Going to Vietnam in November, any tips or advice?

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ong jon

be polite,as you will be treated politely , be friendly as the viets are very friendly be cautious because you cant trust anyone anywhere[sorry i'm from n.y. thats the way i was raised] . bargin hard for everything ..even cab rides..but dont get nasty or rude about it,be fair and not only will you get a fair price but you just may make a friend. be healthy before you go , airplanes are an easy place to get sick. get a tetanus shot before you go, ,take cold meds and antibiotics with you. it will rain while your there , pick up good rain gear when you arrive [any market] or a 25 cent pullover [ any street-side store ]to carry around with you. be careful on the streets , learn to walk across the intersections by watching others.. you''ll get the hang of it ,then rent a bike. take bike rides, locally. hire a moto driver to take you on day trips outside of town. party at night but not so much that you cant wake up before 8 am.. life begins very early in viet nam and make a point of being out on the street by 5am at least once in every place you visit.. it may be the best thing you do and you can always take a nap later.. plan ahead but be very flexible. this may be the most important thing because plans have a way of changing in "the nam " ..often what you improv will turn out to be more fun than what you've planned.. always have a back up plan ..always..
go through "the resolved questions" on this site for many great ideas and suggestions

Christina K

Hanoi is much more interesting and beautiful that HoChiMinh City, the old town is lovely to walk round . If you are going to HoChiMinh, visit one of the big food markets they are really great for seeing the real deal. Don't buy birds from the vendors outside temples, they are half dead in horrible little cages and as soon as you have released them the vendors re-trap them and put them back in the cage. It is very cruel. The Mekong delta is nice and interesting. China beach is a waste of time, not interesting and quite bleak. Hoi An is lovely, a really nice place to stroll round the old town and wander through the market. You must try Pho it is really quite nice and Fanny ice cream is really much, much, nicer than it sounds. Don't go down the Cu Chi tunnels if you are claustrophobic. There is a beautiful 'forbidden city' at Hue, which was a scene of heavy fighting in the war. The people are really great and very friendly.
If you have the opportunity to visit Laos as well do so, the temples are stunning.

Kimi

You shoud go to Ho Chi Minh city it's a very nice place. Also bring an extra suitcase for all the inexpansive stuff you buy there. Try not to wear to much jewelry either because someone might try to steal it from you. Also make sure that you never go alone anywhere all by yourself.Afterall you never really know what could happen Have fun!
PS: Its super hot over in Vietnam.

Nana

bring your coat for certain. It is going to be so cold in November.
try Hot Pot. it is good to taste that kind of food in such cold weather.
order you visa the sooner the better because there may be many people ordering a visa to Vietnam in the Vietnamese embassies in your country. Apply for visa on arrival if your passport is still valid 1 month.

camcam

avoid the north. because it was communist and separate from the south so it is less developed than the south. worse roads and less people talk english. that said it is beautiful up there so really the pros outway the cons. One more thing carry as little luggage as you can like a shoulder bag that way you are never separated from it.

Jacko

dont mention the war . or walk round in a stars and stripes suit .

Dont go..find a much more "american" place to visit.

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