Vietnam Traveler's tips

TRAVELERS?? TIPS
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1. GENERAL NOTE
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1.1. Weather
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Expected temperature and weather in locations in your itinerary
/Z c;JTT%~ Hanoi ¡§C Halong: Sunny and hot: 22 -30oC
\_6|f!V Hue ¡§C Hoian: Sunny and hot: 24 -35oC
Q;H:bE;D{ Saigon -Mekong: Sunny and hot: 23- 34oC r?%gBHG)m
Seam Reap ¡§C Phnom Penh: Sunny and hot: 23- 34oC 1c(w9y;tGy5FV
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1.2. Local flight schedule could be changed at short notice. This is beyond our control. However, we undertake to do our best to minimize any inconvenience caused 2Px-b$l{tQ6Je

]5hYiOW{;{^ 1.3. What need to be brought in Vietnam 9sIq/|p9F:[
- International Airline ticket
JV3s2FA - Passport and photocopies of your passport ~$F/]w2wF3p0m@
- Visa or Visa approval letter and some color passport photos (size4x6cm) (at least 2)
F4P3O"aAbl - Insurance document (if had)
!P#c)\%Yf G d - Cash in US$ or Euros 20??s and 100??s
]/T3n~*a4KA - Other equipment (please refer to our suggested equipments list below) K6l8HJeU9Tp;U
? Suggested Equipment List pWd4_9`W!I
Below is a suggested equipment list. Dress in Southeast Asia tends to be quite casual because of the warm, humid, tropical climate. For women, casual cotton pants and skirts are most acceptable for daytime wear, but bare sundresses and short shorts are frowned upon, especially in pagodas & temples.
-X0kW6B{ A sweater, sweatshirt, light jacket, or fleece pullover is a good idea when visiting the northern areas in the winter ( from November to March); and, because the climate is tropical, it is useful to have a windbreaker or rain poncho as protection against the unexpected rain showers that tend to occur. D/n#TVm!mA};r
General
-U&?;o~)M$Qr o S5\+Q(T ? Duffel bag - waterproof and with a lock, or easily wheeled suitcase n|L bf@
? 5-6 zip lock bags (They come in handy for all kinds of uses.)
;a;zZu$Xs4J ? Sun glasses or reading glasses [#i+fD,Q%S5X
? Good walking shoes and sandal
UN7RS7Dj'N ? Good trekking shoes ( for trekking tour) or slippers ( for beach relaxing tour)
;@LZNFE Optional /r @Y6BQLRZ
? Camera and film
Dq8wM[ ? Mobil phone 5@0l[v{3d};IS
? Head phone and your favorite music compact dis (CD). u msK_]
? Favorite Books/ Vietnam Guide book ( highly recommended Lonely Planet)/ Dairy pp7~k0|G
? Biro pens, pencils/note book
W2y.JD(|GAk3_ b!q_ ? Pictures of your family
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6v$n't'a\u.a k 1.4 Basic Clothes
6[pa6d0C&R1`+G ? Good walking shoes or cloth sneakers (They are light and dry easily. Good for driving.)
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^l/}U ? 3-4 pairs of socks r$OD3f FY
? Polar fleece pullover or jacket or sweater ( if travel in the north from November to March)
*TELk? e ? 4-5 T-shirts or blouses
2vG1rcb}+s un ? Wide-brimmed sun hat {0UL,} A\lJ9u
? Underwear (3-5 sets, depending on your desire to wash) }l2{ L8xGq
? Mid-calf lightweight walking skirts or dresses or loose pants (women) /pE0qe;z{6[1w
? 1-2 bandannas L tJ(rGvee%b
? Bathing suit
Z6I#F/Je@ ? Long-sleeved shirts ,V*t-U7Rz5Mg
? Raincoat or poncho 7j&tA(XBT*Q9q f
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1.5 Health equipment and Medical Items ;q$CHfm
No actual vaccinations are officially required. Malaria prophylaxis is no longer recommended but visitors are advised to check with their doctors or travel immunization clinics regarding the advisability of inoculation against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A & B. i]&n.@2Mf#D `5Q:|G"z
Although we do not expect you to get sick, it is better to be prepared. We do carry a medical kit with bandages, splints and the like. However, our leaders (tour guides) are not permitted to dispense personal medicines to clients. It is important if you bring a complete, personal medical and first aid kit along with a few other essential items. We suggest the following (Note: You will need to pack sharp objects in checked baggage due to tightened airline security):
fP;H,T y+J ? Aspirin or Tylenol Band-Aids and betadine ointment
;n Xm`3LdLP ? Throat lozenges and cough medicine
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[v{ ? Cold medicine and antihistamines
H?.w1JM(`-j@/EC ? Cipro - an antibiotic for indigestion -k h6zR8c__
? Chaps tick
.If:^t ie0W ? Suntan lotion 100% UV effective (25 SPF or higher) pJ&c
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? Biodegradable soap (The blue bottles of Mountain Suds are excellent)
2u.f,l ~jx ? Pack towel/washcloth 5ik-Mi?2q`(Z6O"G
? OB tampons (women)
9U1HCu5nc0w.@sN? `"b7U ? Hand/body lotion
@;P)eY3c4S ? Brush/comb O r6G8};H$[ ?
? Toothbrush/toothpaste
|BpMegE ? Eye drops D)x Du*}n
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? Facial breathing filters (optional for Kathmandu) Z6}PJ,D%~A
? Antiseptic toilettes
D,K%rW5c}8A @h-IU ? Insect/ mosquito repellent is
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? Sewing kit with scissors, tweezers, and needle. (Note: You will need to pack sharp objects in checked baggage due to tightened airline security.)

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G9@8O&n^*`l 1.6 Customs regulations
C~\^ Wz Abb Arriving in Vietnam, all visitors must fill in Declaration Forms and show their luggage to Customs Officials upon request. There are no limited amounts of foreign currency, objects made of gold, silver, precious metals and gemstones or plated with silver or gold but visitors must declare these in detail on the customs forms.
6T}QQ ["d~ ENTRY: Tourists are authorized to bring in the following items duty-free: Cigarettes: 400 pieces; Cigars: 50-100; Tobacco: 100 gram; Liquor: 1.5l. *k0n5X+VzEYQ e?
Personal effects of a reasonable quantity. Small gift items valued at not more than US$ 500.
@M2Vs!u Note: There is no limit to the amounts of cash, precious metals and gems people can bring in, but amounts of over US$ 7,000 must be declared.
6{k3x'PQ#a!V It is prohibited for any visitor to bring into Vietnam the followings:
#uI K$TCWd!p * Weapons, explosives and inflammable objects.
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T G#]t{'j/K8q * Cultural materials unsuitable to Vietnamese society. u}M!}6`)C#L9i%P
EXIT: Goods of commercial nature and articles of high value require export permits issued by the Customs Office. Antiques, some precious stones and animals listed in Vietnam's red-book may not be brought out of the country.
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(P;@ fBb`:j'J 1.7 Security
9m3w0Tma7jlu In big cities, do not bring along anything valuable as you go shopping or sightseeing on the street.
"`?)vh(}nv It is dispensable to give aims to beggars and to buy souvenirs from street vendors. 8|)r'K8NEi
Foreign currencies should be exchanged at banks, or authorized exchange bureaus. Never exchange money on street. wn@nQZ

"?0^tR'kO;Gc 1.8 Drinking
/X ^a&O"vw:U-F$z 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. 8c x;ruZG8h

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/J;S)E3OzG"G8J(av 1.9 Tips for guides and drivers }.@F#HA
The amount of tip money is totally based on your trip satisfaction with service of guide and driver and it does not compel (according to your culture). However, US$ 2-3/ per day/ per tourist is acceptable for both guide and driver.
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o 1.10 Others &Arw.sM TQ_

Rf%Io$PI2rH Taxi: Taxis with meters are available in big cities. The current price is about US$ 0.5 per kilometer. Most metered taxi drivers can speak a little English.
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Business hours: (GMT + 7) ,vz(l!W,w1N
* Offices: 08:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and 01:30 p.m. to 05:00 p.m., closed on Saturday afternoon and Sundays 0|z(bv\c
* Banks: 08:00 a.m to 03:00 p.m, closed on Friday afternoons, Saturday and Sunday. y{,d,Ew)[5xx

O/z6X2g`-CF8x3M Electrical current: 220 volts A.C.
h.D(FCUsY`U1Y Telephone: Long distance calls should be made at post offices, hotels or telephone booths (phone cards are available at post offices). Normailly, hotels will get 15-20% service charge of the bill. ;k(bF7nS
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a*q 3. RESTAURANT , BARS AND CAFE i
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? In Hanoi Y2J0K$`|Y'P9x
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BOBBY CHIN %da_EA#{A)d%IB
1 Ba Trieu St., %O1hGLD3n/d%F`3c
 943 8578 Serves Fusion cuisine and offers a nice ambience for the late evening with drinks and shisha.
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fmWBFRS 61 Van Mieu St.,
JV)[Q6c`~[  747 0338 Project for street kids. Very friendly and dedicated staff and real good food. Located in opposite to the Temple of Literature. Breakfast and lunch, dinner in from Fri to Sun. )C/W{1xU8TI4n!p4x
Don??t miss it! |e!eQp9z
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XL9Ccy9xn 57 Ly Thai To St., )?
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 825 7807 Courtyard setting, snack and dishes from all over, reasonable prices. Located just in opposite to the Metropole hotel.
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HANOI GARDEN 8k{;u1@ ?F
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36 Hang Manh St.,
dxIKcjs  824 2402 Nice courtyard setting with water cascading down one wall. Delicious Vietnamese fare and good prices 0e]k rP AJEI.p

3g3i$ddV d9E LITTLE HANOI ¡§CThe Original :L7J U Ej!U1X
9 Ta Hien St.,
%^ n0E*q!Y  926 0639 Located in the Old Quarter. Serving authentic Vietnamese cuisine at very reasonable prices. Good service. 2I7h!]2DYC#~
Don??t confuse with another place also called little Hanoi. Ask for the original!
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5 Hang Tre St.,
$jdnLb%r  926 0639 Vietnamese authentic and Rice wines. Sometime really unique are the house made liquors. oN5LH_#veq a
A must! }L0ljn#}

fI0Mx0a![6oV THE DELI/ PRESS CLUB { Y| }J8rx
59A Ly Thai To St., ,v2qz#A4G9S R,w0w
 934 0888 Fine dining &BT)]XMc]+F:Y*W.u
Deli also offers from Mon to Fri set lunches at very reasonable prices.
A;o3LK&{d"kK A highlight!
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PAN E VINO
pn/D1a hC 3 Nguyen Khach Can St.,
)Q+~;^!?5z;BkXN(k  826 9080 Italian Restaurant and Enoteca. P~'{|aoiT
Located near the Opera House.
0`;^#|Yx]'@0v Italian Chef Marco offers excellent food and a good choice of wines at reasonable price.
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FINNEGAN??S
o;A5g+L/Bp {8}L%N 16A Duong Thanh St., l^!_Ht*L}T5e
 828 9065 Irish Pub c:jv8zMw
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Cold beer and snacks. Very recommendable
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MINH??S JAZZ CLUB
G!c6L0r8O/VmM 31 Luong Van Can St., qNiXlxV3d0Ke2?
 828 7890 Hanoi??s first Jazz club. 4tT\$VRc
Located in the Old Quarter. Daily Live Jazz.
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MOCA CAF?. 7?%z [So9l
14 Nha Tho St.,
.T[.D+c _;V `  825 6334 Very popular Bistro in a picturesque street closed to the Cathedral.
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3 Xuan Dieu St., Tay Ho Dis ;N]L\I)W4_q H
 719 8000 Wine & Food
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{P&{7W-{ Among the best international spots in town; excellent service.
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4. IMPORTANT CONTACT DURING YOUR TRIP IN VIETNAM
0Xx7y/ww-e Y Normally, our guide will give you the guidance and take necessary actions in all cases. However, there are some contacts that you should have during your trip.
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gL.[~c)\ Tony Tran¡§C Travel consultant
j7iZ:B-o{.n Hand phone: 0979800588 .DDLB-|_v
Hotline: (04) 9446230 /U(Wp&p:IXM
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Email: [email]info@activetravelvietnam.com[/email] D0s6C md ^
Website: [url]http://www.activetravelvietnam.com[/url]