Tips for Vietnam

Before starting a trip like the one in Vietnam there are always many doubts : luggage, vaccines, visa, money, etc … We will help you with all those doubts so that, from the moment you leave home, you have clear all the details.

So that you can enjoy your trip to Vietnam, we have summarized the highlights when traveling, so that you do not have any problem when planning from home, an extraordinary trip.

If you have everything you need or you already know how all this works, you can also browse our different travel packs to choose the one that best suits you.

Visas and vaccines, a major issue

The most important thing to keep in mind when travelling to Vietnam is how to apply for a visa . We give you all the information you need in our specific article on visa to Vietnam.

The next topic in the list of doubts would be vaccinations. It is true that in most places specialists recommend or practically force to get certain vaccines when considering some areas of the country as areas at risk of tropical diseases. The reality is that there is no mandatory vaccine to travel to Vietnam . We do, however, recommend checking the social security card of each country of origin and checking that we are up to date on certain vaccines. Typhoid, tetanus and hepatitis A and B vaccines are important to have updated before traveling anywhere.

On the other hand, anti-malarial medication is not so necessary. Each traveler is free to make their own decision. From One More Destination we believe that not even the most at-risk areas such as the mountainous areas in the north or the entire southern area of the Mekong delta, are not areas that deserve this prophylaxis . As a good recommendation, yes, a good mosquito repellent..

Our following advice is also related to health. It is highly recommended that you take out medical insurance and travel assistance before you travel. The idea is not to have to resort to it but in case of needing medical assistance for any reason we can always make use of it and ensure the best of services without worries. Each insurance company offers different coverages so we recommend that you consult a professional in the sector who will be able to advise you quickly. One More Destination always recommends, in Spain, the brokerage SOSA&MAAD as professionals of maximum confidence.

What should we know about the climate in Vietnam?

Another major point of concern for the traveller is climatology. The reality is that Vietnam offers a very diverse climate depending on the area and the time of year . If we have to make an approximation we could say that the months from April to October is the monsoon season , when the rains discharge with force. The point that differentiates the monsoon from the conventional rains is the fact that they discharge with a lot of force during a short period of time, leaving the rest of the day quiet. This happens on a daily basis during the indicated months. Most of the country follows this rule although it is true that there are specific areas that have their own microclimate.

The north of the country has much more extreme temperatures than the centre and south. While in the capital, Hanoi, winters are lived with low temperatures and, above all, much more cold sensation than we think because of the humidity; in Ho Chi Minh City, to the south, a constant temperature of more than 30ºC is maintained most of the year.

And finally, the currency exchange

The local currency is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). It is relatively easy to find places to exchange euros or dollars. You can check our entry about the currency exchange in Vietnam. The official exchange rate is much more stable against the US dollar (around the 23,000 VND per USD ) than against the euro (around the 25,000 VND per euro ).

The banknotes in circulation at present are the least valuable, those of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 VND. Practically nothing can be bought with them and they are only used to give the change of major purchases. They are identified because they are the only ones made of paper. The 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 and 500,000 VND notes are made of plastic and are the ones that are actually used in everyday life.

Tip: The 10,000 and 200,000 VND notes are similarly coloured and can be confused at times or places with low light. The same is true for the 20,000 and 500,000 VND notes.

It is curious to see how the figures in Vietnam are shortened. Thus, it is common to remove the last three digits of the price to show the abbreviated price. Thus, a value of 540,000 VND will be shown as 540K VND.