Vietnam - Precautions

If you take a bike with a basket make sure you put the straps around the handle just so no motorcyclist will take it from the basket and go off with it that's what happened with me.

A good place to avoid. This town is the main border crossing from China to Vietnam and is pretty ugly in all respects. Watch out for the minibus touts in particular. Very ugly and bordering on dangerous.

If you dont keep firm and bargan, you'll end up penniless! Hoi An people are hard core about ripping tourists off!

Beware of the mad traffic, take small steps when crossing the road and get travel insurance!!

There are a lot of fancy clubs, but watch out for police raids in the 'Apocalypse now' club..They take everyone with them for questioning, and nobody likes communist prison.

very very ghost town like though there is evidence of new development and tour buses around the border. The area is kind of dry and mountainous compared to Laos, which has plenty of trees. However, Laos is cutting down most of its trees to supply to vietnam...that is what you'll notice when you're driving around the roads in this area. you'll continuously have to pass big trucks with giant logs on the trailers and sometimes they travel in packs. be careful when passing if you're the driver. especially of motorcyclists. you don't want to kill or be killed.

Be careful of thieves in this land crossing ... as you change from the Cambodian to the Vietnamese coach (or vice-versa) at the immigration, your bags are dumped in front of the coach to be loaded once you have alighted ... this gives some quick artists enough time to steal a backpack or two... which is then emptied of its valuables and loaded on the next coach... so when you reach your destination city, your backpack is first missing, and when you create a scene it arrives in the next coach, ripped open and minus the valuables... not much to the place otherwise...

everything is for tourist but there are many pick pockets beware or moped taxis some rob u

Good activities to look for :Travel to Ha-Long Bay (arrangement with hotel)Visit many museums (especially where Ho-Chi Minh mummy is kept)Traditional massageDon't miss the Water Puppet ShowCautious please :No jewellery/ valuable accessory on bodyPick-pocketsSafety when riding motorcycles (no helmet here)Massage parlor may not be genuineWhen buying shopping :Use Vietnam Dong (save more money)Limit the use of US DollarHave a try on bargaining - you'd be surprisedTry the coffee varieties - freshly brewedTransport :Try take a motorcycle 'taxi' - very cheapWalking with maps - use Vietnam+English map to help you understand the many junctions roadsTaxi will be convenient for people who do major shoppingFood Beverages :Must try the coffeeHalal food restaurant availableMust try the local bread (sold almost everywhere, even at roadsides)If dining with the locals - they start with vegetables fruits before having the main dishes

Beware of the fake "Sinh cafés" !