Business Visas
Business visas arc usually valid for three or six months, allow multiple entries and the right to work. Getting a business visa has now become cheap and easy, although prices are about double those of a tourist visa. It is generally easier to apply for a business visa once in Vietnam, after having arrived on a tourist visa.
 

Student visas
A student visa is usually arranged after your arrival. It's acceptable to enter Vietnam on a tourist visa, enrol in a Vietnamese language course and then apply at the immigration police for a change in status. In reality, the easiest way to do it is to contact a travel company and have them help you make the application.

Visa Extensions
If you've got the dollars, they've got the rubber stamp. Tourist-visa extensions cost as little US$10, but it is easier to pay more and sort this out through a travel agency. Getting the stamp yourself can be a bureaucratic nightmare. The procedure takes two or three days and you can only extend one time for 30 days.
In theory you should be able to extend your visa in any provincial capital. In practice it goes smoothest in major cities, such as HCMC, Hanoi, Danang and Hue, which cater to mass tourism.

Re-Entry Visas
It's possible to enter Cambodia, Laos or any other country from Vietnam and then re enter without having to apply for another visa. However, you must apply for a re-entry visa before you leave Vietnam. If you do not have a re-entry visa, you will have to go through the whole Vietnamese visa nonsense again. Re-entry visas are easiest to arrange in Hanoi or HCMC, but you will almost certainly have to ask a travel agent to do the paperwork tor you. Travel agents charge about US$25 for this service and can complete the procedure in a day or two.

Art & Antiques
There are several good shops to hunt for art and antiques, but Vietnam has strict regulations on the export of real antiques, so be sure the items are allowed out of the country. Most reputable shops can provide the necessary paperwork. Both traditional and modern paintings are a popular item. Cheaper mass-produced stuff is touted in souvenir shops and by street vendors. More sophisticated works are displayed in art galleries, with paintings from US$50 to US$500, but some of the hottest Vietnamese artiste now fetch up to 10 times that. It's important to know that there are forgeries around - just because you spot a painting by a 'famous Vietnamese artist' does not mean that it's an original. A Vietnamese speciality is the 'instant antique', such as a teapot or ceramic dinner plate, with a price tag of around US$2. Of course, it's OK to buy fake antiques as long as you aren't paying genuine prices.

Clothing
Forget the rubber sandals and pith helmets, Vietnam is emerging as a regional design centre and there are some extravagant creations in the boutiques of Hanoi and HCMC. Beautiful silk dresses cost a fraction of what they would at home, and men can get in on the action with some flamboyant shirts or sharp suits. Ao dai (ow-zai in the north, ow-yai in the south) is the national dress for Vietnamese women and is a popular item to take home. Ready-made ao dai cost from US$ 15 to US$30, but custom numbers can cost a lot more but may be required due to sizing differentiation. There are ao dai tailors nationwide, but those in the tourist centres are more familiar with foreigners. These days more and more hill-tribe gear is winding its way to shops in Hanoi and HCMC. It is brightly patterned stuff, but you may need to set the dyes yourself (try to soak the clothes in some salty water overnight) so those colours don't bleed all over the rest of your clothes. Alternatively, put it in a plastic bag and wait until you get home. Women all over the country wear conical hats to keep the sun off their faces, though they also function as umbrellas in the rain. The best-quality conical hats are produced in the Hue area. T-shirts are ever popular items with travellers. A printed shirt starts from 20,000d while an embroidered design will cost about 50,000d.

Handicrafts
Hot items on the tourist market include lac-querware, boxes and wooden screens with mother-of-pearl inlay, ceramics (check out the elephants), colourful embroidery, silk greeting cards, wood-block prints, oil paintings, watercolours, blinds made of hanging bamboo beads, reed mats. carpets, jewellery and leatherwork.

War Souvenirs
In places frequented by tourists, it's easy to buy what looks like equipment left over from the American War. However, almost all of these items are reproductions and your chances of finding anything original are slim. The fake Zippo lighters engraved with platoon philosophy are still one of the hottest-selling items. You can pay extra to get one that's been beat up to look like a war relic, or just buy a brand-new shiny one for less.

Bargaining
Some bargaining is essential in most tourist transactions. Remember that in Asia 'saving face' is important, so bargaining should be good-natured. Smile and don't get angry or argue. In some cases you will be able to get a 50% discount or more, at other times this may only be 10%. And once the money is accepted. the deal is done. Don't waste time getting stressed if you find out someone else got it for less, it is about paying the price that is right for you, not always the 'right' price.

 Vietnam Embassies & Consulates

The following are Vietnamese diplomatic representations abroad:
Australia Camberra (Tell:02-6286 6059 ;  6 Timbarra Ores, O'Malley, ACT 2606);
Sydney (Tell: 02-9327 2539; 489 New SouthH ead Rd, Double Bay, NSW 2028)
Cambodia Phnom Penh (Tell: 023-362531,436 Monivong Blvd)
Canada Ottawa (Tell: 613-2361398; 470 Wilbrod St, ON K1N 6M8)
China Beijing (Tell: 010-6532 1125; 32 Guanghua Lu, 100600); Guangzhou (Tell:020-8652 7908; Jin Yanf Hotel, 92 Huanshi Western Rd)

Noise
Remember Spinal Tap? The soundtrack of Vietnam is permanently cranked up to 11! Not just any noise, but a whole lot of noises that Just never seem to stop. At night there is most often a competing cacophony from motorbikes, discos, cafes, video arcades, karaoke lounges and restaurants; if your hotel is near any or all of these, it may be difficult to sleep. Fortunately most noise subsides around 10pm or 11pm, as few places stay open much later than that. Unfortunately, however, Vietnamese are up and about from around Sam onwards. This not only means that traffic noise starts early, but you may be woken up by the crackle of loud "pikers as the Voice of Vietnam cranks into life at Sam in small towns and villages. It's worth trying to get a room at the back of a hotel.
One last thing, ..don’t forget the earplugs!

Prostitution
Karaoke clubs and massage parlours are ubiquitous throughout Vietnam. Sometimes this may mean an 'orchestra without instruments', or a healthy massage to ease a stiff body. However, more often than not, both of these terms are euphemisms for some sort of prostitution. There may be some singing or a bit of shoulder tweaking going on, but ultimately it is just a polite introduction to something naughtier. Legitimate karaoke and legitimate massage do exist in the bigger cities, but as a general rule of thumb, if the place looks small and sleazy, it most probably is.

Scams
Con artists and thieves are always seeking new tricks to separate naive tourists from their money and are becoming more savvy in their ways. We can't warn you about every trick you might encounter, so maintain a healthy scepticism and be prepared to argue when unnecessary demands are made for your money. Beware of a motorbike-rental scam that some travellers have encountered in HCMC. Rent a motorbike and the owner supplies an excellent lock, insisting you use it. What he doesn't tell you is that he has another key and that somebody will follow you and 'steal' the bike at the first opportunity.You then have to pay for a new bike, as per the signed contract. More common is when your motorbike won't start after you parked it in a "safe' area with a guard. But yes, the guard knows somebody who can repair your bike. The mechanic shows up and quickly reinstalls the parts they removed earlier and the bike works again. That will be US$10, please. Beware of massage boys who, after a price has been agreed upon, try to extort money from you afterwards by threatening to set the police on you (these threats are generally empty ones). The most common scam most visitors encounter is the oldest in the book. The hotel of choice is 'closed' or 'full', but the helpful taxi driver will take you somewhere else. This has been perfected in Hanoi, where there are often several hotels with the same name in the same area. Book by telephone or email in advance and stop the scammers in their tracks. Despite an array of scams, however, it is important to keep in mind the Vietnamese are not always out to get you. One concerning trend we're noticing in Vietnam, relative to neighbouring countries such as Cambodia and Laos, is a general lack of trust in the locals on the part of foreigners. Try to differentiate between who is good and bad and do not close yourself off to every person you encounter.
 

Sea Creatures
If you plan to spend your time swimming, snorkelling andscuba diving, familiarise yourself with the various hazards. The list of dangerous creatures that are found in seas off Vietnam is extensive and includes sharks, jellyfish, stonefish, scorpion fish, sea snakes and stingrays. However, there is little cause for alarm as most of these creatures avoid humans, or humans avoid them. so the number of people injured or killed is very small. Jellyfish tend to travel in groups, so as long as you look before you leap into the sea, avoiding them should not be too hard. Stonefish, scorpion fish and stingrays lend to hang out in shallow water along the ocean floor and can be very difficult to see. One way to protect against these nasties is to wear enclosed shoes in the sea.

Theft
The Vietnamese are convinced that their cities are full of criminals. Street crime is commonplace in HCMC and Nha Trang, and on the rise in Hanoi, so it doesn't hurt to keep the antennae up wherever you are. HCMC is the place to really keep your wits about you. Don't have anything dangling from your body that you are not ready to part with, including bags and jewellery, which might tempt a robber. Keep an eye out for drive-by thieves on motorbikes - they specialise in snatching handbags and cameras from tourists on foot and taking cyclos in the city. Pickpocketing, which often involves kids, women with babies and newspaper vendors, is also a serious problem, especially in the tourist areas of HCMC. Many of the street kids, adorable as they may be, are very skilled at liberating people from their wallets. Avoid putting things down while you're eating, or at least take the precaution of fastening these items to your seat with a strap or chain. Remember, any luggage that you leave unattended for even a moment may grow legs and vanish. There are also 'taxi girls' (sometimes trans-vestites) who approach Western men, give them a big hug, often more, and ask if they'd like 'a good time". Then they suddenly change their mind and depart, along with a mobile phone and wallet. We have also had reports of people being drugged and robbed on long-distance buses. It usually starts with a friendly passenger offering a free Coke, which turns out to be a chloral-hydrate cocktail. You wake up hours later to find your valuables and new-found 'friend' gone. Despite all this, don't be overly paranoid. Although crime certainly exists and you need ro be aware of it, theft in Vietnam does not seem to be any worse than what you'd expect anywhere else. Don't assume that everyone's a thief- most Vietnamese arc poor, but honest

Undetonated Explosives
For more than three decades four armies expended untold energy and resources mining, booby-trapping, rocketing, strafing, mortaring and bombarding wide areas of Vietnam. When the fighting stopped most of this ordnance remained exactly where it hail landed or been laid; American estimates at the end of the war placed the quantity of unexploded ordnance at 150,000 tonnes. Since 1975 more than 40,000 Vietnamese have been maimed or killed by this leftover ordnance. While cities, cultivated areas and well-travelled rural roads and paths are safe for travel, straying from these areas could land you in the middle of a minefield that is completely unmarked. Never touch any rockets, artillery shells, mortars, mines or other relics of war you may come across. Such objects can remain lethal for decades. And don't climb inside bomb craters - you never know what un-detonated explosive device is at the bottom. You can learn more about the issue of landmines from the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), or see the boxed tex.

GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ADVICE
The following government websites offer travel advisories and information on current hot spots.
Australian Department of Foreign
Affairs (Tell: 1300139 281) British Foreign Office (Tell: 0845-850-2829; countryadvice) Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs (Tell:800-267 6788)
US State Department (Tell:888-407 4747)

PLANET OF THE FAKES
You'll probably notice a lot of cut-price Vietnam Travel Guide Vietnam titles available as you travel around the country. Don't be deceived. These are pirate copies, churned out on local photocopiers. Sometimes the copies are very good, sometimes awful. The only certain way to tell is price. If it's cheap, it's a copy. Look at the print in this copy-if it is faded and the photos are washed out, then this book wilt self-destruct in five seconds.

In southern Vietnam tropical conditions prevail, and there are two seasons – the wet season lasts from May to November and the dry season from December to April. The wet is characterised by high humidity levels and a refreshing afternoon downpour. Humidity in the south during the months of June and July ranges between 75% and 85%. The hottest months are from March to May.

Central Vietnam is usually dry from May to October and wet from December to February. October and November may experience unstable weather conditions and flooding.

Northern Vietnam also experiences two seasons though conditions can change dramatically throughout the day. The winter months from November to April are usually cold and humid. The months of December and January can be particularly cool with temperatures as low as 8 degrees Celsius. Temperatures can drop to 0 degrees Celsius in Sapa (in the highlands near the Chinese border) in winter. Summer, from May to October, can be quite hot and wet with regular downpours and occasional typhoons. The hottest months are July and August in Hanoi.