It is a memorable experience to shop in Vietnam. The products are generally very cheap and there are a variety of selections for buyers.

Markets vary from high class shopping malls, supermarkets to bustling open market, galleries, boutiques and street stalls.

Bargaining

Other than grand shopping centers where there are fixed prices which are written on the tags, most street vendors, markets and souvenir stands don’t label fixed prices for their things and customers need to bargain. Sellers there always try to get more money from foreigners whom they assume to be wealthy and have a lot of money to spend.

When you go to stores and souvenir stands, the prices they tell you are not the truth. The real prices are ordinarily half or even one third of what is told to you. Seller often know how to speak English. They sometimes tell you that you are the first customer of the day to shop at their store today and they will try to give you the item at their buying price for some luck. Resist the urge to believe them. The “buying” price they quote you is always way more than the true value of the product.

Art and Antiques

Most art sold are fake or copies as Vietnam has very strict regulations about selling real antiques.

Clothing

Branded and designer clothes are usually fakes.

Gems and jewelry

Only buy gems at prestigious shops and be wary of cheap prices.

War souvenirs

Vietnam War Zippos lighters are usually fake reproductions.

Handicrafts

Goods to buy are:

• wood-block prints,
• Lacquer ware,
• oil and watercolor paintings,
• blinds made from bamboo,
• reed mats,
• carpets,
• leatherwork.

Remember to bargain

There is no definite guide on how to bargain in Vietnam but with a bit of skill you should be able to reduce an item price by 10, so have fun!

Vietnamese food is extremely delectable and a favorite all over the world. It is really a lasting experience to taste Vietnamese food directly from Vietnam. However, you have to be cautious when eating in restaurants. Even natives can be charged too much sometimes when they dine in restaurants.

There are some restaurants whose menus are only lists of dishes that do not include the prices. In that event you should ask the waiters to inform you of their prices of the dishes prior to ordering otherwise they are likely to give you a big bill with very high prices at the end of the meal.

Famous Vietnam dishes

Rice and Noddles

Com (boiled rice, grilled rice)
Banh Chung (Sticky Rice Cake)
Bun (rice vermicelli)
Banh Cuon Trang Bang (Rice Cakes)
Banh Cuon (Rice Flour Steamed Rolls)
Mien (vermicelli made of cassava)
Pho (Noodles)

Fish & Seafood

Cha Ca (grilled minced fish)
Nem Ran or Cha Gio (fried spring roll)
Canh Chua (Fish Sour Soup)
Chao Tom (Grilled Shrimp Paste)
Com Hen (Hue Mussel Rice)
Tom Chua (Hue Sour Shrimp)
Banh Tom (crispy shrimp pastry)

Meat

Gio Lua (Lean Pork Pie)
Faifo Dainty (Danang)
Cau Mong (Beef)

Soups

Hu Tieu (My Tho Noodle Soup)
Lau Mam (Mixed Soup)
Hue Beef Noodle Soup

Salads

Nom (salad)

There are a lot of famous tourism specialists in Vietnam and most of them use their own websites to post information. You can inspect the internet for popular travel agents in Vietnam and make reservations in advance if possible.

However, if the internet booking function is unavailable or you wish to book for a tour when having come to Vietnam, you are wise to ask for their prices and a fixed list of available tours in advance.

Many well known tourism companies offer their tours and prices listed on message boards in their offices. If you book for many tours of the same company, you can probably ask for a discount because it is a everyday thing in Vietnam.

Vietnam one day Hanoi tour ideas

• Hanoi City Tour
• 2 hours cyclo tour
• Good morning Hanoi
• Bat Trang Pottery Village
• But Thap Pagoda
• Bat Trang and Dong Ky Villages
• Thay and Tay Phuong Pagoda
• Hanoi City Tour
• Perfume Pagoda
• Halong Bay
• Dry Halong Bay
• Water Puppet Show

Vietnam 2-3 days tours

• Mekong Delta Cruise
• Emeraude Classic Cruise
• Cycling Tour to Hoa Lu

Prior to leaving for Vietnam you should do some research to find out a general idea about the prices you will find in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese form of currency is (as of today) the Vietnam Dong with USD1 = VND16,500.

Transportation

Surfing the internet, you can easily learn information about prices of going by taxi or other means of transportation. However, for distances of great length, you have to bargain for a fairer price because for some of the long routes, the price does not include what is counted on the taximeter. If you use a taxi over a distance which is farther than 50 km, you are recommended to call the taxi company before going anywhere and ask for their price for a trip as far as that.

• Taxi (per km) = 0.45$
• Cyclo (per km) = 0.50$

Vietnam bus

Bus is the cheapest transport and is usually the same price for locals and foreigners.

Vietnam Mini Bus

Mini bus are very convenient with air-cond, cheaper than train but more expensive than public bus.

Vietnam Trains

Trains have different prices of locals and foreigners. The price depends on the type of seat and the distance. Best prices are at train stations. Travel agents take a commission of 1 or 2$.

Vietnam is the the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Its borders include China to the North, Laos to the northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. The countries eastern coast lies all along the South China Sea.

It is a fast growing country–the second fastest growth rate among countries in East Asia.

See also

• Vietnam History
• The Vietnam War

In the pre-dynastic era, the area was inhabited since Paleolithic times. Some archeological sites date back several thousand years. The beginning of the Vietnamese population began in the early Bronze Age around 2000 to 1400 years BCE. Rice cultivation was later developed and the Dong Son culture was developed which was notable for its bronze drums. Many small copper mines have been found in North Vietnam.

The Hong Bang Dynasty is considered to be the first Vietnamese state, called Van Lang. In 111 BCE, the Chinese consolidated the Vietnamese into the Han Dynasty and ruled Vietnam for the next thousand years. By the early 10th century, Vietnam had gained autonomy over China by the Khuc family. In 938 CE, a Vietnamese lord Ngo Quyen defeated Chinese forces to gain independence. The Vietnamese were ruled under several dynasties.

Vietnam’s independence ended in the mid-1800s when the country was colonized by the French. The French administration imposed a Western-style of education and Christianity was introduced. A plantation economy was started to promote the export of tobacco, tea and coffee. There was increasing call for autonomy from the French who maintained control of the colonies until WWII.

In 1941, Viet Minh sought independence for Vietnam and established a provisional government in 1945. This triggered the first Indochina War, lasting until 1954. According to the Geneva Agreements, the country was divided at the 17th parallel into North and South Vietnam. It was intended to be temporary, pending an election in 1956 that never took place.

Disagreements emerged over reunification and elections and the US began to increase its number of military advisors.

The US soon became embroiled in a civil war between the north and the south. The US participated in the fighting between the North and the South until the Paris Peace Accords formally recognized the sovereignty of both sides in 1973. This is when troops were withdrawn by the US.

South Vietnam was integrated with the North under communist rule in 1976.