If Vietnam miraculously suddenly found itself closer to Central Russia (say, somewhere in the neighborhood with Turkey), the tourist flow to this country would undoubtedly increase many times . After all, among the conspicuous minuses of this direction, only a long and, therefore, expensive flight . Almost everything else - solid pluses: an unusual and exciting "excursion", beautiful beaches with ample opportunities for outdoor activities, an extensive and high-quality hotel base . And at the same time - low prices in hotels, restaurants, ontours and in general everywhere .

In spite of all this, Vietnam thoroughly spoiled the opinion of itself with horrible markets of consumer goods with bales of every possible shabby, talkative inhabitants and flavors of fried herring . Perhaps, many will wrinkle their nose today when they hear an offer to go there: "This I've seen enough" . Meanwhile, the present Vietnam are ancient temple complexes of unknown civilizations and natural beauty of national parks, healthy and delicious food (dietary rice and appetizing fresh seafood), the cheapest diving in the world (along with an abundance of underwater inhabitants) and resorts with a distinct European fleur: after all, the former French colony . In addition, Vietnam will provide plenty of ponostalgia for the recent Socialist Prologue: the flag is well, almost like our ex, and the pioneers in ties, and even the leader in the mausoleum .

The capital is Hanoi. Interesting cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Hue; popular resorts: Phan Thiet, Fukuok, Nha Trang. Full list of resorts in the country.

All the beauty of Vietnam with the tour operator Bolero tour!

Group and individual tours. Routes of any complexity. Combined programs with Cambodia. Enchanting Cruises in Halong. Rest on the coast of Nyachanga, Fukuok, Phan Thiet, etc.

(495) 727-27-87, 231-18-55 • www.bolerotour.ru

@ All Asia from the tour operator "ART TOUR"!

Collection of tours to Vietnam!
Flight to / from Vietnam Airlines from Moscow to Nha Trang, Hanoi and Saigon:
Departures in March for 9 nights: Bao Quynh Bungalow 3 * - from 69 900 RUR / person
Ocean Star 4 *, 8n. - from 69 900 rubles / person
Sea Links Beach 5 *, 8n. - from 85 900 RUR / person

(495) 232-31-13 • www.arttour.ru

Your advertising here: www.reklama.travel

How to get to Vietnam

Aeroflot flies to Hanoi on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (9, 5 hours in the air). Three times a week Vietnam Airlines operates flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. 1-2 times a week on the route Moscow - Ho Chi Minh City during the winter period, Transaero flies. In addition, Asian and some European airlines offer flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg, but with a transfer in other countries, and Vladivostok Air has one flight in two weeks from Vladivostok to Hanoi.

• How to fly from Russia to Vietnam
• How to get from Vietnam to Moscow
• Is there Wi-Fi
• at the airports of Vietnam @ How to get from Vietnam to Cambodia

The road from the CIS countries

From Kiev and Odessa to Vietnam you can fly through Moscow, Frankfurt, Paris, Beijing and Bangkok by the airlines "International airlines of Ukraine" and Lufthansa together with S7, Transaero and Air France

For citizens of Kazakhstan there are flights from Almaty (via Bangkok il and Kuala Lumpur) to Ho Chi Minh City by Air Astana, Uzbek Airlines and Vietnam Airlines.

Vietnamese visa

Citizens of Russia arriving in Vietnam for up to 15 days do not need a visa.

• What documents are required when entering Vietnam

Customs

Import of foreign currency is not limited, but amounts above 3000 USD must be declared: the export of currency from the country is allowed only within the amount declared at the entrance. Export of the national currency is prohibited. @ Duty-free can import 400 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 500 g of tobacco, 1, 5 liters of strong alcoholic beverages or 2 liters of alcoholic beverages up to 22 °, 5 kg of tea, 3 kg of coffee, as well as other goods the total cost is not more than 5 million VND.

Household and computer equipment must be declared: all undeclared equipment will be allowed to export only when paying customs duties or a receipt confirming its acquisition in the country. The import of drugs and drug-containing medical prepar comrade without a doctor's prescription on their use (penalty - until death), explosives, firearms, materials offending local culture and pornography

.

It is forbidden to export art and antiques, jewelry and handicrafts without proper authorization documents

• What is the currency in Vietnam
• Which currency and which denomination is better to be taken to Vietnam
• What is the ratio of the local currency of Vietnam to the US dollar

@ Phone numbers of Vietnam

Embassy of the Republic of Vietnam in Moscow: Bolshaya Pirogovskaya, 13; tel .: (499) 247-02-12, 245-09-25, 247-07-07, 246-13-83 (consular department)

Consulate General of Vietnam in Yekaterinburg: ul. Karla Liebknecht, 22, office 411; tel .: (343) 253-02-84, fax: 253-02-82

Consulate General of Vietnam in Vladivostok: ul. Pushkinskaya, 107/1; tel .: (4232) 22-69-48, 22-69-27, 20-58-14, fax: 26-14-96

Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Vietnam (Hanoi): 191, La Thanh street, Hanoi ; tel .: (4) 383-369-91, 833-69-92, website

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Ho Chi Minh City: 40, Ba Huyen Thanh Quan street, Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam, tel .: (8) 393-039-36; website

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Danang: 22, Tran Phu Street: tel .: (511) 382-23-80, 381-85-28; The website

Militia - 113, firefighters - 114, ambulance - 115

Telephone code of Hanoi - 4, Ho Chi Minh - 8, Nha Trang - 58, Phan Thiet - 62, Danang - 511, Hoi An - 510, Dalata - 63 , Hue - 54, Fukuok Islands - 77.

Legends and history of Vietnam

Here is a short digression into the tangled history of the Vietnamese people . For more than three thousand years BC on the lands of present-day Vietnam rules king dragon Luck Long Kuan . Once, puzzled by the continuation of the genus, he decided to ask for a hand and heart at the fairy bird Au Koo . Beauty was not slow to accept the proposal and in due time gave birth ... a bag in which one hundred eggs were found, and one out of every one came to the heir-ancestor of one hundred Vietnamese births . Whether the lady planted offspring or put the offspring in an incubator - history is silent, but since then, every self-respecting the Vietnamese responds about themselves as "the dragon's child, the grandson of the gods" . The end of the story is very modern: after a while the couple parted - Luck Long Quan chopped off half of the sons and retired with them to the sea, and Au Co took the remaining fifty and went to live to the mountains . K nevertheless Lev Nikolayevich correctly noted about happy and unhappy families!

Transport

In a stretch from north to south, Vietnam for The movement between distant cities is more reasonable only use domestic flights of Vietnam Airlines or Jetstar Pacific. Most often, airplanes fly between two megacities - Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (up to 10 flights per day), but other major cities are not deprived of regular flights.

Vietnam trains are comfortable and follow the schedule clearly. The main route, Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City, will last 30 hours. To buy tickets is recommended at least 3 days before the date of the trip directly at the ticket office of the station (local travel companies can easily cheat on the ticket price and class of the car.)

Intercity buses make sense to use for relatively short trips: constant speed limits on the routes pour into unnecessarily long journeys. On the other hand, the prices for bus trips are insignificant: it is possible to get from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh for 450 000 VND.

City transport

City transport is well developed only in large metropolitan cities: it is a taxi, various moto-and rickshaws ("saiklo" or "siklo") . Fee for taxi fare does not need to be stipulated in advance: all cars have a counter that specifies the fare, and taxi drivers usually know little English . The fare for a taxi: 5 500-9 500 VND per kilometer plus 15 800-23 700 VND for landing . Moto and pedicabriks are satisfied with 15,800 VND for 15 minutes of travel, however the amount of payment is a trace To agree on in advance and bargain in this case it is simply necessary . Read more about the rules of using public transport in Vietnam in the article: How to use transport and comply with SDA in Vietnam .

• How much does it cost to travel by public transport in Vietnam

Rent a car in Vietnam

Rent a car in Vietnam can only be "bundled" with a local driver, its cost is usually calculated either by kilometer or by day. The cost of 1 km is from 4500 to 6500 VND, depending on the company and the range of the trip (the farther, the cheaper), and the rent per day will cost around 400 000 VND.

Everywhere in the country you can rent a motorcycle (60 000- 80 000 VND per day) or a bicycle (6000-8000 VND per day). At the time of signing out the lease, a deposit is levied for them.

Traffic on roads is poorly regulated, so "traffic jams" in big cities are common.

• Do you need the right to rent motobike in Vietnam
• What documents are needed to rent a car in Vietnam

Rice fields

Temples of Vietnam

Temple Po-Nagar

Safety of tourists

Vietnam is one of the safest places in Asia (and Hanoi is one of the safest cities in the world). The only ones to be afraid of in the country are small thieves and pickpockets.

You can not drink tap water "in the general case", nor should you buy food on the street. The first three days in the country it makes sense to refrain from heavy consumption of fruits and vegetables. Detailed information on how not to get into the difficult situation in Vietnam, read in the articles security for currency exchange, features of hotel and restaurant services, health protection, how to protect yourself from unnecessary waste, behavior in extreme situations and what to provide in specific tourist centers in Vietnam .

• Do I need to vaccinate before going to Vietnam
• Do I need to take insect protection products to Vietnam

Climate of Vietnam

About a third of the country is located at a level above 500 m above the sea, so the climate there is subtropical, and in areas above 2000 m - even moderate. From April-May to October, the southeast monsoon brings warm and humid weather to the country - except for areas protected by mountains.

In the south of Vietnam (from Ho Chi Minh Da Phan Thiet), two seasons can be distinguished - wet and dry. The wet season traditionally lasts from May to November, the rainiest months are June-August. The dry season usually starts in December and ends in April. For European tourists, this is the most favorable time. "Velvet" months in the south of Vietnam - January and February: soft sun, refreshing sea water. From late February to May are hot days without rain.

The climate of central Vietnam (from the resort of Nha Trang to the ancient capital of Hue): from February to August - it is clear rains are rare, the temperature is +30 .. + 35 ° C. In the middle of December - torrential rains, in October-November in the Danang and Hue area typhoons are possible, the temperature is +20 .. + 28 ° C. In the north of the country (from Hanoi to the sea resort of Halong), the winter and summer seasons are more clearly marked , than in the south. Winter, cool and humid, lasts from November to February, in February and March there is always a drizzling rain "fu". From May, the summer season begins sharply: high humidity, temperatures of up to +40 ° C.

See also: current weather forecast for 10 days at popular resorts in Vietnam and in major cities of the country

• When the tourist season begins in Vietnam
• What kind of climate in Vietnam is
• When is the best time to visit Vietnam
• At what time of the year is the sea in Vietnam more quiet
• When in Vietnam "dry season"
• What is the weather in Vietnam in August
• What kind of weather in Vietnam in September
• Where in Vietnam it is better to rest in the middle of October
• What weather in Vietnam in November

Hotels in Vietnam

In the large cities of Vietnam the choice of hotels is the most diverse - from mini- hotels to the category De Luxe. Service in them, in general, at the average European level. Type of food - breakfast (most) or half board, "all-in" is almost none. The buffet is extremely varied. All the rooms from three to five "stars" are equipped with air conditioning, TV with satellite channels and telephone, in the rooms there are also more expensive bathrobes, hairdryer, tea and coffee making facilities, safes and minibars

Voltage 220 V , frequency of 50 Hz. The plugs are generally flat. The rooms in many hotels are equipped with universal sockets, which are suitable forks of almost any configuration - and if the plug still does not fit, the hotel staff will find the required adapter.

• Which beaches in Vietnam: own or public
• Do you have clean beaches in Vietnam
• Where can I combine a beach and sightseeing vacation in Vietnam

Shopping and shopping

Local shopping has two nice features: a rich choice of purchases and the lowest prices in the region (if, to echno not forget to bargain). Shops work almost every day, seven days a day until late. Many supermarkets work in the capital and large cities around the clock.

From Vietnam you can bring things from lacquer, bamboo, mother-of-pearl, silver, pearl, red and ebony products - including very beautiful cutlery and caskets . Other category successful purchases - clothing and accessories from silk, flax and cotton . Even in Saigon you can find very high-quality and beautiful gold products - not that at completely junk, but quite attractive prices, as well as pearl products - mostly from artificially grown river th, less - cultivated sea . It is worth buying different spices, especially fu-kuok black pepper . The fair sex representatives are guaranteed to pay attention to the national costume "Aozay", consisting of tight-fitting figure of a long dress shirt with slits and pants they are custom-made) .

Wonderful exotic souvenirs are literally worth a penny, but handsome silver products cost almost nothing. Returned from Vietnam, travelers usually take out of their suitcases silver jewelry and dishes, products made of natural silk, linen and cotton, souvenirs made of mahogany and bamboo, lacquer ware and ceramics.

• What prices in Vietnam
• What can I bring from Vietnam
• How much does Vietnamese coffee
• Where do they produce pearls in Vietnam and how good is it

Vietnamese cuisine and re Orany

Vietnamese cuisine, though "omnivorous" (up to fried grasshoppers in bags of newspapers instead of seeds), but quite easy and, in spite of its unusual, healthy. Products here are not subjected to long-term heat treatment. The basis of the kitchen - rice, noodles and spices, a variety of seafood.

Many dishes season with "nyok-mam" sauce from fermented (read: "fermented in its own juice") fish - however, the taste and smell is not so terrible as it may seem . From soups it is worth trying a light and delicious "pho ": Rice noodles with lean beef or chicken . The French, former colonizers, were noted in local cooking, making it popular as a" snack "cut in two baguettes with all kinds of fillings . In the country traditionally popular green tea, and local coffee considered very decent . A in Dalat produce good red and white wines .

In state hotels and restaurants, usually 5% "for services" are usually added to the account. In private institutions, if you liked food and service, you can leave "for tea" 5-10%.

• Cheap food in Vietnam

Vietnam's entertainment, excursions and sights

Vietnam is ready to please the guests from the north with a lot of diverse entertainment: from elephant riding, snake visits restaurants with crocodile reserves, national parks and fishing - to casinos and nightclubs. The highlight of the country's excursion program is the partisan tunnels of Ku-Chi, but there are even more attractions here.

In the Halong Bay National Park - one of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet . Several thousand small limestone islands and cliffs rising from the sea waters and having a bizarre shape are forced to believe in the legend of this place . It says that the islands of Halonga were created by a giant dragon who lived in the mountains . Fanciful cliffs and cliffs resemble a turtle, a camel, a cat, tin of a dog, dragon and t . d . This bay is one of the most popular sightseeing places in the country . Here one-and two-day excursions are often conducted, which include a sightseeing tour around Haiphong town and its environs and a boat cruise on the Gulf for about five hours .

In Hanoi, the mass of Buddhist, medieval and recent communistic attractions, as well as natural beauties in abundance . Interesting are the ancient Chua-Mot-Kot pagoda, the Bach-Ma temple, the Kot-Ko tower and the largest lake of the capital - Ho-Tai, on the banks of which there are a lot of buildings of the era of the emperors . Another worth visiting is the lake "The Returned Sword's Lake" Hoan Kiem with the Ngong-Son Pagoda, the Tap-Ryu Pagoda and the Hook Bridge, the Kin Thien Tomb (part of the Imperial Forbidden City), the remains of the ancient defensive Kuan-Thanh and Kuanchyong Gate . Attractions of the Ponovie: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum, Independence Museum and Revolution Museum . Well, you can get acquainted with the life of Vietnamese in the traditional house museum at 87 Ma May .

Danang is home to the beautiful "Marble Mountains" Ngu Nan-Son and pagodas with unique statues. In Phan Thiet - the famous statue of the Reclining Buddha.

• What to see in Vietnam
• What excursions in Vietnam? Vietnam's most popular
• Are there any rules for visiting Vietnamese temples
• Which Vietnam resort is better for windsurfing

Diving

Diving in Vietnam is one of the cheapest in the world. At the same time, it is really interesting and organized at a quite decent level. There are a lot of interesting dive sites off the coast of Vietnam. The best in this regard are Nha Trang, Hoi An, Kondao and Fukuok. In addition to the great variety of corals, it is possible to see all kinds of mollusks, cuttlefish, octopus, squid, clownfish, moray eels, pufferfish, groupers, manta rays and barracuda. ​​

The best time for diving is from October to April. The best season for diving in Nha Trang is February-October, and on Fukuok Island - from November to May. Near Nha Trang there are famous diving sites: the Muren beach, the coral reef "Rainbow" and many islands near the resort.

The national reserve of the Kondao archipelago consists of 14 islands and is 300 kilometers from the coastline. There you can meet very rare mammals - dugongs (sea cows), large green turtles and a lot of endemic animals and plants that are not found anywhere else. Photo of Vietnam (262)