Area: 921 sq. km
Population: 3,082,800 habitants (2004).
Administrative divisions:
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Hoa…Hanoi is the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the center of culture, politics, economy and trade of the whole country.
“Vietnam”, the word conjures up images of war to the older generation and yet to younger folk, it’s an image of rugged mountain ranges, jungles, waterfalls and hillside villages dotted here and there, not to mention endless white beaches and sparkling waters that lap its shore.
Today, it is a peaceful land. The coastline, stretching to just under 3500 km in length includes countless unspoilt beaches and coves. Lagoons glisten in the warm air and every so often the palm or casuarina lined beaches are broken by immense sand dunes or rugged mountain outcrops.
If you go to Vietnam, prepare to be ripped off on a daily basis. Gouging foreigners seems to be a national obsession here, from the highest government officials on down to the lowest street vendor selling baguettes or noodle soup. Tourists pay five times the local rate for internal flights and for the pitifully rickety train system. There is a two-tiered pricing system for nearly all admission tickets and restaurants will commonly have two menus: one in Vietnamese and one in English, but with different prices. Old women selling pineapples on the street will refuse to sell one to you unless you pay at least double the local price, even if it means losing the sale. Thankfully, food and drinks are still a great bargain compared to western prices.
After the war ended, communism started, so the country’s transportation systems are nothing short of pitiful. The nation’s main highway is a pitted, poorly-constructed road that’s barely two lanes wide in most spots. The other roads are even worse. The creaky trains must share a single track, which means plenty of sitting around in stations. Flights are expensive, but can often shave twelve hours off a 200-mile journey.
Vietnam is not a country to be described in simple terms. It tugs at visitors’ perceptions from all directions, ripping up one belief as soon as it forms and replacing it with another. Is the place communist or capitalist? Are its geriatric rulers shrewd wise men or clueless Alzheimer’s victims? Do the local people appreciate tourists, or would they prefer to just pickpocket us and kick us back across the ocean?
It’s common for travelers in Vietnam to feel emotions spanning from rage to elation to shock, usually in the same day. It’s easy to be overcome with anger, but equally easy to find yourself drowned by sheer beauty. Vietnam may make you grumpy or make you cheerful, but usually it’ll make you both.
There’s a lot that’s authentic about Hoi An, despite the number of shops and restaurants targeting the US dollar, or the Vietnamese dong in the pocket of the foreign visitors. You only have to watch life on the river, or walk around the market to see local life carrying on with little regard for prying eyes and cameras.
The river is alive with boats, large and small, punted, rowed or motorised. Large nets, a long pole attached to each corner and fixed to the riverbed, are lowered into the water and later winched out again to catch fish.
Motorbikes and people are packed onto ferries, along with goods going to and from market.We spent a couple of hours at an orphanage one afternoon, in a classroom with a group of about 8 young boys, some disabled.
I played ‘Connect Four’ with one lad whose coordination meant that it was difficult for him to drop the counter in the right slot—but there was nothing wrong with his understanding and strategy. Another boy would have beaten me soundly at ‘Pairs’ if he hadn’t given me so much help.
written by alan_nesbit from iE
WHAT TO WEAR
Throughout the year, it is advisable to wear summer clothing: thin clothes in light colour. In December and January, warm clothes are recommended for visits to the northern provinces.
It is advisable to bring umbrellas or raincoats in the rainy season from May to November in southern and northern Vietnam, from August to January in central Vietnam.
The wearing of suits for business is now common in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Dress should be respectable, especially if entering religious premises such as temples and pagodas.
SECURITY
In big cities, do not bring along valuables as going shopping or sightseeing in the street.
It is dispensable to give alms to beggars and to buy souvenirs from street vendors.
Foreign currencies should be exchanged at banks or authorized exchange bureaus. Do not exchange money in the street.
It is advisable not to ride on pedicabs or “honda-om” by oneself.
LANGUAGE
English, French, Cantonese and Japanese are spoken by hotel staff. Guides and interpreters speaking English, French, Russian, Japanese, German, Cantonese, Mandarin, etc. are available from the Saigontourist Travel Service Co.
FILM AND DEVELOPING
Fresh negative film is widely available. Popular brands are Fuji, Kodak, Agfa and Konica. Positive colour print film is only obtainable in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
One-hour service photo shops are ubiquitous in tourist areas. Positive film and digital card can be processed and printed only in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
The following items are preferred by foreign travellers:
HEALTH
No vaccinations are presently required for visitors to enter Vietnam. However, it is advisable that precautionary measures be taken for cholera, malaria, hepatitis A & B, typhoid and tuberculosis.
Although international medical centres are available in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, it can be expensive for emergency care. Therefore, health and emergency medical insurance prior to visiting Vietnam is highly recommended for foreigners.