Just this summer, I had the opportunity to visit some countries in Southeastern Asia with my family. One of the countries we visited was Vietnam. We had a wonderful time there, and it was just amazing to experience this different culture, but there are certain things that I wished I had known before I visited. So this is a list of things you should know when visiting Vietnam:
IT. IS. HOT.
Vietnam is truly the hottest country I have ever visited. Because of the humidity, the real feeling of the temperature was 48° Celsius in July. You will get dehydrated very quickly, so you need to have water at hand -lots of it-. The heat is absolutely draining, so you should take some rest times into account in your itinerary. Have sunscreen at hand, you’ll need it.
Please, don’t underestimate this. My dad almost passed out one day because of how dehydrated he was.
Please notice the need for shade, and how red our faces are.
Keep the temperature in mind when deciding which tours to take.
When you visit one of the many tourist attractions in Vietnam, you will find that there are many options available when it comes to the type of tour or tour agency. There are many tours that have a lot of walking in their itinerary. If you are visiting during the hottest months -which can be anywhere from march to July, depending on the zone you’re in- I wouldn't recommend going on a tour that requires much physical activity, as you can easily overheat, get dizzy or dehydrated.
Be ready for the rain.
As hot as it is, it rains a lot, and at any time. You better be prepared with some water proof clothing, as it is the kind of rain that will soak you from head to toe in literal seconds.
Vietnamese traffic is… different.
Honestly, we were shocked when we first got there, as were all the other tourists from western countries. They don’t respect traffic lights or stop signs. If you want to cross the road as a pedestrian, do what the locals do, and try to gauge the best moment, and just cross with confidence. The cars will avoid you.
Also, you will most likely see motorbikes with up to five people on top of them. It’s usually families, as the motorbike is their family vehicle. Don’t be surprised if you see a motorbike ridden by a woman and her little children -it's the norm there-.
You need to haggle.
Although it is common to haggle in the country, you need to be particularly ready as a tourist. Locals will notice that you are not from around, and they will try to rip you off. Usually, the price you’ll reach is less than half of the price they initially offered.
Although Vietnam and its culture can be shocking, especially for someone from a western country, it has so much to offer. From beautiful landscapes -from beaches, mountains, rice fields, lotus ponds, the jungle and more-, to big cities, tiny towns and villages and a lot of history. Vietnam is certainly not a country you would want to miss when you visit South-Eastern Asia.
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