Chris and Sofia were impressed with Vietnam after their trip earlier this year, but they wished they had known a few things earlier to make their trip more complete.
Two American travel vloggers traveled to Vietnam and had many experiences in Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ninh Binh and Da Nang. However, they were not well prepared for some aspects such as visas or clothes. Therefore, the couple shared 10 things foreign tourists need to know before coming to Vietnam to have a more complete trip.
Get your visa early
Chris and Sofia applied for their e-visas about two weeks before their trip, but apparently made some mistakes in filling in their names and uploading photos, which resulted in them not receiving their visas. As their departure date approached, they had to find a visa service provider and pay a higher fee. The American couple recommends applying for their visas two weeks in advance to ensure a smooth trip.
Sun protection
If you plan to stay in Vietnam for one to two months, Sofia recommends preparing a large bottle of sunscreen in advance. In Vietnam, Sofia finds that sunscreen often has additional benefits such as brightening the skin and fading dark spots.
However, Sofia prefers a sunscreen that is purely UV-protective and gentle, so she only uses the one she brought from the US. She also finds it difficult to find similar sunscreens in many Asian countries.
In addition, the female tourist advised to prepare pants and long-sleeved shirts to protect against the sun, which can be removed when needed. She went to a store to buy a sun-protective shirt, commenting that the product was "super light, comfortable to wear and did not feel stuffy".
"You need to be prepared because the sun here can burn your skin in 15-20 minutes without protection," she said.
Prepare clothes
When she went into the clothing stores, Sofia saw that the clothing sizes ranged from very small, small to medium. The stores that sold larger sizes only had XL, and it was difficult to find XXL or larger like in the US.
For Western tourists like Sofia, finding the right size jeans can be difficult. Therefore, the American tourist recommends choosing Western brands or having them tailored to make it easier to find the right size.
Motorcycles
Sofia commented that traffic in Vietnam is "quite chaotic" because of the many motorbikes. However, she rented a motorbike and found it an interesting experience.
The female tourist said that it is necessary to ensure that she has an international driving license to avoid trouble on the road. If you are looking for a beautiful, uncrowded city to drive in, Da Nang is the ideal choice.
Money
Money in Vietnam is in denominations of "thousand dong" so when spending it feels like "a lot". However, 1 USD is equal to about 30,000 dong so the actual cost is not too high. Because she is not familiar with the denomination, Sofia sometimes mistakenly gives more money but the seller returns it. This makes her more impressed with Vietnam.
Vegetarian dishes
Sofia was surprised by the variety of vegetarian and vegan foods in Vietnam, commenting that this is the country with "the most diverse vegetarian food options". She also enjoyed many meat alternatives, saying it was a great experience.
"If I had known earlier, I would have come to Vietnam sooner," she said.
Coffee
Sofia and her boyfriend are not coffee lovers, but the way Vietnamese people make coffee has made her "addicted" to this drink. The two types of coffee that left the strongest impression on Sofia are coconut coffee and salt coffee. In addition, the price of this drink is also very cheap, about 2 USD or less for a large cup.
"There are coffee shops everywhere and you can work comfortably here," she said, adding that she has been drinking coffee every day since arriving in Vietnam.
SIM card
When arriving at the airport, travelers can find many kiosks selling SIM cards. However, Sofia realized that it was cheaper to buy a SIM card outside the airport. Sofia uses Airalo's eSIM (electronic SIM) to travel to many countries, but in Vietnam, the cost of buying and using a physical SIM is cheaper.
For example, the price of the Airalo package is nearly 5 USD for 1 GB for 7 days or 7 USD for 2 GB for 15 days. Meanwhile, a physical SIM card in Vietnam costs about 20,000-50,000 VND (1-2 USD) depending on the network operator, you can buy a 4G or 5G package according to your needs. If you plan to travel to Vietnam for a long time, Sofia recommends doing it this way.
Technology motorbike taxi
"The motorbike taxi service in Vietnam is the fastest in Southeast Asia," Sofia commented. She used this service in Thailand and found it time-consuming. Meanwhile, the service in Vietnam is fast and convenient, including calling motorbikes and cars to deliver food. The female tourist recommends downloading the app as soon as she arrives in Vietnam because she will definitely need to use it a lot.
Facebook Groups
Sofia and her boyfriend didn’t use Facebook much before, but since traveling, it has become a useful channel for them to find information. In Vietnam, Sofia noticed that there are many Facebook groups operating on different topics such as tennis, yoga, beach volleyball, and night outings.
The female traveler found these to be good communities, offering many interesting experiences. Sofia herself joined some groups and played tennis with her new friends.
In addition, the groups are also divided by region. For example, when in Da Nang, Sofia joined the group of foreigners in Da Nang to update entertainment venues and information in the city.
TB (according to VnExpress)