Many tourists choose to visit popular destinations such as Paris, Turkey, the Czech Republic and the Mediterranean countries. But today, most travelers are not surprised by this. Some people are keen to explore new destinations, such as the East, which is known for its mystique, culture and special flavor.
One of the most popular holiday destinations has recently become Vietnam, where there is excellent service and many options for pastime, entertainment and excursions. Vietnam, despite belonging to the eastern countries, bears little resemblance to India or Thailand, but it has something that makes it close to Korea and China. If you are looking for an unusual place to visit, then a holiday in Vietnam is exactly what you need.
Tours
According to Get Zip Codes, excursions in Vietnam are not cheap – prices start at $ 40-50 and sometimes rise to astronomical amounts. In this regard, you need to carefully choose where exactly you want to go and what you will be interested in seeing.
It is better to take excursions at the hotel or from tour operators – street guides can deceive you, especially if the excursion involves a long trip.
Shopping
Vietnam offers tourists ample opportunities for shopping, albeit somewhat exotic. If you want to buy unusual goods, then you should go to the Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City. Here you can buy textiles, wooden utensils, products of local craftsmen and much more. In general, the best shopping in all of Vietnam is in Ho Chi Minh City – there are not so many shops in other cities.
In Vietnam, it is good to buy items made of silver, precious stones and pearls – their prices are usually low, and the quality is really good. Local silk products are also very good.
You can bring tea or coffee from Vietnam – they are cheap and very high quality here.
It should be borne in mind that in the markets of Vietnam you can and even need to bargain. Local sellers are real masters of this business, so you need to be persistent – it will be rewarded with a significant price reduction.
What to do in Vietnam
Visit the ancient city of Hue – a large number of architectural monuments from the time of the Nguyen dynasty have been preserved here. Also, a special local culture is actively supported by local residents, so it is in this city that you can get acquainted with the true atmosphere of Vietnam.
Eat pho soup – rich thick broth on chicken or beef, which has a surprisingly rich taste. In addition, it is very satisfying and in some ways even unique – you will not try such a soup anywhere else.
Visit the mountain passes – here in Vietnam, the rocks are covered with jungle, and the exotic landscapes fascinates all travelers without exception;
Become a Vietnamese guerrilla for a while – in the suburban part of Saigon, all conditions are created in order to immerse yourself in the military history of Vietnam. In the Kuchi area, there is a multi-level system of traps and underground tunnels, which was previously used for military purposes, and is now open to tourists. In the shooting range, by the way, you can shoot with real weapons, even with a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
Stay in a huge cave. Hang Son Dong Cave was discovered only in 2009, so it has so far been preserved almost unchanged. There are not only stalactites and stalagmites here – light enters the cave, so rivers flow here and even forests grow here.
Visit Halong Bay – the main attraction of Vietnam. It is known for its amazing view of the jagged rocks covered with forests and rising right out of the water.
Health
Before you go to Vietnam, you need to take out medical insurance. You can drink only bottled water, and fruits should be washed thoroughly. Away from cities, use ice-cold drinks with caution – part of the water for ice is taken directly from the rivers.
Medical assistance is provided in private or city polyclinics, as well as in hotel medical rooms. It is usually inexpensive. It is better to refuse treatment far from large cities or resorts – doctors there often neglect even simple sanitary standards.
In large cities, pharmacies sell all the necessary medicines, but some require a prescription. Pharmacies in small villages and the resort are distinguished by a narrow range of medicines.
Security
Vietnam is among the ten safest countries in Eurasia. This is primarily due to a very tough administrative and police regime and such a trait of local residents as hospitality and friendliness. There is almost no racial prejudice, religious fanaticism or inadequate aggression, and serious crimes are something out of the ordinary.
However, there are, of course, minor offenses that a foreigner should be wary of. Usually these are simple thefts. They steal here in shopping centers, markets, as well as in hotel rooms. Typically, thieves are particularly interested in money, cameras and phones. Violent robberies or robberies are very rare.
You can also fall for the deception of merchants – often they sell something at inflated prices or even forcefully try to shove their goods into you. You can also get caught cheating when exchanging currency – to avoid this, change currency only at special and reliable exchange points.
If they try to deceive you in a store, punching you a check for a larger amount than indicated on the price tags, it is better to simply refuse to buy and never visit this store again.
Night is not the best time to walk around any city in Vietnam. Also, you should not openly enter into conflicts with the Vietnamese – you can run into serious problems and showdowns with a whole group of aggressive, and sometimes armed Vietnamese.
Keep documents and large sums of money in the hotel safe. You can carry a copy of your passport with you. It will be useful to scan your Russian passport and international passport and send them to your e-mail box – so you can easily access them from anywhere in Vietnam.
