Miss.Adventure’s Guide to Living in Vietnam

As my days in Vietnam dwindle down, I wanted to include tips that I have learned from living in Vietnam for anyone who stumbles onto this blog for some help. I’ll include the disclaimer that this information is only accurate NOW (2008).

Side Note: As for posting on this blog, I have maybe a couple of posts left. I am debating whether I should visit Seoul during my layover there. If I do, I will definitely post the pictures here. After that, my trip will be over. However, I am planning a new blog based at home. I’ll share the details soon on my final post!

When to travel in Vietnam
I can only comment on my own experience. We arrived in Vietnam in February, on the first day of Tết (Vietnamese New Year). I have always wanted to go to Vietnam during Tết. What I found is that most stores and business are closed for a week. There is not much to do other than staying home with your family. As well, in February, while it is hot in southern Vietnam, it was cold in the north, and close to freezing temperature in Sapa. Just keep that in mind if you were imagining warm weather all year round throughout the country – like I did and didn’t pack the right clothing…

Train and Luggage Tickets
In Vietnam, you have to show your train tickets getting on AND off the train. I believe you get fined if you don’t. I think it’s to avoid having people cheating and buying cheaper tickets with the incorrect (shorter distance) destination. As well, when you leave the airports, they actually check that your luggage match against the luggage tags. It’s actually good when you think about it so no one can walk out with your suitcase! So be diligent in keeping ALL of your tags and tickets!

Multiple Entry Visa
After applying and paying for a multiple entry visa, I thought I had a multiple entry visa. Can you predict the rest of this story? To my surprise upon my return from the Philippines, I was told that my visa was not valid. My visa was a single entry visa even though I forked out an extra $50 for a multiple one. After being threatened by officials to be deported back to the Philippines, being reminded that entry into Vietnam was not a right but rather a privilege (yes, I understood all of that in Vietnamese!), I was able to get a new visa for double the normal fee but who is going to complain? When I asked if I could finally leave, one official even joked that I could only leave with one of them. I kept my cool and did not react. It was a nightmarish night. As The Boyfriend pointed out, I was lucky to be granted another visa and they could easily have refused me entry. Moral of the story? Check that your paperwork is what it should be.

Paying rent
My issue with rent here is that our rent was quoted in USD and The Boyfriend was paid in VND (dong). I recommend to anyone who is not being paid in USD to negotiate paying rent in VND instead. This is because we had a problem with having two different exchange rates: bank and black market rates. This is not an issue anymore as both rates are now the same but it could be an issue again with potential speculation. If you are being quoted in USD and want to pay in VND, ask that the contract specify which rate to use (bank rate is most beneficial) so no conflict occurs (as we had to deal with!); I think it’s actually illegal to use anything but the bank rate, but try to argue that with an old, stubborn Vietnamese landlady!

Exchanging money
On the topic of exchanging money, currently many banks will not exchange VND currency into any foreign currency. It varies from bank to bank. At Vietcombank, they will only allow The Boyfriend to convert his assets when he closes his account after it has been approved by the director. HSBC will allow exchanges only for their customers (who have accounts at the Vietnamese branch) if you have proof that you are leaving the country. The moral of the story is that you should not exchange more than you have to or you might get stuck with VND (or get charged a black market exchange rate as an anonymous commenter experienced).

Eating out
Two great websites that I used for restaurants in Vietnam is noodlepie and Gastronomy (yes, I’ve mentioned this site before and I’ve had the chance to spend time with the lovely Gastronomer!). They both have a pull down of Vietnamese dishes that is very helpful. Another helpful site is Chez Moz Dining Guide.

Vegetarian Eating
For vegetarians like The Boyfriend, a good tip is that on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month, Buddhists follow a vegetarian diet. It is quite easy to find vegetarian Vietnamese dishes on those days.

Shopping
My favourite subject! There are good deals to be had in Vietnam and it can be overwhelming. Here are a few things I think worthwhile:

- Custom clothing: My experience with getting custom clothes sewn is limited. I would suggest that you bring your favourite piece of clothing if you want a guaranteed product because Vietnamese tailors are great at copying. I was very happy with my pants. If you do get something made from a picture, you should try it on and ask the tailor to make the necessary tweaks. The Boyfriend got pants made he felt were too tight (even though measurements were taken); luckily, the tailor left some allowance so he could loosen them. In addition, you might want to bring your own fabric. Vietnamese fabric is limited and a lot of it is the shiny synthetic material that locals prefer.

- Bootleg DVD’s from China: You can buy the latest movies (that are still in the theatre) for 15,000 VND (about 1 USD). You can also buy TV shows on DVD’s. I just bought all 7 seasons of Sex and the City for 150,000 VND. The only caveat is that the quality is inconsistent. We’ve watched good quality movies and TV shows but some will freeze or you’ll see someone walking in front of the camera.

- Custom Paintings: There are many shops that do custom paintings. They offer everything from cheesy paintings to any replicas you'd like. If you want a picture of your family or dog painted on canvas at a good price, this is your chance. They are good at copying.


60cm x 80 cm painting for my sister for 550,000 VND.

- Eyewear: Forget about Lens Crafters. Eyewear is ridiculously affordable here. I got a pair of glasses made for 450,000 VND and it only took a day to get them. The frame I picked did say CK and I ended up with a pair of D&G, but at that price who can complain? So bring your prescription with you!

I can’t think of anything else. If I do, I will simply add on to this page.

Say No to Drugs

I got the scoop about the death in my alley. It was not a homeless, old person as I thought. Rather, it was a young man in his early thirties. As my landlady put it, he died of ma tuy (drugs) or SIDA (AIDS). I'm not sure whether she means both or one of them. I think some Vietnamese people associate one with the other.

I am not sure if drugs are a big issue in Vietnam. According to the ads I see on the streets, I would assume it is a serious issue. I don't really have anything to say about this because I honestly don't know much. I've heard heroine is one of the popular drugs here, but I can't confirm this.


Say "KHONG" (no) to drugs.


Drugs can kill.

A sign that associates ma tuy (drugs) with AIDS.

Vegetarian Buffet

When The Boyfriend and I first arrived in HCMC, we saw a restaurant that offered a vegetarian buffet. It was for a limited time around Tết (Vietnamese New Year). I thought it would be fun to go to a buffet where The Boyfriend could eat anything. However, when we finally decided to go, there was a wedding reception and the buffet offering was over.

Talking to my Vietnamese teacher, I learned that the 7th month of the lunar calendar (around August) is when many Vietnamese eat vegetarian all month to honour ancestors - I think... So I suggested we go check out the restaurant again to see if the vegetarian buffet was being offered. Luckily for us, it was!!

At 120,000 VND each (about 7 USD), it is not a cheap meal in Vietnam. There were two separate floors and we were assigned to go to the third floor. There were not too many people when we arrived, but it was full when we left. The offering was quite extensive: soups, salads, noodles, sushi, spring rolls and all sorts of faux meats. We ordered something to drink, not realizing there was also a drinks buffet, including tea and lemonade!


Everyone checking out the selection with festive green decor.


Some vegetable offering.


Some vegetarian gỏi (salads) served with bánh phồng tôm (crackers, usually shrimp flavoured). Our favourite was the lotus salad, minus the faux shrimps.


Faux meats under a heating lamp.

"Chicken" curry.

There was even someone making bánh xèo, filled with mushrooms.

Fruit offering, including peeled rambutans.

Desert offerings.

Death in an Alley

I have been meaning to have a post about life in the alleyway or hẻm, where I live. I was going to write about knife sharpeners and recyclers in the morning, crowds gathered in the alleyway watching a soap opera or singing karaoke on a tiny television in a house and white-collar workers sitting on plastic chairs eating lunch. There are also chickens running around (The Boyfriend likes to warn "bird flu, bird flu" when he sees them), rice and onion being dried out in the sun, and rats scurrying around at night. However, I did not think I would include anything morbid.

My Vietnamese teacher came in today: "Did you see THE body?". I actually did see someone lying on a cot in the alleyway, head covered. Someone was massaging the person's feet so I assumed maybe it was someone who felt ill. I was SO VERY wrong. It was a dead body. I have mentioned that there are many homeless people in the city, people who come from rural areas to make money but cannot afford housing. They usually sleep on cots and hammocks at night. My guess is this was such a person or the body would be indoors.

My Vietnamese teacher is very amusing because she is very superstitious. I think this is characteristic of many Vietnamese people. She warned me about not looking at the body ("Did you already look at it?" she asked in panic) because it is bad luck. She was worried about The Boyfriend coming home tonight and walking by the body. She was also worried that the body would still be there on Friday when I have my next lesson.

Honestly, I have never really thought about how I feel about bodies. I don't usually like open caskets at funeral. I am not superstitious but I have to admit that it is rather creepy or morbid to have to walk by this body whenever I go out. I'm not sure also how a body will fare in this heat outside. I might try to minimize my outings until the body is removed...

Mũi Né - Part II

The Boyfriend and I booked an excursion to go see the sand dunes. It cost $22USD and took over three hours. I’m sure this can be done cheaper by taxi but we got to see a lot of interesting sites by jeep: the Fairy Spring, red canyon, the farther white sand tunes and the yellow sand dunes nearby. I had heard that the sand dunes were spectacular but I did not realize how big they would be. It really did feel like we could have been in the Sahara desert, without the heat (we went in the late afternoon for that reason).


Our jeep.

Our first stop was the Fairy Spring (Suối Tiên). Our tour guide, really just our driver, dropped us off and told us we had 40 minutes. A young teenager acted as our impromptu guide even though it was very obvious where we had to go: just follow the stream! At the end, he asked for money. I don’t think so. I already paid for a tour…


We passed by big vats of stinky nuoc mam (fish sauce).


The Boyfriend is following our "guide" in the Fairy Spring.



There were very nice and interesting rock formations.

Next we stopped by the fishing village of Mũi Né where little fish (anchovies?) were laid out to dry in the sun. I’m not sure if they were the same fish, but The Boyfriend and I encountered little jumping fish when we were swimming in the ocean. They were just jumping in and out of the water, even into my swimsuit.


View of Mũi Né village.


Fish spread to dry.

Working the fish.

Not only does Mũi Né have sand dunes, it also has a canyon. So many interesting sights!

Red Canyon.

The white sand dunes were far out but well worth the trip. At the bottom of the sand dunes is a nice lake too.

Lotus lake with the white sand dunes in the background.

At the other end of the lake were some horses. Some tourists rode the horses up the sand dunes…

White Sand Dunes. Can you belive this is Vietnam?

This little boy followed us, trying to convince us to slide down the hills. Although we didn’t, we gave him 10,000 VND because he was so persistent (and cute!).

The boy slid down the hill himself!

I like the temporary trail left behind.

Finally, we hit the yellow sand dunes, which had more of a golden colour. The yellow sand dunes are much closer to Mũi Né and so had much more tourists than the white sand dunes.

We encountered a herd of cows.

Many tourists, hanging out and flying kites.

The Boyfriend from afar.

These dunes were very big too.

By a sand bank with the sun behind me.

Mũi Né - Part I

The Boyfriend took a couple of days off work so we could hit the beach before I go back to Canada. We decided to go to Mũi Né, having heard that it was very nice and due to its proximity to HCMC. It also was a less costly option than Nha Trang or Phú Quốc.

We booked bus tickets through Sinh Café: 100,000 VND (about 6 USD) each way. The bus ride was not as bad as we heard. It took about five hours each way. The way back felt much longer than the way there.

The Boyfriend wanted a hotel with a pool because he does not enjoy his eyes stinging from the salted sea water. This was a good call since the water was rather choppy. I found an affordable option with a pool, Sunrise Resort, for 35 USD a night (it costs 50 USD for a beach view bungalow). This included breakfast (options were limited); there was also wi-fi so you can surf the net by the pool and cable TV. Our whole trip costs about 100 USD each for 3 nights. A trip to Mũi Né can definitely be done even cheaper; we saw rooms as low as 6 USD. It can also be done on the more expensive side; we saw some very nice bungalows on the beach.

Our days were spent going for dips in the ocean and then the pool. It seems we ate a lot, read on the beach and chill-axed as The Boyfriend likes to say. We also went to see the dunes – I’ll cover this in part II!

View of Sunrise Resort.

Most resorts are on the beach side of coconut tree lined Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, a 15 km stretch.

View of the pool from our sliding door. It was nice to have the pool at our doorstep until we got woken up at 4 am by drunk (I’m assuming) girls splashing in the water and then at 7 am by kids swimming… The beach was just at the other end.

View of the pool and beach in the background. Our room was clean and basic.

Some of the décor has a hint of "fromage". The little boys’ statues seem to be peeing into the pool...

We spotted this little guy near the pool, hiding from the sun.

We enjoyed fruit pool side. Only the pineapple was good. The mango was SO tart; it must be the end of mango season. The dragon fruit should have been good since we saw fields upon fields of dragon fruit nearby, but it was too ripe.

The beach was very nice and we had nice weather. Supposedly, Mũi Né has the least rain in South East Asia because of its microclimate created by its location near the sand dunes. As I mentioned before, the water was choppy due to the strong waves. This is perfect for wave jumping. Mũi Né is also a choice destination for windsurfing and kitesurfing destination. Having attempted to surf in Costa Rica at Witch’s Rock Surf Camp, I would not even think of trying kitesurfing but it was cool to watch others do it.

Views of the beach on each side.

Kite boarders jump seriously high, with the help of the wind!

There were a lot of stray dogs on the beach.

We spotted a few jelly fish washed up on the shore. Don’t they have an alien quality about them?

Fishermen set out around 5 pm and come back in the morning.

One night, I got grilled shrimp, freshly caught that morning. There were about 10 very big shrimps for 50,000 VND (about 3 USD)!! What a steal! Delicious!

A salamander fell, from the sky it seems, while we were eating . Can you spot this one?

We got a full moon. I wasn’t able to take a picture but it was amazing to see at night so many lights out at sea from the fishing boats.