Vietnam Safety, Vietnam travel advice

Vietnam travel advice really applies just about anywhere you go, including Vietnam. Taking a few hours to learn about the history and culture of a country before you visit will only ensure your trip is as safe and enjoyable as possible.

Vietnam travel advice:

Travel advice on the road:

Be careful! When traveling within the confines of thecity it is fine, as speed is pretty tame. However, getting on the freeway is dangerous, there are a lot of traffic fatalities (average is 30 deaths a day) onthe freeways in Vietnam, and some locals will not even venture on them, if notin a big vehicle (car or bus).

Taking a bicycle or motobike on the freeway is notadvised. There are transport buses and Vietnam tour package buses that go about 80 km/hour that pay verylittle attention to what is going on around them (as is usually the way peopleadhere to traffic in Vietnam). This often leads to accidents, where frequently you will see many bodies lying on the roadwith a blanket over them and incense burning around them.

If you are in an accident you have to get yourself tothe hospital. You have to call yourself or, if lucky, get someone to call foryou. Local hospitals will not accept you unless they think you can pay thebill.

Travel advice crossing the road

The stakes are high: if you are to die in Vietnam, morethan likely it will happen on the road -- be it in a car or under one.Vietnamese cities are crowded, and the roads are absolutely packed. You willtake your life into your own hands every time that you cross a busy street inany of Vietnam toursmajorcities.

Although some intersections in the main cities (Hanoi tours , Ho Chi Minh City) have traffic lights and many are patrolled by a policeofficer, most lights are either non-functional or ignored, and you are morelikely to see a traffic officer sitting in the shade than directingtraffic.

In most of the Western world, the trick is to avoid thecars. That is simply not possible in Vietnam, as there are far too many cars,trucks (lorries or utes), motorbikes, cyclos and bicycles in far too littlespace. No, the trick in Vietnam is to enable the vehicles to avoid you.

This is managed by first picking a reasonable gap in the traffic (probably a smaller gap than you would choose when jaywalking in, say Londonor Manhattan or Sydney), then walking slowly and predictably across the street while looking directly at theon-coming cars, motorcycles, cyclos and bicycles.

The predictability of your pace and path is thecritical factor between life and death. Do not change direction orspeed.

If you stop, retreat or try to dodge the vehicles, youare risking injury, and your possible misfortune will merely annoy a lot ofcommuters by snarling traffic even further. But if you step confidently andcarefully, the drivers will see and smoothly avoid you -- often with grace and acasual aplomb that is initially bewildering to many panic-stricken Westerners. But remember, they do this all the time, every day...or they would not be alive themselves.

The simplest way to cross a busy street is to find alocal and walk close to him or her, mirroring their path and pace. They knowwhat they are doing! And once you get the hang of it, it is actually great fun tofind yourself walking unafraid through a deadly sea of swarming vehicles andpeople, suddenly feeling like part of the normal flow in this otherwise foreignland - many visitors find waiting at traffic lights quite boring upon return totheir home countries.

Travel advice at night life

Vietnam has a great night life and is reasonably safecompared to many countries. However, Vietnam is like any country, so beware ofpetty crimes. As in most unfamiliar places, beware of punk looking teenagers andtriads. Basically don not go looking for trouble. Remember Vietnam is a partyingcountry and though they are lenient towards foreigners you should not try yourluck. Also, things tend to get a little bit empty at night, since there is acurfew for shops to close, which is usually around 10ish. Alleyways, which thereare a lot of in Vietnam, are usually safe. Use common sense.

Travel advice in wild life

Unfortunately, much of Vietnam dangerous wildlife isseverely endangered and very rarely seen. Tigers are so rarethat the odds of seeing one are extremely low, even for people living in ruralparts of the country. Crocodiles are virtually extinct in Vietnam-Saltwater crocodiles were once present in the Mekong Delta (up until 20 years ago) and in much of South Vietnam, but due towar, discrimination and habitat destruction they are rare and most likelyextinct as a breeding species in Vietnam. Leopards, though morecommon than Tigers, are still very rare. Snakes Siamesecrocodile is also very rare and is the only confirmed survivingcrocodile species in Vietnam, but is not a big threat to humans. arepretty much the only common animal that represents any substantial threat tohumans. The

Travel advice with crime

Vietnam is very keen on bolstering foreign tourism in Vietnam: withsevere punishments for crimes against tourists, violent crime against foreigners is rare. Nevertheless be alert in the big cities, especially Ho Chi Minh City, where teams on motorbikes drive by their victims to snatch bags, cameras, mobile phones, jewelry, etc. Carry bags on the sideaway from the street, use money belts, andlet the hotel reception keep your valuables.

Also infamously common are thefts on popular beaches, like in the case of Nha Trang, where tourists in Vietnam get into the water for a swim to find out their day bag is gone when they are back to the beach. Never leave your bag unguarded on beaches, and keep your eyeson it.

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