Alfred&

Vietnam

Time difference: GMT +7

Flight time: London + 11-12 hours

Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND)

Language: Vietnamese

Electricity: 110 or 220 voltage

Telephone code: +84

Tipping: Isn’t expected in Vietnam and taxi drivers run strictly to the meter, just watch out for the rigged ones. However, if you receive exceptional service from a personal tour guide or waiter, particularly at a high-end restaurant, tip them 10 percent. When you’re visiting a spa, pay up to 20 percent directly to your masseuse if you’re pleased with the treatment.

Etiquette: Dress conservatively, particularly in temples and remove your shoes before entering a Vietnamese home. Haggling is expected in markets but always keep your cool because causing a public scene is considered losing face. Public displays of affection are also frowned upon in Vietnam. Be careful not to point your feet at any religious sites or touch someone’s head, which is considered the most sacred part of the body.

Religions: Vietnam is officially an atheist state and religious groups must register with the socialist republic government. Despite this, roughly a quarter of the population identifies with a religion and many people practise Vietnamese folk traditions. Exact figures vary but the most popular spiritual beliefs are Buddhism, Christianity and Caodaism, followed by the Hoa Hao faith.

Visas: You can look up the latest advice on https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam/entry-requirements. Please be aware that this information can change at short notice.

Vaccinations: Health facilities, hygiene and disease vary world-wide and you may choose to take the necessary vaccinations before you depart. You can find out more about Vietnam on the NHS’s Fit For Travel website.

The above averages are for Hanoi.

Vietnam is a long, skinny country with a tropical monsoon climate which varies by region. In the north it’s hot, humid and wet between May and October and you can enjoy cooler, drier weather the rest of the year. Central Vietnam can be dry and scorching from January until August, with heavy rainfall in the following months and cooler temperatures in the highlands. Be prepared for steamy humidity in southern Vietnam all year-round, with intense rainfall from May to October. Travel in January or February to experience Vietnam’s top festival, the TET New Year.

If you’re stuck for time, you could take domestic flights in Vietnam, but you’ll miss out on the local flavour and rural scenery of overlanding. There’s a decent railway network running the length of Vietnam, with a scenic stretch between Hue and Danang along cliffs overlooking the South China Sea. Take a luxury sleeper service with Orient Express Trains from Hanoi to Lao Cai for hiking in Sapa or the eastern line to Haiphong for Halong Bay, where you can take an overnight cruise. Boat trips are also common in the Cham Islands and Phu Quoc or you can traverse the Mekong Delta waterways in a traditional sampan.

Vietnam’s bus network is extensive but journeys are often torturous, blighted by loud karaoke or action films. The most comfortable options are The Sinh Tourist buses, which offer a hop-on-hop-off open ticket. Although most Vietnamese people ride motorbikes, the country’s hair-raising roads should only be attempted by experienced bikers with insurance and permits. Motorbike tours with the famous Easy Riders are a popular alternative but the easiest way to get around is by taxi, look out for reputable Mai Linh cabs. Bicycles are perfect for exploring Vietnam’s countryside, rice paddies and Hoi An, where motorised vehicles are banned.

Vietnam’s cuisine is characterised by its meaty, generously-seasoned soups, fresh spring rolls and diverse street food. Its most famous dish is Pho, especially the Hue version with beef, which is commonly eaten for breakfast. Due to the country’s French colonial roots, you’ll also find bakeries selling fresh baguettes all over the country. As the world’s second-largest coffee producer, there’s no shortage of this quality brew either, which is served Vietnamese style with condensed milk. In addition, most regions have their own draught or bottled beer, in the north it’s Bia Hoi, while Saigon Red is loved in the south.

Popular street food snacks include Hanoi’s signature Banh Mi pork sandwich, as well as freshly-fried spring rolls in the north and Bun Cha, a dish of BBQ pork patties served on a bed of cold noodles. Along the coast, there’s plenty of fresh seafood on offer. Cha Ca, white fish cooked in butter with spices and rice noodles, is a favourite or, for something lighter, try a plate of Nom Hua Chuoi, a banana-flower salad covered in zesty lime-chilli sauce. Most meals are enjoyed communally on the pavements in Vietnam, bought from carts or local vendors.

Shopping is a fine art in Vietnam and involves plenty of haggling, whether you’re ordering a tailor-made suit in Hoi An, buying a hand-embroidered purse from a village in the north or browsing the city’s jumble-sale markets for conical hats and trinkets. As a general rule, start by cutting the asking price in half and then negotiate with the seller until you reach a mutual agreement. The only place this doesn’t apply is in Vietnam’s modern malls which have set prices, albeit cheaper than western equivalents.

Regional goods range from basketware and brightly-coloured accessories straight from hawkers to locally-grown coffee and dried herbs in the highlands. In HCMC, fake army surplus gear is widely available. Expect to pay more for Vietnam’s signature goods, namely its made-to-measure outfits created by skilled tailors using quality fabrics which are sold by the metre. Tailoring services are offered throughout the country but are most famous in Hoi An.

Vietnam is an industrious country by nature, with the emphasis on rising early and working hard rather than raucous parties. However, everything stops for the country’s only true holiday, TET, which marks the lunar New Year and beginning of spring. This is the only time when you’ll see businesses completely closed for up to a week as people travel home to spend the holiday with family. You might spot peach and orange blossom trees sporting envelopes of lucky money, firework displays and dragon dances, but much of TET involves feasting behind closed doors with loved ones.

The Hoi An Lantern Festival feels like more of a tactic to drum up business rather than a local festival. Held on the 14th day of every month, it does make a photogenic spectacle though, as the ancient streets are lit by lanterns rather than electricity and monks chant in candlelit temple ceremonies. The newly-established Hue Arts festival was also created with tourists in mind and is held every two years to showcase the city’s art and cultural heritage.