COVID-19 brought a lot of changes to our lives. A lot of people discovered how to work remotely. Studies transferred entirely online. And the pandemic seriously limited our traveling capabilities.
Things got a bit lighter, and traveling is back. Don’t forget you can always order your paper from an essay writing service to have time to plan your trip to the country you want to visit. There’s a chance that you have thought about visiting Vietnam and already have a list of places that you plan to visit. That list surely includes:
- Cu Chi Tunnel
- Ha Long Bay
- Hoi An
- Hanoi
- Phu Quoc
If you want to get the most out of your Vietnam vacation, besides planning which sights to enjoy while you’re there, you might want to plan ahead. For example, do you need a visa or travel insurance? And do you know the best transport method for you? During which season should you plan your trip? Read on if you plan to get the most out of your vacation in Vietnam.
Vietnam Travel Insurance
While that’s the most obvious thing, many tourists overlook travel insurance. While you should have travel insurance regardless of the country you’re heading to, it’s a must when it comes to Vietnam. You never know what can happen to you on your trip. Vietnam is more or less a safe country to visit. However, food poisoning occurs quite frequently.
Getting the most out of your Vietnam trip is almost only possible with good travel insurance. Unforeseeable events can be reduced to a minimum, and you and your travel buddies can safely explore the city.
There’s a chance that you can injure yourself while on a trip or lose your luggage. Let’s be fair; simply missing your flight can easily ruin your trip. And it’s better to get yourself covered. Your insurance may turn out to be unnecessary. But it’s better to spend some extra money on it, instead of regretting that you haven’t done it.
Getting a Vietnam Visa
If you hold citizenship in the UK, France, or Germany, you don’t need a visa to travel to the Southeast Asian country. But make sure that your stay doesn’t exceed fifteen days if you want to avoid getting fined. See the full guide and regulations for Vietnam Visa.
The Correct Season to Go on a Vietnam Vacation
Despite being a small country, the unique shape of the terrain makes its weather quite unpredictable. It means that the average temperature on a daily basis is around 64 °F. Add it to the high humidity, and you will realize that the climate may be quite unbearable for an unprepared tourist.
However, to avoid typhoons, downpours, and the unbearable heat, you should visit Vietnam in the first half of spring, from March to April. Alternatively, you can visit the country in the fall. During those seasons, the climate is more or less calm. It’s warm, and the chances of witnessing constant downpours are low.
Mind Shoes and Transport
It’s pretty easy to walk around the cities of Vietnam. You may be charmed by various spots in Vietnam, which may make you want to travel most of the time by foot. That’s why you need to pick the correct footwear. Flip-flops are extremely popular among locals and tourists in Vietnam. Another option for your ten to fifteen-mile walks is sneakers.
However, it would help if you considered what transport to use, in case you’re getting tired. Vietnam is relatively cheap, and taxis are not that expensive. There are city buses and bicycle rickshaws. Another option is motorbike taxis. But keep in mind that motorbike taxi rides are really fun and exciting only if you’re not a fainthearted one. Planning exciting and memorable activities is a must to get the most out of your trip.
Get a Local Sim Card
If you’re a first-time visitor to Vietnam, the chances of getting lost are pretty high. That’s why you constantly need Google Maps when you take your walks around the city. And in many cases, you may need Google Translate. All that not to get lost. However, if you do get lost, you will surely need apps like Grab Taxi. For all that, you require a solid internet connection.
Yes, most hotels offer free Wi-Fi connection, but you’re not going to spend all your stay in the hotel. While you can rely on your operator, buying a local sim card is cheap. The sim card costs around $2.50, but you can spend around $15 maximum if you purchase a mobile package. That can be cheaper than using your mobile operator with all the roaming.
The best option is to purchase the sim card right when arriving in Vietnam. But if you didn’t have a chance to do it on arrival, you can order a sim card directly to your hotel. You can ask someone at the hotel about the delivery or google the services that offer delivery of the sim card to the hotel. All that allows you to avoid stress and unnecessary hustling, which are standing in the way of making the most out of your trip.
Avoid Tap Water
Drinking tap water may or may not be in your habits, depending on the country of your origin. If that’s typical for you, you should forget about that habit during your stay in Vietnam. The water there is contaminated with various organisms that can lead to multiple illnesses. Diarrhea is the least of the problems that you can get from drinking tap water.
You can catch typhoid, dysentery, and even hepatitis A. Thus, it’s always better to opt for bottled water. Besides, bottled water is cheap in Vietnam. 1.5 liters costs less than $1 and there are good chances you can run into a convenience store or a streetside shop. And that’s far from being a high price for avoiding catching hepatitis or any other disease.
Final Thoughts on How to Get the Most out of Your Vietnam Vacation
Those are the main things you need to remember if you’re planning a trip to Vietnam. Also, don’t forget always to have some cash on your hands. There are places where you won’t be able to pay with your card and most ATMs in Vietnam can give you less than $120 per day. And don’t forget to learn some basic Vietnamese phrases, which will make your trip much easier.