Tailor-Made Holidays to Vietnam



Vietnam North & South Holiday from £2,495pp This fascinating holiday/tour of Vietnam takes in all the most wonderful aspects of the country. Your experience includes Hanoi with its French colonial charm, Sapa and the minority hilltribe communities, majestic Halong Bay with its impressive lim . . . Read more...

Highlights of Vietnam & Cambodia Holiday This 16 night/17 day holiday of Vietnam and Cambodia is a comprehensive tour of these fascinating countries taking in all the ‘must sees’ of the region. You will enjoy visits to Hanoi, with the imposing Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and a wealth of his . . . Read more...



Hanoi The charming French colonial architecture of Hanoi, along with a delightful landscape of lakes, shaded boulevards, and verdant public parks, makes the Vietnamese capital the perfect place to get a feel for this fascinating country. Hanoi personifies the spirit of historic Vietnam in the temples, monuments and pockets of ancient culture along the narrow streets of the Old Quarter, yet at the same time reflects the rapid changes sweeping the country, and has evolved in recent times into a dynamic, modern metropolis.

Sapa Located 1,500m above sea level, Sapa lies in Hoang Lien Son Mountains, northwest of Hanoi and has an amazing diversity of flora and fauna. Mount Fansipan, the highest mountain in Indochina at 3,134m, is covered with clouds all year round and temperatures often drop below zero. For visitors the various ethnic minorities in their colourful customs, who visit the local weekend markets on foot or on horseback, are a fascinating sight to witness.

Halong Bay Halong Bay is one of the country’s most famous tourist attractions and has been listed by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site and an area of outstanding natural beauty. Halong Bay covers an area of 1,500 square kilometres. The bay is filled with thousands of islets of all shapes and sizes. A wide variety of birds and animals including bantams, monkeys and iguanas live on the islands. With its spectacular beauty, Halong Bay is a wonderful destination for any visitor.

Hoi An The ancient town of Hoi An lies on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Hoi An was one of the major trading centres of South-East Asia in the 16th Century, and was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. Hoi An has a distinctive Chinese atmosphere with low, tiled-roof houses and narrow streets. The houses were constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels engraved with Chinese characters. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the romantic Thu Bon River, Cua Dai Beach and the Cham Islands.

Hue Founded as a Royal City in 1687, the original citadel city of Phu Xuan was built on the site of present day Hue, the gateway to the treasures of Vietnam’s royal past. The city served as Vietnam’s political capital from 1802 to 1945 under the 13th emperor of the Nguyen dynasty and was a major centre of Vietnamese culture, region and education. This small and quiet city is justly famed for the magnificent architecture of the citadel, the palaces, royal tombs, pagodas and temples built under the Nguyen dynasty in an elegant verdant setting on the banks of perfume River. UNESCO has labelled Hue “a beautiful architectural poem”.

Ho Chi Minh City With over 6 million inhabitants, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam and is located in the south near the Mekong Delta. It was originally a Khmer city named Prey Nokor, before being annexed by the Vietnamese in the 17th century. Under French rule it was the colonial capital, Saigon, but after the reunification of the country following the Vietnam War it was renamed as Ho Chi Minh City. The city’s sights include Notre Dame Cathedral, the Post Office, the former Presidential Palace of Ho Chi Minh, Thien Hau Pagoda and Ben Thanh market.

Useful Information for Vietnam

Passports & Visas

Please ensure that your passport is valid for six months after your return date from Vietnam. Visas are required to visit Vietnam. You can obtain the visa in advance from the Vietnam Embassy in London or we can arrange for a letter of approval to be issued in Vietnam before you travel so that you can obtain your visa upon arrival into Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang airport.

Country

Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, covers an area of 332,000 square kilometers. It shares common borders with China, Laos, and Cambodia. With a population of more than 80 million, it is the most densely populated country in Southeast Asia. The vast majority of the population is Vietnamese. Other ethnic groups include Chinese, Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man and Cham. Vietnam's topography varies from low, flat delta in the south and north to hilly, mountainous terrain in the central, far north and northwest. Three-quarters of Vietnam is hilly or mountainous. Hanoi is the capital, and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the largest city in the country.

Vietnam, once a forbidden country for tourists, now attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors (with numbers increasing) every year. Rich culture, strong tradition, and a patriotic people characterise this fascinating country. This exotic destination offers such wonders as magical islands set in pristine waters as well as historic and cultural sites like temples, pagodas and churches. Traveling to Vietnam will be an unforgettable experience and will leave visitors deeply impressed.

Language

Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam. Some of the local tribes in the Sapa region also have their own dialects. Learning foreign languages, particularly English, is currently popular among young people in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Da Nang and other cities. Tourist guides are available for English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Russian speakers.

Religion

Vietnam’s religion is primarily Buddhist but there are also Taoist, Confucian, Hoa Hao, Caodaist and Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) minorities.

Weather

Because of its geography, the climate in Vietnam varies greatly from north to south. Tropical monsoons occur from October to April in the north and south and from May to September in the centre, this is when most of the country's rain falls. It is almost totally dry throughout the rest of the year. It can get exceptionally hot, however, all year round, but the north has a cooler time between October and April. It is best to travel between the shifting of seasons. Temperatures around the country often reach 40C in the height of the hot and rainy season (May to September), but the northern highlands and Hanoi can often seem chilly in the winter.

Currency

The Vietnamese Dong (VND) notes are in denominations of ₫500,000, 200,000, 100,000, 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of ₫5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. The value is approximately USD1 = VND19,500.

There are plenty of ATMs in major towns, but they can be scarce in rural areas. ATMs issue Dông, and the single withdrawal limit is typically ₫2,000,000, although some banks do allow multiple withdrawals until the account limit is reached.

Travellers cheques are widely accepted in hotels and banks. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, visitors are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars.

Credit Cards

A increasing number of outlets accept MasterCard and Visa. However, outside main towns and cities, it is wise to carry cash. There are ATMs in many major towns, but not in rural areas.

Banking Hours

Monday - Friday 0830am to 1600pm. Many banks are also open on Saturday; all banks are closed on Sunday.

Telecommunications

Internet cafes are widely available throughout Vietnam. A regular international post service is available. In addition Express Mail Service (EMS) is available to more than 50 countries worldwide with a delivery time of 2 to 10 days.

Vietnam has high international telephone charges. It is important to check the exact amount with the hotel before making a call, as hotel surcharges are often imposed.

VOIP calls which help reduce call charges (for most of International calls from any destination within Vietnam and for domestic calls between the main cities of the country) are now available as well pre-paid internet & mobile card can be bought in the major cities.

Time

Vietnam is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Electricity

Voltage is 127/220 Volts in Vietnam. Two prong plugs are common in Vietnam. Many of the new 4 and 5 star hotels use the British standard 3-pin plug (Electrical Plugs Type C and G).

Dress

Living in a tropical climate, local people dress very informally (e.g. lightweight linens & cottons, T-shirt, shorts, jeans). For dinners and night spots, smart casual wear is the norm. Topless or completely naked sunbathing is not allowed. When entering mosques and temples, wear long sleeves and loose trousers or long skirts as a sign of respect.

Shopping

Foreign visitors to Vietnam have the opportunity to buy souvenirs made of rattan, gold, silver and stone. There is a diverse range of products, from woodenwares such as wooden buttons or sindora beds to lacquer paintings, bowls and chopsticks, bamboo screens and stone tea sets. Woven tapestries, “tho cam” handbags and other handicrafts are produced by the traditional skills of the women of ethnic minorities in such rural regions in the north as Sapa, Mai Chau and Dien Bien.

Transportation

The road system in Vietnam is reasonable in the main urban cities. The drives through the countryside can be a wonderful sightseeing experience. However, it must be noted that the roads are narrow and some may be poorly paved when outside the main cities, and as a consequence the drives can be rough and difficult at times.

The journey timings described in your itinerary are based on the usual amount of time a particular journey will take. However, please appreciate that not all roads can be checked for their condition throughout the year.

Most cars used are manufactured locally by Toyota, Honda and Ford and are for the most part comfortable and ideally suited to local roads. Smoking is not permitted in any vehicle, under any conditions.

If you decide to leave the hotel and go out on your own, there are various means of transport that you may like to take such as taxis or “cyclos”. If taking a taxi or “cyclo”, insist on the meter being switched on before you begin your journey. Due to an effort to stop pollution, most “cyclos” are pedaled as opposed to motor. It is suggested that you carry the name of your destination or hotel written in local language in the event your driver does not understand English. The staff at your hotel can assist with this.

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