Travel Tip -Travel Advice Vietnam
Amazing place to Visit?
Vietnam is a diverse and colorful country. The noisy streets are lined with makeshift stalls selling everything from food and cigarettes to electronics. Cars and motorbikes whizz around corners in the buzzing, polluted cities, while pristine mountains tower all around. For less than US$30 a day, you can live like royalty, and the tourist road is so well worn in that getting around is relatively easy. However, if you’re lucky enough to be heading to Vietnam soon, it pays to do your research. Like any overseas vacation, here is some valuable Travel Advice Vietnam.
Minimize Dealing with Bureaucracy in Vietnam and Maximise Your Fun
The most vital piece of travel advice for Vietnam is to get a visa. Almost everyone requires a visa to enter Vietnam, so without a visa, you’re unlikely even to be able to board the plane. Even if you’re going to be traveling to other countries before Vietnam, it’s a good idea to arrange your visa at least three weeks before you plan to arrive at the minimum. Ideally, arrange it before departing your home country. Like anywhere, bureaucracy in Vietnam can work against you. If you’re going to enter Vietnam by plane, a visa on arrival is often the best way to avoid too much tricky bureaucracy in Vietnam.
How easy is it to fall ill on a Vietnam Vacation?
The essential piece of travel advice for Vietnam is to stay healthy. Once you arrive in Vietnam, you’re almost guaranteed to have a good time unless you fall ill. Unfortunately, dengue fever and malaria are common in Vietnam. Protect yourself from infected mosquitoes by wearing loose clothing that covers your arms and legs. Use mosquito repellent regularly and keep away from creeks and rivers where mosquitoes are likely to breed.
How good is the water from taps?
The most helpful piece of travel advice for Vietnam is to avoid drinking tap water. Although the water quality has improved over the last few years, it is still extremely poor and far from potable. Waterborne diseases are common in Vietnam, and although not all of them are dangerous, they could definitely ruin what would have been a great holiday.
Many hospitals in Vietnam are below Western standards, and although they will help to get you in a stable condition, it can become expensive, and you will spend your time dealing with bureaucracy in Vietnam. So the best piece of travel advice for Vietnam really is not to drink the water. Not only will it make you sick, but it could also have you filling in insurance papers rather than exploring temples. Booooor-ing.
What you should look out for to avoid illness
To avoid getting diarrhea, cholera, or something even worse, make sure you have access to safe drinking water. Avoid raw foods that may have been washed in contaminated water. As well avoid drinks with ice cubes and any unpasteurized dairy products. And don’t leave home without a failsafe, sustainable method of water purification like the Sure Aqua Bottle.
Another piece of important travel advice for Vietnam is to be aware of your security. Vietnam is a developing country, and tourists make for easy targets. Ditch your vanity and wear your backpack. That way, it is much more difficult for pickpockets to do their work.
Also, place money in a minimum of two different places. Just in case you get robbed, there is a backup. It can be either cash or credit cards. Also, make photocopies of your passport and other vital documents and store them somewhere safe, away from the originals. That way, if you end up having to deal with bureaucracy in Vietnam, you can at least prove who you are.
As long as you are prepared and cautious, you will have a wonderful time in the amazing.