About Vietnam




Visas:
Bureaucratic hassles will be your first problem in getting a visa - expect delays of five days or more; Bangkok is the best place to get one. It's usually best to get your visas through a travel agency. Expense is the other problem; tourist visas valid for a single 30-day stay cost about US$40 in Bangkok. Health risks: Dengue Fever, Hepatitis, Malaria, Rabies, Typhoid, Tuberculosis

Time:
There are six time zones ranging from Newfoundland Standard Time in the East (GMT/UTC -3.5) to Pacific Standard Time in the West (GMT/UTC -8). During Daylight Saving Time (Apr-Oct), the range is -2.5 to -7)

Electricity: 220V ,50Hz

Weights & measures: Metric


Weather in Vietnam

Vietnam is a mountainous land and this makes for cool temperatures in winter months. But temperatures in the south reach at least the mid-80F range all year. A winter monsoon brings cool, moist air to the northern part of the country (north of Cam Ranh) from October to March. From May to September the entire country is affected by a southern monsoon that brings warm air and rain. Temperatures in the winter in Hanoi can drop as low as the lower 40's (5C degrees) and northern Vietnam has four seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). In the south there are two seasons (Wet and Dry).


Health Issues in Vietnam

There are a number of health concerns you should be aware of in Vietnam. Among them: mosquito borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria; typhoid and hepatitis from unsanitary water or undercooked foods; and rabies. Tuberculosis is also a growing concern. And while sexually transmitted diseases (particularly HIV and AIDS) are more common in nearby Thailand, they do pose a risk in Vietnam.


Safety in Vietnam

Crime in large cities is a problem. Look out for pickpockets. Drive by motorcycle purse snatchings are among the most common crimes. If your purse, bag or camara can easily be torn from your hand at by someone going 15 or 20 miles per hour, chances are someone will try...


When to Go

There are no good or bad seasons to visit Vietnam. When one region is wet, cold or steamy hot, there is always somewhere else that is sunny and pleasant. Basically, the south has two seasons: the wet (May to November, wettest from June to Aug+ust) and the dry (December to April). The hottest and most humid time is from the end of February to May. The central coast is dry from May to October and wet from December to February. The highland areas are significantly cooler than the lowlands, and temperatures can get down to freezing in winter. The north has two seasons: cool, damp winters (November to April) and hot summers (May to October). There is the possibility of typhoons between July and November, affecting the north and central areas.

Travellers should take the Tet New Year festival (late January or early February) into account when planning a trip. Travel (including international travel) becomes very difficult, hotels are full and many services close down for at least a week and possibly a lot longer.


Events

Special prayers are held at Vietnamese and Chinese pagodas on days when the moon is either full or the merest sliver. Many Buddhists eat only vegetarian food on these days. Some of the major religious festivals follow a lunar calendar. They include: Tet (late January or early February), the most important festival of the year, which lasts a week (with rites beginning a week earlier), marking the new lunar year; Wandering Souls Day (Trung Nguyen), held on the fifteenth day of the seventh moon (August), is the second-largest festival of the year, when offerings of food and gifts are given to the wandering souls of the forgotten dead; Tiet Doan Ngo (Summer Solstice Day) in June sees the burning of human effigies to satisfy the need for souls to serve in the God of Death's army; and Holiday of the Dead (Thanh Minh) in April commemorates deceased relatives.