Vietnam

Vietnam is a country most people have heard of but, until recently, few have had the opportunity to visit. It was not until the early 1990s that the first intrepid travellers started to arrive. Things have come a long way in the past decade and visitors from all over the world are now discovering what a hidden gem of a country Vietnam is. Brilliant green rice fields, bustling city streets, thatched bamboo huts, grand colonial buildings, exotic temples and pagodas, deserted sandy beaches, breathtaking mountain scenery, conical straw hats, colourful ethnic minorities, graceful women in ao dai tunics, delicious cuisine, luxurious hotels and resorts and much, much more, it’s all here in Vietnam.

The country can be conveniently divided into three distinct regions, the south, the centre and the north, corresponding to the three administrative regions of Cochinchina, Annam and Tonkin under French colonial rule. The north of the country was the first to be settled and is characterised by the rich farming lands of the Red River Delta. The centre contains the Truong Son Mountain Range running along the border with Laos in the west and the narrow coastal strip bordering the Eastern Sea in the east. In the south, the Mekong Delta is the country’s most fertile region and Vietnam’s major rice and fruit producing area.

The two great metropolises of the country are the elegant capital city Hanoi and the dynamic, economic powerhouse Ho Chi Minh City. Since 1993 UNESCO has declared five World Heritage Sites in Vietnam, four in central Vietnam and one in the north.

Search Hotels in Vietnam: Click to select hotelSofitel Plaza Hanoi [Hanoi]Hanoi Horison [Hanoi]Galaxy Hotel [Hanoi]Victoria Sapa Resort [Sapa]Chau Long Sapa Hotel [Sapa]Tuan Chau Resort [Halong Bay]Halong Plaza [Halong Bay]Halong Pearl Hotel [Halong Bay]Saigon Morin [Hue]La Residence Hotel and Spa [Hue]Huong Giang Hotel [Hue]Century Riverside Hotel [Hue]Heritage Halong [Halong Bay]Topas Ecolodge [Sapa]Furama Resort [Da Nang]Sandy Beach Resort [Da Nang]Royal Hotel [Da Nang]Victoria Hoi An [Hoi An]Life Heritage Resort [Hoi An]Ancient House Resort [Hoi An]Hoi An Beach Resort [Hoi An]Ana Mandara Resort [Nha Trang]Vin Pearl Resort and Spa [Nha Trang]Sunrise Resort [Nha Trang]Nha Trang Lodge Hotel [Nha Trang]Sofitel Dalat Palace [Dalat]Ana Mandara Villas [Dalat]Novotel Dalat [Dalat]Victoria Phan Thiet [Phan Thiet]Novotel Ocean Dunes and Golf Resort [Phan Thiet]Coco Beach Resort [Phan Thiet]Caravelle Hotel [Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)]Equatorial Hotel [Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)]Sofitel Plaza Saigon [Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)]New World Hotel [Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)]Majestic Hotel [Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)]Sunway Hotel Hanoi [Hanoi]Hoi An Trails Resort [Hoi An]Sofitel Metropole Hanoi [Hanoi]Palm Garden Beach [Hoi An]Melia Sunrise Nha Trang [Nha Trang]Asia Paradise Hotel Nha Trang [Nha Trang]

CAPITAL:
Hanoi
LANGUAGE:
Vietnamese, Russian, French, Chinese, English
CLIMATE:
The south has two seasons: the wet (May to November, wettest from June to August) and the dry (December to April). The hottest and most humid time is from the end of February to May. The central coast is dry from May to October and wet from December to February. The highland areas are significantly cooler than the lowlands, and temperatures can get down to freezing in winter. The north has two seasons: cool, damp winters (November to April) and hot summers (May to October). There is the possibility of typhoons between July and November, affecting the north and central areas
CURRENCY:
Vietnamese Dong
VISA:
All visitors are required to have a valid visa to enter Vietnam. A one-month tourist visa is usually sufficient for most visitors. All visitors must obtain visa approval from the Vietnamese Immigration Department before a visa is issued
HEALTH:
Visitors should be innoculated against typhoid, cholera, hepatitis A and B, tetanus and polio. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age arriving within six days of visiting infected areas. Malaria is present in most of the region and it is advisable to take precautions especially if travelling off the beaten track. Medical facilities can be limited and it is essential to take out a comprehensive medical insurance policy before travelling
PASSPORTS:
Passports should be valid for more than six months after proposed date of departure from Vietnam
TIME ZONE:
GMT +7 hours