Where to relax and what to see in Vietnam. Vietnamese cuisine and restaurants. Movement around the country

Vietnam is an amazing country with a touch of French charm. In previous articles, we have already written about holidays in Vietnam in general. Here we will touch on some interesting facts about the country, its culture and inhabitants.

1. The bulk of the population travels on scooters and motorcycles. The Vietnamese call such transport "motorbike". 3 people on one moped is not the limit; can carry large loads.
Only wealthy Vietnamese have cars, as the high tax on car imports and lack of own production makes them practically inaccessible.

2 . Traffic on the roads can seem like sheer madness, especially in big cities like Ho Chi Minh City. But in fact, this is a well-organized swarm of moto-bikers. You just need to get used to the fact that the main people on the road are people on iron horses.

3 . mini french baguettes. This insanely delicious invention of mankind came from the French colonization. What is a baguette? This is a small crispy baguette , cut lengthwise , and inside there is a choice of filling : fried egg , vegetables , fried meat or fish , fresh vegetables . Sometimes hot sauce is added on top and then it's just an amazing dish.

4 . Another interesting fact is . Vietnam is famous all over the world for its coffee, I will say more, the Vietnamese occupy a leading position in the export of coffee in the world. In Vietnam, coffee is drunk very sweet, sometimes condensed milk and lots and lots of sugar are added. Popular here and drink iced coffee, you can even meet instant ice coffee.

5 . Cheap alcohol. There are no duties on alcohol as such in the country, so it is sold here, sometimes for ridiculous money, for example, beer Saigon costs 7.000-10.000 VND ($0.3-0.5). And the same is the price of carbonated water in stores.

6 . The world's longest cable car over the sea in Nha Trang. The road connects the resort town of Nha Trang (Nha Trang) and the island of Hon Che (Hon Tre) on which there is an amusement park. Its length is 3,300 km.

7 . Vietnamese currency. The Vietnamese dong is denoted ₫ or VND. Due to rising inflation since 1987 in Vietnam, all purchases are in the thousands, as in Belarus. For example, drinking water is 5,000 VND at the current exchange rate, which is about 15 rubles.

8 . The Vietnamese love Russian tourists. A couple of times they approached us on the street and asked us where we were from, and we proudly said “From Russia“, to which the reaction was simply amazing - they began to speak Russian with us. This is due to the fact that the USSR provided active assistance to North Vietnam in American-Vietnamese war.

9 . The short stature of the Vietnamese. With my height of 1.70 m, I was often half a head taller than any Vietnamese passing by. Accordingly, all vehicles, including slip-in basses, chairs and tables in local cafes, are designed for people who are not tall. If I was comfortable on chairs, in buses with low ceilings, then my companion, 1.93 m tall, often felt completely uncomfortable: in city buses, he had to stand in a half-bent state, on tiny chairs his knees were just above the table, it was very difficult to observe funny.

10 . Sunburn in Vietnam is not held in high esteem. Sunburn here is considered the lot of beggars, do not be surprised if you see a girl in the heat of +35 completely wrapped up: in long gloves, jacket, trousers, etc.

11 . Russian and international driving licenses are not recognized in this country. But our compatriots they still successfully rent motorbikes, as there is not much such control.

12 . Russian rubles, like the euro, are not accepted in Vietnam, but the Vietnamese take dollars willingly.

13 . Vietnamese daily routine. The day for the Vietnamese begins almost at dawn, and at 6-7 in the morning life in the cities is seething. As soon as the sun hides behind the horizon at six in the evening, literally in 5-7 minutes, life slowly slows down.

Therefore, while in Vietnam, try to shift your daily routine by 2-3 hours back in order to have time to go out before the hellish hell at 12-15.00.

14 . Private ebb and flow. Don't be surprised if you don't find half the beach in the morning. The roads also disappear, for example, in Vung Tau there is a small one, during low tide it can be reached on foot, but when the tide is high, under water is the only way to the temple.

15 . The mountain town of Dalat. Due to its location in a mountainous area, the city has a sharply different climate, it is cooler here than in other cities. Going to Dalat, it is better to take warmer things with you, but not overdo it, there will be enough jackets and jeans .

16 . And the last interesting fact. Ha Long Bay off the coast of Vietnam is recognized as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

Welcome to Vietnam!

Introduction to Vietnam

(description, history, visa, customs regulations)

Vietnamese flag	Vietnamese coat of arms
official language	Vietnamese
capital	Hanoi
Largest cities	Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Hanoi
form of government	Parliamentary republic
the president	Truong Tan Shang
territory	329.560 km2
population	92.477.857 people
currency	Vietnamese dong (VND)
airline	Vietnam Airlines
internet domain	.vn
ISO code	VN
MOK code	VIE
telephone code	+84
Timezone	UTC+7

Socialist Republic of Vietnam is one of the most populous countries in Southeast Asia, located on the Indochinese peninsula! From the east and south, the country is washed by the warm, which for centuries has worn off the coast as if trying itself in the role of a capricious artist.

Vietnam lives, according to Greenwich Mean Time in the UTC +7 time zone. This means that Vietnamese time is exactly 4 hours ahead of Moscow time. Moreover, the arrows are not translated here, according to which the whole country should live according to summer or winter time. Quite recently, this was typical of Russia, but now we don’t have such a concept either. On our site you can learn about between other cities of Russia, and about

The territory of Vietnam takes only 66th place in the world ranking. Bizarrely curving, it stretched for 331.210 km² from the northeast to the south of the peninsula, defining the borders with neighboring countries. In the north and northwest, the border of Vietnam adjoins the PRC and Laos, and in the southwest it meets the territory of Cambodia.

This is an undeniably amazing country in every way!

What makes it so unique is not only the above, but also the fact that the development and politics of the country were under the rule of third-party states for an extremely long time, but although this weakened the country to a large extent, it could not completely conquer it.

Since the second half of the 19th century, Vietnam has been a French colony, which has undeniably left its indelible scars. However, a new scar will appear already during the Second World War, when new uprisings broke out in Vietnam, "fueled" by the US hatred of the communist governance structure, which is rapidly spreading throughout Southeast Asia.

In the long history of Vietnam, these were not the last wounds inflicted by bloody wars: the first Indochinese war with France (1946–1954), and the second Indochinese war with the United States (1957–1975). The Socialist Republic of Vietnam was about to face a new shock that would almost completely weaken Vietnam, which had not yet recovered from the brutal and sizzling conflicts raging in Southeast Asia. The last scar left the third Indochinese war with China, which lasted from 1975 to 1988.

Having spilled the river of blood, terrible scars remained on the modern face of the state, which are visible to the naked eye, because most of the Vietnamese shrines, temples and other attractions were destroyed, looted and, unfortunately, it is no longer possible to restore them, and those that have survived to this day are worn traces of past colonial invaders and supporters of other political views, pathetically demonstrating their dubious superiority. This is clearly visible in the entire architectural mask of Vietnam.

Having decided to visit this country, we have a quite reasonable question:? The short answer is - we need it. After that, without a twinge of conscience, we will delve into the process of disclosing this issue, because it exists as a visa-free entry to Vietnam, exactly like a visa one.

Visa-free entry is not available to all foreign nationals wishing to visit Vietnam. Citizens of the following countries can stay in Vietnam for a period not exceeding 15 days:

— Russia

— Japan

– Norway

- Sweden

– Finland

Citizens of the Philippines can stay in Vietnam a little longer (21 days) without obtaining a visa. Visa-free entry to the territory of Vietnam and the right to stay here for no more than 30 days are citizens of the following countries:

— Thailand

— Indonesia

— Singapore

— Malaysia

— Cambodia

As for Russian citizens who wish to exercise their right and rest in Vietnam for 15 days, upon arrival in the country, each citizen must present the following documents:

Documents for visa on arrival to Vietnam

1. A valid international passport, the validity of which must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of the end of the trip;

2. Return ticket, or a ticket to travel to a third country;

3. Customs declaration, which must be kept until the moment of departure from the country. Filled directly at the airport upon arrival in Vietnam.

If a tourist wants to rest in Vietnam for more than 15 days, then you will have to worry about obtaining a tourist visa in advance or apply for it right upon arrival at the Vietnam airport. When obtaining a tourist visa for Russians, it is necessary to appear at the Vietnamese consulate. They are located in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok (addresses of consulates in the article "")

Vietnam visa documents

With me:

1. Valid passport (its validity must exceed 6 months before the end of the holiday itself, planned in Vietnam)

2. Original return air tickets

3. An invitation (recommendation) letter from the Vietnamese side - Invitation letter, which is prepared by the tour operator if you used the service of a travel agency (a separate fee is charged for this, the cost is from 1000 rubles, the production time is about a week from 5 to 10 days)

4. Two color photographs 4×6 cm

5. Completed application

6. When visiting Vietnam with children under 18:

– If the trip is carried out with one of the parents:
It is necessary to obtain written consent for the departure of the child from the second parent (if the second parent is not alive, then a copy of the death certificate is provided). Mothers with the status of “single mothers” bring an extract from the registry office in the form No. 25 to the embassy. If the location of the second parent is unknown, a police certificate is provided.

– If the trip is carried out without parents:
A photocopy of consent to leave the child from both parents is required (if the parents are not alive, a copy of the death certificate is provided). If the mother of the child has the status of a "single mother", then an extract from the registry office is prepared in the form No. 25. If the location of the second parent is unknown, a certificate from the police is provided.

When obtaining a visa on arrival in Vietnam Russian tourist presents the following documents to the visa officer:

1. An invitation (recommendation) letter from the Vietnamese side - Invitation letter, which is prepared by the tour operator if you used the service of a travel agency (a separate fee is charged for this, the cost is from 1000 rubles, the production time is about a week from 5 to 10 days)

2. Valid passport, valid for at least 6 months from the date of the start of the trip

3. Two color photographs 4×6

4. A completed application form, which can be obtained directly on the plane or upon arrival at the airport in Vietnam. The application form is issued at the Landing Visa counter and is free of charge.

Obtaining a visa on arrival for Russian citizens is a free service!

Any country has its own customs rules, which every tourist undertakes to comply with when crossing the border of a foreign state. So in Vietnam, the following rules apply.

Rules for importing into Vietnam

1. It is allowed to import an unlimited number of foreign convertible currency. At the same time, if the total amount exceeds 3,000 US dollars, then the currency is subject to mandatory declaration. Vietnam's customs regulations state that more than the declared amount of money cannot be taken out of the country.

2. Duty is not charged on the import of the following goods:

- 1.5 liters of strong alcohol or 2 liters of drinks with an alcohol content of not more than 22 degrees (for example, 2 liters of wine or liquor (up to 22%));

- 3 liters of beer;

- 400 cigarettes, or 100 cigars, or 500 grams of tobacco;

- 5 kilograms of tea and no more than 3 kilograms of coffee;

- 2 cans of black or red caviar, the weight of which does not exceed 100 grams;

– All personal equipment of a tourist (expensive video cameras, laptops and other photo, video equipment) is subject to declaration, so that later there are no unnecessary problems when it is exported;

– It is allowed to carry other goods, the total value of which does not exceed 5 million VND (Vietnamese dong);

- You can not carry any drugs and medicines, which contain drugs. Without a written prescription (prescription) from a doctor for their use for health reasons, it will be impossible to bring such medicines! For these reasons, be sure to obtain permission from your doctor in advance;

– You can’t bring explosives, firearms, pornographic products or offending local culture on any media with you (be it a small harmless flash drive that you forgot to put out of your pocket by mistake);

While still on the road, while on board the aircraft, each passenger fills out a Declaration of Health. Upon arrival, each tourist is required to voluntarily undergo sanitary and epidemiological control. If after that the visitor does not show any symptoms of diseases such as AIDS, plague, tuberculosis, cholera, yellow fever and others, and all the above customs rules are observed, then you can safely cross the Vietnamese border and enjoy a well-deserved rest. Otherwise, the tourist is waiting for treatment in one of the local hospitals, and not a good rest in Vietnam.

Rules for export from the territory of Vietnam

Every tourist must remember that not all goods that he buys in Vietnamese shops and shops can be taken out of the country to his homeland. It is quite unpleasant to find out about this already at the airport, when a smiling and overly kind employee in uniform asks you to say goodbye to the thing you liked, for which a substantial amount of money was paid. Well, if it cost a penny, but when it comes to more expensive things, what to do then?

Then we suggest that you familiarize yourself, firstly, with the list of goods that will be categorically impossible to transport across the border of Vietnam:

– you can not export rare exotic animals and plants, as well as stuffed turtles

In particular, it is impossible to export various stuffed animals, bones, teeth, feathers, bird nests, bird eggs in large volumes without an appropriate permit (unless they are classified as rare, endangered, exotic). If there are too many of these things, then the tourist may be mistaken for a smuggler.

- you can not export raw corals

If you bought a processed piece of coral in a store, then be sure to ask the seller not only for a receipt, but also for a special certificate for the products sold (the product must be licensed). If there is no such certificate, then it is better to refuse such a purchase.

If a tourist bought gold or jewelry (made of gold, inlaid with precious stones), then everything that weighs more than 300 grams is subject to mandatory declaration and additional special permission from the State Bank of Vietnam is required. In addition, one foreign citizen can take out of the country no more than 5 sets of jewelry.

If antiques or works of art of artistic and historical value were bought in the store, then in order to take them out of the country, you need to take care of their documentation. You can make a purchase under a license from the Department of Fine Arts. Such licenses may be available from sellers in the store.

Secondly, always keep a receipt for purchased goods!

It is also important to remember the weight of your luggage. When flying with Vietnam Airlines, the allowable maximum baggage weight is no more than 30 kg. Aeroflot limits the weight of luggage to 20 kg.

The culture of Vietnam originates deep at the origins of Dong Son culture, which originated, as historians assure, during the Bronze Age. People of this culture ate rice and for this purpose they turned the Hong Ha River Delta into a large rice field. Dongshon, cultivating rice fields, were able to perfectly master the art of cooking delicious rice dishes. In Vietnam, rice is an indispensable dish that adorns any table!

Dong Son culture is the first civilization of Indochina. Her disappearance occurred after, when in the II century. BC e. The Chinese invaded Dongshon territory. They almost completely destroyed this culture, leaving behind fragments of the past, which are still being found by archaeologists in the province of Thanh Hoa, located in the northern central part of modern Vietnam.

With its roots, the cultural tree of Vietnam is closely intertwined not only with the Dong Son culture, but also, respectively, with the culture of China and India, thereby becoming part of the Southeast Asian cultural sphere.

In the X century after gaining independence, the territory of Vietnam began to grow. It was decided to develop the southern territories, which ended with the capture of the state of Champa or Chapma, which existed in the 7th-17th centuries on the territory of the modern central and South Vietnam, and parts of Cambujadesh - a feudal state of the 9th-13th centuries, which occupied part of the territory of modern Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos, with its center in Angkor. As a result, there were brutal meetings with local residents who did not welcome strangers to their lands. This led to the fact that the cultural tree began to gradually grow and new lush exotic branches appeared, bringing their own characteristics to the culture.

But all this is nothing compared to other powerful branches that were born on the tree during the French colonization of Vietnam. Thanks to this, the tenacious grip of European culture could not only affect the local architecture and religion based on Catholicism, but also make its own changes to the basis of writing. Turns out Vietnam is the only country Indochinese with an official script based on the Latin alphabet.

After the overthrow of the monarchy, from 1945 until 1976, the cultural tree of Vietnam finally got stronger, and now, having acquired a powerful tree camp, it finally blossomed under the influence of socialist and communist countries: the USSR, North Korea, Cuba and others.

All this was undeniably reflected in all cultural layers of Vietnamese life: literature, music, theatrical art, etc.

Literature

At present, the literature of Vietnam is presented in a mythological form in the form of legends about the Dragon Sovereign Lac Long Quan, about the birth of the first people from eggs, a heroic tale about Phu Dong, in the form of legends about the construction of the Koloa fortress, about the warrior sisters of Chung. The cycle of epic tales of the Muongs, which tells about the "Birth of Water and the birth of the Earth", has also survived to this day. Court poetry developed in the 13th-14th centuries.

The literature was supplemented by new works that literally breathed patriotism and humanism, sung in poetry, prose, and poems by Vietnamese poets, figures, and philosophers. Among all this variegation, the works stand apart:

- Nguyen Chaya, who was not just a writer, but also a statesman, philosopher, historian;

- Nguyen Binh Khiema, who in his poems sang a contemplative light and trembling love for all living things;

– Nguyen Du himself, thanks to his works, was able to bring the Vietnamese language to perfection, talking about the touching, difficult trials in the life of the simplest fragile people with a great and difficult fate;

– The poetess who used the pseudonym Ho Xuan Huong was able to disguise the many faces of human masks and masks under which true human faces hide in her frank erotic poems. Thanks to the play on words, Ho Xuan Huong gave new, unlike, idiosyncratic works that are admired to this day.

In the last decades of the 20th century, the genres of Vietnamese literature are gradually “infected” with particles from the literature of European and American countries distributed throughout the world and the prose writers Nguyen Hong (1918–1982), To Hoai, Le Luu, Nguyen Manh Tuan, poets Xuan Dieu (1916-1985), Te Lan Vien, Te Hanh, poet and playwright Nguyen Dinh Thi.

Among modern writers of Vietnam, the most popular writer is Nguyen Huy Thiep (the stories "The Winds Over Hua Tat", "The Retired General"). One of the most popular science fiction writers is Vu Kim Dung. A biologist by education, he predicted the cloning of living beings in his work “Beauty Returns”.

Dance and Music Culture

For the Vietnamese, as for many other peoples, music and dance is an exquisite way to convey their innermost feelings, emotions, so much so that no words will be needed anymore! Music is a thin thread of inspiration that stimulates people to exploits, gives hope for the best and allows you to touch what has never had a material appearance, and dance is a light shadow that colors the melody in other, more colorful tones, conveying all the subtleties even more clearly. this uncut diamond, consisting of a fountain of feelings and emotions. That is why in Vietnam there is a huge variety of musical instruments with his unique voice, peculiar only to him.

Among the oldest instruments in the museums of Vietnam can be found: a bronze drum; bamboo langkhen; stone tool "dan yes", consisting of eight carefully processed stone plates; disc-shaped four-five-string guitar; a three-string guitar is given there; two-stringed violin dan ni; bamboo flute om dit.

Theatrical art

Vietnam holds the record for the number of stage genres. The most popular spectacle among foreign tourists is the theater on the water, where tiny puppets, dancing on the floor with clever tricks of puppeteers, play whole fragments from the life of ordinary people and fairy-tale mythical characters on the water. This art form appeared in the era of the Li dynasty in the 11th century. For the theater on the water, all puppets are made by hand, all actions played out on stage are performed only to the live music of a real orchestra, and the curtain is located right on the water surface of the lake.

The beginning of the play is always the same. To the accompaniment of cheerful music and drumming, a boy doll Teu appears in a loincloth and says: “Hello everyone! I don't need to introduce myself?"

No wonder the puppet theater is located on the water. And the point here is not only that all the glare from the setting sun and colored lanterns, which are distorted, bizarrely reflected on the water surface, draw their magical landscapes, but also that water is a portal to other worlds, where I rule by my own rules. and laws alien to the human world. Water is not only a source of life on earth, but also a mirror, reflected in which you can influence your destiny. Thus, if you “play” some kind of plot that water “sees”, then you can change your fate in which there will no longer be room for those troubles that were played in the plot.

Theo, another genre of theatrical art beloved by the locals, has absorbed folk melodies accompanied by perky dances. Theo's performances are based on folklore stories, stories of popular narrative poems. Theo theater still occupies an important place in the cultural life of the Vietnamese village.

The art of opera, which found its response in the Vietnamese classical opera - Tuong, which is considered a "high" theatrical genre, did not pass by either. Speaking of “classical opera”, we imagine how the maestro waves his baton, an orchestral whisper is heard, involving us in a stream of flowing melodies, and then we hear beautiful and unique singing ... Well, classical Vietnamese opera is completely different and something unimaginable. The whole performance is based on a combination of music, pantomime, dance, poetry, acrobatics and fencing. Artists demonstrate a lot of skills, and their performance is akin to a technically complex one. circus show. With only one difference, which complicates an already difficult performance - there are no scenery, a curtain on the stage, there is not even any specific designation of the time and place of the actions unfolding on the stage. The task of the actor is to make up for all the “missing”, to oversaturate only with his game.

At the center of the tuong performance is a heroic character performing a feat in the name of the country and the emperor. Which undoubtedly brings up patriotism and love for the Motherland in young people. Tuong performances are based on the principles of grotesque, conventionality and symbolism, which can be traced in the poses, gestures, make-up, stage movement of the actors.

At the beginning of the 20th century, kai luong musical theater emerged. Kai Luong introduced many modern folk melodies into his performances and adopted a number of Western theater accessories. The musical part, the orchestra were modernized, the scenery, the curtain, the stage appeared, the acting became more natural. The repertoire was formed not only by traditional plots, but also by performances on modern themes.

Almost simultaneously with it, kitnoy appeared - “conversational drama”. This genre is close to the Western European similar genre.

Flight to Vietnam

(flights, travel time, airports)

There are many airports in Vietnam, differing in type of destination and services provided.

The following airlines operate regular flights to Vietnam:

— Aeroflot,

— Vietnam Airlines,

— Transaero,

— Qatar Airways(Qatar Airways),

– Turkish Airlines (Turkish Airlines),

— Singapore Airlines

At the peak of the season (during the tourist season), you can fly to Vietnam not only from Moscow, Novosibirsk and Vladivostok, but also from Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg and Krasnoyarsk. As for the latter, direct flights to Vietnam for tourists will be seasonal. Therefore, you can clarify this information directly with the airport employees themselves or via the Internet.

You can get more accurate information on this issue using the air ticket search form below. Here you can find cheap tickets to Vietnam on the flights that interest you the most.

Flights on regular flights Moscow-Hanoi and Moscow-Ho Chi Minh City are carried out in the evening or at night, therefore, travel time flies by.

Concerning airfare to vietnam the prices vary greatly. A direct flight, of course, will be much more expensive than a flight with transfers. average cost direct flight from Moscow to Ho Chi Minh City will cost approximately 1000 euros (40.500 rubles).

In Vietnam, there are quite a lot of motley resorts, suitable for any purpose, for every taste and budget. If you like to be in the spotlight and love to spin in the whirlpool of events, then you have a direct road to Mui Ne, where the entertainment industry is so developed that the fun can drag on even until the morning. He does not lag behind him and Nha Trang, which is literally saturated with the club atmosphere. However, in the high tourist season it’s not so easy to seep here and it’s not even the high cost of the tour, but the lack tourist spots. But this is according to travel agents. According to our data, you can get to Vietnam at any time, especially if you choose an independent holiday in Vietnam. Traveling to Vietnam on New Year's Eve a large number of not only Russian tourists, but also a solid part of European tourists.

But this is not a problem either. If you are pretty fed up with noisy, noisy hordes of curious tourists, then welcome to more secluded places in Vietnam: Phan Thiet, Da Nang, a relaxation paradise - about. Phu Quoc and in the favorite places of the "savages" in the depths of numerous coves and bays. Moreover, you can find a quiet place even in the noisiest places, because some beaches in Vietnam can be half empty even at the peak of the season.

But after all, the trip is never limited to an empty, incompetent waste of time, when in another country we deliberately lock ourselves in a hotel and do nothing but eat, drink and sunbathe. A real tourist manages to do everything to the maximum and see the country and show himself!

We also note the fact that not all resorts in Vietnam with their infrastructure will meet the high European requirements. Vietnam is a developing country that is just trying to be a hospitable hostess, trying to offer tourists not only something of their own, but also trying to meet accepted standards. Therefore, do not be surprised if, upon arrival in Vietnam, a hotel with a declared 4 * does not meet your expectations, and a nearby two-star hotel will not only surprise you with a low cost of living, but also offer much better services.

But do not be upset in advance, because even now you can choose the hotel you like online and book a room, about which you can then read all the reviews. That's why the pre-booking feature is good. To do this, in the search form below, fill in the required fields and click on the "FIND" button. After that, in the new window that opens, a list of inexpensive hotels with free apartments will be generated.

At this point, how lucky and which tour operators you will come across. A pig in a poke could be bought anytime, anywhere. It’s a pity, of course, but until overly gullible people are exhausted, those who seek to make a fortune on this will not be exhausted either.

Although, at present, another feature has been revealed - the deterioration in the quality of accommodation and service for tourists in those hotels that managed to “put together” a name for themselves in another year. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to advise anything specific!

In the meantime, you are thinking and choosing any of the resorts in Vietnam, we will try to help you with the choice.

Climate and weather of Vietnam

Speaking about the weather of Vietnam, it is impossible to say clearly that such-and-such weather prevails here in the calendar winter, such-and-such in the summer, and such-and-such in the off-season. The weather can be changeable, capricious and even treacherous. And all because this country has a rather diverse landscape.

In the north, as a rule, it is always colder, in the mountainous regions during the calendar winter the air temperature can drop below zero, and for several months real airy white snow lies in the mountains. In the south and on the islands more warm weather, which allows you to enjoy your vacation and get warm sunbathing throughout the year. Another thing is the central region, which serves as a kind of transitional canvas for mixing weather colors, there can be humid hot days and cool rainy weather, looking like our warm summer. Also, it does not heat up evenly. So, for example, in the north of the country, the sea is always colder by several degrees, and in winter time can cool down to +20"C, +22"C. In the south, especially in the region of about. Phu Quoc sea is always warm, you can swim in it all year round.

Speaking about the weather, we always conditionally divide Vietnam into 3 regions: North, Central and South. In addition, every month it brings its innovative solution to the mainland, which radically changes the weather picture so much so that in one part of Vietnam a squally wind will rage, threatening to develop into a real sea storm, and in another, on a dark night or in the early morning, a continuous a wall of rain, traces of which will instantly disappear under the scorching rays of the friendly Vietnamese sun, and in another part, these same rains can even flood certain areas. Therefore, it is important to know when it starts, so as not to reluctantly spoil your vacation.

In order for our readers to have a general idea, we recommend considering:

Sights of Vietnam

Vietnam is a great place to visit. Here you can relax both with your family and in a noisy company, armed with crazy ideas that can be implemented in almost any resort. As for, then here things are going with a bang. Most preferred for family vacation with children there will be resorts located in the south of Vietnam and on the southern islands. Here, all the resorts offer children entertaining entertainment, allowing you to fully relax not only for kids, but also for their parents. In addition, in the south, the weather is more favorable and warm, which also adds its own tangible plus to the full and comfortable rest with children in Vietnam.

For the little ones it will be interesting visit monkey islands. Cruises of this kind are not limited to a simple trip to the island in order to get acquainted with their abode. Tourists are invited to take part in fishing, visit mineral and mud springs, admire the beauty of wild places near raging waterfalls, and also visit a circus performance.

Well, what is a vacation without attractions? IN amusement park "Vinpearl Land"(Vinpearl land) it is proposed to try out a lot of attractions from the most popular to very exotic ones, admire the show of singing fountains, try yourself as skilled climbers and conquer an impromptu peak, and why not take a ride on the cable car! Diversifies rest and.

What to see in Vietnam Monkey Island

Literally in every city and resort in Vietnam there is something to see and something to admire. So for example, if you stay near Hanoi, be sure to visit Ko Loa village, where the ancient military citadel has been preserved. In the vicinity of this village there are quite a few monuments such as: Mi Thiau Temple; community house of Ngu Chieu Zi Cui; Pagoda Bao Son. A bit of mysticism will be added to the tour by such monuments as the flag tower, Ngoc Well and Ngu Sa Castle.

If you want to test yourself for strength, then welcome to, located in the village Lemat where they grow different types snakes, even those that pose a potential danger to humans, because their poison is deadly. Having become acquainted with various creeping reptiles, slaves and eat them to taste. Yes, yes, you are not mistaken. Lemat village is a major supplier of snake meat and supplies it to all provinces and major cities in Vietnam. The village is famous not only for craftsmen chefs, but for its snake healers, who, based on snake venom, carry out medical procedures and rituals. You can learn more about the sights of Hanoi from the article: ""

But being in Ho Chi Minh in the summer, you can not only relax, but also taste the most amazing and exotic fruits, since here from mid-May until the end of August an amazing healthy fruit festival. You can not only admire the displayed fruit “exhibits”, but you should definitely try them! It is very easy to do this, as the organizers of the festival monitor the observance of an important rule - all goods must be affordable. At this time in Ho Chi Minh it is extremely profitable to buy fruit and vitamin bouquets at very attractive prices, because they cost 20% or even 40% cheaper than the market value.

Continuing the conversation about the sights of Vietnam, we must mention boat cruises around the islands. At Ha Long Pier, sales agents will be happy to show you all the possible routes that go around almost all the islands. During such excursions, you will definitely be introduced to the life and craft of ordinary fishermen, whose fathers and grandfathers from time immemorial earned their bread by fishing skills. Some excursions also include a mini-fisherman's guide with the use of special Vietnamese "tricks", having mastered which you can greatly improve your result in catching sea fish. Self-caught fish will certainly be served for the evening meal.

Adventure lovers will love secret bunker(Kinh Thien), located within the city of Hanoi, which was built in 1967 according to the design drawings of Soviet specialists. All visitors can walk through the catacombs and expand their knowledge of the history of Vietnam.

Pleasing to the eye and surprisingly diverse nature. Numerous national ones will demonstrate a different world, getting into which it is impossible to remain indifferent. Thanks to the original excursions, the guides very often raise the problem of the ecological state of numerous natural monuments. This is especially the case for coral reefs, which have shrunk significantly over the last 7 years and are no longer growing. Corals are gradually dying out, while they are the exact receptors on the general ecological body of the planet Earth, judging by which one can learn about the state of the "health" of nature.

(public transport, taxi, scooter rental, etc.)

In addition to bus tours and flights, you can get to Vietnam by train. It is a pity, however, that only a few trains run on two international routes. To travel by train to Vietnam, you can buy a train ticket from Moscow to Beijing. This "pleasure" will take about a week. Having packed a suitcase, thereby finally deciding what to take to Vietnam, we decide on one of the trains:

1. Fast train "Vostok" 020Sch, Moscow - Beijing"

— departure from Moscow 23:45

– travel time: 6 days 3 hours

- Runs on Saturdays

2. Fast train 004Z, Moscow - Beijing

— departure from Moscow 21:35

– travel time: 5 days 13 hours

- Runs on Tuesdays

3. Fast train 004Щ Moscow - Beijing

— departure from Moscow 21:35

– travel time: 5 days 12 hours

- Runs on Tuesdays

4. Train 020CH Moscow - Beijing

— departure from Moscow 23:45

– travel time: 6 days 2 hours

- Runs on Saturdays

Trains 004З, 004Щ pass through the territory of Mongolia, where you can "enjoy" the monotonous landscape of the Gobi desert, and the territory of Katai. Accordingly, we will have to cross the border posts of Mongolia and China before we get to Vietnam, and this is already complicated by visa red tape. There will be several long stops along the way. During this time, tourists will have several stamps in their passports and there will be a residue from a not very pleasant trip ...

Trains "Vostok" 020SCH, 020H follow a different route, go around Mongolia. We enter a small circle, so we only cross the Chinese border on these trains.

Arriving in Beijing, we change to a train on the Beijing-Hanoi route (during tense relations between China and Vietnam, this train was canceled and then restored again). The train runs twice a week on Tuesdays and Sundays. After that, it remains to be patient for about two more days and we are there! Welcome to the capital of Vietnam - Hanoi!

It should also be understood that the humidity here is quite high. Therefore, the first impression of the country is not successful for everyone. Tourists often complain about the sticky, sultry stuffiness that sticks to the whole body, which, despite the clear sky, without any hint of rain, always causes a lot of inconvenience. You can get wet through not only during the rain, but also just being outside under the scorching sun. Therefore, not everyone can feel good in Vietnam, and the process of adaptation (acclimatization) can be largely delayed.

Upon arrival in Vietnam, we go through the usual registration procedure, and there you can already go anywhere in the country using all kinds of available transport.

In Vietnam, quite well developed transport system. Here you can both take a ride on local public transport, and set a goal to ride with the breeze on a rented car, bike or bicycle. Bicycles can be obtained free of charge at some hotels, provided that you are their guest. To do this, just go downstairs, in the lobby at the reception, a smiling girl will explain everything in detail.

By the way, the option with a scooter is much more popular. It is worth remembering that when traveling independently on a bike around the country, getting into an accident is a trifling matter. And do not think that we are exaggerating, because experienced tourists, whose driving experience exceeds 5-7 years on motorbikes, turned out to be direct participants in road accidents with varying degrees of complexity. In addition, without a helmet, you can’t get behind the wheel of a bike! Vietnamese roads are worse than Russian ones, some small pebble can bounce off, which at high speed looks like a stray bullet ...

It is also complicated by the fact that a good, solid roadway is laid only between major cities and resorts of the country, but country roads may not even know what asphalt is.

But it is worth telling about everything in order.

Taxi in Vietnam

The most surprising phenomenon is, perhaps, taxi in vietnam. Surprising because, in addition to conscientious taxi drivers, there are those who consider it their duty to rip off an extra penny from a gullible tourist. Therefore, with them it is necessary to keep an eye out! It is best to order a taxi and negotiate the cost in advance.

Usually, if you want to travel on an intercity route or around the city, then the final cost will depend on the mileage. The calculation is something like this: for the first kilometer they charge from 10,000 VND, and then the price tag is slightly reduced and for subsequent kilometers it is charged from 8,000 VND per 1 kilometer.

As for the cost of a taxi ride from Hanoi airport to the city and from the city to the airport, the price will be different. For such a service, taxi drivers charge from 250,000 VND to 400,000 VND. Again, we agree in advance on the cost of the trip, otherwise we loaded into a taxi with the thought of one price, and, unloading, we were dumbfounded by the fact that the price tag for some unknown reason soared up.

Also popular with tourists bicycle taxi (or cycle rickshaw).

But this is for those tourists who like to travel light and prefer slower driving to enjoy the sights and diversify their vacation, because this type of transport cannot be called practical. More often, taxi drivers on rickshaws bring tourists far from picturesque places, but without a twinge of conscience, lay a route through popular and expensive outlets. For such a “curve” route, they receive a certain percentage of sales. What is remarkable is that literally 2-3 years ago this taxi cost a penny, but now, due to the increased popularity, taxi drivers have begun to raise prices. The real cost of a trip on this type of transport does not exceed 10,000 VND. But for a cycle rickshaw ride, someone demands VND 100,000 from tourists for an hour's ride. Therefore, before you get on a cycle rickshaw and get comfortable, negotiate the price in advance!

Mototaxi, as we said a little earlier, this is a very convenient mode of transport, but it is just as dangerous. The average cost of a single trip from point A to point B does not exceed 15,000 VND. If a tourist makes it clear that his route will be long and it is important to visit several places within, say, a day, then he will be kindly offered his services at a very reasonable price. So, never accept such an offer! For even if the price suits you and will be agreed in advance, then the final “payback” will still be different, since the taxi driver will demand an additional fee from the tourist for “downtime”. The price for a simple, as a rule, is always very high and exceeds 30% of the total cost for the transport service.

Public transport in Vietnam

bus the network in Vietnam is very well developed. You can plan a route to anywhere in the country. Tickets are not expensive, but there are a lot of nuances here, without which the tourist risks paying many times more than required.

The ticket price depends on the length of the route, and bus services between cities cost around 7.000 VND. Routes within the city do not exceed 5.000 VND. Payment is made directly on the spot at the time of boarding. We recommend that all tourists prepare a trifle in advance, otherwise the fussy conductor simply will not give change from a large bill, citing the fact that he does not understand your English, he does not have trifles, and so on. In addition, a child ticket is cheaper than an adult, but the conductors can charge for a child ticket as for an adult. It is useless to prove to the conductor that his calculation was wrong. It is better to pay the entire amount at once without change, than to suffer and argue with the conductor later.

As for routes. In Hanoi, bus number 7 runs from the airport to Kim Ma station, and bus number 17 runs from Hanoi airport to Long Bien station.

The most unusual and, perhaps, the most exotic will be a trip to the so-called Sleeping basses(Sleeping bus). On buses with an equipped bed and air conditioning. Usually their route is very long. For example, the bus runs from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) with numerous stops. The road is also delayed due to the difficult situation on the roads, because a very common occurrence among traffic participants is ignoring all traffic rules. Sleeping places in such buses are located in two rows, like a reserved seat car. True, this type of transport is designed for not very tall people who are not overweight. Otherwise, the trip will be inconvenient and uncomfortable. You can buy a ticket for such a bus directly at the hotel. If the hotel does not sell such tickets, then you will definitely be consulted and told where they can be purchased. Usually, private travel companies in Vietnam (sinh tourist site: www.thesinhtourist.vn) are engaged in this type of transportation, and it is better to buy a ticket, of course, directly from them or at any of their branches, which are spread all over major resorts. Intermediaries can significantly drive up the price.

About 3 years ago, know-how among tourist carts started in Hanoi. This electric vehicles.

Buses are electric, environmentally friendly and look very funny. The number of passenger seats does not exceed eight. Buses run along a predetermined route, 7 kilometers long to the final station, located on the northeastern part of the Lake of the Returned Sword. The route is purely touristic, as it was put into operation in order to familiarize tourists with the main sights of the city. You can take the bus only after purchasing a ticket in advance and at any of the stops. The cost of such transport is approximately 15.000 VND.

In addition to the above, within the country there is also a well-established water transport. Of course, this pleasure is relaxing and more designed for tourists, because the locals prefer to dissect on motorbikes or use buses.

Rent a car and motorbike in Vietnam

Do you want to rent a car in Vietnam? We’ll say right away: “Do you need it?” Of the cars on the roads, only taxis flicker. As we have repeatedly said, the situation on the roads of Vietnam is extremely tense. Almost all "fly" on the roads as rabid without observing the rules of the road. Why "ride with the breeze" with all the desire will not work. For tourists there is a special service - car rental with a personal driver. But be warned, traffic jams are common. For passenger cars, the extreme left lane is allocated, but it is often “clogged” with nimble scooters.

The cost of renting a car with a personal driver does not exceed the amount of money given for a simple car rental and is approximately 250.000 - 400.000 VND per day.

The best and most common transport in Vietnam is a motorbike (scooter), bicycle. Between cities it is better to travel by bike, if you like an active form of recreation, by scooter, by taxi (which will cost a pretty penny), by bus. The fastest way, of course, is by plane, but why would a tourist who wants to get to know the country fly across the country by plane? Another thing is if the trip to Vietnam is purely business in nature and time becomes equivalent to money.

You can rent a scooter or bike literally at every step. This is not difficult. The cost of renting a scooter per day is from 140.000 to 250.000 VND. The cost of renting a bike per day is 50.000 - 70.000 VND.

Documents for car rental in Vietnam

From the point of view of Vietnamese law, it is impossible to rent a bike without a Vietnamese category “A” license! But this is the most common ban that tourists violate, because many companies issue bikes without any obstacles. Therefore, most tourists ride bikes without documents.

To get a scooter for personal use for a certain period, tourists may be required to submit the following set of documents:

- International passport

– Rights (Russian and if any, international rights are provided)

No documents such as an act of acceptance of the transfer of rented vehicles are drawn up. Therefore, if suddenly they start demanding money from you for some scratches, dents that were left on the case through no fault of yours, then pay at a fixed, agreed rate and just leave.

Another point, due to the increasing cases of theft of bikes from under the noses of tourists, some companies require a passport to be pledged. This precaution goes beyond all bounds, because the passport may not be returned until the tourist puts on his paw in excess of the amount he owed. Reimburse the full cost of the stolen scooter and still have to stay. If a tourist begins to resent, then they frighten him with the police and threaten to complain to them, because the tourist was driving around the city without a license.

Some useful travel tips

Tips for renting a bike

1. You cannot drive a bike without a helmet. This applies not only to the driver, but also to his passenger. They can be fined for this, although they will not be required to show the right ...

2. When choosing a scooter, do not focus on it appearance. Outwardly, the scooter can sparkle and look like new, but the filling will be just rotten ... The most important thing is its "driving" qualities. The scooter must first of all be serviceable! It would be nice to take a test drive and take a test drive. Check everything: brakes, speedometer, the amount of gasoline in the tank (it must be full), suspension (they are completely “killed”), check if there are external damages (the fewer there are, the less problems with the return), is the horn working, everything whether the mirrors are in place and so on.

3. Traffic in the city is limited to 30 km / h, or even less. Although you won’t be able to go faster, it’s scary to drive outrageously in such road ant chaos.

4. On your first trip around Vietnam, try to stay on the side of the road and do not repeat the "exploits" of experienced scooters who almost without slowing down bypass the next intersection.

5. If you become a participant in an accident, then consider yourself automatically guilty, if only because you simply do not have a Vietnamese license.

6. Don't forget to use a rear view mirror if your scooter has one at all.

7. You can not park wherever you please. For arbitrary parking near some shop or shop when returning to the scooter, a tourist can be charged a certain amount of money for the right to park in this place.

8. Be careful on Vietnamese roads and turn your head 360"!

Communication and communication

Vietnam is not so well developed tourist country, so not all parts of the country have a working Internet. In a number of hotels, even if there is Wi-Fi, it works on its last legs.

However, the situation is improving every year. Currently, in the largest resort cities of Vietnam, there are practically no problems with interruption of the Internet and telephony, and, by leaps and bounds, due to the high tourist demand, Internet cafes and clubs have popped up on every corner.

As for telephone communications in Vietnam, only 4 mobile operators offer their services

1. Viettel
2. beeline
3. vinaphone
4. mobifone

You can buy a local SIM card at any corner. It is not expensive and after activation, there will already be a certain amount of money on the account, allowing you to enjoy the long-awaited communication with your family.

By the way, it is better for tourists in Vietnam to call Russia on their own, since a call back from Russia to Vietnam is extremely expensive. The price difference is quite significant. A minute of conversation with Vietnam exceeds 70 rubles, and a minute of conversation with a local SIM card will cost between 5-10 rubles.

Read more about telephone communications in Vietnam in the article ""

Coming to Vietnam, many tourists may face a serious problem - misunderstanding. It is very difficult to get through to staff who do not understand us well. Of course, in the largest and most popular resorts and hotels among tourists, the staff speaks English quite well, but such a miracle is far from possible everywhere. What to do then? Then save, which contains all the most commonly used phrases for all occasions. If necessary, you can print it and always carry it with you.

The cuisine of Vietnam is a kind of vinaigrette, where several types of dishes from the national cuisine of China, France, and India are mixed at once. Among the varied menu, you can easily find Russian restaurants with borscht, dumplings, dumplings, boiled potatoes with salted herring in oil with onions, mashed potatoes with a cutlet, which are fed up in Russia, and so on.

But we are not going to Vietnam to eat what we eat in our homeland. Give us exotics, but more! And there are no problems with this very exotic: fried crocodile meat, shark fin baked in foil, snake-podkolnaya cooked on an open fire, fried locust and some strange bugs, turtle soup, tender frog legs with vegetables, and terrible but the fact is dog meat.

All this is served with a good portion of incredibly tasty rice with a spicy oyster appetizer in the form of Rau Muong herb fried with garlic!

Almost no Vietnamese dish is complete without rice. Rice is like our potatoes or bread. Without it, nowhere! Any seafood, roasts, vegetable casseroles, marinated meats and spicy sauces are all served with rice as a side dish. It is customary for the Vietnamese to “reorder” rice that runs out, which is what the locals do, and our tourists do not even think of repeating it.

But the most important difference between Vietnamese cuisine is that everything must be fresh! Any seasoning, spicy herb, meat, ryab, seafood, vegetables and fruits that are the ingredients of the dish - everything must be fresh! What's more, the Vietnamese prefer to use as little oil as possible and don't over-fry (or don't heat-oil at all) additional ingredients for complex compound dishes. They would rather marinate the same meat for a longer time in a spicy-spicy marinade than overcook or start preparing a dish of stale or frozen meat or fish. And this directly indicates that Vietnamese food is healthy and not very high in calories. True, if you overeat all this yummy, then do not expect anything good from it.

At first glance, it is impossible to distinguish Vietnamese cuisine from Asian cuisine. And there is nothing surprising in this. The closeness and commonality of the Vietnamese and Chinese cultures has an effect. Therefore, the most delicious sushi, rolls can be found not only in China, but also in Vietnam. Everything is fresh and amazingly delicious.

What else is remarkable and famous for Vietnamese cuisine?

Of course, delicious and at the same time with this equally smelly nuok-mam fish sauce! It is added to many dishes. By the way, boiled rice is also seasoned with this sauce, which makes a simple rice "porridge" incredibly tasty. The most delicious and excellent sauce is prepared on about. Phu Quoc. Many tourists specially go to Phu Quoc for this sauce. Although this stinking miracle is done quite simply. Fish fry are placed in larger containers or barrels and sprinkled with salt. All this puff slave-salted "pie" languish in the scorching Vietnamese sun for several months. You yourself understand that while the fish rots and rots in the sun, “juice” is released, which later becomes the very excellent nuok-nam sauce.

Let's not forget to mention Pho soup, which is found in different variations and is just as popular in Vietnam as our cabbage soup. It can be both with beef and with any other meat. Its main ingredients are necessarily rich meat broth, rice noodles, vegetables, a lot of greens (although in some cafes and restaurants greens may not be put so much), ginger for spiciness, onions, cilantro and other spices, depending on the whim and imagination of the chef -chefs.

Vietnamese cuisine Soup Pho Bo

There was Pho soup in the appendage with mushrooms, which turned out to be superfluous and somewhat spoiled the taste of the soup. Still, mushrooms strongly “lubricate” the aroma, wedging with their uninterrupted note into the overall composition. You may come across different names Pho soup, although its name depends on the “filling”: Pho soup with beef - Pho Bo, with chicken - Pho Ga, with mushrooms Pho Chai.

Don't miss Nam pancakes made from rice flour. This is another yummy treat you can't help but love. Any ingredients can be wrapped in pancakes: seafood (royal prawns, shellfish, etc.), vegetables, various combinations with meat and cheese, herbs and spices are used. More often, stuffed pancakes are fried, but sometimes they are served without heat treatment, as in the picture. Which is also very tasty.

Vietnamese Cuisine Pancake Nam

Having been oversaturated with Pho soup, which the Vietnamese eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Nam pancakes, you can taste another masterpiece with a multifaceted rich taste - this is Boon Bo Nam Bo rice noodles! Boon noodles seasoned with nuok-nam sauce (or a bowl of sauce is brought along with the noodles) is served with meat, nuts and vegetables. It all looks beautiful and simple, but it is eaten so quickly that you do not have time to notice where everything has gone...

A more refined and expensive dish is crab. Exclusively crab, not lobster, which largely loses to the favorite of the tasty race - crab. Self-respecting restaurants and street cafes will never get a dish of stale crab. Prepared exclusively from freshly caught! This is the basic rule, otherwise, all other frauds in the kitchen with stale crabs are equated with blasphemy.

(currency, addresses and opening hours of shops, what to buy, souvenirs, gifts, etc.)

First, before moving on to revealing the issue of souvenirs and other spontaneous purchases made by tourists, it is necessary to decide how much money to take to Vietnam. And secondly, it is important to remember a number of secrets that will help you make the most profitable purchases.

How much money to take to Vietnam

Let's start with the fact that for each individual tourist vacationing in Vietnam, the calculation of the budget is based primarily on his personal preferences. Some people like to light up until the morning, others love to plan solo travel around the country, others are overly thrifty and will not make any unnecessary gestures if it is not included in the main tourist package, the fourth want to try everything at once, and the fifth join the ranks of frantic shopaholics sweeping everything that is necessary and not necessary from the shelves of souvenir shops. That is why it will not be possible to give a clear answer to the question posed earlier, although it is still possible to reveal averaged data.

Thus, for a completely comfortable week-long vacation in Vietnam with minimal entertainment costs (2-3 excursions, visiting a water park, etc.), accommodation and food will take no more than $ 350 - 450 per person. From this money, you can also carve out a few dollars to buy souvenirs, clothes, leather goods, textiles and other dust collectors that serve as a reminder of the happy days lived in the sultry Vietnam.

But it also happens that not all tourists can meet the financial limits set above. This is explained by the fact that, firstly, it is not in vain that they say: “How much money you take with you, you will spend as much”, and secondly, any tourist is distinguished by curiosity and trustfulness, which is used by smiling and extremely friendly Vietnamese. When we come to rest, we are accustomed to liberate ourselves, not to notice the negative glare that periodically flashes in a heaped crowd of our own kind and carefree.

A flickering negative awaits the tourist always and everywhere, especially in Vietnam. Vietnam is generally famous for its bad temper, because petty deceptions, thefts and swindles flourish here, which every year become more and more sophisticated. We somehow already talked about this in the article "" and tried to talk about all the features of recreation in this country. They even compared, trying to determine where it is better to spend your vacation.

But this unpleasant moment is unable to completely blur the overall positive picture obtained as a result of being in Vietnam. And so that our readers keep their ears open, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the main useful tips for tourists that will help save some of the money.

Tips for tourists in Vietnam

1. Never buy souvenirs during sightseeing tours. In such outlets through which the main tourist routes, jack up the price a lot. The price difference can exceed 200.000 - 400.000 VND, and the total markup on the goods exceeds 100%.

2. Buying seafood is best in the evening or at night. fish markets. Here all the products are not only fresh, but also very affordable. However, remember that the locals are sold goods at a normal price, while the tourist will always be told the price is much higher.

3. Therefore, we always bargain! The highest prices are from street vendors and those sellers who sell goods on the beaches.

4. When buying something in large supermarkets, do not forget to check the price tag and calculate the total amount of goods put in the cart or basket. It turns out that tourists are easily deceived here. The seller at the checkout can punch the same product several times, when weighing the goods, the calculation is carried out according to pre-recorded price tags, of course, they can weigh, shortchange. And all this is done with a sweet smile on your face.

5. When buying any things, it is important to at least roughly know their market value. This will make it much easier to bargain with smart sellers. not so high. This is exactly what those who deliberately overestimate the cost of their goods are counting on.

6. When traveling around the country, keep an eye on your pockets. Pinchers skillfully clean the pockets of tourists so much so that the loss is discovered only after some time, and there are no traces to be found there.

7. The Vietnamese easily target and single out a potential “victim” from the crowd. Therefore, the simpler you are dressed, the less expensive accessories, jewelry and expensive equipment, the less problems you have.

This, of course, is not all. The list can be expanded many times over. We have given only the most common examples of deceit and gave the most trouble-free advice to tourists.

Now it's time to talk about. But first, let's remind readers that it is best to pay for purchased goods in local currency. However, there may be some nuances here. The thing is, they can look a lot alike. A similar problem was encountered by tourists vacationing in Egypt. Egyptian banknotes are all bright and seem completely indistinguishable from each other. So it is with Vietnamese money. The 100,000 VND note is similar to the 10,000 VND note. It is not difficult to guess that many tourists at dubious currency exchange points have been deceived in this way more than once.

What currency to take to Vietnam

While still at home, exchange rubles for dollars, and upon arrival in Vietnam, you can exchange dollars for the local currency - Vietnamese dongs.

It is very difficult to find a favorable exchange rate that allows you to exchange rubles for dongs. It is much easier to exchange dollars. In addition, in local shops, cafes and other places of mass congestion of tourists, you can pay with dollar bills. They are willingly accepted.

Paying with the euro is a thankless task. Too much is lost.

Using any public transport, it is important to pay for the fare only in local currency, so as not to miscalculate and not overpay.

What to buy in Vietnam

As for other frequently bought goods in Vietnam, these are certainly souvenirs: magnets; figurines; ceramic products and utensils; local national ceremonial and traditional everyday Vietnamese clothing; shoes and hats; leather products (crocodile, snake); branded clothing made at local factories (Adidas, Nike); bijouterie; jewelry inlaid with precious, semi-precious stones and pearls; silk products (bed linen, paintings, fans, decorative umbrellas); clothing made from natural fabrics (linen, cotton) sold at low prices in local markets; Exotic fruits; handicrafts from bamboo, cane; various sweets; green coffee and tea; small and large household appliances and much more. You can't list everything! Vietnam is akin to Thailand, it opens up a lot of opportunities for tourists, which can be realized at affordable and attractive prices. All this can be bought not only in the markets, but also in decent ones.

You can talk about Vietnam endlessly, because this is one of those countries that will forever remain in the memory of tourists. Vietnam is another Asian fairy tale that always hides several tricky mysteries, which only the most inveterate and inquisitive tourist who has traveled all over the world can solve!

We wish all our dear readers to join the flow of fascinating travels and join the ranks of those who were able to mark on the map another country they visited!

Have a nice trip, bringing unforgettable, indelible impressions and emotions!

Vietnam is notable for its beautiful nature, ancient temple complexes and quality hotels with good service and low prices. The capital of Hanoi and bustling Saigon-Ho Chi Minh, Halong Bay and the resort of Phan Thiet - all about Vietnam: weather, reviews, tours and maps.

• Hot tours to Vietnam
• Tours for May Worldwide

There is an opinion that Vietnam is the same Thailand, only more natural, not so "captured" by tourists. In fact, these are two completely different countries, each with its own chips, and in Thailand there are very wild corners, and in Vietnam - resorts with the most advanced infrastructure. The real Vietnam is the ancient temple complexes of bygone civilizations and the natural beauties of national parks, healthy and tasty food, the cheapest diving in the world and resorts with a distinct European flair: after all, a former French colony. In addition, here you can nostalgia for the recent socialist past: the flag - well, almost like our former one, and there are pioneers in ties, and even the leader in the mausoleum.

If Vietnam magically suddenly found itself closer to Central Russia, the tourist flow to this country would certainly increase many times over. After all, among the tangible disadvantages of this direction is only a long and, therefore, expensive flight. Everything else is a solid plus: an unusual and exciting "excursion", beautiful beaches with ample opportunities for outdoor activities, an extensive and high-quality hotel base, low prices in hotels, restaurants, and excursions.

Regions and resorts of Vietnam

For convenience, Vietnam can be divided into three major regions: North, South and Center. Northern Vietnam is the most ancient part of the country with many sights, tea and coffee plantations, nature reserves and Hanoi, the capital, where West and East are surprisingly mixed. The best time for rest is spring.

Central Vietnam is famous for its long beaches, pleasant climate almost all year round, beautiful views, hangouts of Da Nang and ancient temples of Hue .

The South is the heart of the economy. Here lies the largest city of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh, and in it - expensive hotels, the best restaurants, numerous shops and other benefits of civilization. The main resorts of the south are luxurious Phu Quoc, youthful Nha Trang and more peaceful Phan Thiet. More information about the tourist geography of the country is described on the page "Cities and resorts of Vietnam".

Time difference with Moscow

4 hours

• with Kaliningrad

• with Samara

• with Yekaterinburg

• with Omsk

• with Krasnoyarsk

• with Irkutsk

• with Yakutsk

• with Vladivostok

• with Severo-Kurilsk

• with Kamchatka

Climate

About a third of Vietnam is located at a level of 500 m above the sea, so the climate there is subtropical, and in areas above 2000 m it is even temperate. From April-May to October, the southeast monsoons bring warm and humid weather to the country - except for areas protected by mountains.

In the south of Vietnam (from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet), two seasons can be distinguished - wet and dry. The first traditionally lasts from May to November, the rainiest months are June-August. The second usually starts in December and ends in April. For European tourists, this is the most favorable time. "Velvet" months - January and February: soft sun, refreshing sea water. From late February to May there are hot days without rain.

The best time to visit Vietnam when rain is least likely is from April-May to October-November.

Climate Central Vietnam(from Nha Trang resort to ancient capital Hue): from February to August - it is clear, rains are rare, the temperature is +30...+35 °C. Mid-December - heavy rains, in October-November, typhoons are possible in the Da Nang and Hue region, the temperature is +20 ... +28 °C.

In the north of the country (from Hanoi to the seaside resort of Halong), the winter and summer seasons are more clearly marked than in the south. Winter, cool and wet, lasts from November to February, in February and March it constantly drizzles "fun". From May, the summer season begins abruptly: high humidity, temperatures up to +40 ° C.

Visa and customs

Russian citizens arriving in Vietnam for up to 15 days do not need a visa, provided that they do not leave the country during this time, and you can rest on Phu Quoc Island without a visa for up to 30 days. But in both cases, it is worthwhile to pre-arrange a health insurance policy for the entire duration of the trip.

• Is the hotel reservation an invitation when applying for a visa to Vietnam

How to get to Vietnam

From St. Petersburg you can get to Vietnam only with a transfer in Moscow, Europe or Asia, but from Vladivostok to Hanoi you can fly directly by Vladivostok Air (1 flight in 2 weeks).

Two low-cost airlines fly from China, Laos and Cambodia to Vietnam at once - Air Asia and VietJet Air.

Two daily trains run between China and Vietnam: Beijing - Hanoi (from 304 USD, travel time - 37 hours) and Nanning - Hanoi (from 37 USD in a double compartment, travel time - 11.5 hours). Both trains leave China in the evening and arrive in Hanoi in the morning. Prices on the page are for August 2018.

Find flights to Vietnam

Transport

Domestic flights are excellent for moving between cities scattered around different parts of Vietnam. Prices are low, with tickets starting at VND900,000. You can travel by train, they are quite convenient. It takes about 30 hours to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, during which time the whole country will fly past the windows. Buses are the most budget option for traveling around Vietnam, but it is better to use them for short distances, otherwise it will take too much time.

Car and moped rental in Vietnam

Those who are accustomed to renting a car in distant countries should think about it - traffic in Vietnam is poorly organized, rules are rarely followed, getting confused in signs and interchanges is a couple of trifles. In addition, for independent driving, you will have to issue a local driver's license, and they are issued only if you have a visa for 3 or more months. The solution may be to rent a car with a local driver.

But to rent a bike or moped, you don’t need a license. But this option is suitable for small resorts with low traffic, it’s better not to stutter about moped rides in Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City without decent driving skills in Southeast Asia.

• What documents are required to rent a car in Vietnam

Communication and Wi-Fi

On mobile communication in Vietnam, tourists rarely complain. It is inexpensive and covers almost the entire country, including small towns and villages. Local calls cost from 1700 VND per minute, a nice bonus - there is no roaming in Vietnam, you can use one SIM card in any city, a call to Russia will cost from 3000 VND per minute.

Everything is good in Vietnam and with the Internet, especially in large cities. Mobile Internet is often faster and more convenient than hotel Wi-Fi, but it needs to be connected separately, details are on the package of the SIM card. The speed and tariffs of the operators are approximately the same, which eliminates the pain of choice. Free Wi-Fi is available in almost all hotels and restaurants.

Vietnam Hotels

In the major cities of Vietnam, the choice of hotels is the most diverse - from mini-hotels to luxury establishments. Their service is generally average. European level. Type of food - breakfast (most) or half board, the all-inclusive system is practically not found here. The buffet is extremely varied. All rooms from 3 to 5 "stars" are equipped with air conditioning, satellite TV and telephone, more expensive options also include bathrobes, hairdryers, tea and coffee making facilities, safes and minibars.

Accommodation prices are kept at approximately the same level throughout the year. A night in a luxury hotel in Hanoi will cost from 1,850,000 VND per day for a double room, in a four-star hotel - from 740,000 VND, in a good three-star hotel - from 200,000 VND, and staying overnight in a hostel will cost from 80,000 VND per day per person.

Mains voltage 220 V, frequency 50 Hz. Plugs generally have flat connectors. Rooms in many hotels are equipped with universal sockets, which will accept plugs of almost any configuration. If necessary, the hotel staff will find the right adapter.

Money

The monetary unit of the country is the Vietnamese dong (VND), in 1 dong 10 hao or 100 su. Current exchange rate: 1000 VND = 2.82 RUB (1 USD = 23212.98 VND, 1 EUR = 26062.97 VND).

It is better to go to Vietnam with dollars and euros, the dollar exchange rate is a little more profitable, but for small amounts the difference is insignificant. Rubles are rarely accepted and little is given for them. Currency can be exchanged at banks, exchange offices, jewelry stores, travel agency offices, markets and even at airports - the rate is approximately the same everywhere, there are practically no extortionate markups. But street money changers can cheat and give out 10,000 VND instead of 100,000 VND in the expectation that the tourist will not notice the difference.

Note to the paranoid: Vietnamese dong banknotes are made of thin plastic, it almost does not wrinkle and is not afraid of sea water. You can safely swim with a "patty" in a secret pocket of swimming trunks.

How to avoid problems

Vietnam is one of the safest places in Asia, but even here you should be wary of pickpockets and scammers. The latter are found in a variety of places - a scammer may be an officer at the border demanding money for a free visa, an unfortunate pedestrian who suddenly materialized under the wheels of a bike with a tourist behind the wheel, unscrupulous hoteliers and sellers.

As for everyday life, you should not drink tap water, it is better not to order drinks with ice in small cafes, do not lean on unusual food and fruits at the beginning of the trip, and keep yourself in hand in the presence of alcohol.

What other troubles can happen in Vietnam, how not to turn your body into a continuous crimson fire, where to change money and buy a SIM card, how not to lose the favor of local residents, and also where to run and call in case of trouble, is described in the article “How avoid trouble in Vietnam."

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Vietnam beaches

Vietnam stretches from north to south along the shores of the South China Sea - there are incredibly many beautiful beaches in the country. Some have popular resorts and vibrant nightlife, others are ideal for extreme recreation - surfing, kiting or diving, and still others are magnificent for their wildness and desertedness. Almost all the beaches of Vietnam are sandy, but in some places there is a pebble coating.

Within the boundaries of cities and resorts, most of the beaches are municipal, with free entry, changing cabins, showers and washbasins, sand is regularly cleaned and garbage is removed here, and umbrellas and sunbeds will cost a ridiculous 320,000-60,000 VND per day (you need to bargain). The pages “Beach holidays in Vietnam” and “Beaches of Vietnam” will help you choose your strip of soft sand and gentle sea.

• Where in Vietnam you can combine beach and sightseeing holidays
• Which resort in Vietnam is best for windsurfing

Diving

Diving in Vietnam is one of the cheapest in the world. At the same time, it is really interesting and organized at a quite decent level. There are many interesting dive sites off the coast of the country. The best in this regard are Nha Trang, Hoi An, the islands of Con Dao and Phu Quoc. In addition to a wide variety of corals, you can see all kinds of mollusks, cuttlefish, octopus, squid, clown fish, moray eels, pufferfish, groupers, manta rays and barracudas.

Most right time for diving - the period from October to April. best season for diving in Nha Trang - February-October, and on the island of Phu Quoc - from November to May. Near Nha Trang there are famous diving sites: Moray Beach, coral reef"Rainbow" and many islands near the resort.

The Con Dao Archipelago National Reserve consists of 14 islands and is located 300 km from the coastline. There you can meet very rare mammals - dugongs (sea cows), large green turtles and many endemics - animals and plants that do not live anywhere else.

Beautiful Vietnam

shopping

Cuisine and restaurants of Vietnam

The best photos of Vietnam

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Legends and history of Vietnam

Here is a brief digression into the intricate history of the Vietnamese people. For more than three thousand years BC, the dragon king Lac Long Quan ruled the lands of present-day Vietnam. Once, puzzled by the continuation of the family, he decided to ask the hand and heart of the fairy bird Au Ko. The beauty was not slow to accept the offer and gave birth within the prescribed time ... a bag in which 100 eggs were found, and one heir-progenitor of 100 Vietnamese genera came out of each. Whether the lady hatched offspring or placed the offspring in an incubator - history is silent, but since then every self-respecting Vietnamese speaks of himself as "a child of a dragon, a grandson of the gods." The end of the story is very modern: after a while, the couple separated - Lak Long Quan chopped off half of the sons and went to sea with them, and Au Ko took the remaining fifty and went to live in the mountains. How true Lev Nikolaevich remarked about happy and unhappy families!

To understand the secret of Vietnam's charm, look at any house in a small Vietnamese town. Here it stands, with a narrow, literally 3-4 meters facade, stretched away from the road (the fact is that families here are allocated not an area for houses, but a footage along the street, and quite a bit), two- or three-story. The façade is very ornate, even, perhaps, somewhat variegated; the double-leaf doors across its entire width are hospitably wide open. Above the entrance, evoking vague memories of the "Twentieth Congress of the CPSU", a red flag with a gold star in the center flaunts. One floor above is a small altar with a dark bronze Buddha dormant surrounded by smoking incense. And at the very top, on a tiny balcony entwined with something with small pink flowers, the marble-white Virgin Mary humbly bows her head.

Guides in Vietnam

Entertainment and attractions

Vietnam is ready to please its guests with many diverse entertainments: from elephant riding, visits to snake restaurants with crocodile sanctuaries, national parks and fishing to casinos and nightclubs. The highlight of the country's excursion program is the Ku Chi partisan tunnels, but besides them, there are more than enough sights here.

Vietnam is an attractive country, but only for lovers of Southeast Asia. Those who do not like, for example, Thailand (it turns out that there are some), this country is also unlikely to appeal.

Compared to its neighbors, Vietnam seems to be more socially equitable. There is no such horrendous poverty, although the majority of the people live in poverty. The country is still considered socialist. I do not know all the achievements of socialism, but the children walk around in pioneer ties and with joyful smiles. And the smile of a child, you see, says a lot.

Vietnam offers visitors a good rest. Tourists mainly combine beach accommodation (with all the attributes of water activities) and educational excursions (natural, historical and folklore).

Vietnam is attractive to Russians for its low cost. Here you can eat very inexpensively and tasty. In addition, many manufacturers of the world's most famous brands have opened their factories and factories in Vietnam. Accordingly, the cost of these brands here is much lower than anywhere else.

The main cost of a holiday in Vietnam is the flight, so if you're lucky enough to find cheap promotional tickets, I advise you to buy them boldly. Holidays in Vietnam will not disappoint. This country will provide a warm sea, bright sun, fresh air, lush nature, original culture, unusual food and great mood.

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Vietnam weather map:

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How much does a holiday in Mui Ne cost? January 2019.

tour cost

In January of this year, we flew to rest in Vietnam for two weeks. Our tour was combined, i.e. We spent 10 days directly in Mui Ne, and the remaining four days in Nha Trang. The tour for three people cost 180 thousand rubles. The city of departure was the city of Blagoveshchensk (Amur Region), and the airport of arrival was Cam Ranh.

During our stay, we visited three excursions, two of which are absolutely free. The first excursion is a sightseeing tour, i.e. tourists are taken to different, so to speak, delusional shops, i.e. excellent quality of the goods is guaranteed, but at the same time the prices of the product are "heavenly". The second excursion was - White Dunes, on this tour we also visited different shops or factories (for example, for the production of jewelry from real pearls), and of course the dunes themselves, where you could rent a jeep, the driver of which rides you and stops in beautiful places for photos (rent costs, if I'm not mistaken, 300 thousand dong per hour), there you could also ride an ostrich - 100 thousand dong. Teretya tour is already paid - $ 50 / person. The tour is very interesting and exciting! I advise everyone!!! In one day you will visit the "Crazy House", see the largest sitting golden Buddha, and also visit two parks, one of which is of incredible beauty! (lunch is also included).

Food and products

I will inform you not only in rubles, but also in dongs. Breakfast was included in our hotel, so we always stayed at the hotel in the morning. Our lunch usually consisted of groceries purchased from grocery stores. Prices are a bit overpriced in my opinion. For example, a pack of cookies cost around 35 to 70 thousand dong ~ from 98 to 170 rubles, I think, in any case, there is an opportunity to find cheaper. For dinner we went to different cafes. In each place it came out from about 800 rubles (I don’t remember how much in dongs). Dinner consisted of 3 people. If we talk about fruits, then the minimum price for mango was 22 thousand dong ~ 62 rubles, pineapple 18 thousand ~ 50 rubles. From this we can conclude that it is most beneficial to eat fruits.

Total money spent on vacation

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January holiday experience

I think we chose a great time of the year to visit Vietnam, because before we booked a tour, we read a lot of not very positive feedback about the weather in winter. But we were lucky. All our stay in Mui Ne was accompanied by a bright sun.

Family holiday

In fact, Mui Ne is a very friendly village, which has good establishments that warmly welcome their visitors, which creates a great atmosphere for spending time with loved ones.

Recreation for the elderly

This resort is suitable for the elderly, because Mui Ne is quite quiet and calm, and this will perfectly help older people think about their lives and take a break from the daily hustle and bustle in their hometown.

What to take with you on vacation?

I think this should not seem strange, since Mui Ne is a resort with excellent sea, but I would advise you to take a special chip for your nose while swimming and diving, because the waves are very large and cover you completely, and the water actually enters the nose, which creates an uncomfortable feeling.

Where is the best place to stay?

We stayed at the Vinh Suong *** hotel. In general, we got a good room with a sea view, but I didn’t like the service a bit, because sometimes they could not put toiletries or not clean the room at all, which caused a storm of negative emotions. But if you cross out all those troubles, then the hotel is good.

What to do at the resort?

We spent most of our holiday at sea or on the shore. Every evening we walked around Mui Ne in search of clothes or souvenirs.

The first excursion is the city of Dalat. This tour is designed for one day, during which you can see a lot of interesting places, for example, "Crazy House" - an unusual hotel where you are like in a fairy-tale world.

The second is the White Dunes. The main part of this excursion is the stay on the sands, which lasts only one hour, during which you can take a huge number of beautiful photos at sunset, drive a jeep, and also ride an ostrich if you wish.

Mui Ne is a village consisting of only one street, on which there are a huge number of shops, cafes, hotels. Therefore, it is not worth choosing a particular store, because they are all similar to each other, as this is a kind of market. In Mui Ne, we bought souvenirs (magnets, plates with sights, figurines), as well as clothes (dresses, thin capes from the sun, things for children), but what about sweets for relatives?

Where can you eat?

During our vacation, we chose restaurants that our guide advised us. Two, perhaps, the most famous establishments for a delicious dinner were "Teahouse" and "Uzbechka".

About the quality of food and service

Very nice staff, service is quite fast, but it may depend on the number of people in the establishment. We sometimes also visited the cafes of the Vietnamese directly, where there were problems with misunderstanding, since they hardly know English, which could cause difficulties. The food itself was very tasty, freshly prepared, I think you should not worry about its quality.

Pros of staying in Mui Ne

The pluses definitely need to include peace and tranquility. In Mui Ne, you are really able to forget about the bad moments of life, because the atmosphere prevailing there does not allow you to remember them.

We always ride on a different program, much more interesting than the standard one.

The highlight of the program is a large, real Pongur waterfall, where no one else from Nha Trang carries. A striking difference from the rest of the "waterfalls". Very a nice place without crowds of people. Just compare the photos, they are better than words.

Then we go to a unique pagoda, where there are never tourists - and the place is more than worthy, and very beautiful. The abbess personally allowed me to come and the second floor, which is usually closed at this time, is opened for us. The feeling of something real, not touristy.

Next we visit the Clay Sculpture Park. A very interesting and colorful place where, among other things, you can change into a national Vietnamese (Chinese, Japanese) outfit for ridiculous money (2 dollars) and take wonderful photos.

Feel the difference!

This is not just a sightseeing tour of the city, which tour operators and street travel agencies do. If you were told that your tour already includes a “free” or “gift” tour of Nha Trang, you should know that this is not really a tour, but a drive through factories and shops disguised as a “tour”. Therefore, it is free. Only people who are not accustomed to finding out information in advance go to it. You are no longer one of them

The tour "Real Nha Trang" is completely different both in approach and in content.

It takes place both individually (couple or family, price on request), and in a group.

Except for everyone famous places, we strive to show the real, non-tourist Nha Trang, and Vietnam in general. The highlight of the trip is the country pagoda, which few people know about. There are almost no tourists there. On the way to...

Imagine a luxurious quiet beach where only our small group relaxes (often this is the case).

It is very beautiful there, there are no waves, city fuss, the landscape is decorated with picturesque rocks - an ideal place for relaxation and photo shoots. We are on the beach from 8:30 to 15:00.

And on the way back to Nha Trang, we stop at a unique shell temple and the Dragon's labyrinth, after passing which, according to legend, you can cleanse yourself of past sins.

The price includes transport, entrance fees and mushroom beds, as well as wine, rum, a lot of fruit and a very tasty dish of Vietnamese cuisine (everyone eats, there is no extreme, no one ever remains hungry).

The duration of the tour is from 7 am to 5 pm.

Group up to 14 people, comfortable air-conditioned minibus.

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