Luang Phabang" Andyandem's photos around Luang Phabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep


laos tourist information
laos tourist information