1.

Visas

Travellers to Vietnam must apply for a Visa prior to their arrival in the country.  Indochina-Land can take care of all the necessary arrangements at a moderate cost for our customers. The procedures go as follow:

Travellers to Vietnam must apply for a Visa prior to their arrival in the country.  Indochina-Land can take care of all the necessary arrangements at a moderate cost for our customers. The procedures go as follow:

• Send us by Fax or E-mail all your passport information as well as your arrival/departure dates at least 14 days prior to you arrival.

• Indochina-Land will submit this information to the Immigration Office here in Hanoi.

• The Immigration Office will notify Indochina-Land about the Visa approbation.

• Indochina-Land will fax to you a copy of the approbation letter, certifying your visa approbation

Note: Travellers can now obtain a visa upon their arrival in Vietnam.  However, we don’t recommend chosing this solution, unless in urgent cases, because it will be much more expensive.  For more information on this, please contact Indochina-Land directly.

2.

Arrival in Vietnam

All travellers must fill out an entry&exit card (“Yellow Paper”).  This card must be presented with the passport and the visa to the Immigration Police when entering Vietnam.  The “exit” part of the card will be handed back to the traveller.  BE VERY CAREFUL TO KEEP IT FOR THE LENTGH OF YOUR STAY IN VIETNAM for it must be presented once again to the Immigration Police at the moment of departure.

All travellers must fill out an entry&exit card (“Yellow Paper”).  This card must be presented with the passport and the visa to the Immigration Police when entering Vietnam.  The “exit” part of the card will be handed back to the traveller.  BE VERY CAREFUL TO KEEP IT FOR THE LENTGH OF YOUR STAY IN VIETNAM for it must be presented once again to the Immigration Police at the moment of departure.

All travellers must also fill-out a custom’s declaration form.  Both the copy and the original will be stamped by the customs agent.  The original will be kept by the customs while the copy will be handed back to the traveller who will have also to present it upon his/her departure.

If you didn’t chose to be greeted at the airport by a representative of Indochina-Land, here are a few tips that will facilitate your entry in the country:

In Ho Chi Minh City:

Ho Chi Minh City’s airport, Tan Son Nhat, is located 7km north-west of the downtown area.  The best way to reach the city is by taxi.  Chose a taxi with a meter.  The short ride should cost between 7$US and 10$US, depending on traffic.

In Hanoi:

Hanoi’s airpot, Noi Bai, is roughly 35km outside of the city.  Though there are regular buses heading for downtown, we once again recommend you take a taxi.  From the airport to the downtown area, it is a 10$US flat rate so no need to look for a meter-taxi.  Don’t forget to confirm that price with the driver before stepping into the taxi.

3.

Money and currency exchange

Vietnam’s official currency is the Vietnam Dong (VND).  The exchange rates, though always fluctuating, are roughly 1$US = 16 000 VND and 1EUR = 22 000 VND.  The US$ is accepted in the majority of shops and restaurants in the big cities and Euros can be used to settle your accounts in the majority of hotels.  Travellers checks can be exchanged for cash at appropriate counters and banks, upon presentation of a passport.  A commission between 2% and 5% of the total amount is generally applied.  Credit cards, such as Visa and MasterCard, are accepted more and more in the famous hotels, restaurants and shops, particularly in the major cities.

When receiving cash, make sure that the bills are in good condition (not too worn or torn) because shops and restaurants might not accept them.  Also, try not to exchange too much money at the same time because you will receive a large stack of bills (you will see that you quickly become a millionaire in Vietnam).  There are bills of  500 000 VND (roughly 33US$), 100 000 VND, 50 000 VND, 20 000 VND, 10 000 VND, 5000 VND, 2000 VND, 1000 VND, 500VND and 200 VND (which is actually worth close to nothing. Each bill is easily recognizable by its color.

A lot of banques have ATMs and thus, offer 24h/24h cash withdrawal service.  In these ATMs, you will also be able the withdraw money from your credit cards.

Please note that the Vietnam Dong CAN NOT be exchanged outside Vietnam.

4.

Clothing

Light, easily washable and quick to dry clothes are recommended.  Winter months (from December to March) can get quite chilly in Hanoi and the rest of the northern part of the country.  It is therefore recommended to bring with you a warm sweater or a vest.  Appropriate rain clothes are also a must for the rain season (from May to August).  You should bring good walking shoes for comfort as well as sandals when visiting temples or local houses.  Because clothes are very cheap and easy to purchase in Vietnam, there is no problem in buying on site what you may have forgotten.  

5.

Population

The majority of the population is composed by the Viet or Kinh (85%) ethny.  These people speek Vietnamese.  In addition, the are no less than 54 other minorities live in the Northern Mountains or in the Central Highlands.  Each minority has its own dialect and respective customs.  Only a few people in these minorities can speak Vietnamese.   The most common minorities are the Tay, the H’mong, the Zao, the White Thaï and the Black Thaï.

6.

Language

Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam.  Vietnamese is a tonal language. With its 6 different tones, it ca therefore be compared to Khmer, Cambodia’s official language.  Each syllable is linked to one of the 6 tones to produce word.  For the same syllable, a different tone changes the meaning of the resulting word.  This suttle complexity makes it very hard for foreigners to learn the language.  Though there are some similarities between Vietnamese and other Asian languages, Vietnamese is clearly a distinct language.  Other languages, such as Khmer, Chinese, Cham and other dialects, are also spoken.   

When written, Vietnamese employs latin alphabet with additional symbols to mark the tones.  This writing system, called Quoc Ngu, was created by catholic missionaries in the XVIIth.

7.

Days off and public hollidays

The most importantholliday of the year is without a doubt the Tet holliday, which coincides with the lunar New Year.  This public holliday takes place in January or in the beginning of February and last 3 days officially.  The majority of shops and restaurants stay closed though for the whole week.

Other important dates are the Liberation of Saigon (April 30th), the International Labor Day (May 1st), Ho Chi Minh’s birthday (May 19th) and the National Day (September 2nd).

8.

Postal services and Telecommunications

The National Postal Service offers a wide range of services that should respond to all your needs.  You can also find other services such as EMS (Express mail Service), DHL, UPS or FedEx, to name a few.

The National Postal Service offers a wide range of services that should respond to all your needs.  You can also find other services such as EMS (Express mail Service), DHL, UPS or FedEx, to name a few.

E-mail and Internet:

Internet is available in the majority of hotels and postal offices as well as in the countless Internet Cafes scattered throughout the country.  The price is generally around 3 000 VND to 6 000VND per hour (around 0.20US$ to 0.40US$).

Public phones and calling cards:

Using public phones is an easy and cheap way to call to Europe or America.  These phones can be found in post offices as well as on the street.  Calling cards are widely available in post offices, shops, hotels and some restaurants.

Direct International calls:

Direct International calls are rather expensive.  It is possible to call to Europe or America with a 50% reduction on the rate when using the 178 or 171 codes.  With these services, the rate per minute is roughly 0.60US$.  How to dial? It’s very easy:

Dial  171 (or 178) + 00 + country code + area code + phone number

Please note that if you use that service through your hotel telephone, you might have to pay an extra service charge to the hotel.

Mobile Phones:

In Vietnam, the GMS (Global Mobile Phone System) is operated by three major companies: Vinaphone, Mobiphone and Viettel.  These suppliers offer pre-paid calling cards.  Should you desire, you can easily rent a mobile phone for the length of your stay and purchase pre-paid calling cards, according to your needs.

Timezone:

Vietnam is in the same timezone as Thailand.  Therefore, it is located at GMT+7.

9.

Business Hours

Vietnamese people generally like to start their day early and therefore open their businesses quite early.  Government offices are open Monday through Friday, from 7:30am to 4:30pm.  The majority of shops are open throughout the week, from 8:00am to 5:00pm.  Boutiques tend to stay open later and will close around 9:00pm.  Banks are open for business from Monday to Friday (8:00am to 3:30pm) and Saturday (8:00am to 1:30pm).

10.

International Airport Taxes

All airport taxes are now included in the plane ticket price.

11.

What is the best season to visit Vietnam?

Because of all the different climatic regions in the country, there is no bad season to visit Vietnam.  When it is raining in one region or chilly in another, the always at least one region where the weather is wonderful.  On the other hand, we suggest that you come either during the fall or during the spring because the weather is dry, sunny and not too hot nor too chilly