Vietnam Travel Tips

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. 

Mosquito bites
are the cause of most tropical diseases, so dress to avoid getting bitten – wear long pants and long sleeves, especially at dusk.  Use mosquito repellent on any exposed skin, and sleep under a mosquito net if one is provided (or travel with your own if you are camping or staying in remote areas).

Beware of strong (or even not so strong) sun,
especially if you are not used to it – you can burn or get heat stroke before you know it. Carry a hat and sunscreen in your daypack and remember to reapply the lotion after you have been swimming.  Also drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration in hot climates.

Beware of thieves
As any country in this world, tourists should beware of thieves. In Vietnam, bus, crowded streets, festivals, exhibitions, etc. are normally ideal places for thieves to “do business”. Thus, be very careful with your precious stuff.

45 minutes to enter Vietnam
It might take 45 minutes to clear customs to enter Vietnam. You have to give the Vietnamese authorities full points for thoroughness. Each counter is manned by 2 officers. The procedure is very tough and requires time for careful double check. So brace yourself for a long wait, just in case.

Do not drink too much fruit wine
One of the few pitfalls of TM Brother's boat tour in Nha Trang was drinking a wee bit too much of the free homemade fruit wine. The fruit wine at small vendor shops are not of good quality, so don’t drink it too much.

Quang Ngai police
If you are in Quang Ngai, you may be caught by the local police for a perhaps long while. Here are a couple of advice in case you are arrested by them:
1/ If you know a bit of Vietnamese, forget it all, if you have a language book, don't show it !!!! They tend to assume that if you speak a bit, you are fluent and they suspect you even more if you say you can't speak!!!
2/ Always have some cigarettes with you to offer to relax the atmosphere... It works!!
3/ SMILE, PLEASE SMILE even if you are so frightened!!!
Why did I get arrested?
Although my friends worked in the field in that area, they didn't think It'd be a problem to travel around. They explained to me that something very bad must have happened whilst.

Immunizations and Malaria Medications
Before heading to South East Asia be sure to check with the Center for Disease Control or your local health department on recommended immunizations and Malaria Medications. Do this at least a month before you are scheduled to leave.
For the average traveler to Vietnam the current recommendations by the CDC are immunizations for Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid and Tetanus. If your traveling for over a month or working with animals or small children there are additional recommendations. The CDC link for SE Asia is http://www.cdc.gov/travel/seasia.htm.
The Malaria medication they are currently recommending for SE Asia is Mefloquine.
Make sure you bring any prescription medication you need as well as insect repellent.

Don't Drink the tap Water or Eat the Ice
The tap water is NOT safe to drink, except for those at the airport, big hotels & restaurants. Drink sterilized one or buy bottled water (making sure the seal on the bottle is intact). Be sure to use bottled water for even everything, including brushing your teeth. Don’t assume Fruit Juices are made with bottled water – ASK before sipping to avoid Montezuma’s revenge.

Food
Beware of dishes that include uncooked produce (salads, fresh fruit and vegetables).  Fruits that can be peeled (bananas, mangoes, etc) are generally safe to eat. Beware of frozen foods that may have been thawed and refrozen, and of undercooked meat, fish or poultry. When eating at food stalls, use your best judgment: if the food or preparation area looks dodgy, don't even consider eating it. If you are unfortunate enough to get diarrhea, the basic rule is stop eating and drink plenty of (bottled) water for a few days until it has passed.

Peel it, or Boil it
The Vietnamese still use human waste to fertilize their crops so the general rule when your in Vietnam is Peel it, or Boil it.
Sanitation in Vietnam has come a long way from a few years ago, but still, you should be as careful as possible.

No glove, no love
If romance happens along the way, practice safe sex. HIV/AIDS are quite widespread here. That means using a condom – and it's best to bring one from home, or else you can buy at the locality, so it's safe for you.

Xe om / Honda om - motorbike taxi's, Saigon
It’s better to catch a metered taxi when late at night, particularly in Saigon, as the Xe om/ Honda om (motorbike taxi) here at night features some issues. Normally, the drivers may take you around and around, until late and stop where you require. And, they would charge you extra for riding around to find a (maybe) nearby place!

Rush Motorcyclists
One of the most familiar sights in Vietnam is a road packed with noisy little motorbikes, often carrying whole families. They seem impervious to danger. Motorbikes, with tiny babies wedged between mother and father, weave between cars and buses and ride head on into traffic on the wrong side of the road.
Be warned, it is quite commonplace for motorbikes to turn into the wrong lane, which if you are attempting to walk across the road at the same time, can really catch you by surprise.