Travel Tips for Vietnam

I've found that some of these travel tips are applicable to traveling all over the world, whereas some only apply to Southeast Asia, or specifically Vietnam. I'll leave that for you to decide! Hopefully you guys find them helpful as you're planning your trip to this awesome, but very tropical country!

#1: Malaria Pills: Necessary? Many people come to Vietnam without any form of Malaria prevention, and leave without ever getting Malaria. So no, it's not absolutely necessary, but it's nice to have the peace of mind that you will not get malaria (which could potentially be life-threatening if not treated properly).

#2: Monitor your body. Meaning be in tune with how your body acts towards certain foods, environments, activities, and just in general. This way you can spot signs of food poisoning and illnesses such as Dengue Fever and malaria. On top of that, it's really good to know the small things and how they effect your body, especially because the effects may be magnified while you're traveling.

#3: Don't keep all your money in the same place! Of course, traveling in Southeast Asia, you can't really pay for much by card, so everything will have to be in cash. When pulling out money at an ATM, pull out as much as you can (but not more than you will use) because there is an ATM fee every time you withdraw money, and your bank will usually charge you a fee as well. But of course, you don't want to be walking around with a wad of cash with you. Keep a small stash with you, maybe a daily allowance, and keep the rest of your money back in your room, or in a more protected area of your bag if you're backpacking. This may also help you budget your daily expenses!

#4: Transportation to and from the airport (Saigon). I've taken both a taxi and a bus from the airport to Saigon central, and I've found that the taxi is significantly more expensive.

-My taxi from the airport into town was 220k dong. It was a nice and air conditioned drive. It was also really nice to be dropped off at the front of my hostel and not have to worry about finding my way through town to my hostel with all of my luggage, after a long flight.

-There is a local bus (big yellow bus, number 109) that leaves from the airport and drops passengers off at the bus station in the city. This bus costs 20k dong and there is normally always a bus waiting at the airport, so it won't be hard to spot. This bus also has air conditioning and wifi. Payment is taken at the booth right outside of the bus.

-There is also another local bus (green, number 152). This bus costs 5k dong, but it comes infrequently and doesn't have AC or wifi. This bus doesn't wait around for passengers as does the other bus. I would recommend taking this bus to the airport from the city if you're not in a rush and taking the 109 bus from the airport to the city so you don't have to wait at the airport for ages.

Whether or not that extra 200k dong (~9 USD) is worth the extra hassle of walking to your hostel from the bus station is for you to decide! The bus station in Saigon is called the Ben Thanh Bus Station, so have a look at a map before you decide!

#5: Transportation for traveling from South to North: For our short 3 week visit, we found that an open bus was the best choice of transportation. There are a few different hop-on-hop-off bus companies, and we just booked with the cheapest tour shop in the city. These buses allow you to book all of your transport either from Saigon to Ha Noi (South to North), or the other way around. You're able to stop in cities on the way up, and just catch the bus on whatever day you'd like to continue on your journey. There were some downsides though. I think communication between the bus operators and their offices would have been much more difficult if I did not speak Vietnamese, because some of them could hardly speak much english. Some of the buses are sleeper buses as well, and if you decide to go this route, go for the back seats; they're the shit! Much more comfortable.

I will definitely be back to do a motorbike trip through Vietnam!

#4: Keep the location in mind when booking accommodation! Price is important, but you may end up paying just as much in taxi fees from a remote location rather than picking a central location within walking distance into town. Also keep in mind that while you're traveling in a group, it may actually be cheaper to get a hotel room rather than 3 hostel beds.

#5: Be aware of scammers in tourist areas. Traveling around southeast Asia, you'll find that a lot of people will offer you a ridiculous price for a taxi, or whatever it is that they're trying to sell you. And while you may think it is cheap, it's quite expensive in southeast Asia terms. Don't pay more than necessary when you're traveling; you'll find yourself broke in no time. All the cheap little things add up! So it's a good idea to ask others beforehand, or do some research in terms of ow much you should expect to pay for certain things, such as transportation. This is also handy because you could find options to take a bus or train that ends up being much cheaper than a taxi.

#6: Be aware of pickpockets. I have been warned many times, so I was actually quite paranoid. Turns out, I ended up getting my phone stolen out of my pocket at Koh Tao Festival. It was quite crowded, so just keep that in mind and don't let your guard down when you're at big events or in crowded tourist areas.

#7: SIM card! (Also, make sure your phone is unlocked to allow other SIM cards). I've found it SO helpful to have an active SIM card for calling and data while you're traveling. Some people may say you won't need a SIM because a lot of the cafes will have wifi and whatnot, but it's a bit of a pain to be dependent on that. I'd say, unless you're really organized and nothing unexpected happens during your travels (yeah right!), it is very helpful to get a SIM card. They're quite inexpensive for what they offer, and I think they're so worth it. I used Viettel, and I had service almost everywhere in Vietnam.

#8: Using Agoda: my pros and cons. We used Agoda to book all of our accommodation while in Vietnam, and I found it so useful. I've found that it is often cheaper than other booking websites, and the Agoda app makes it so quick and easy. On top of that, the app also has an awesome "Taxi Help" option that pulls up information about the accommodation that would help the taxi driver, in the local language! We found this very helpful. My only complaint is that some of the information Agoda has about the accommodation isn't always accurate.

#9: If you're a light sleeper, bring an eye mask and ear plugs! Especially if you think you will be traveling via sleeper buses. I was in Vietnam for the month of June and it gets bright around 4-5 am! Not ideal for sleeping in. Some hostels may not have curtains or blinds, so you'll be woken up by the sun at such an early hour, or noisy roommates. It's also quite hard to sleep on the sleeper buses; they're actually quite loud and uncomfortable.

#10: Dramamine! If you get the slightest bit of motion sickness, I'd recommend that you bring some Dramamine, or any other form of motion sickness prevention. You never know when you'll take a spontaneous boat trip, or what windy roads you'll come across. The roads in Vietnam are some of the most windy roads I have ever been on. Better to be safe than sorry!

#11: Underpack, underpack, underpack! Those shirts? You won't need them. You won't need those shorts either. There will be so many things that you'll want to buy while you're in Vietnam, especially because everything is so cheap! You'll want to have plenty of room to bring all of it back with you. I'd say bring 3 max 3 outfits, and if you need more, you can buy it there!

#12: Bring a good pair of walking sandals! Thongs are nice for a day on the beach, but walking around for a few days with rubber rubbing between your toes won't feel too great. I'd say, invest in a good pair of versatile sandals that are good for light hiking as well as a day in the city. I personally have Teva Women's Original Sandals... and I am so happy with them!

#13: Bring a rain cover for your backpacks if you are coming to Vietnam during the wet season (which is from June until November). A lot of places in Vietnam will also sell massive ponchos (at a cheap price) that are designed to cover scooters as well, and you could buy those to cover your bags!