Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam is a strip land shaped like the letter "S" with a diamond at the top. China borders it to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the East Sea to the East and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south.
The country's total length from north to south is 1,650km. Its width, stretching from east to west is 600km at the widest point in the north, 400km in the south and 50km at the narrowest part in the centre - Quang Binh province. The coastline is 3,260 km long and the inland border is 4,150km. Vietnam is also a transport junction from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Vietnam's climate is characterized by strong monsoons, a considerable number of sunny days, high levels of rainfall and high humidity.
Although the entire county lies in the tropics and subtropics, it presents a very diverse climate according to its different altitudes and latitudes. Winters can be quite cold in the north, while the south offers sub-equatorial temperature all year-round. Some mountainous regions have temperate climates.
Annual average temperature for the whole country ranges from 22ºC to 27ºC . The average temperature is 23ºC in Hanoi, 26ºC in Ho Chi Minh City (south) and 25ºC in Hue (centre).
The climate is generally divided into two seasons: the cold season (from November to April) and the hot season (from May to October). Differences of 12ºC can be observed in the northern provinces. However, in the southern Vietnam, the difference in temperature between the two seasons, estimated at 3ºC, is almost unnoticeable.

The Vietnamese nation was created by an anthropological mix of the ancient Chinese and Indian cultures. As far as anthropologists are concerned, the Vietnamese people stem from the Mongoloid race, which is scattered throughout northern and eastern Asia.
At present, there are about 54 minority ethnic groups inhabiting Vietnam, each of which has its own language and cultural identity, thus making the Vietnamese culture a well blended combination of different cultures.

Vietnamese is the official language, but foreign languages, such as English, French, and Chinese are spoken by many people especially in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue and Danang. Our tour guides can speak English, French, Russian, Chinese and Japanese.

January 1: New Year's Day, (one day holiday)
April 30: Saigon Liberation Day, (one day holiday)
May 1: International Labour Day, (one day holiday)
September 2: National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, (one day holiday) Vietnam Traditional Lunar New Year Festival - Tet Nguyen Dan: (Four day holiday). The holiday begins on the eve of the day of the last lunar month and lasts through the first three days of the Lunar New Year (Tet Nguyen Dan). This usually falls somewhere between the end of January or middle of February in the solar calendar.

GMT plus 7 hours
Office hours: All Government offices are open from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (with a one-hour lunch break) from Monday to Friday. They are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. In other regions, offices are open from 7:00 am to 11:00 a.m. and from 1:00p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Banks are open from 7:30 or 8:00 a.m. to 3:30p.m. Banks are closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays.
Shops are normally open from 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.

The currency of Vietnam is the dong (VND). Notes are available in paper denominations of 500,000; 100,000; 50,000; 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 1,000, 500, 200 and 100 VND, and also in metal denomination of 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500, and 200 VND.

The US dollar is accepted throughout the country, however, the bills must be relatively new with no markings or tears. Several big cities accept the Euro. Traveller's cheques are easily exchangeable in banks. Credit cards are becoming more popular, especially in the major hotels and restaurants of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. And there are some ATM machines again especially in the big cities.

All visitors to Vietnam must fill in declaration forms and show their luggage to customs officials on request, travellers can change their money for Vietnam dong (VND) at banks and hotel throughout the country.

Most visitors to Vietnam need a visa to enter the country. Visas are exempted for the citizens of the countries, which have signed a bilateral visa exemption agreement with Vietnam, including Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Laos. The citizens of Japan and South Korea have also been recently exempted.
A tourist visa is valid for 15 to 30 days.
Tourist visa can only be obtained from Vietnamese embassies and consulates abroad. Otherwise, you can get a visa at the border gates if you have been invited by some competent Vietnamese organization or are travelling on a package tour organized by a Vietnamese travel company. To apply for a visa, the requirements are as follows:
* Entry permit form (which can vary from one Vietnamese embassy or consulate to another) - There are two categories of this form: for foreigners and for Vietnamese living overseas.
* Two photos (4x6 or 3x4)
* Original passport
* Visa fee.

Visa extension: this service is available from many travel agencies within Vietnam.

Vietnam Airlines is the national passenger carrier. With 24 branch offices and thousands of agents worldwide, Vietnam Airlines is an increasingly convenient option for travel to and from Asia. Pacific Airlines - a joint-venture with Vietnam Airlines - also flies from Ho Chi Minh - Hanoi.

With more than 23 international airlines have a representative sales office in some big cities such as: Ho Chi Minh, Ha noi, Da Nang including All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Garman Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Siem Reap Air, Thai Airways, Lao Aviation, Air France, Aeroflot, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Eva Air, Emirates Airways, Lauda Air, Lufthansa German Airlines, Malaysia Airways, Philippine Airlines and Qantas Airways.