Dos and Don’ts in Vietnam

Here are the guides for what you should do and what you should not do when traveling in Vietnam. Although they are not the rules or prohibitions, following them will show your respect for Vietnamese customs and culture. Hope that these tips below will be helpful for your Vietnam vacation packages.

Temple or Pagoda
Temple vs Pagoda | Differences among Worshipping Places in Vietnam

In fact, identify which one is pagoda or temple is still trouble even with some [...]

05
Nov
VIetnamese Greeting Gestures
Vietnamese Gestures – Greetings – Public Customs – Taboos

Visiting Vietnam, it had better understand the Vietnamese customs and gestures for the wonderful experience [...]

13
Oct
Vietnamese Dining Etiquette
Vietnamese Dining Etiquette & Customs for Tourists

When visiting a new country, Vietnam for example, a visitor is unavoidably shocked by the [...]

13
Oct
Vietnamese
Travel Tips to Enjoy but still Respect Vietnam

For Westerners traveling through Asia, it is always a surprise to discover countries based largely [...]

05
May
Ten Tips to Surviving the Traffic
Top 10 Essential Tips to Deal with the Traffic in Vietnam

“Vietnam will be the most beautiful country in the world if only its traffic is [...]

29
Apr
Top-10-Ultimate-Tips-for-Savvy-Shopping-in-Vietnam-vietnam-vacation
Top 10 Ultimate Tips for Savvy Shopping in Vietnam

In Vietnam, purchasing and trading culture are quite different from Western countries as well as [...]

27
Oct
8 Tips for eating Street Foods in Vietnam Vietnam vacation
Top 8 Insiders’ Tips to Eating Street Foods in Vietnam

When you come to different countries in the world, you will have the opportunity to [...]

24
Oct
Cylos in Vietnam Vietnam vacation
A Local’s Guide to Taxis, Motorbike Taxis & Cyclos in Vietnam

How to travel during Vietnam vacations is never a question for tourists as various types [...]

23
Oct
The Urbanites and the Country folk
The Urban & Country Folk in Vietnam

Don’t be misled by the apparent modernity and sometimes Western- imitating looks of some urban [...]

05
May
climate zone in Vietnam
Climate Zones in Vietnam

Stretching 1,650 km from North to South (7 degrees of latitude) and from sea level [...]

05
May
Cleanliness and SmartnessCleanliness and Smartness
Cleanliness and Smartness

Vietnamese attach considerable importance to their appearance and cleanliness. Very few people – however poor [...]

05
May
Other Expressions
Other Expressions

Comrade (dong chi) is still used sparingly in the North as a means of addressing [...]

05
May
Vietnamese Laughter
Win Vietnamese People’s hearts!

Vietnamese like to smile and laugh in all situations. A little bit of humor will [...]

05
May
Color Blind
Color Blind?

Mild color blindness is characterized by the inability to distinguish between greens from blues. Does [...]

05
May
Sensitive Areas in Vietnam
Sensitive Areas

Some sensitive areas in Vietnam, like military installations, prisons or nuclear research plants (there’s at [...]

05
May
Trekking in Vietnam
An Off-the-Beaten-Track Trip in Vietnam

An off-the-beaten-track trip in Vietnam stands out of the crowd with interesting experiences and amazing [...]

05
May
War Museum
Stepping Back in the Vietnam War: What is Left to See?

Throughout the history of 4000 years, Vietnam has suffered from thousands of wars. But the [...]

05
May
War Legacy
The War Legacy

Namstalgia, as wartime photographer Tim Page calls it, is the more visible lingering effect of [...]

05
May
The reunification of Vietnam
The reunification of Vietnam

The first words that spring to the minds of many first-time travelers to Vietnam are [...]

05
May
Hue Excursion to Former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
DMZ Blues

After the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the Geneva Accords [...]

05
May
Vietnam War
The North & the South of Vietnam after Civil War

Beyond mentality, culture and food, political opinions and war history still distinguish the North from [...]

05
May
Cultural Identity
Cultural Identity

Vietnam is a single country but regional variations in history, language, mentality, and culture are [...]

05
May
Foods in Vietnam
Foods in Vietnam

De gustibus et coloribus non disputandum (you can’t argue about tastes and colors) said the [...]

05
May
Viet Kieu
Viet Kieu – What is a Viet Kieu – Overseas Vietnamese?

What is a Viet Kieu? – Viet Kieu Meaning You’ll hear this term used very [...]

05
May
Gender Equality
Gender Equality

We have no intention of jumping on the gender analysis bandwagon. Numerous evaluations and studies [...]

05
May
Family in Vietnam
Family, the pillar of Vietnamese society

In fact, there are three pillars of Vietnamese society, and they are family, family and [...]

05
May
Vietnam Ethnic Groups
Ethnic Groups

If 85 percent of Vietnam is of the Kinh ethnic origin that still leaves 15 [...]

05
May
Culture Shock
Culture Shock

Everyone gets it. If you don’t, you probably haven’t left home yet… physically or psychologically! [...]

05
May
Midnight dips
Midnight dips

Midnight dips are fine, but remember that there’s safety (and security) in numbers. Violent crime [...]

29
Apr
Rivers and Lakes in Vietnam
Lakes and Rivers

There are plenty of great places to swim inland, although many rivers are quite polluted [...]

29
Apr
Beaches in Vietnam
Beaches

The topography of Vietnam means that it possesses an impressive coastline (some 3,200 km of [...]

29
Apr
Pay the Bill
Who Pay the Bill?

If you are invited out to a restaurant, you are not expected to pay anything [...]

29
Apr
for More Adventurous Stomachs
For more Adventurous Stomachs

If it’s unique culinary experiences you’re looking for, DON’T hesitate to try some of these:  [...]

29
Apr
Endangered Species
Endangered Species

Don’t eat endangered species or their derivatives knowingly, if you can help it. In any [...]

29
Apr
Eat out
Eat out

Some behavior in restaurants can be a little disconcerting. As soon as you sit down, [...]

29
Apr
Check in and Check out Sleeping eating in Vietnam
Checking-in and Checking-out – Sleeping & eating in Vietnam

Vietnam now has a wide range of hotels from the very basic to five-star luxury. [...]

29
Apr
What you pay for is what you get
What you pay for is what you get

As we have just pointed out, there’re a lot of fakes in Vietnam, many of [...]

29
Apr
Shopping in Vietnam
The Dual Pricing System

As in several other developing countries, particularly (ex-) communist ones, a dual pricing system has [...]

29
Apr
Markets and Minimarts
Markets and Minimarts

Shopping can be an interesting – but also a very exasperating experience. So arm yourself [...]

29
Apr
Good buys in Vietnam
Good buys in Vietnam

Lacquer ware Ceramics Painting, Woodblock prints Silk, Clothes in general, Embroidery, Carvings (stone and wood), [...]

29
Apr
Fake Goods
Fake Goods in Vietnam & How to Avoid Them

Much of Southeast Asia is notorious as an earthly paradise for counterfeiters and Vietnam is [...]

29
Apr
Bargain, bargain, bargain
Bargain, bargain, bargain

The idea of a fixed pricing system is still quite novel in most commercial contexts, [...]

29
Apr
Religion and politics in Vietnam
Religion and Politics

Is religion a sensitive issue in Vietnam? To understand the ‘yes and no’ answer, one [...]

29
Apr
Kitchen Gods and Village Spirits

Vietnamese religious beliefs are rich and varied. The afterlife is also modeled along the same [...]

29
Apr
for Number Crunchers
For number Crunchers

Although religious identification is not such a clear-cut matter, statistics tell us that about 70 [...]

29
Apr
Beliefs and Superstitions
Beliefs and Superstitions

Don’t underestimate the extent and power of popular beliefs in Vietnam. The ‘respect’ mentioned a [...]

29
Apr
Religion in Vietnam
A bit of Context

Vietnam’s traditional religious background is based on three great philosophies and religions – Confucianism, Taoism [...]

29
Apr
Taking photos
Taking photos

In most temples and pagodas you will be allowed (and sometimes even encouraged) to take [...]

29
Apr
No Need to be Shy
No Need to be Shy

After reading guidebooks on other Asian Countries like Thailand or China, travelers enter Vietnamese temples [...]

29
Apr
Doing it the Vietnamese way
Doing it the Vietnamese way

Trips to the countryside are always accompanied by a short visit to nearby temples. Buy [...]

29
Apr
Walking
Walking

Nobody walks anywhere in Vietnam if they don’t have to. Foreigners who actually profess a [...]

29
Apr
Planes, Trains and Buses
Planes, Trains and Buses

Vietnam Airlines, the state carrier, provides a wide array of safe and fairly comfortable flights, [...]

29
Apr
The Minsk is a stylish
Minsking

The Minsk is a stylish, almost indestructible Belarusian two stroke dirt bike with absolutely no [...]

29
Apr
Horns and Helmets
Horns and Helmets

Horns are heavily used in Vietnam: a motorbike still runs with no lights or little [...]

29
Apr
Driving License
Driving License

Technically, a foreigner needs a Vietnamese license to drive anything above 50cc; while this is [...]

29
Apr
Car, Motorbike and Bicycle Rental
Car, Motorbike and Bicycle Rental

It’s great to be able to drive yourself in Vietnam and go where you want, [...]

29
Apr
Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct

DON’T touch Vietnamese men in public unless you are absolutely sure it will not embarrass [...]

29
Apr
Falling in Love
Falling in Love

Love can always strike on the path to the paddy fields, and there are numerous [...]

29
Apr
Safety in Vietnam
Safety and Curiosity

For foreign women, Vietnam is an easy country. You can walk around alone in complete [...]

29
Apr
Wandering around
Ao Dai of Vietnam | Tight & See-through, but Don’t Bare too Much

With regard to what is considered the “appropriate” way of dressing in Vietnam, it is [...]

29
Apr
Taxi Girls and Dancing Girls
Taxi Girls and Dancing Girls

There are several ways to pick up sex as a gentleman, without bullying, deceiving or [...]

29
Apr
Sex, songs and massages
Sex, Karaoke, Hangout & Massages in Vietnam

Sorry ladies, Vietnam is no doubt a men’s paradise, even if only for the eyes. [...]

29
Apr
Wedding
Family Wedding and Civil Wedding

Remember the three pillars of Vietnamese society? When it comes to weddings, of course it’s [...]

29
Apr
True Love
True Love

Well it happens, sometimes. You wouldn’t be the first foreigner to fall in love with [...]

29
Apr
Extending your Stay
Extending your Stay

It is possible to extend tourist visas from within Vietnam. Contact the Immigration Police in [...]

29
Apr
Land Crossing
Land Crossings

There are now quite a few Vietnamese land borders open to foreigners traveling to and [...]

29
Apr
Re entering
Re-entering

If you plan (to leave Vietnam during your visit, for example to visit a neighboring [...]

29
Apr
Visa Issues
Visa Issues

Visas are still an expensive and rather tiresome aspect of traveling to Vietnam. Do ensure [...]

29
Apr
Working in Vietnam
Working in Vietnam

More and more foreigners are working in Vietnam now. If you fall into this category [...]

29
Apr
Humor
Humour

Humour can be a valuable tool in Vietnam. The Vietnamese truly love to have a [...]

29
Apr
Vietnamese Polite and Courtesy
Politeness

Although in many ways a very polite and Courteous lot, you may sometimes find people [...]

29
Apr
Political Correctness
Political Correctness

Forget about political correctness, or at least in the Western sense of the term. In [...]

29
Apr
Shyness and Smiles
Shyness and Smiles

Younger people, particularly women, often appear painfully shy to foreign eyes. DO understand, however, that [...]

29
Apr
Stubborness
Stubborness

Look at history! Being stubborn is perhaps perceived as more of a virtue than a [...]

29
Apr
When to Say Goodbye
When to Say Goodbye?

You may still be having a good time when midnight strikes, but don’t linger for [...]

29
Apr
When should you invite
When Should You Invite?

Are expected to invite their Vietnam family, friends or colleagues on a number of occasions, [...]

29
Apr
What to leave outside?
What to leave outside?

Your shoes: as in many Asian countries, people traditionally sit, rest and eat on the [...]

29
Apr
What to Bring
What to Bring?

When you are invited by Vietnamese friends, you should arrive bearing some kind of gift. [...]

29
Apr
To be Polite
To Be Polite

Don’t drop by on a casual visit to friends in Vietnam without phoning or arranging [...]

29
Apr