Shopping in Vietnam is a fun and interesting experience, and guarantees good bargains to those who know what to look for. It is true to say that you can find nearly anything in Vietnam. Markets vary from high class shopping malls, supermarkets to bustling open market, galleries, boutiques and street stalls.
It is not recommended that you buy imported, famous branded products such as clothing, perfume or electronics in Vietnam as tax makes these items more costly than neighboring countries.
In terms of shopping for tourists, Vietnam is most famous for its handicrafts, war souvenirs, authentic clothing, art, antiques and gems.
Hotspots include  Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City, each of which has a temping selection of everything from avant-garde art to sumptuous silk suits.

Art and Antiques
Vietnam has very strict regulations about exporting real antiques. There are several shops to hunt for art and antiques. Both traditional and modern paintings are a popular item. More sophisticated works are displayed in art galleries, while cheaper mass-produced stuff is touted in souvenir shops and by street vendors. Be careful and check your sources for certificates if they claim to sell you an original or antique piece.

8.00: Get up early to feel the fresh morning of Hanoi, and catch a taxi (or bus to save money) to the West Lake to have some delicate breakfast at a lakeside floating restaurant or café. This is the largest lake in the northwest center of Hanoi with a perimeter of 17 km, also an oxbow lake created from a curved part of the huge Red River. Sitting here, a vast pure world over the surface of the evergreen river is open wide to all ends to serve your eyes. If you stay at Sheraton hotel, or any just nearby, it’s a big luck for you to easily get out of your bed early at the best time of 5.30 to best feel and breath in the clean and cool air from the lake.
The unique One-Pillar Pagoda, a wooden structure built in 1049, sits on stilts over a lake. A king of the Ly Dynasty, Ly Thai Tong King had it built after having a dream in which Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, presented him with a lotus flower. The existing pagoda is a miniature reproduction of the original, which was said to represent a lotus emerging from the water. It is certainly interesting, and a prayer here is said to bring fertility and good health. It's best to wear something full-length (skirt or trousers), not shorts.

Staying safe
With headlines reporting attacks against tourists becoming more and more common, vacationers are on the alert. A recent magazine survey discovered that 85% of their readers said these reports have prompted them to be more cautious on while on holiday. Don't let a few criminals ruin your vacation. By taking a few precautions and staying alert, you can avoid spending part of your holiday filing a report at an exotic police station.

Police: 113
Fire: 114
Emergency: 115
Time: 117
Information: 1080
Directory Assistance: 116
International Operator: 110

1. Transportation in Vietnam: DOs & DON’Ts

Planes, Trains & Buses

DO consider flying if you’re going a long way within Vietnam, because any other means of transport is always much slower and sometimes only slightly cheaper.
DON’T get stuck in the mud: in the rainy season, road and rail are frequently flooded or even washed away in the regions that are hardest hit.
DO reconfirm any flight to make sure there’s no change.
DON’T arrive at the airport just in time for a domestic flight. Until recently, it was actually more expensive for foreigners to travel from Hanoi to Hochiminh City by train than by air. And this is for a journey that still takes a couple of days as opposed to a flight lasting a mere couple of hours!
If what you are after is seeing plenty of scenery and having time to meet people and chat with them, DO let the train take the strain. Trains are still very slow, despite reports almost weekly that they are picking up extra speed. They are also a bit noisy and often rather Spartan, but a very pleasant and civilized means of transport, with much more legroom than any kind of bus, and conserve some of the charm of a bygone era. They offer – for a price – air conditioning, plush seats, comfy sleepers and gourmet food in a restaurant car.
DON’T opt for the bus if you’re prone to claustrophobia, motion sickness, are pregnant, suffer from a weak heart or actually expect to have a good time. The Vietnamese are not renowned for the safety or courtesy of their driving.
DO use local city buses: once you’ve worked out where to catch the ones you want, these present an excellent (and stunningly cheap) way of getting around. Cities in Vietnam are investing in new buses and improving the service in an effort to combat traffic congestion.
DO keep things on the planes, trains, and your hired vehicles clean. In case there’s something wrong you may find, call the master right away, or else you may get into trouble later.

HOTEL SAFETY TIPS = SLEEP TIGHT
Never underestimate the power of a good night's rest, especially while on vacation or a business trip. To ensure the best possible hotel stay with the least amount of worry, follow these helpful hotel tips compiled by Vietnam travel tips members. Vietnam travel tips members are trained professionals who know hotels, the services they provide, and, most importantly, the quality you expect.

Planes, Trains & Buses
DO consider flying if you’re going a long way within Vietnam, because any other means of transport is always much slower and sometimes only slightly cheaper.
DON’T get stuck in the mud: in the rainy season, road and rail are frequently flooded or even washed away in the regions that are hardest hit.
DO reconfirm any flight to make sure there’s no change.
DON’T arrive at the airport just in time for a domestic flight. Until recently, it was actually more expensive for foreigners to travel from Hanoi to Hochiminh City by train than by air. And this is for a journey that still takes a couple of days as opposed to a flight lasting a mere couple of hours!
If what you are after is seeing plenty of scenery and having time to meet people and chat with them, DO let the train take the strain. Trains are still very slow, despite reports almost weekly that they are picking up extra speed. They are also a bit noisy and often rather Spartan, but a very pleasant and civilized means of transport, with much more legroom than any kind of bus, and conserve some of the charm of a bygone era. They offer – for a price – air conditioning, plush seats, comfy sleepers and gourmet food in a restaurant car.

Vietnam Culture

Vietnam is Vietnamese. For Westerners traveling through Asia, it is always a surprise to discover countries based largely on homogeneous cultures. In many countries in the world, development has been associated with population movements and integration, resulting in systems and attitudes reflecting the multicultural nature of its citizens. Vietnam’s history is mainly the story of one ethnic group – the Kinh – still representing nowadays 85% of the population.
DO remember that Vietnam was specifically fashioned for the Vietnamese, not for foreigners. It’s their country and – for the most part – they are extremely proud of it and fiercely nationalistic.
DON’T fall for the stereotype that all Asian countries are alike. Vietnam has its own identity and characteristics, quite different from its neighbors, including China. If you were Swede, you wouldn’t consider yourself the same as a German or even a Norwegian, would you? Similarly, Vietnamese are unique.
DO accept that you are a guest in Vietnam. You will experience what it feels like to be part of a visible minority. Fortunately however, you are part of a rather privileged one.
DO reflect that guests enjoy special status but also have special responsibilities.
DO try to learn as much as you can about the culture, to integrate as much as possible into the life of the people around you. The Vietnamese will highly appreciate your efforts to understand them, their culture and their language. And you’ll benefit from better treatment, better prices, and wider smiles.

Travel insurance
As still a developing country, Vietnam has several diseases, so besides bringing medicines, it’s better to buy insurance for yourself before you go, because all the medical safety advice in the world isn’t going to cover your medical bills if something does go wrong. You may refer to World Nomads for buying online.

First Aid kit
Now that you've gone to the trouble of getting yourself a whiz-bang first-aid kit, remember to actually take it with you. There's no point coming off that mountain bike at the top of the hill and realizing the bandages are all the way at the bottom. 

Overview

The Mekong Delta is the convergence of life and industry, where the agriculture and fish farming are intensively practiced. Coming here, tourists will find multi-storey rice paddies stretching to the horizon.
Not for nothing has the delta of the Mekong River been termed the "rice bowl of the Universe". Six countries and well over fifty million people depend upon the Mekong for their very livelihood. And in no country is this dependence so profound as in Vietnam.
Flying into Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gives as good an introduction as any to the wonders of the Mekong. From the air the landscape resembles an intricate anatomical chart, only in shades of green and brown rather than white and red. Every tributary of the Mekong River bifurcates, then trifurcates and multi-furcates into thousands of veins, arteries and capillaries. Then, linking this vast drainage network are hundreds of manmade canals, giving the countryside the appearance of an Eastern Venice…
Activities
Floating markets
Snake farms, My Tho
Long Xuyen
Cat Tien National Park
My Tho