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Travel to Vietnam: Tips and Resources for a Safe Trip

Updated on May 9, 2022 by Sapore di Cina 3 Comments

Traveling in Vietnam

  1. Requirements for entering Vietnam
  2. Vietnam visas
  3. Tour operator or independent travel?
  4. Travel insurance for Vietnam
  5. Vaccines and medicines
  6. Hotels and hostels in Vietnam
  7. Getting to Vietnam (via air or ground)
  8. Internet and telephone
  9. Money, ATMs and credit cards
  10. Internal flights, trains, buses and taxis in Vietnam
  11. Tourist itineraries in Vietnam
  12. What to bring?
  13. When to travel in Vietnam?
  14. Food and drink
  15. How to communicate in Vietnam
  16. Frequently asked questions

Requirements for entering Vietnam,

Since March 15, 2022, Vietnam has been allowing all types of travelers to enter the country without going through quarantine if they meet the following requirements:

  • Passport and visa (if necessary): The passport must have a minimum of six months’ validity. For stays of 15 days and less, a visa is not usually required (see the next section).
  • A negative SARS-CoV-2 test: Anybody over the age of 2 years old must obtain a certificate demonstrating that they are negative for SARS-CoV-2 based on a RT-PCR/RT-LAMP test carried out a maximum of 72 hours prior to entering the country, or by means of a rapid antigen test within 24 hours prior.
  • No type of vaccination certificate is required.
  • Travel insurance: You must present proof of travel insurance covering at least 100,000 USD in medical treatment and potential admission due to COVID-19.
  • The PC-COVID App: You must download and install the PC-COVID App on an Android or iOS (Apple) device
  • 10-day self-evaluation: During the 10 days subsequent to your entry into the country, you must self evaluate your health status in order to observe potential symptoms of COVID-19.

Important: Given that regulations can change suddenly, it’s important to confirm these requirements on the website of your closest Vietnamese consulate or embassy.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Vietnam Tagged With: Hanoi, Saigon, Travel in China

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Travel to Hanoi, the Capital of Vietnam

Updated on September 24, 2020 by Simon Stanley 3 Comments

Travel to Hanoi

Unlike certain places you might visit around the world, Vietnam’s capital still lives up to the hype, be it the postcards, the Instagram images, the Youtube videos or the TV travel shows.

With its scenic inner-city lakes and ponds, its pocket-sized temples billowing incense into tiny cobbled backstreets, and of course its ultra-modern skyscrapers and shopping malls, Hanoi is a metropolis that’s about as enthralling as they come.

Just a two-hour flight from Hong Kong or Bangkok, or four hours from Shanghai or Singapore, a trip to Hanoi makes for an affordable and time-efficient weekend getaway.

For those with a few more days to spare, perhaps as they embark on a north-to-south exploration of Vietnam as a whole, Hanoi’s endless backstreets hold enough secrets to warrant a week’s stay or more.

P.s. Click here to read our guide to travel in Vietnam (visas, tours, money, etcetera).

Here’s our guide on how to make your visit a success, including travel tips, sightseeing recommendations, eating and drinking suggestions in Hanoi, and ideas for your onward journey.

  • When to visit Hanoi
  • How to get there
  • Upon arrival
  • Where to stay in Hanoi
  • Getting around
  • Safety in Hanoi
  • What to see in Hanoi
  • What to do in Hanoi
  • Where to eat in Hanoi
  • Where to drink in Hanoi
  • Where next?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Vietnam Tagged With: Hanoi, Vietnam

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The Best Hotels in Hanoi, Paris of the Orient

Updated on February 17, 2022 by Sapore di Cina 1 Comment

Hanoi, capital of Vietnam is the biggest city of the country and the second in population. Here you’ll find any kind of hotels, from the cheapest hostel to the most expensive 5 stars hotel. Given its extension, finding the right hotel may be a challenge, especially if you don’t know the city. This guide features a selection of the best hotels in Hanoi, whatever your budget may be.

In this guide we have selected hotels in two different areas, downtown and near Noi Bai Airport.

If your looking for a general recommendations on booking hotels in Vietnam you can click here to read our guide.

Reviews of Luxury (5 star) hotels in Hanoi

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel


Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel is one of the top hotels in Hoan Kiem District’s French Quarter that not only enjoys great location amid must-see attractions but also provides excellent facilities. The hotel features 364 smoke-free rooms with many categories to suit guest’s needs and budget. Some of its top services include child-friendly services, train station pick-up service, full service spa, an outdoor swimming pool, and 3 restaurants. It is located at a distance of 3.61 km from the Gia Lam Aiport while the Hanoi Railway Station is 1.39 km away. The hotel is also a popular stay option for western travellers. The staff is friendly, attentive to guest’s needs, and speaks fluent English, French, German, and Japanese for effective communication with guests from different countries. Free Wi-Fi in all rooms, facilities for disabled, room service, and child friendly services are some of the added benefits of staying at the hotel.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Hotels in Asia, Vietnam Tagged With: Hanoi, Hotels in Vietnam, Vietnam

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Dog meat in Vietnam (photos NSFW)

Updated on February 9, 2022 by Sapore di Cina 3 Comments

dogmeat in Vietnam

It’s more than two years that I live in China – the country of dog-eaters by default – but I’d never seen a slaughtered dog.

It may be because I only spent a few weeks in Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces, the Southern provinces where the habit of eating dog meat is most common.

Or maybe because eating dog meat is not as common as people think and you have to make a conscious effort to find it.

The point is that it took me less than two hours of sightseeing in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, to find a dog butchery.

Well, it wasn’t exactly a butchery as there were two girls selling raw and roasted dog meat (thịt chó in the Vietnamese language) on a table in the street.

This is a controversial topic in the West.

We do not eat dogs. We consider dogs as part of our family. I personally grew up with a German Shepard called Apo and I love dogs. Almost as much as I love cats. And I distrust people that dislike animals.

But before you get mad at the Vietnamese for eating dogs – or at me for showing these pictures, – think about that.

In India, you go to prison if you kill a cow. In California people can legally butcher AND eat cows but slaughtering a horse is forbidden. In Italy, we eat both cows AND horses. However, we are horrified by people that eat dogs.

In Northern Vietnam eating dog meat is a widely accepted tradition. This is their culture and we should accept it, even if we disagree.

This photo gallery show slaughtered dogs. If you think it may hurt your feelings, you should leave this page now. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Vietnam Tagged With: Hanoi, Vietnam

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