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City Hall - HCMC, Vietnam
Vietnam has become a very popular tourist destination in recent years as it`s progressively opened up to visitors. Its beautiful unspoilt nature, cultural attractions, excellent food and diverse history makes it a fantastic place to visit. With a little preparation you can be guaranteed an excellent trip to this beautiful country.
Arrival
When arriving, visitors are obliged to fill out an entry card which will be submitted along with your visa and passport to Immigration. Keep the exit slip for your return – best attached to your passport on the visa page so you don`t lose it during your trip!
Packing
Go for light, loose and comfortable clothes that are easy to clean. Bring a jumper or jacket if you`re heading to Hanoi in winter or the rainy reason and good walking shoes are recommended. Pick ones that can be taken off easily for when visiting homes or temples. Revealing clothes shouldn`t be worn in pagodas or temples
Rice Harvest in Central Vietnam
Weather
Vietnam covers more than one zone of climate and when one part`s warm and sunny, another may be rainy and cooler. Do your planning to avoid getting caught out!
Water
Avoid drinking the tap water, or having ice in your drinks. You are wise to stick to bottled water – but check that the seals are intact. Keep up your water intake when walking or in hot climates – it`s easy to get dehydrated. Pack rehydration salts. Vietnamese coffee is well worth a try though – it`s very strong and flavourful, served with extra hot water to top up with and with condensed milk to whiten it. Beer is also very readily available with Beer Tuoi and Hoi the local draught varieties.
Food
Enjoy the beautiful food on offer – it`s very healthy and nourishing, with noodles and rice being the staple of meals, accompanied with vegetables and small amounts of protein with aromatic lemon grass and coriander for beautiful flavour and scent. You will also find European and Asian dishes readily available.
Pagoda at Marble Mtn - Danang, Vietnam
Money
The official currency is the dong – non convertible, although US dollars and travelers cheques are widely accepted, along with major credit cards in larger establishments.
Phone calls
Try the international phone at the post office – dial 44 and the city code for England. You can also get calling cards which offer a great range of reduced calling rates to different countries, including France, India, America and cheap calls to China. These will save you a small fortune during a long stay and they can be bought from the post office.
Customs
Local people are very polite and generous and you will feel that you`re made very welcome. Avoid offending local people by failing to cover up and be careful with taking photos – snapping the military and police is illegal. Read up on the local customs before you go to avoid offence!
Filed under: Vietnam Articles, Vietnam Tips, Vietnam Travel | Tagged: Asia, Travel Blog, Travel Tips, Vietnam, Vietnam blog | 2 Comments »
Today it’s official!
That’s right folks they’re a perfect Xmas gift for friends and family, great for the home or office, heck they would look good hanging on the back of the toilet door for all to see.And at only $23.75, you might as well get both!
All purchases/transactions are carried out securely through Redbubble.com using Mastercard/Visa or Paypal.
Here’s the calendar detail!
RedBubble.com calendars are printed on an HP Indigo 5000 (for those who haven’t heard, this is the digital press). Each page is a satin-coated prints on 170gsm high quality art paper. The cover shows your choice of image on heavier 300gsm paper. Your calendars have a hanger and white wire binding.RedBubble calendars are satin-coated prints on high quality art paper. They’re A3 size (that’s 297×420mm, or 11.69×16.54″) Order now for the holidays!
Filed under: Cambodia, Travel - Other, Vietnam Travel | Tagged: 2010 Calendars, Cambodia, foto, Photography, Travel photography, Vietnam | 1 Comment »
Recently I added some images to Red Bubble, a cool site where you can upload photo’s, showcase them and sell as prints, cards and posters.
Red Bubble is free to use and has a large following of photographers at all levels. There is also a great forum with tons of cool and useful information.
Click on the image below and see my pic’s and sign up for you’re own account!
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For cool info on Vietnam and Cambodia visit – www.vietnamandcambodia.com
Filed under: Travel - Other, Travel photography, Vietnam Photography | Tagged: Asia, cards, Images, Photography, prints, Travel | 3 Comments »
by Anh Tu
A relaxing holiday with my co-workers to central Quang Binh Province would have ended perfectly had it not been for the miserable 12-hour train journey back home. We were all famished and would have settled for almost anything. We weren’t expecting haute cuisine. A simple meal would have rounded off a spectacular holiday. What we got was more cordon off than cordon bleu.
We waited nearly an hour for the food trolley to arrive – we were in the seventh coach so weren’t expecting to be served first. But an hour! And to add insult to injury, when the steward finally arrived, a passenger from the eighth coach jumped in and ordered 26 dishes. The tiredness, the hunger, and the anger got the better of us and we protested loudly. But was the waiter contrite? Instead of ignoring the interloper he served the man first.
“He has reserved his food. Can’t you wait a sec?” the steward said fretfully. We reasoned that we’d waited for him to trundle down six coaches, so why should we mind waiting a bit longer?
Yet we were indignant. It was a matter of principle after all. But we were weak from hunger so waited patiently for the crispy deep fried chicken legs that we’d reserved and that we could see on the trolley.
“Omelette or fish balls?” the steward asked gruffly.
“Neither,” we replied in chorus. “Where are our chicken rice dishes?”
“Sorry, they are finished. What do you want?” the steward said in a raised voice.
Frustrated, fed up
The chicken we’d just seen must have been given to the queue jumper. Frustrated and fed up (for want of a better expression) we rejected both the omelette, which came without salt, and the fish balls that came without sauce. As the steward closed the compartment door, he muttered insults under his breath.
I remember my parents once complaining that in the good old days the carriages had no lights or fans or food. And that it was not uncommon to have to share your carriage with livestock. Now we have food served to us – if you can call it food, or service – in air-conditioned splendour. Hmm. Were we right to be upset?
Vo Chi Thanh, deputy director of the Central Institute for Economic Management, said that the service industry in Viet Nam had improved markedly since the Doi moi (Renewal) process was introduced in 1986.
“Customer service involves all sectors,” he said, not just catering.
According to Thanh, the service sector used to make up more than 40 per cent of the country’s GDP. “However, from the mid-90s, it has reduced due to service providers’ lack of awareness of its significance,” he said. “The most important factor is not finance but attitude.”
When I arrived home I asked my parents if they thought firms should be fined for providing bad customer service.”They should be,” they said without hesitation. But I don’t think that’s the answer. Customers should vote with their feet as is done in the West. If they don’t like the service, they should go elsewhere in future.
“But what happens if they are the sole service provider,” my parents said. “As long as the catering firm holds a monopoly on that route, customers will have to lump it.”
My anger over the poor service we’d received refused to abate and I decided to phone the Administrative Office of Viet Nam Railways Corporation (VNR). I rang (04) 39423883 and was told to ring the Transport Business Division on (04) 38222709. I rang the number numerous times before the phone was answered.
“Our division only deals with general issues, not a tiny problem like a complaint about poor service,” a guy answered gruffly before listening to my grievance. “If you want to make a complaint, put it in writing,” he said and hung up. He didn’t even give me an address to write to.
A senior official at the VNR said our train experience had no been typical. He said poor customer service was a thing of the past and seemed to suggest I was making a mountain out of a mole hill, or as the idiom goes, “Con sau lam rau noi canh” (A fly in the ointment). To be fair, I ought to add that after we rejected the steward’s paltry offerings, we went to the buffet car and were served instant noodles (rice and chicken was not available) by a lovely lady with a ready smile. Will I travel by train again? Of course, I will, as her smile is still on my mind.
Source – VNS
Filed under: Reviews, Travel Blogs, Vietnam Articles, Vietnam Travel News | 1 Comment »
Filed under: Travel - Other, Travel Blogs | Tagged: discount, save, Travel, travel deals, Travel Insurance | 1 Comment »
Railways offer discounts for advance bookings
The Viet Nam Railways Corporation has said they offer discounts for railway ticket reservations made well in advance from July 15.
Tickets booked 15-59 days in advance will receive a 10 per cent discount while tickets reserved more than 60 days in advance will be given a 20 per cent discount. The discounts are offered to passengers on Ha Noi-HCM City and HCM City-Ha Noi routes from September 15 to December 15.
Ha Long Bay still a World Wonder candidate
Ha Long Bay has entered the third and final phase of a campaign for being selected as one of the world’s seven new natural wonders, according to the New Open World (NOW) website.
The bay, which has been twice recognised by the UNESCO for its stunning landscapes and geological features, is in Group G, which includes sea landscapes and beaches.
In the voting process launched by NOW at www.New7wonders.com, a total of 260 national and international sites are divided into seven groups from A to G. The voting is divided into three phases.
Twenty-eight finalists will be announced by the organisers on July 21 at the NOW headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. The seven new natural wonders will be announced in 2011.
Source – Vietnam News
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More Great Travel Info at www.vietnamandcambodia.com
Filed under: Halong Bay, Vietnam Travel, Vietnam Travel News | Tagged: Asia, Halong Bay, News, Trains, Travel, Vietnam | 3 Comments »
By Salman Noor
There are different ways that you can take to obtain a Vietnam visa. If you are planning to travel around Vietnam then you can try applying for a visa on the Vietnam embassy in your country. However, if your country does not have a Vietnam embassy, then you can look for travel agents online to avail a visa on arrival.
The fastest and most convenient way to avail a visa on Vietnam is to apply a visa on arrival. In contrast with the processing time at embassies, applying a visa on arrival is much faster. You can easily avail this with your travel agents or the authorities in the airport. The visa costs about $25 per person and is valid for 30 days. Moreover, once you are in the country, you can easily extend your visa.
Before you avail a Vietnam visa on arrival, you will need to have an approval letter from the Vietnam Department of Immigration. This will take about 3 working days before the travel agents can send you the copy. It can be sent to you either by fax or by email. You should have the approval letter as you board your flight to Vietnam. The stamping procedure of visa will be done once you arrive at Vietnam. In addition, if you have already boarded a flight to Vietnam, you can apply for an urgent visa on arrival. The processing will take at least half working day to one working day. The urgent processing requires additional fee but ensures you that you can travel safely at Vietnam.
You will not need a Vietnam visa for the maximum of 15 days if you are from European countries that include Denmark, Finland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. In addition, you are exempted for the maximum of 30 days if you are a citizen of Asian countries that include Indonesia, Kingdom of Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Japan and South Korea are exempted for 15 days while Cambodia does not need a visa for 14 days.
Visa that is going to expire in a few days can easily be extended at different offices at Vietnam. The visa extension processing time will take about 5-7 working days if you are a tourist. If you are planning to order an urgent Vietnam visa extension, it will take about 2 working days plus the additional fee for the urgent processing. Business visa extension normally takes 5-7 working days of processing time. Urgent processing will take 2 working days.
You are safe to go out of the country in case that you overstay your Vietnam visa for 2 days. There is a 48-hour limit once the visa expires. If you have overstayed for 1 day and planning to extend your stay, you may ask for an urgent visa with your travel agents. It will take about 12 hours or 1 hour to process a super urgent visa. In addition, the cost of the urgent visa processing will depend on the case of urgency. If you have overstayed for a day, then you may be charged an extra fee.
Salman Noor is author of this article on Vietnam arrival visa.
Find more information about Vietnam arrival visa here.
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More Great Travel Info at www.vietnamandcambodia.com
Filed under: Vietnam Articles, Vietnam Tips, Vietnam Travel | Tagged: Asia, tourism, Travel, Vietnam, vietnam visa, visa | 1 Comment »
Quoc Dat shrugs off his concerns about fine dining and heads out for a celebratory night on the town at a fancy restaurant that makes you feel right at home.
Who said the feeling of not belonging to a place has to be bad?
I definitely didn’t feel at home in this place, but that’s that best part. Now here’s why.
I was never a fancy person. I didn’t wear fancy clothes. I didn’t have a fancy ride. I didn’t hang out at fancy places. And I especially didn’t dine at fancy restaurants.
But I was never one to refuse a treat. I mean, who can, really?
So, with all the treats I’ve received in life, I’ve had quite a few fancy experiences. The only problem was, I never felt at ease.
Just last month, a friend of mine took me to the opening of this new bar. Everything was really nice, except for the fact that I felt totally under-dressed. I threw myself into a corner of the bar for the entire night.
Learning my lesson, I tried very hard to over-dress my usual self for a birthday bash for a baby, the first child of a filthy rich couple who happened to be my high-school mates. This time everything was fine, except the price was absolutely over the top. I thought the whole party was a massive rip-off, and I felt very bad for the couple, even though I knew they wouldn’t mind paying for a party ten times bigger.
So when a very close friend rings me up and tells me she is going to treat me to dinner because she’s just got promoted to PR Manager of a big media and event company – possibly the only job in town that is still paying during this economic downturn, which is good for her – I am on full alarm.
“It’s very special,” she says. Now that freaks me out.
What is the place like? How fancy is it? How should I dress myself appropriately? After all, I don’t want to embarrass my friend – the new power girl in town.
But the moment I arrive at the place, I immediately know all the preparation was unnecessary. Or at least I guess, because from the very first sight, it looks just like home.
The restaurant is set in a newly renovated French-style three-storey house, which I heard was built in the late 19th century. It has an open rooftop and double staircases that lead to the first floor. It is basic, with beige paint on the front, but very classic and beautiful. The beauty lies in the simplicity, and the odd feeling only an old-style building, a classic taste of architectural art, could bring about in the middle of a busy and modern street.
I am a little surprised as I step inside. From the exterior of the building, I’d expected something very European, like a French dining room. Instead, it is a large room with a combination of different styles. It is more like a combination living room/dining room, with comfortable couches and tea tables in between dining tables and chairs. The furniture is classic European style, but the other decor— shelves holding antique chinaware, lanterns and lamps, and even the curtains— are traditional Hue Royal style. The combination of East and West sounds like a funny mess, but I later learn, it is the Indochina style, something only found during the French colonisation of Viet Nam.
I am later told that a lot of thought has gone into these small decorative touches. All the silk lamps and lanterns are hand-embroidered. The antique chinaware comes from the owner’s own collection, and they are worth more than the entire restaurant. No wonder these small details are amazing.
But what I find even more amazing is, although the place looks totally luxurious, I feel absolutely comfortable, no matter where I sit in the room. It is not only because the furniture was comfortable, but also because the atmosphere is relaxing, warm and cosy. It feel like I am sitting in my own dream living-plus-dining room. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel like an outsider in a high-end place.
We finally settle down in the upstairs room, where there is more light coming through the windows. There is also a small stage at one end of the room, which, according to the manager, is a copy of the Royal Stage in Hue’s Forbidden Palace. We are a little early for the daily evening show of Vietnamese traditional music, but I heard that all kinds of traditional music and performances are available upon request.
Even the food is made in the Indochina style. There is a Vietnamese menu and a Western one. So my friend and I order from both. We find that the Vietnamese food tastes a little westernised and the Western food tastes a little Vietnamese. It’s all about cultural exchange to prevent culture shock nowadays, I guess. Our orders weren’t much different from any other high-end restaurant, except for the fact that it is the first time I ever felt full— really full— on a set menu, in an expensive place.
What really impresses me, and contributes to the fact that I don’t feel out of place, is the service. The waiters and waitresses look me in the eye and treat me so well that, for once, I completely forget I have never been a part of the luxury world.
The whole concept, as the manager told me, is to make customers feel like royalty the moment they step in through the door.
Despite the strangeness of this idea, I decide I don’t mind. And, by the time we left, I hope that another friend will be promoted soon.
Ly Club
Add: 4 Le Phung Hieu St.
Tel: 04. 3936 3069
Price: from VND300,000
Hour: 11am-11pm
Comment: Fancy yet cosy restaurant, Indochina style
Source: Vietnam News
Filed under: Hanoi, Reviews, Vietnamese Food | Tagged: food, Hanoi, Restaurant, Review, Vietnam | 1 Comment »
Vietnamese traditions teach people to be kind to others, respect their elders and be concerned for the poor.
But many young people are ignoring these traditions, though they benefit all of society.
Nguyen Thi Hai, 55, says that her family has to suffer loud music from her neighbours all day and night.
“We’ve asked them time and again to turn down the volume, but they seem to ignore us despite the fact that my 72-year-old family-member had to go to the emergency room because of the noise,” she says.
Instead, the neighbour’s children yell bad words at Hai.
Hoang Que, 75, from the central province of Nghe An, says he has been pushed out the queue at the supermarket by impatient youngsters.
“When I ask them to stay in the queue, they speak many bad words to me,” Que says, adding that, in the past, Vietnamese had to queue up to buy everything from rice and meat to sugar— a skill the younger generation has forgotten.
Everything was always in order; people lined up and took turns buying thing without any complaints or quarrels.
Que says it upsets him to see people speak harshly to each other while they go about their daily life, or to see young people being noisy on the roads and laughing during funeral ceremonies.
It’s not strange to see young people using coarse speech and swearing on the road or in public, says Que. It’s like they think it’s ‘cool’, he adds.
“Many have money, or knowledge, and are even highly-educated. But they all lack self-discipline,” says a teacher at National Economics University.
“According to research on housing and urban life conducted in 1983 by our institute, a person in Ha Noi would spend an average of one hour per day queuing,” says Professor Mai Quynh Nam, director of the Viet Nam Academy of Social Studies. “Service was limited to state-controlled shops. Queuing, thus, became a part of the lifestyle back then.”
In his opinion, things changed when the market opened up and private shops began to bloom.
“Life has become so much easier. People don’t have to queue up any more. Food is sold at their doors. And there went the queuing habit,” he says.
The disappearance of long lines in front of shops was once considered a positive development, he says.
To deal with such behaviour, the Ministry of Education and Training has added a section on “Education of Citizens” to school text books to help inculcate good behaviour among youngsters.
Ninth-grader Khanh Toan says lessons learned from the text book are very helpful. He says he was very selfish before, but now has become a kind-hearted person.
He often collects books to donate to orphans, says Toan’s mother.
Meanwhile, the Ha Noi Department of Education and Training will begin adding a programme on “education of traditions and ethical behaviour” to primary and high schools to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi in October of 2010.
Education experts say the programme will help kids treat the people around them with respect.
“It will help them learn to obey and respect their parents and elders as well as teachers at school and people in society,” says one expert.
Professor Le Thi, former director of the Research Centre for Family and Women under the National Centre for Social Science and Humanities, says parents should teach their children about traditions and social responsibility so they will become productive members of society.
Source – Vietnam News
Filed under: Vietnam Travel | 1 Comment »
Vietnam & Cambodia
