Passport/Visa Requirements: Passports and visas are necessary for citizens of Canada and the U.S. Passports must have at least a year left before expiration. Visas must be obtained prior to arrival. They are available from any Vietnamese Embassy, whether in the U.S. or in the capitals of neighboring Cambodia, Laos or China. You will need three passport-size photos to complete your application. When leaving, expect to pay a departure tax at the airport and make sure you still have the departure form that was given to you when you arrived in the country. Reconfirm travel document requirements with your travel agent before departure.
Population: 84,402,966.
Languages: Vietnamese (official), French, English, Chinese..
Predominant Religions: Buddhist (Theravada and Mahayana), Christian (Roman Catholic), Taoist..
Time Zone: 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+7 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed.
Voltage Requirements: 220 volts.
Telephone Codes: 84, country code; 4,Hanoi city code; 8,Ho Chi Minh City code;
For More Information
Tourist OfficesThe Vietnam Tourist Boards in the various towns will advise on trips you wish to make, but they have no handouts or information on the area.
Vietnam does not have tourist offices in Canada or the U.S.
Vietnam Embassies
Canada: Embassy of Vietnam, 470 Wilbrod St., Ottawa, ON K1N 6M8. Phone 613-236-0772. Fax 613-236-2704.
U.S.: Embassy of Vietnam, 1233 20th St. N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036. Phone 202-861-0737. Fax 202-861-0917. http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org.
Foreign Embassies in Vietnam
Canadian Embassy, 31 Hung Vuong St., Hanoi. Phone 4-823-5500. Fax 4-823-5333. There is also a consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.
U.S. Embassy, 7 Lang Ha St., Hanoi. Phone 4-772-1500. Fax 4-772-1510. There is also a consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.
Additional Reading
The Quiet American by Graham Greene (Penguin). The story of an American adviser in Vietnam during the last days of French occupation.
A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler (Grove Press). A selection of superbly crafted stories that provide insight into modern Vietnam.
Shadows and Wind by Robert Templer (Penguin). An exceptional introduction to modern Vietnam, without sentimentality or political slant.
When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip (Plume). Arguably the best book ever written about life in Vietnam's central provinces during the war with the U.S. (It was the basis for Oliver Stone's movie Heaven and Earth.)
A Dragon Apparent: Travels in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam by Norman Lewis (Eland Books). Vietnam before it was engulfed by war.
Romancing Vietnam by Justin Wintle (Viking). Contemporary travel writing.
