DON’T spend hours waiting to cross the street on foot: that constant tide of traffic won’t
stop until late at night, so

DO as the Vietnamese do: take the plunge and inch slowly across. Observe the Miracle of
the Red Sea, as the traffic parts like magic, flowing smoothly in front of you or behind,
meeting up again on the other side.

DON’T make any sudden or unpredictable movements: freeze if you have to, but never
lunge forward or backward towards the safety of the sidewalk. In fact, you can do just
about anything, but do it with conviction!

DON’T forget, if you’re riding or driving, to look where you’re going – all the time: if
you hit anything in front of you, then it’s your fault.

DO give way to any vehicle bigger and noisier than yours. Trucks and buses are
particularly dangerous: often old, sometimes unsafe and usually all over the road.

DO watch out for unfamiliar obstacles: water buffaloes, rocks of various sizes, brokendown
trucks…, people sitting in the road, missing bridges, girls in ao dai cycling five
abreast, slow-moving mountains of farm produce, dog fights, impromptu football
matches, piles of building materials – and almost no light on anything at night..

DON’T hesitate to take evasive action – even if this sometimes means leaving the tarmac
or coming to a dead stop.

DO try to avoid getting involved in one of the all-too-frequent minor accidents that
plague Vietnam’s roads (and the major ones as well, of course), but if you are unlucky,

DON’T lose your cool, in spite of the interference of the large and vocal crowd that may
gather: try to settle things amicably and swiftly. Sometimes, paying a reasonable amount
of money will save you a lot of hassle.

DO remember that the only rule is: you’re not allowed to bump into anybody…
irrespective of what they did or should have done, or of what the road signs or traffic
lights were telling them to do. Some people still seem to think that anything red means
forward, comrade

Planes, Trains & Buses
DO consider flying if you’re going a long way within Vietnam, because any other means
of transport is always much slower and sometimes only slightly cheaper.
DON’T get stuck in the mud: in the rainy season, road and rail are frequently flooded or
even washed away in the regions that are hardest hit.
DO reconfirm any flight to make sure there’s no change.
DON’T arrive at the airport just in time for a domestic flight. Until recently, it was
actually more expensive for foreigners to travel from Hanoi to Hochiminh City by train
than by air. And this is for a journey that still takes a couple of days as opposed to a flight
lasting a mere couple of hours!
If what you are after is seeing plenty of scenery and having time to meet people and chat
with them, DO let the train take the strain. Trains are still very slow, despite reports
almost weekly that they are picking up extra speed. They are also a bit noisy and often
rather Spartan, but a very pleasant and civilized means of transport, with much more
legroom than any kind of bus, and conserve some of the charm of a bygone era. They
offer – for a price – air conditioning, plush seats, comfy sleepers and gourmet food in a
restaurant car.
DON’T opt for the bus if you’re prone to claustrophobia, motion sickness, are pregnant,
suffer from a weak heart or actually expect to have a good time. The Vietnamese are not
renowned for the safety or courtesy of their driving.
DO use local city buses: once you’ve worked out where to catch the ones you want, these
present an excellent (and stunningly cheap) way of getting around. Cities in Vietnam are
investing in new buses and improving the service in an effort to combat traffic
congestion.
DO keep things on the planes, trains, and your hired vehicles clean. In case there’s
something wrong you may find, call the master right away, or else you may get into
trouble later.

Taxis, xe om, and cyclos

 
Taxis are fairly cheap and plentiful
DO check that the driver starts the meter, unless you agree to a price before you move off
and then stick to it.
If you use taxis, xe om, or cyclos, it’s best to always make sure you have some small
notes on you. The “sorry, no change” line is often used to try and round up the fare to fit
your bank notes. If you only carry 50,000 VND bills, it might get expensive.
DO make sure the driver has really understood where you want to go rather than just
answering “yes” to everything you say and then driving around aimlessly – with the
meter running – with the hope that inspiration will strike from some unlikely quarter… If
you can’t make yourself understood, show your destination to him in writing.
A xe om is a motorbike taxi, a very popular and practical way of getting around. You’ll
find them on every street corner in the country – or rather they’ll find you and eagerly
offer their services. This is the fastest way to get across town without having your own
bike and is often the best and cheapest way to get to a distant beach, village, site, airport,
etc. DO fix a price before you hop on, politely ignore any attempt to renegotiate the
amount along the way and check that you are indeed where you want to be before you
pay off your xe om. You DON’T need to bring along a helmet cause all xe om drivers
carry one more (besides theirs) for customer.
Cyclos, or bicycle trishaws, offer a quiet, leisurely and eco-friendly way to cover short
distance. Cyclo features three wheels. DO choose Cyclo to enjoy a city tour as it moves
quite slowly.
DON’T take Cyclos late at night, unless you know your way around as this is not a very
safe option.
Car, motorbike and bicycle rental
Cars for rent at comfort are Japanese 4x4s and Russian jeeps for long journeys and
remote regions visiting. But they usually come with a driver. Yet, car is still not the ideal
form of transport for Vietnam’s narrow roads and saturated city streets.
For short stays in Vietnam, your driving license from your own country should be
sufficient, provided it applies to motorcycles. If possible, DO obtain an official
Vietnamese translation of your license.
DO remember that this driving license will usually only be valid for the same period as
your visa! After that, you start the process over again! But experience will make the
process much quicker!
Renting bicycles and motorbikes is cheap and easy. And this service is now offered
almost everywhere in Vietnam. However, DON’T take the risks involved lightly: the
number of foreigners implicated in traffic accidents – from minor spills to major, horrific
trauma – is proportionately high, and this is a country with a soaring accident rate.
DO take the time to rent a bicycle for a few days before you rent a motorbike. This will
allow you to familiarize yourself with local conditions without quite as much speed, risk
and hot metal being involved.
DO check the brakes, lights and wheel bearings on any vehicle before you rent it.
DO keep sharp eye on your rented motorbike to avoid theft.
In Vietnam, horns are heavily used: a motorbike sill runs with no lights or little brakes,
but if the horn doesn’t work, the bike needs fixing. Some young sparks have the amusing
idea of fixing a powerful car horn to a scooter. So DON’T let it get to you. If you start
screaming at people for blowing their horns, they will simply stare at you in amazement.
DO use the horn yourself when you drive, otherwise, it can be dangerous.
Helmets are now used by all motorbike riders as a rule. So DO remember to use one for
yourself.
DON’T buy a Chinese helmet: it might look as good and be cheaper but it won’t resist a
serious impact.

Walking
When walking around in the cities, DO beware of traffic: As crossing the road, follow the
zebra crossing, and wait until the light turns blue. Still, remember to look around before
crossing as motorbike riders sometimes run even at yellow light and at high speed.

Driving license
Technically, a foreigner needs a Vietnamese license to drive anything above 50cc; while
this is rare if ever enforced, your papers won’t be in order if you have an accident,
whether it’s your fault or not.
For short stays in Vietnam, your driving license from your own country should be
sufficient, provided it applies to motorcycles. If possible, DO obtain an official
Vietnamese translation of your license (unless it mentions that you are not entitled to
drive). Official translations can be obtained at the public notary’s offices in most large
towns. It normally only takes a couple of days and a few dollars.
An international driving license is only a recognized translation of your own country’s
license.any official-looking, photo-bearing document can be an asset when negotiating
your way out of a delicate situation with local policemen or authorities.
If you intend to stay in the country for longer periods and wish to do more serious
driving, then you might want to apply for a local driving license. You will need quite a
bit of patience for this and a hefty pile of papers and letters that will include photocopies
of passport, visa, driving license and originals of your driving license official translation
as well as a letter from your sponsoring agency (not needed if you are on a tourist visa).
DO remember that this driving license will usually only be valid for the same period as
your visa. After that, you start the process over again.

Markets & Minimarts
DON’T miss the markets: among the most atmospheric in Southeast Asia and still the
hub of commercial activity everywhere in Vietnam. Notable markets in clued floating
ones in the Mekong Delta, Cho Lon market in the district of Hochiminh City that bears
the same name, the large fruit and flower market in Da Lat, any of the major markets in
Hanoi, the colorful Sa Pa market and other ethnic minority markets in the mountainous
north of the country.

DO go early when shopping at local markets. Goods are brought fresh everyday from the
countryside and without refrigeration they will suffer from the heat as the day drags on.
Shopping in Hochiminh City is now little different from shopping in Bangkok or any
other Asian metropolis. Commercial complexes and supermarkets are also sprouting up
in Hanoi and other sizeable towns.
DO check the expiry dates carefully on any imported produce you buy: many of the more
obscure items in these shops have been quietly gathering dust (not to say rotting away)
for years. In Hanoi, you may notice a baffling remnant of the city’s old ways. Tradesmen
as part of Chinese-style commercial guilds were traditionally grouped together
geographically (as many have remained in the Old Quarter), but a more modern breed of
shopkeepers, such as those selling televisions or making photocopies, often elect to bunch
together in a similar way. The practical upshot of this is simply impossible for the
moment to obtain, say, a tennis racquet. Then, one day, you will turn a corner into an
unexplored street and be confronted by an entire row of shops selling nothing but tennis
racquets.

Bargain, bargain, and bargain
The idea of a fixed pricing system is still quite novel in most commercial contexts, which
means that a little good natured haggling is an important habit to develop. Anywhere
outside of supermarkets, restaurants and anything controlled by the state, bargaining is
possible and usually essential.
DO be warned that, as you are always easily spotted from a distance as a foreigner, you
will be asked to pay more than locals. Sometimes just a little more, but often
outrageously more, even if this is not always immediately obvious to you, especially
when relatively small sums are involved. It might seem like a snip, but you may be
paying ten times the going rate.
If you feel mean haggling over such small sums or are tempted just to pay up for a quiet
life, DON’T forget to think of other people who will pass this way after you. You should
not be too afraid of offending local sensibilities: if you pay vastly over-inflated prices
without a murmur, you’ll simply be seen as the sucker you’re letting yourself be taken
for!
DO negotiate firmly if you want to rent a place: as a foreigner, you are a good prospect,
since you will almost certainly pay more than a local, you won’t start worshipping your
ancestors in the house and refuse to ever move out – and you may even attract other
monied foreigners to the neighbourhood. However, you should also be aware that there is
no legal protection for people renting accommodation: if you have a problem, you must
solve it with your landlord – again, through negotiation. The pleasant result is that
Vietnam has actually been getting cheaper over the last few years.

Fake goods
Much of Southeast Asia is notorious as an earthly paradise for counterfeiters and
Vietnam is no exception.
DO consider your motives carefully if you purchase counterfeit goods: if you buy a Rolex
wristwatch for $20, you know that there is no chance of it being anything like a real one,
except for its superficial appearance. If this is all you want, that’s fine, but DON’T
complain if you get searched at customs o your return home, have your fake Rolex
confiscated and are made to pay a fine equivalent to the cost of a genuine one. Copies of
expensive makes (especially good ones) pose a real threat to business and these luxury
goods companies are determined to defend their interests – and have the means to do so.
Very good copies can be found in Vietnam, particularly items such as clothes, sports
equipment and luggage. The Vietnamese are redoubtable and wily business operators,
and both foreign and domestic companies often find it impossible to prevent know-how
from leaking out. Even products made from materials imported exclusively find their way
onto the local market at budget prices.
However, DO let the buyer beware that it’s possible to find excellent deals, but only if
you really know what you are doing.
DO check the quality of what you’re buying, especially if there are safety concerns
involved.
DON’T expect to get your money back if you change your mind after making a purchase,
Impress Travel Company Limited or even if you realize belatedly that the goods you have been sold are not as advertised…
Check everything checkable yourself before you hand over your money. If it runs on
electricity, get the assistant to plug it in and test it.
What not to buy in Vietnam?
There are some products which you may find for sale here which you should avoid.
These may be illegal in Vietnam or your home country, or simply may encourage
destruction of the environment and harm to the local people. These include:
Coral and coral products. Buying these products encourages destruction to Vietnam's
irreplaceable coral reefs.
Sea Turtle products. You may find preserved sea turtles in shops - particularly sold in
the open in Hanoi. This should be obvious--but sea turtles are endangered and all
products made from them are illegal.
Rice wine containing whole animals or animal products. Wildlife populations have
been decimated in Vietnam. Many of the animals and animal parts used as ingredients in
rice wine are globally threatened and endangered - including the snakes.
Ivory, bone and tooth products. This animal product will be illegal in most home
countries, regardless of which animal it came from. The only allowable products may be
those made from farm animals--but this may be very difficult to distinguish.
Alligator and crocodile leather. This is illegal to transport between many countries.
Drugs - including marijuana are illegal and the sale or use of them can carry SEVERE
penalties.
Prostitution is illegal and destroys not only yourself, the person you engage with, and
your family. Aids and other serious STD's are VERY COMMON in Vietnam--even the
countryside

Shopping in Vietnam is a fun and interesting experience, and guarantees good bargains to
those who know what to look for. It is true to say that you can find nearly anything in
Vietnam. Markets vary from high class shopping malls, supermarkets to bustling open
market, galleries, boutiques and street stalls.
It is not recommended that you buy imported, famous branded products such as clothing,
perfume or electronics in Vietnam as tax makes these items more costly than neighboring
countries.
In terms of shopping for tourists, Vietnam is most famous for its handicrafts, war
souvenirs, authentic clothing, art, antiques and gems.
Hotspots include Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City, each of which has a temping
selection of everything from avant-garde art to sumptuous silk suits.

Art and Antiques
Vietnam has very strict regulations about exporting real antiques. There are several shops
to hunt for art and antiques. Both traditional and modern paintings are a popular item.
More sophisticated works are displayed in art galleries, while cheaper mass-produced
stuff is touted in souvenir shops and by street vendors. Be careful and check your sources
for certificates if they claim to sell you an original or antique piece.

Clothing
Vietnam is emerging as a regional design center and there are some extravagant creations
in the boutiques of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Clothing varies greatly from tourist T-shirts to beaded handbags and traditional ao dai
(the traditional costume) made to fit your size. Items made from silk are a popular buy,
with prices varying depending on the material and tailor. Pre-made traditional dresses are
sold in many places. However, it is more recommended to have the dress made to fit your
body, which takes more time and slightly more money.
Shoes, slippers and handbags made from traditional materials (silk and bamboo) can also
become unique gifts and accessories.
The Vietnamese traditional conical hat, can be found everywhere throughout the country,
but hats made in Hue are most famous as they have a poem embroiled on the inside.
Non (conical hats) are favorite items for women in both rainy and sunny times. The best
quality ones can be found in the Hue’s area.

Gems and jewelry
Vietnam is rich in gemstones. The jewelry business is also increasing during current
years, and sophisticated works are produced by both big businesses and traditional
craftsmen. The quality of the gemstones sold is sometimes doubtable, so it is
recommended that you buy gems at prestigious locations and be ware with cheap prices.
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Phone: 844 – 3734 6777, Fax: 844 – 3232 1106, Hotline: 8912 225 694

War souvenirs
Most war souvenirs sold today in Vietnam (for example, Zippo lighters engraved with
platoon philosophy) are fake reproductions. Be careful while transporting these items as
many airlines do not allow weapons, even fakes to be carried on their planes.
Handicrafts
Other popular handicrafts in Vietnam include lacquer ware, wood-block prints, and oil
and watercolor paintings, blinds made from bamboo, reed mats, carpets, and leatherwork.

Tip: Bargaining
Bargaining should be good-natured, smile and don’t get angry or argue. Once the money
is accepted, the deal is done. Remember that in Asia, “saving face” is very important. In
some cases you will be able to get a 50% discount or more, at other times this may only
be 10%.

DO always ask around to get an idea of basic prices: a ride on a motorbike, a plate of fried noodles, a packet of cigarettes, a kilo of mangoes, etc. For more important purchases, try and get a local friend to go along with you, or better still, let him do the buying without you: prices are often lower when foreigners aren’t around.

DON’T feel awkward or rude about bargaining: everyone bargains in Vietnam and you’ll
look like a green tourist if you don’t.

DO insist on being quoted a price as soon as you start showing interest in a commodity or
requesting a service. It’s too late to ask once the silk shirt has been wrapped or after your bike has been fixed. This first price is your starting point and it’s quite probably too
expensive, so

DON’T look happy or resigned to paying what you’re asked: always begin by showing
your gentle disapproval, tut-tutting or saying something like: Đắt quá! (Too expensive).

DO consider various bargaining options, not just a straight fight over figures. If you buy
several, the price should come down. Ask them to throw in some small extra you would
like, for the same price. If you are quoted a price in US dollars, ask how much that is in
Vietnamese Dong and try rounding it down. Be forewarned, though, that the concept of
the special offer is still in its infancy here (like 1 percent off if you buy a truckload)…

DON’T hesitate to walk away if you cannot agree on a price: either they’ll come after
you or you’ll find the same thing on sale somewhere else.

DO stay Zen… Shopping can be quite a rodeo when you’re surrounded by eager stallholders all shouting, smiling, waving and pointing at their wares.

DON’T buy antiques to take home unless you’re confident that you can get them out of
the country. The law prohibits their export, but remains vague as to what exactly
constitutes as an antique.

DO buy ethnic minority products directly from ethnic minority people, if at all possible,
rather than from shops run by ethnic majority merchants, who often exploit their
suppliers ruthlessly.

DON’T expect to get the better of any deal: Vietnamese have boundless reserves of experience and patience in doing business.

Ref: Good buys in Vietnam:
Lacquer ware
Ceramics Painting
Woodblock prints
Silk
Clothes in general
Embroidery
Carvings (stone and wood)
Precious or semi-precious stones (such as jade)
Jewellery
Rugs

  French colonialism in Vietnam, though short-lived (1859-1954) in com- parison with Chinese rule, distinguished itself by its sheer brutality and contempt for the Vietnamese people and their culture. France’s mission, aside from plundering and profiting from Vietnam’s considerable
natural resources and exploiting the country’s apparently inexhaustible supply of cheap labor, was to save the Vietnamese from their own political leadership from themselves by "civilizing" them. The French made the mistake of seeing the Vietnamese as "big children" with limited mental capacities, and of believing that their Vietnamese enemies were no better than common criminals who lacked patriotism and dedication.
 
Above : Those Vietnam's Patriotic in French prison in 1908

  In a passage from a colonial curricular guide, French administrators’ paternalistic description of their work sounds like a noble calling, em phasizing their desire "to protect the people from themselves and their own shortcomings such as gambling, excessive superstitions of all sorts and their love of chicanery which ruins both their savings and their health" (Altbach and Kelly 1984, 19). Even for those few Vietnamese who had access to the colonial education system, opportunities for promotion and advancement were limited, in keeping with the French principle that "the lowest-ranked representative of France in Indochina must receive a salary superior to that of the highest Indochinese official employed by the colonial administration. In Understanding Vietnam, Neil Jamieson uses the example of a Vietnamese professor who graduates from the University of Hanoi, studies in France, and returns home, only to earn less than the French janitor who cleans the classroom in which he teaches (1995, 97). The main purpose of education was to create a tiny elite of Viet- namese who could assist in the administration of their own country as a French colony. By 1945, in the twilight of French rule, 95 percent of the population was illiterate. 

  Some, pointing to hospitals, schools, and roads, argue that France brought Vietnam the benefits of Western civilization. But although there is some truth to this, as evidenced by the restored villas of Hanoi that are now being used as government offices, embassies, and businesses, amenities such as hospitals or schools were available only to a minority of Vietnamese, while the majority suffered from the regime’s taxation policies
and racial prejudice.The transcription of the Vietnamese language in the Latin alphabet from Chinese ideographs in the seventeenth century was both a blessing and a curse. It had the net effect of severing future generations from their own national literature, written in Chinese characters, as well as from a millennium of Chinese influence (Altbach and Kelly 1984, 25). But it also had a favorable impact on literacy in the long term because it made the language easier to learn than, say, Chinese or Japanese. As in other societies, the Vietnamese language was one
of the keys to preserving Vietnam’s national identity. Each occupying power in turn regarded Vietnamese as inferior to its own language. Like Chinese, the French language dominated Vietnamese schools, the university, the government, business, and foreign relations.


  Many older men who were educated in lycées (French secondary schools) and later fought against the French nevertheless openly express their admiration and affinity for French culture. The views of these Vietnamese Francophiles, some of whom were charter members of Vietnam’s Communist Party,reflect the tendency to distinguish between peoples and cultures on the one hand and governments and policies on the other. One political factor that might explain Vietnamese openness to things French, according to a Frenchman who has spent much of his career in Vietnam,is the current French government’s foreign policy, which is decidedly more
multilateral and inclusive than those of, for example, the U.S. and Great Britain. The ways in which the Vietnamese and French cultures complement each other also offer a more positive starting point than for other Westerners. A marked French influence remains in Hanoi’s architecture and cuisine (e.g., baguettes, croissants, sauces), as well as in an openness toward French culture,even among young people.Some attribute this to a Vietnamese tendency toward selective cultural borrowing—retaining only what they like most—while others point to similarities between Vietnam as a tea-sipping and France as a wine-sipping café culture. In both soci-
eties,for example,developing a relationship,whether over a cup of tea or a glass of wine, always precedes "getting down to business." 



  Among young people, English has now become the language of choice: French ranks a distant second among the foreign languages studied by Vietnamese high school and university students. But I have been approached by older people—in formal settings, such as a meeting, as well as informal ones, for example in a park—wanting to converse with me in French. As this older generation passes on, so too will much of this linguistic bridge to Vietnam’s colonial past.

  In The Vietnamese and Their Revolution, John McAlister summarizes the writings of Paul Mus, the French sociologist and one-time political  adviser to France’s high commissioner for Indochina. Published toward  the end of the Vietnam War, the book, which made Mus’s writings accessible  to the English-speaking world, should be required reading for anyone interested in the influence of national history on the behavior and mindset of a people. Some of Mus’s thoughts cut to the core of the Vietnamese mentality. Mus writes, “Nearly everyone agrees that the Vietnamese are energetic and tenacious workers when they are motivated, a  situation which is hardly infrequent, especially for the peasants in the  fields. . . . The spirit or mentality of the Vietnamese the three fourths of them who continue to lead the lives rooted in the traditions of the village is the essential untold story about Viet Nam. (1970, 6) Indeed, even most city people in Vietnam retain strong ties to the  countryside and periodically make pilgrimages to the villages where they  or their parents and grandparents were born to pay respects to their ancestors.

   There is one main historical factor that has shaped Vietnam’s character.  The original Vietnamese, people of Mongoloid and Indonesian racialorigin who came from what is now central and southern China, based their economy on wet rice farming,which is highly dependent on weather and on complex systems of irrigation. As a result, Vietnamese communities developed a strong collective spirit. Though administratively autonomous,each village could be quickly mobilized, along with neighboring villages, in the event of foreign invasion. This made military victory over the Vietnamese problematic. Foreign forces would literally have to win the war one village at a time, and gains were often short-lived, in contrast to other countries where the fall of a fortress might mean control of an 28 Vietnam Today: A Guide to a Nation at a Crossroads entire city. Vietnamese history is generally seen as one of nation building and defense.
    The notion of mobilizing autonomous villages to resist foreign invaders is not difficult to imagine when you see the physical layout of villages on the approach to any of the nation’s major airports or while traveling through the countryside. According to the historian Stanley Karnow, Vietnam’s many wars “infused in the Vietnamese a readiness to defend themselves, so that they evolved into a breed of warriors” (1983,99). The desire to defend their country from foreign attack remains as strong as ever, but the Vietnamese are “warriors” not by their nature but only when provoked by foreign aggression. In his monumental work Sketches for a Portrait of Vietnamese Culture, Huu Ngoc, a self-described “cultural worker” and one of Vietnam’s preeminent intellectuals, writes,with understatement, “With questions of ideology fading with the passage of time, perhaps future historians will agree among themselves that,at bottom, all that fighting was for national liberation” (1996, 262).