Vietnam

Vietnam

Welcome to Vietnam

Vietnam comprises of dense forests with many hills. It is hard to find a levelled land in Vietnam, which is less than 20 % of the entire area in the country. Mountains are spread over 40 % of the total land while the tropical forests occupy over 42% of

Featured Overland Adventures in Vietnam

Country Quick Facts

Country

Vietnam is a densely populated country located on the eastern Indo-Chinese Peninsula. The water bodies surrounding the country include the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing countries with a high GDP rate. It's Central Quang Binh Province has the narrowest width – 50 kilometres across while the width broadens to about 600 kilometres in the north. Red River Delta covers the northern triangular region. The south has the Mekong River Delta, which has recorded many minor earthquakes.

Area: 331,212  km2 
Population: 96,208,984  
Capital: Hanoi 
Commercial Capital: Ho Chi Minh City

Weather

The climate of Vietnam is tropical highly influenced by the South China Sea. Climatic conditions show considerable variations in the country because of diversity in topography. The mean temperature here can falls in between 2-26° C in winter against 25-30° C in summer. Vietnam receives a generous amount of rainfall. Above 80% of the rain of the season is expected in the peak months of rainy season viz. July-August. Problems of flooding are frequent in this country owing to poor drainage. Vietnam faces many climatic disasters.

People & Language

Vietnamese, also known as Kinh people, are culturally similar to the Han people of Southern China. Known for their forgiving nature, they love to smile. They are simple people who remain calm in most of the situations. The national language of the country is Vietnamese, an Austroasiatic language that is used by a majority of the population. Earlier on, their language used Chinese character, Han. Later they adopted Portuguese alphabets, which garnered fame during the French Colonial period.  As of now, French and English are also used as a second language in this country.

Practicalities

Time: A single time zone applies to the entire country. It is written as ICT (Indo China Time).

Indo China time zone (ICT) is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. (GMT +07:00)

Electricity: Electricity in Vietnam is supplied at 220V and 50 Hz. Three types of plug systems are prevalent here: Plug type A having two flat parallel pins, Plug Type C with two round pins and Plug Type F with two round clips and two earth clips on the side. If you are from the US, Canada, or South American countries, you will need a voltage converter, as the standard voltage of your appliances would be fit for the voltage range 100-127 V.

Weight & Measurement: Metric system of weights and measurements is widely used for almost everything leaving out a few exceptions of precious metal and gems. These precious gems follow Chinese measurement systems.

Telecommunications: Internet connectivity is available in all major cities at high speed. You can even find Internet Cafes in tourist locations. You can access free Wi-Fi too- as most of the hotels or lodgings provide one. There are several cafes also allowing its customers to access free Wi-Fi.

Currency

The official currency of Vietnam is Dong with the currency code issued by ISO 4217 as VND; the currency is available in coins and banknotes. Coins are available in denominations 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, but are rarely used now. The available denominations for the banknotes are 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000, 500,000. ATMs are available in all the major cities and all tourist locations accepting a variety of credit cards and bank cards like VISA, MasterCard and  Maestro with a withdrawal limit of 200,000 dong/transaction.

Top Attractions

Food and Drink

Are you a fan of traveling? Do you love exploring the beaches and ioslands? In addition to this, are you an animal lover too? And are little confused about where to travel next? Then Indonesia is the perfect choice for you!

Culture & Lifestyle

Vietnamese culture has strong similarities to Southern China, as it had been a tributary state to China for a very long time. Buddhism is practised as a dominant religion in Vietnam. Traditional family and community values receive high priority from the people of Vietnam. Vietnamese dragon is derived from a graphic image of crocodile and snake. It is a symbolic creature in the folktales and mythological beliefs of the country. There is a myth prevailing in the country, stating that they are the descendants of a dragon and a fairy. The formal dress of Vietnam – ao dai is adorned on traditional weddings and religious festivals. Western weddings are becoming popular in the country, but Vietnamese style traditional weddings are not completely out-dated yet. Vietnam is rich in literature heritage too. Folk tales are passes down to generations by word of mouth. Mythical stories of supernatural beings, heroes, gods have also found a place in the literature. The classic traditional music, the oldest form of music of Vietnam,  originated from the northern region. In the 19th century, 

Bolero music found its place in this country's culture. Nowadays, K-pop has also become popular.
Football is the most popular sport in the country, and the national team even won awards in various international championships. Sports are popular in Vietnamese women too. Besides football, in which they dominate over Southeast Asia, some other commonly played games include badminton, Ping-Pong, tennis ball, volleyball, and chess. In recent years, even basketball is becoming widespread in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Overlanding in Vietnam

The routes of Vietnam are quite safe. Even women can smoothly go on road trips, and no physical harm is recorded. For short distances, you can rent a private vehicle for sightseeing in nearby areas. However, pay attention while driving on the roads, for a very little attention is paid to the driving rules and regulations here. A 100cc motorbike is the most rented vehicle in Vietnam by the tourists. If you want to ride a vehicle on the streets of Vietnam, it is mandatory for you to obtain a temporary Vietnamese motorcycle license.  If you desire to burn a few calories, you can go for cycling. It is easily accessible here. 

Small towns and beaches of Vietnam can be your perfect locations to show your cycling skills! If you have an inclination towards adventure while travelling around, then you can try visiting Hai Van Pass – a 21 kilometres long mountain pass situated on the border of Da Nang and Thua Thien Hue Province. The literal meaning of Hai Van is ocean cloud pass. You can reach here through National Route 1A over the mountains to an elevation of nearly 500 m. It has many twisting routes, so it is advisable to hire a local driver, but the construction of Hai Van tunnel improved safety of the travellers.

Urban Adventure in Vietnam

Chu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City

Located in Chu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City, these 121 kilometre long tunnels are an extensive network of tunnels widespread in the country. These were used in the Vietnam War for forming military strategies and camping. These tunnels also served the purpose of providing refuge to the soldiers during combats. They also facilitated the supply of armed weapons, food, and medical needs. Now, these tunnels are transformed into War Memorial Park having two display sites- Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc. Visitors are allowed to crawl in the safer parts of the tunnel. Ben Dinh is enlarged for the comfort of the tourists while Ben Duoh tunnels are still standing as they were. The location also attracts the tourist from its surface with the provision of caged monkeys and a shooting range.

Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province 

Ha Long Bay, located in Northern Vietnam, has a biodiversity of about 15 floral and 60 fauna species along with an evergreen, oceanic and seashore biosystem. The meaning of its name is descending dragon. For its significant phases of earth's history and original limestone karstic feature, Ha Long Bay was included in the list of World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Kim Que Cave (Golden Turtle Cave) is believed to be the place where the golden turtle after fighting against the monsters died. A tale in which a frog assisted all the animals to protest against the heavens for eradicating the drought prevailed at that time inspires the name of Con Coc cave (Frog Islet). Another cave with a famous story attached to it is Hang Trong Hang Trinh Nu caves (Male Cave and Virgin Cave). A beautiful woman fell for a fisherman, and on reaching the shore, the landlord forced the beauty to marry him. Then the beauty, along with her lover became an islet. Thien Cung Cave (Paradise Cave) is believed to visualise the seven-day grand marriage of dragon king.    

Vung Tai and Long Hai Beaches

Even though Vung Tau has other tourist attractions, it is mostly famous for its beaches. The colonial-era architecture is a pleasing sight to art lovers. The 32-metre high statue of Christ in Vung Tau is the tallest statue of Christ in Asia. You can easily reach here via National Highways and Regional Highways. Ho Chi Minh City Expressway can also be used for reaching this place.

Can Gio Mangrove Forests

These forests are located in Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, as listed in the UNESCO. It is a wetland situated in Ho Chi Minh City. This mangrove Wildlife Sanctuary houses many rare wildlife species. This site has more than 150 species, mainly houses mollusc, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians. The saltwater crocodile is protected here since their numbers decreased. If you visit this biosphere reserve in migratory season, you can even visit the migratory shorebirds in the mudflats and sandbanks. The essential ecological processes performed by the prevalent mangroves include coastal stabilisation, protection to the biosphere reserve against oil spills, coastal erosion, and storm surges.

Tam Coc- series of caves

Located in North Vietnam, it is declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The meaning of its name tam coc is three caves. And yes, the cave comprises of three caves namely- Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba. As this flooded cave karst system is located on the river Ngo Dong, you need to reach here by boats. The boats take off from the Van Lam Village, and this location is famous for the residents rowing the boat with their feet. The route ventures through rice fields, caves, and limestone karsts. The local women are ready to guide you through this adventure. Embroidery goods are sold here.

Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province

This reserve turned national park, declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO has complicated geological structure and underground rivers. You can reach this national park by highways, or trains or flights. If you are the one to have passion for trekking, then you can try trekking on the sloping mountains here with more than 1000 metres of height. Another adventurous activity that can surely raise your adrenaline levels is boating upwards on Chay River. This trip will take you into primitive forests, and you will be encountering numerous waterfalls of about height 50 metres. Beware of whirlpools while boating here! You will be tired of exploring the caves here for this national park has over 300 caves! A vast diversity in flora and fauna can also be found here.

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