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There
is a new possibility to travel inter-countries between
Vietnam and Cambodia via water way. At the time of press,
Victoria Group has been operating a speed boat of 10
seats which could seat conveniently 6-8 passengers including
luggage from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc or vice versa. Upon
request, this boat could transfer passengers from Chau
Doc to Ho Chi Minh City with a stopover in Can Tho or
same routing in reversed way.
Hoi An town recognised last summer the soft opening
of Hoi An Beach Resort and Victoria Resort. The former
is of three star standard managed by Hoi An Tourist,
located on a spacious area on Cua Dai Beach. The latter
is managed by the Victoria Group, situated on the quiet
and excellent sandy beach of Cua Dai.
Our seat-in-coach tours are enriched by the 5-day Sapa
tour and the 4-day Mekong Delta extension with weekly
departure, conveniently fit as pre and post tour options
of the 7-day Vietnam Classic tour starting every Wednesday,
with minimum 2 passengers.
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1. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TRAVEL?
Vietnam
stretches over 1,800km up the eastern coast of the Indochina
peninsula and has various climates at the same time
in different parts of the
country.
Winter season lasts from November to April in the north
with temperatures averaging 16 degree centigrade. The
rest of the year is considered summer time with heavy
rainfalls and occasional storms.
The rainy season lasts from May to October in the south.
However, it only rarely rains the whole day long. It
gets dry after rainfall as quickly as it comes. The
dry season is generally from November to April.
The central parts of Vietnam are affected by the South
West monsoon from Laos during May – June which causes
a muggy heat and sometimes produces typhoons and tropical
storms during November – December, with long lasting
rains. Despite of this fact, the months of November
and December are constantly considered the peak period
of incoming tourists. January and February are still
cloudy and rainy occasionally.
The best time for a long tour from North to South Vietnam
would be from January till April and for those who wish
beach holidays can come to enjoy warm water and sunshine
in the central coast during summer time, from May to
October.
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2. IS IT SAFE TO TRAVEL? ARE THERE PLACES TO AVOID?
No
part of Vietnam is considered unsafe for tourists, even
for those who individually discover the country on their
own, without pre-arranged services.
This is a popular question of American tourists but
the only answer they have got so far is it is completely
safe in Vietnam and they are most welcome.
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3. WHAT ARE THE VISA REQUIREMENTS AND CUSTOM FORMALITIES?
Visa
is requested to all visitors entering Vietnam except
Philippine and Thai nationalities. Visas are usually
issued by the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok or in the
passengers’ home country (against the visa’s approval
number), which require the original passport and two
photos for two full working days in order to issue a
visa stamp.
Visas
can also be issued upon arrival at international airports
in Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City in which case
a separate “stamp fee” is charged. We also ask for passport
details in advance for pre-application and provide you
with a copy of the approval document which will be presented
at airlines check-in counters to get on board and at
immigration desks to obtain visa on arrival in Vietnam.
Tourists travelling to Phnom Penh from Vietnam by road
through Moc Bai or by boat via Chau Doc border gates
must obtain Cambodian visa beforehand because visa on
arrival is not applicable at these two gates.
All luggage entering and leaving Vietnam must be x-rayed.
Gold and currency must be declared on arrival. Please
keep the arrival & departure card (green form) as
well as the customs card (yellow form) until your leaving.
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4. DO'S AND DON'T'S?
Eating
out is no problem at all in major cities where you can
easily find good restaurants. It is advisable to eat
in hotels in remote areas unless you have a reliable
advice from your guide. You should avoid uncooked, partially
cooked or reheated meat, fish and raw vegetable, especially
when they have been left out exposed to dust and flies.
Filtered and bottled water is usually available and
safe.
Cameras, precious jewelleries, cash, passport should
be deposited at hotel or taken care carefully while
you are travelling by train or walking in the streets.
Local trains have been renovated and service on trains
has been improved in the past few years. However, the
standard is still below international qualification
and therefore travel by train is not reccommendable
to elderly people.
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5. WHAT MONEY SHOULD I TAKE?
Most
major currencies can be changed in at banks and moneychangers.
Traveller’s cheques are accepted at some international
hotels only and cashed in at banks with your presence
and the signing to be witnessed by the bank officers.
When cashing Traveller’s Cheques, it is necessary to
take proof of purchase and passport to the bank. Credit
cards are widely accepted in major cities. You should
exchange some cash into local currency for daily transactions.
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6. WHAT LANGUAGE WILL THEY UNDERSTAND?
English
is spoken at hotels, restaurants, shops, airlines offices,
and service offices. Guides that speak English, German,
French, Italian, Spanish and Japanese are available
in big cities.
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7. HOW ABOUT MY HEALTH?
No
vaccination is required. Malaria prophylaxis is no longer
recommended but visitors are advised to check with their
doctor on travel immunization clinic regarding the advisability
of inoculation against diphtheria, polio, typhoid, tetanus,
hepatitis A & B.
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8. WHAT FOOD WILL I FIND?
Besides
rice, which is a staple of every meal, Vietnam has abundant
food supplies and an elaborate cuisine. Some Vietnamese
dishes have achieved international fame, including such
traditional dishes as beef or chicken noodle (pho),
pork sausage (gio lua), spring rolls (nem ran) and fish
balls (cha ca).
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9. HOW IS THE SHOPPING AND WHAT DO I TIP?
Handicrafts
made of rattan, gold, silver and stone and traditionally
woven fabrics are good buys. Lacquerware is plentiful
and cheap. Small lacquer trinkets such as boxes and
trays are portable and make nice presents. Antiques
and authentic reproductions are available in most tourist
centers, the later often at reasonable prices. However,
export of antiques is banned and requires a license
from the custom department.
Tourists could find sophisticated stone-made sculptures
at Marble Mountain Danang or silk suits and various
handicrafts in Hoi An.
Tipping is rare but appreciated. Perhaps leave the small
change unless the service is really charming or helpful
in which case VND 5000 to VND 10000 will be ample.
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