Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CULTURE AND ETIQUETTE
Vietnam shares similar attitudes to dress
and social taboos (see p.40) as other
Southeast Asian cultures. In a pagoda or
temple you are also expected to leave a
small donation ; taking photos inside a
temple is a sign of disrespect. If you have
been invited to dinner, always wait for your
host to be seated first, and never refuse food
that is placed in your bowl during the meal;
it will be taken as a sign of ingratitude.
Tipping is not expected, but greatly
appreciated; some upmarket restaurants
will automatically add a service charge. It's
good practice to tip good tour guides; $5
for a day's work is a reasonable amount.
Although o cially deemed a “social evil”
on a par with drug use and prostitution,
homosexuality is largely ignored in
Vietnam, though discretion is advised. he
gay scene is slowly emerging in Hanoi and
HCMC. Visit W utopia-asia.com for more
information and advice.
Good thirst-quenchers include fresh
coconut milk, orange, lime and other
fruit juices , and sugar-cane juice ( mia
da ). Somewhere between a drink and a
snack is chè , sold in glasses at the
markets. Made from taro flour and green
bean, it's served over ice with chunks of
fruit, coloured jellies and even sweetcorn
or potato.
Vietnam is one of the world's leading
exporters of coffee , which is very
high-quality, served strong and in small
quantities, black with sugar ( ca phé den ),
iced ( ca phé da ) or with a dollop of
condensed milk ( ca phé sua ). Green tea is
also widely available.
Several foreign beers are brewed under
licence in Vietnam, but good local brews
include 333 ( Ba Ba Ba ), Halida and
Saigon. Bia hoi (“fresh” or draught beer)
is super-cheap, served warm from the keg
and then poured over ice. Bia hoi has a
24-hour shelf life, so the better places sell
out by early evening; there is at least one
in every town; most offer snacks of some
sort. You'll also come across rice wine
( ruou ), 80 percent proof and often
flavoured with herbs, fruit and spices. In
the northern part of the country, locals
drink it through long bamboo straws
from communal clay vessels. Avoid
buying ruou ran (snake wine with pickled
cobras inside); this elixir is allegedly good
for male virility but bad news for the
endangered cobra population.
11
SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES
Outdoor pursuits and adventure sports
have taken off in Vietnam over the past
few years, and specialist tour agencies
now offer a wide range of options for
adventurous travellers.
TREKKING AND ROCK CLIMBING
Compared to other countries in Asia,
trekking in Vietnam remains relatively
VIETNAM'S MINORITY TRIBES
Vietnam's culture is far from homogeneous and the Vietnamese government recognizes
54 different minority tribes that number around 11 million people. Each tribe has its own
language, culture, spiritual beliefs and elaborate, beautifully embroidered traditional dress,
though the latter is largely worn by tribes in the northern highlands, while many others have
reverted to wearing regular, mass-produced clothing, at least outside special events. Most
make a living from subsistence agriculture, though enterprising tribeswomen act as guides in
the mountains around Sa Pa (see p.857) or sell traditional embroidery to visitors; many practise
animism and ancestor worship. The relationship of the hill tribes with the government has
always been fraught with tension; during the war with the French, many tribesmen fought on
the French side, and were then recruited as US Special Forces during the Vietnam War, for
which the tribes have paid dearly since, their languages, customs and clamours for religious
freedom reportedly violently suppressed. Though the Vietnamese government limits contact
between foreigners and tribes people by placing visiting restrictions on certain villages and
regions, you can visit Dao and H'mong villages in the valleys around Sa Pa (p.857), see the
Flower H'mong in Bac Ha (p.862), meet the White Tay in Mai Chau (p.889) and stay in Bahnar
villages around Kon Tum (p.863), among other places.
 
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