Notices for tourists visiting Vietnam

1.    Money

Official unit of money in Vietnam is VND, there are 10 face values: 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10 000, 20 000, 50 000, 100 000, 200 000, 500 000. It is quite similar in color between 20 000 and 500 000, so you need be careful. Also, now many people, stores…( business actions that don’t relate to paperwork) use “K” as a unit of account. “K” is equivalent to “thousand dong”. I don’t know why but maybe it’s more convenient, and this is used mainly by young people. For example: 5k=5000vnd,80 000vnd = 80k, 100 000vnd = 100k, ….

2.    Bus

If you want to use the bus in Vietnam, you should know something about this kind of vehicle. The bus is often very crowding; you should be careful with your properties. Most staffs on the bus can not understand English, you should learn by hard in Vietnamese names of the place which you want to go, and tell them. Also, you can write down or prepare available names in Vietnamese of your destination on paper, phone,.. then get help from staffs on the bus.
The cost of the bus ticket is usually cheap; you should prepare some small face values as 2k, 5k, 10k, 20k.
According to regulations as well as culture, on the bus, everyone should give up the seats for elders, children, and disability.

3.    Shopping

In market or stores chain on streets, most of the sellers are friendly but sometimes when you go into somewhere and watch, try on things without buying anything, they will not be happy even angry or disturb you until you buy their product. This is one of the sadness in Vietnam in the eyes of tourists; we are trying to eliminate this.
Also, the sellers have their taboos, if shopping early in the morning, visitors should avoid bargaining or see without buying. When you want to buy something you should ask the price before deciding to buy.

4.    Crossing the streets

Traffic in big cities in Vietnam is quite complex and the main vehicle moving on the road is motorbikes, so, crossing the street is also a problem with tourists. Beside streets that have enough and convenient crosswalks, many aren't. And crossing streets without the crosswalk is a habit in Vietnam. If you have never done this, you will feel that it is very difficult and dangerous even you will not dare. I was in that situation at the first time in Hanoi, but now I do this every day. ^.^
So to do this you need stare at people who are moving toward you, walk steadily. The motorbikers will avoid you, but you also must be flexible in moving, the big cars and bus don’t stop to concede you.You also can get help from native people to cross the roads. If you wait for no vehicle on the street to cross, you will have to stand there all day.

5.  

  If you visit Hoàn Kiếm lake in Hanoi city, you may meet many native people want to get into a conversation with you. They are English learners and students like me; they just want to have opportunities to train English skill. Some tourists are not pleased because they don’t want to be disturbed or because of “the English of the native” here. But I think you should talk to them; they are very friendly and enthusiastic. Through these English learners you can get some more useful information, make friends or even get a free tour guide for your trips around Hanoi.

Wish you have a happy trip!