Go native: etiquette in Vietnam

Travel Vietnam Tips - Knowledge of local etiquette should help you avoid inadvertently causing offence or, worse, sparking an international incident! And it will endear you to your hosts. Here are a few tips to help you go native.

Dress code

Respect local dress standards: shorts to the knees, women’s tops covering the shoulder, particularly at religious sites. Always remove your shoes before entering a temple. Nude sunbathing is considered totally inappropriate, even on beaches.

Meet & greet

The traditional Vietnamese form of greeting is to press your hands together in front of your body and bow slightly. These days, the Western custom of shaking hands has almost completely taken over.

It’s on the cards

Exchanging business cards is an important part of even the smallest transaction or business contact. Get some printed before you arrive in Vietnam and hand them out like confetti.

Deadly chopsticks

Leaving a pair of chopsticks sitting vertically in a rice bowl looks very much like the incense sticks that are burned for the dead. This is a powerful sign and is not appreciated anywhere in Asia.

Mean feet

Like the Chinese and Japanese, Vietnamese strictly maintain clean floors and it’s usual to remove shoes when entering somebody’s home. It’s rude to point the bottom of your feet towards other people. Never, ever point your feet towards anything sacred, such as a Buddha image.

Hats off to them

As a form of respect to elderly or other esteemed people, such as monks, take off your hat and bow your head politely when addressing them. In Asia, the head is the symbolic highest point – never pat or touch an adult on the head.

Top 10 Vietnam movies

Travel Vietnam Tips - Michael Caine struggles, Marlon Brando snaps, Robert De Niro survives. This is the best of Vietnam on celluloid.

Michael Caine struggles, Marlon Brando snaps, Robert De Niro survives. This is the best of Vietnam on celluloid.

Indochine (1992) Stunning cinematography sells 1930s love story - if this doesn't make you want to go to Halong Bay, nothing will.

The Lover (1992) Taboo tryst in French colonial Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).

The Quiet American (2002) Michael Caine caught in a love triangle and political turmoil at the Hotel Continental in 1950s Saigon.

The Scent of Green Papaya (1992) Beautifully shot coming of age story in 50s’ Saigon.

Apocalypse Now (1979) Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando deliver probably the most-quoted Vietnam War movie lines.

The Deer Hunter (1978) Small-town America feels the after-effects of the Vietnam War.

Platoon (1986) The first of Oliver Stone’s Vietnam trilogy and the highest-ever-grossing film about the Vietnam War.

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) Robin Williams provides comic relief for troops as a wartime radio announcer.

Cyclo (1995) A young cyclo driver’s struggle with Ho Chi Minh City’s violent underworld.

Three Seasons (1999) Harvey Keitel plays a veteran returning to Ho Chi Minh City to look for his daughter.

Destination at a glance: Vietnam

Travel Vietnam Tips - No longer held down by its past (or its politics), the slender nation of Vietnam makes for easy itineraries, book-ended as it is with two very different cities: poetic, tight-lipped Hanoi and zestful, go-go-go Ho Chi Minh City.

You can fly into one and out from the other, seeing the dialect, temperament and diet change as you move from the south's rice paddy fields to the centre's white-sand beaches and the north's hill-tribe villages and limestone cliffs. It's still cheap, but has increasingly become a mini China, with a growing nose of business, yet push-cart vendors amid the sports cars.

Despite the surge in attention, there are undiscovered pockets everywhere; to find them, you usually just need to walk a couple of blocks from the main street.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

March and April, September to November

TOP THINGS TO SEE

• Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake, particularly when lined with morning exercisers at 5am

• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in the capital, Hanoi

• Dragon-shaped mountains and blue-green water of Halong Bay

• The citadel and royal tombs along the Perfume River in Hué

• Terraced rice fields, mountains and traditional homes in Sapa

TOP THINGS TO DO

• Eat pho (noodle soup) from a tiny plastic stool at a sidewalk eatery

• Pick one of the many Hoi An tailors to make a shirt, suit or dress

• Boat through the Mekong Delta

• Escape tourist ghettos, where it's easier to mix with friendly locals

GETTING UNDER THE SKIN

Read Dumb Luck by Vu Trong Phung, a fun 1936 tale of Red-Haired Xuan, a Charlie Chaplin–type character

Listen to the motorbike engines, beeps and street vendor calls from a street cafe in Ho Chi Minh City

Watch a film having little to do with war, Tran Anh Hung's The Vertical Ray of the Sun, showing life in modern Hanoi

Eat as much local food as you can; the pho, banh cuon (steamed rice rolls with minced pork) and goi cuon (summer spring rolls) are fresher, better and cheaper than Vietnamese restaurants abroad

Drink bia hoi (draught beer), particularly at Hanoi's infamous 'bia hoi' corner in the Old Quarter: a hundred stools, 101 drinkers and cheap beer

IN A WORD

Troi oi! (Oh my!)

TRADEMARKS

Conical hats; cyclos; ao dai (traditional dresses); scooter gridlocks

RANDOM FACT

Hanoi turned 1000 in 2010.

Vietnamese cooking courses Q & A

Travel Vietnam Tips - One of the best travel souvenirs you can bring home is the ability to cook some of the local dishes you sampled on your journey. Cooking courses are becoming more and more popular as a travel activity, so we asked Lonely Planet staffer Ellie some questions about her culinary experience in Hoi An, Vietnam.

What made you decide to do a cooking course?

I’ve always been a bit intimidated by cooking Asian food, so wanted to learn more about it – and where better than in the birthplace of the cuisine itself? I also didn’t want to spend my whole Vietnam trip just travelling from place to place - it was important to me to stop in places and get involved in local culture and activities.

How did you find your course and why did you choose that particular one?

I did a bit of online research before I went, but I ended up asking travellers when I got to Hoi An. I ended up finding the Red Bridgeschool purely by through word of mouth. I wanted to do a course with some depth to it, so went for the full day course.

What was the general framework of the course?

The course ran from 8am to 3pm and involved a range of different activities. We went to a market first thing in the morning to buy our produce for the day, and we were then were taken to see an organic herb farm run by a local family. The cooking itself took about four hours, and we got to participate in pretty much everything – from making rice noodles for the pho to barbecuing to pickling vegetables and even making decorations out of food. We made four Vietnamese dishes from scratch during the day, including grilled chicken and banana flower salad, and claypot fish with dill, all of which we got to eat at the end. The ‘kitchen’ was set up outside next to a swimming pool which we could use during the day, and the course ended with us being taken back to Ho Chi Minh City by boat.

What sort of people did it attract?

There were only three of us on the course – the other two being a young Australian couple - which meant that we got to have a go at pretty much everything, which was fantastic. There was a half-day course running alongside which was much busier.

What was the tastiest thing you made?

It was all amazingly tasty, but the dish I was proudest of making was thepho – Hanoi beef and rice noodle soup. We made both the stock and the rice noodles from scratch, which was something I never thought I would do!

Have you put those cooking skills to use at home?

Errrrm… I had every intention of doing so and kept the recipe booklet they provided us with, but to be honest haven’t made anything. I guess with so many Vietnamese restaurants near where I live there hasn’t been much need!

Has it inspired you to do more courses?

Spending the day out of busy HCMC and learning new skills was definitely a highlight of my trip to Vietnam and something I will always remember. I’ll definitely do another cooking course on my next trip, wherever that might be.

What advice would you give someone looking to do a cooking course in Hoi An?

If you’re going to do it, do it properly. There’s not much point in signing up for a two-hour or half-day course, you won’t get to do or see much. I’d commit to at least a day and find a course that not only shows you how to cook but other aspects of local life too.

Dining for a cause

Travel Vietnam Tips - Food for the body is good, but food for the soul is great.

You have the opportunity to get both at these restaurants and cafés, which run vocational training programs for street kids. Good cause, good food, good idea. If you’re in the area, why not try one out?

Vietnam

Hoi An

Streets International has just one restaurant for now, but they envision taking this venture and replicating it on a global scale. The revenue of the commercial 'teaching' restaurant will ultimately support and fund the associated training facility, housing, medical and other community services for the street kid participants. The founder and president of Streets, Neal Bermas, has ties with the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan. The kids participating at the Streets restaurant will undergo the same training - and 18-month curriculum - as students at ICE. As they move through the program, they'll work in every area of the restaurant, from front-of-house duties to cooking to management. They'll also have a great support system with medical care, English lessons, and basic life skills courses. And when they're finished, the kids will graduate with certification that will allow them to apply for jobs in top hotels.

Hanoi

KOTO (Know One Teach One) is a stunning 4-storey café-restaurant overlooking the Temple of Literature. It offers local specialities, home comforts, real coffee, fruit shakes and free wi-fi.

Hoa Sua is a shady retreat by day, a dignified diner by night, and an opportunity to experience the perfect blend of East and West. Hoa Sua trains a steady stream of disadvantaged kids for culinary careers.

Café Smile, part of the Hoa Sua family, is a relaxed café-restaurant renowned for its cakes and pastries. But it also serves delicious Vietnamese and western dishes.

Café Ket Noi, yet another branch of the Hoa Sua family, employs staff from ethnic minority groups. Head here for a bite to eat, or a coffee or beer.

Cambodia

Friends International operates four restaurants run by former street youth in training. Three of these are in Phnom Penh and one is in Laos. At these restaurants, students learn hospitality skills in a real restaurant environment. When you dine here you not only get a great meal but also help these students gain the skills and confidence to work in the hospitality industry.

Friends the Restaurant, near the National Museum, is famous for its frozen shakes and daiquiris, its Asian and Western tapas and its incredibly friendly staff. After you’ve had your fill pop next door to the Friends and Stuff store to snap up a snazzy silk skirt or lamp made in the school just behind the shop front. Treat yourself to a manicure and know that your dollars are training someone with a career to keep them off the streets.

Romdeng, also run by Friends, is set in a beautifully decorated colonial mansion with a leafy garden and swimming pool.

Café du Centre, the third Friend’s restaurant, is a French-style bistro in the gardens of the French Cultural Centre.

Lotus Blanc serves fine French and Asian cuisine to support vocational training for children formerly surviving by scavenging the dump.

Boddhi Tree Umma, opposite the harrowing Tuol Sleng Museum, will feed you up like the Buddha with a roasted aubergine, goat's cheese and mango chutney sandwich. They also offer guesthouse-style suites that allow you to stay off the beaten track and can include cookery courses and market tours. Staff often come here after family crises to be trained in this positive environment.

The Green Orange Cafe in Battambang provides a safe alcohol- and drug-free space for children of all ages to meet and socialise. Green Orange staff are from the area and the café provides much needed employment to the village of Ksach Poy, as well as raising funds for other community projects. By using local ingredients, the Green Orange Café (named after the famous Battambang Orange) seeks to benefit the local economy in an environmentally responsible way.

Laos

Check out Makphet in Vientiane. It's run by Friends International and helps keep kids off the streets or detention centres.

A thrillseeker’s guide to Vietnam

Travel Vietnam Tips - Dense jungles, brooding mountains, endless waterways, towering cliffs, hairpin bends: the potential for adrenalin-fuelled adventure is limitless in Vietnam. Whether you prefer to scale the heights of jagged peaks or plumb the depths of coral reefs, Vietnam will deliver something special. Heck, just being here is one long adventure, but these experiences will take it to a whole new level.

Kayak Halong Bay

Use paddle power to explore this incredible forest of karsts that jut out of the South China Sea like stone sentinels. Kayaks go where other boats cannot, such as into hidden caves and secret lagoons, and will reveal to you the very best of the bay.

Conquer Mount Fansipan

OK, so it’s not Mt Everest, but at 3143m, it is the highest peak in the country. Meet some of the minority peoples on the trek before tackling the elements to arrive on the roof of Vietnam.

Motorbike through the deep north

Saddle up for the ride of a lifetime in the mountains of Vietnam’s deep north. The roads are absolute rollercoasters, the scenery is simply stunning.

Cycle the Mekong Delta

Forget about those newfangled engines and pedal through the back roads of the Mekong Delta – a patchwork of emerald greens. Stick to the roads less travelled or jump on the odd boat or two for the full Mekong experience.

Dive beneath

See Vietnam from a different angle by scuba diving off its curvaceous coast. Tank up, buddy down and explore the reefs off Nha Trang. Other options are Phu Quoc Island or, the final frontier, Con Dao.

Kitesurf above

If all that underwater stuff sounds too deep, then float above it all with something more carefree like kitesurfing. Mui Ne is the unashamed kitesurfing capital, but the sport is (literally) taking off up and down the coast.

Explore Vietnam's national parks

Vietnam’s jungle is massive – well at least in some of the protected areas. Track shy wildlife, hike to hidden waterfalls or mountain-bike down paths in one of the country’s remote national parks, such as magnificent Cat Tien.

Looking for a longer adrenalin rush? Get on your bike with our article on two-wheeled adventures in Southeast Asia.

Two-wheeled adventures in Southeast Asia

Travel Vietnam Tips - Southeast Asia is home to some of the greatest adventures on earth. Throw a motorbike into the mix and you’ll have the time of your life. Here’s our guide to a two-wheeled adventure in the Mekong region.

Vietnam and Laos – sublime scenery from mountain to coast

To kick off, the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail has been upgraded into a major highway running along the spine of the country and offers some sublime scenery. The stretch from the old US airbase of Khe Sanh northto Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is a beauty, including a wide section that was apparently a secret jungle landing strip for MIG fighters during the war.

Elsewhere in Nam, Ha Giang is the final frontier for motorbiking aficionados in Indochina. Like Halong Bay on high, karst peaks protrude from the top of rolling mountains and secluded villages are home to a colourful mosaic of ethnic minorities. The gorge road from Dong Van to Meo Vac is the stuff of biker yore, its towering cliffs looming high above and plummeting to the Nho Que River in the distance below. Just remember to keep an eye on the road, despite the breathtaking scenery.

A word of caution, however, Ha Giang still requires an official permit to visit more remote areas. Choose to travel without one and accidentally stumble upon military exercises in the mountains and you may find yourself a guest of the local Vietnamese police.

If the coast is more your cup of tea, ride notorious Highway 1 betweenSaigon and Hanoi. The traffic can be daunting around major cities, but there are some remote and desolate stretches with empty beaches. Aim high over the Hai Van Pass, ignoring the tedious tunnel that has been conveniently burrowed through the mountain.

For experienced dirt bikers, it is possible to explore remnants of the old Ho Chi Minh Trail across the border in Laos. Rusting tanks and forgotten field guns litter the jungle of Southern Laos. Combine a ride through the region’s recent history with some of the most remote and wild regions of the country in Salavan and Attapeu.

Cambodia – the other Route 66 (and more)

Cambodia has long been the holy grail for dirt bike enthusiasts thanks to its network of crumbling roads. Many of these have been upgraded in the past decade, but there remain many parts of the country where pot holes are the size of golf bunkers and tarmac is an endangered species.

Get your kicks on Route 66, an ancient Angkorian highway that runs due east from Angkor via Beng Mealea to the vast temple complex ofPreah Khan. Ancient stone bridges from the time of Jayavarman VII acts as historical waymarkers along the route, including the dramatic Spean Ta Ong with more than 20 arches.

Meander along the Mekong River through traditional villages in Kompong Cham and Kratie before making a diversion east to the elevated provinces of Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri. Still linked together by the infamous 'Death Highway', many an experienced biker has come unstuck on the sandy, muddy trails 'linking' Koh Nhek in Mondulkiri with Lumphat in Ratanakiri.

And let us not forget the Cardamom Mountains in southwest Cambodia for remote jungle; the dramatic northeast of Laos, home to the Plain of Jars and the Vieng Xai Caves, a sort of Cu Chi Tunnels cast in stone; and the rural Mekong Delta, a gentle two-wheeled adventure set against a patchwork of emerald green.