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Travel AT Earth
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  • Travel Tips
    • Travel Tips

      15 amazing Instagram spots in Prague

      May 1, 2020

      Travel Tips

      Taiwan roadtrip – where to rent a car…

      March 29, 2020

      Travel Tips

      5 useful things to know before traveling to…

      March 26, 2020

      Travel Tips

      11 useful thing to know before traveling to…

      March 6, 2020

      Travel Tips

      7 most interesting Instagrammable places in Singapore

      January 31, 2020

      Travel Tips

      Flying drone in China? All you need to…

      December 1, 2019

      Travel Tips

      Guide how to travel by train in China

      November 27, 2019

      Travel Tips

      How to backpack for trip around the world

      November 25, 2019

      Travel Tips

      10 things to know before traveling to China

      November 20, 2019

      Travel Tips

      Guide how to visit Great Wall of China…

      October 22, 2019

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      Things to know before traveling to Mongolia

      October 7, 2019

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      Traveling with Trans Siberian railway – tips for…

      October 2, 2019

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Category:

Vietnam

    halong bay canoeing
    AsiaDestinationsTravel TipsVietnam

    5 useful things to know before traveling to Vietnam

    by AT March 26, 2020
    written by AT

    Vietnam is an amazing country and we think that every traveler should visit it. Vietnam got us mainly because of the beautiful and diverse nature, nice people and delicious gastronomy. You do not have to worry that you will forget to pack something in Vietnam, because everything here us very cheap to buy. Rather, we can advise you on practical things about visas, best mobile operator and SIM cards or transport.

    Landmark 81 firework

    1) Vietnam Visa

    Czech citizens are subject to a visa requirement, so do not forget your visa before traveling to Vietnam. You can do it easily via Internet on internet via this websites. The visas are processed within a few days, but it is recommended to process it at least 2 weeks in advance. Especially if you want to visit Vietnam during the New Year celebrations, make it even 3 weeks in advance. These celebrations can disrupt all administration. The visa is valid for 30 days, costs $25 and is submitted on paper form .) Always check visa requirement before you travel there!

    boat Trang An

    2) Vietnam currency and ATM withdraw (without fee)

    You will have to pay with cash in most places in Vietnam. We recommend bringing US dollars and exchange them for Vietnamese dongs. However, if you do not have the opportunity to import dollars, you can withdraw money from ATMs, but in most banks there is a withdrawal fee. But we have for you a tip for a vietnamese bank withou any fees!! It is called VPBank and can be found in most cities (except Sapa). On the Internet you may find that another bank that does not charge is MBank. Unfortunately the times changed and it will also charge you.

    Thien Mu Pagoda

    3) Best mobile operator and SIM card in Vietnam

    You can buy very cheap SIM cards and tariffs in Vietnam, so be sure to get one. We compared several operators in terms of price and coverage, and Viettel came out like the best option. ATTENTION: prices at the airport are usually higher than prices in the city, so if you do not mind spending a few minutes searching for an operator, we recommend you to wait for the city to buy a SIM in official store. We purchased a SIM card for a month with 12 GB of data for 17,000 VND (approx. 6,6 EUR).

    hoi an lucerns

    4) Traveling around Vietnam

    The most common means of transport are trains or buses. Buses tend to be cheaper than trains, but sometimes (with some companies) seats are less comfortable. We usually used night buses, which had special lying seats.  The most luxury buses even have screens and toilets. Usually it is not necessary to buy tickets in advance via the Internet (except for New Year celebrations). In every city you will find several carriers, much more choice and different prices than on the Internet! Buying tickets was not a problem even in smaller towns (for example Cat Ba Island), as almost every company sold tickets here.

    But once we made a mistake with buying a ticket through the hotel and not asking about the company. Mrs. from the reception told us that it is a tourist bus and the driver does not drive like crazy ( bus drivers in Vietnam drive like madmen), but eventually bus arrived with an hour delay and took mainly locals (so constantly stopping somewhere). To make matters worse, he served something like a local post and transported a fish sauce for someone. Sauce spilled on the Tom’s backpack and everything terribly smelled. Even our taxi driver said the smell is hard to handle. Moreover, the driver and his assistants did not speak English, so the arrangement with them was not easy and they were not very pleasant to foreigners. This experience has become us with with us Hung Thanh Travel company 

    Our tips for bus companies:

    From Ho CHi Minh: Thanh Buoi (luxorious option)

    From Da Lat: Futa bus line

    From Sapa: Green Sapabus

    From Cat Ba island: Cat Ba Express

    From Ninh Binh: Daichii bus

    And of course Vietnam is known as a motorbike country. Renting a motorcycle in Vietnam is very cheap (from 4 to 11 EUR a day) and it is a completely different experience. Traffic situation in cities is crazy, but when you go out it is calmer 🙂

    5) Food and cuisine in Vietnamu

    Vietnam is well known for its gastronomy with unique dishes. Who doesn’t know Bum Bo Nam Bo,  Bun Cha, Pho soup or spring rolls? Not only is Vietnamese food excellent, it is also very cheap, so there is no need to bring food supplies from your home country. We ate both for dinner on average for 4 EUR. Vietnam is also famous for its coffee, so coffee lovers will be in heaven! You can buy coffee in the average shop from 0,5 to 1 EUR. As a rule, if you pay more for it, you pay the tourist price.

     

    Vietnamese coffee

    Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk

    March 26, 2020 0 comment
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  • AsiaDestinationsVietnam

    Travel guide to Sapa – best places to visit and what to expect in February there

    by AT March 26, 2020
    by AT March 26, 2020

    Visiting Sapa and northern Vietnam in winter is not quite common as the main tourist season begins during the spring. Temperatures in Sapa are around 10-18 degrees in February, fog and rain…

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  • AsiaDestinationsVietnam

    Cat Ba island – Low cost way to discover Halong Bay

    by AT March 23, 2020
    by AT March 23, 2020

    We’re heading north and our next stop in Vietnam is Halong Bay. We have been looking for a way how to get on a Halong Bay boat trip without destroying our budget.…

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    Travel guide to Ninh Binh and Tam Coc with must do activities

    by AT March 23, 2020
    by AT March 23, 2020

    Finally, escape to the nature! This is exactly what we expected from Ninh Binh and its surroundings, and that is what we got from it. Despite the bad weather, we spent 3…

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  • AsiaDestinationsVietnam

    Former capital Hue – our experience with must visit places and restaurants

    by AT March 22, 2020
    by AT March 22, 2020

    Hue was the capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. There was also a battle for Hue during the Vietnam War, which was one of the bloodiest and longest. The city is…

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  • AsiaDestinationsVietnam

    Hai Van pass adventurous motorbike ride

    by AT March 21, 2020
    by AT March 21, 2020

    We are both fans of the Top Gear series and Vietnam special is definitelly our favorite one. This one also inspired us and excited for Hai Van Pass ride. We had  two big backpacks…

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  • AsiaDestinationsVietnam

    Lovely city Hoi An – must do activities and food guide

    by AT March 16, 2020
    by AT March 16, 2020

    Hoi An is a picturesque coastal city in central Vietnam. The city is famous for its historic Old town center with a water canal. We were especially looking forward to this visit.…

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  • AsiaDestinationsVietnam

    Travel guide to Da Lat – mountains, waterfalls and coffee plantations

    by AT March 9, 2020
    by AT March 9, 2020

    Dalat is said to be one of the hidden destination in Vietnam. Unfortunately, the opposite is true.  Tourists have already discovered this city on such a scale that one has to wait…

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    Travel guide to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) with best places to visit and see

    by AT March 9, 2020
    by AT March 9, 2020

    Our first stop in Vietnam is its capital Ho Chi Minh (also called Saigon). We arrived there from the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh with Mekong express. The journey was endless because of…

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About us

About us

Aneta & Tomas

We are a couple who loves traveling. That´s why we decided to break our careers and travel the world. We would like to also inspire others, especially those who desire for this kind of journey but have not found the courage to do so yet.

Recent Posts

  • Travel guide to Tulum – top things to do, best restaurants
  • Travel guide to Isla Mujeres – things to do and must visit places
  • Travel Guide to North West Bali and Sumberkima Hill
  • Travel Guide to Amed Bali – best things to do and beautiful places for snorkeling
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