Useful Information
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Useful Information >> What to Bring Baggage handling facilities are OK at Vietnam’s main airports, although not yet fully automated. Robust luggage is advisable, but there’s no need to invest in expensive cases. Many visitors bring far too much luggage, and find that much of it returns home unused. You can buy almost anything in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City - but bear in mind the price of imported goods is nearly always higher than you would pay in your own country - international brands at cheap prices are either fakes or goods made locally under licence and often of lower quality. If you forget something, it isn’t a disaster because you should be able to find a substitute locally. :> The main exceptions are: Camera film: Most common brands and formats are available at reasonable prices, and processing facilities are OK, but anything out of the ordinary is difficult to find. Sun protection: Vietnamese people do not sunbathe, so there are no reliable local products, and the quality of imported products is suspect. Tampons: Available, but expensive and usually only available in small or regular sizes. Contraceptives: Pharmacies stock only a limited range of oral contraceptives, and they may be fake or out of date. Condoms are now more readily available. The local ‘OK’ local brand is usually reliable, but on the small side. Foreign brands can be fakes or past their sell-by dates. Cosmetics: Generally available, but the range is limited and the quality poor. Toiletries: Available, but a limited range, and mostly cheaper brands. Non-allergic toiletries are almost non-existent. Mosquito repellent: Available locally, but almost always based upon ‘deet’ or similar chemicals. Non-allergic varieties are very rare. We find that the local ‘tiger balm’ is reasonably effective, and also good at suppressing the itching after being bitten. It costs next to nothing and is freely available. If you use a camcorder, it’s wise to bring a spare battery. The electricity supply is reliable in the large cities, less so elsewhere. Voltage is nearly always 220 volts. Sockets are mostly two-pin with rounded tops, but they are not standardised – you’ll find a variety of different types. A universal adaptor is necessary if you’re bringing any appliances with you. Please remember that, with very few exceptions, wiring in Vietnam is not earthed. If you need a hairdryer, they are only provided in the more upmarket hotels, although sometimes you can borrow one at the reception desk. If you bring a laptop computer with you, you’ll need to have an Asian connector if you want to use it for e-mail or Internet connection. Please note that finding an accessible ‘phone socket is far from easy, sometimes even in hotels. Hotels with IDD phones in the rooms nearly always charge for the service – prices vary wildly, so check in advance. If your itinerary includes a homestay, or a visit to an out of the way cave, a small lightweight torch will be useful the smaller ‘Magilite’ torches are good. It also helps during power cuts, and us safer than candles! Batteries for torches, cameras and so on are readily available, unless it’s an extremely unusual type. :> What to take with when you go out (while on holiday) > A map, certainly. A city map is easily found at post offices, newspaper or book shops. > A good guide book > Photocopies of your passport and visa (and leave the original ones at your hotel) > Cash in US$20’s and $ 100’s > A folding umbrella if you plan to visit during the rainy season. The wettest months are July and August. > Zip lock bags. They are cheap, disposable, and keep all kinds of things fresh and dry. > Hotel cards. You should keep your hotel cards or brochures to show people to get guidance in case of missing way back to your hotel. |
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