Laws

›              Vietnam has no minimum legal drinking age (just don’t tell your kids).

›              The country has strict drug laws with severe punishments, including the death penalty. Don’t be fooled by the party drug culture – drugs are illegal.

›              Pornography, prostitution and public nudity (including topless sunbaking) are illegal.

›              Gambling is illegal, but foreign passport holders can gamble at government-licensed casinos.

›              ‘Political actions’ are illegal – that means marching in protests or even voicing your political beliefs, so don’t go around telling locals what you think of their communist government. This also applies to activities online, like social media.

›              Avoid taking photographs of demonstrations, border crossings, police or military.

›              Religion is only somewhat tolerated by the secular government. It’s no problem if you’re religious, but westerners who have tried to openly preach Christianity have been detained, fined and deported from the country. Again, be careful about your online activities, too.

›              It is illegal to export antiques from Vietnam without a permit.

Watchouts

›              Violent crimes against travellers are rare, but petty theft such as pickpocketing is common.

›              Touts are a fact of life in Vietnam. In cities and tourist areas, expect to be offered taxis, hotel rooms, souvenirs and more. A polite ‘no thank you’, or ‘tôi không muốn’ (‘I don’t want it’) should work.

›              Always make sure you know the exact price before you agree to buy something – for example, are you sure you’re negotiating in dong, not dollars? Are you agreeing to a price per room or per person? And always count your change.

›              Lonely Planet recommends Mai Linh and Vinasun as the most reputable taxi companies. But beware of impersonators pretending to be members of these fleets!

›              When making purchases or booking services, it’s not unusual to be quoted a very high price and then have to haggle your way down. Don’t lose your cool, this is a normal part of life in Vietnam and if you’re a tourist you can probably afford to pay a little more than the locals do anyway.