Vietnam

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tell me more about vietnam!

The beautiful country of Vietnam is a South-East Asian country with rich historical and cultural diversity, where deep Vietnamese and French influence from its colonial past is prominent from all areas from food to architecture and language. The country is also a paradise for lovers of the beaches and rivers, with the likes of the famous Mekong River, Halong Bay, Nha Trang and Da Nang.

The two main cities in Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) and the capital, Hanoi. In total, Vietnam’s total surface area is over 331000 km and has a population of about 95 million people according to the Vietnamese census 2017.

EDUCATION IN vietnam

Depending on your area of studies and needs, there are over 400 universities in Vietnam. The Vietnam National University, located in Hanoi is one of the most popular and largest university in Vietnam, located in its capital. The university offers an array of discipline and is among the most prestigious in Vietnam.

The university is a popular exchange program destination for student in Asia and around the world and is a suitable platform to meet other students from around the world!

Source: IBSTAC Design Vietnam

WHAT DO vietnamese SPEAK?

The official language of Vietnam is Vietnamese. The language is one of the top 20 most spoken language in the world according to travel website, Just Landed. The language is also related to a mixture of languages such as Chinese, Thai and Khmer.

Click here for a quick crash course on basic Vietnamese language.

Source: Inspitrip

Currency in vietnam

The official currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong. However, the US dollar (USD) is also a widely accepted currency. 1 USD is roughly equivalent to 23000 Dong as of November 2018. Live exchange rates can be found here.

WEATHER IN vietnam

The average temperature in Vietnam is at a comfortable 23-26 degree celsius throughout the year. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, the average temperature in the hottest month is at about 33 degree celsius in June to August while the average temperature in the coldest month would be around 20 Degrees in December and January.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Ho Chi Minh

1. Ho Chi Minh Central Post Office

The Ho Chi Minh Central Post Office exemplifies the heyday of the French architecture in Vietnam. Built in the late 1800s by the builder of the Eiffel tower in Paris, Gustave Eiffel, the building has been operating for over 130 years. A must visit for anybody visiting Ho Chi Minh!

2. Reunification Palace

The Reunification Palace is a landmark historical site during the Vietnam War. It was the base of the South Vietnam President during the Vietnam War and in 1975, a tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army infiltrated the palace by crashing through its walls.

3. Cu Chi Tunnel

The Cu Chi Tunnel is a complicated network of underground tunnels used by the military during the Vietnam War. The extensive network of the runnel and the sheer stealthiness of them made it a deadly weapon for the Viet Cong against the US campaign.

Hanoi

Now enough of war history lessons, let's move onto the picturesque beauty of Hanoi :)

1. Halong Bay

Halong Bay is a translation for “Descending Dragon”, which is an apt name for the sheer majestic nature of this natural masterpiece. At Halong bay, apart from enjoying the drop-dead gorgeous views, you can also experience the wonders of nature with activities such as kayaking, snorkeling and parasailing!

Source: Viet Fun Travel

PLACES to eat

Vietnam is an absolute paradise for affordable and tasty street food. Local foods here are refreshing, healthy and can be meals for all times of the day. Here are three must-try foods that you must not miss when you are in Vietnam!

1. Banh Mi

Bahn Mi is a sandwich that is made up of a baguette and is made with a combination of meats and savoury sauces. The filling of Bahn Mi is highly versatile and is an extremely convenient and tasty snack or meal!

Bahn Mi can be easily found on the streets sold by street vendors, but here is the address of a Bahn Mi store that we highly recommend:

Address: 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Bến Thành, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Price: 30,000 VND ($1.40)

2. Pho

Pho is a main variant of the iconic Vietnamese rice noodle soup. The unique part of this dish would be the clear but extremely flavourful chicken or beef soup. The combination of mint and lime into the soup also made the dish extremely appetising. What a SOUP-erb dish!

Here is the address of one of the tastiest Pho that we have tasted:

Address: 24B Đinh Liệt, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Price: About 50000-60000 VND

Source: Pho92ga

3. Vietnamese Spring Roll

The Vietnamese Spring Roll is a traditional dish that consist of a meat filling, usually a combination or pork, chicken, mushroom and other ingredients wrapped by thin rice paper. The roll is then fried or served as it is. The fried variant taste extremely refreshing and chrispy and the original variant is a perfect meal for the health conscious!

As shown in the picture, this restaurants offers authentic and tasty spring rolls that makes our mouth water by the thought of it!

Address: 145 Bui Vien | Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam

Price: 30000 VND ($1.40)

nightlife in VIETNAM

In general, Vietnam is a land of cheap food, snacks and beer, all the ingredients to a great night!

To soak in the liveliness of the Vietnamese nightlife, we would recommend a couple of local street night markets, bars and clubs.

In Bia Hoi Junction market, you can fully immerse yourself in the local culture and enjoy the most wallet friendly street food and beer! A mug of ice cold imported beer can be as cheap as under 1 USD! What a steal! Street food such as fried seafood, beef jerky and barbequed meat are also readily available and freshly prepared!

Ice cold beer with a hot bowl of seafood soup, perfect snack for a night of hanging out!

Address: Corner of Bat Dan and Duong Thanh, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam

1. Night Market: Bia Hoi Junction market

Source: Nomads in Nihon

Source: Hotels.com

2. Night Club Apocalypse

Apocalypse Now is one of the most popular and largest nightclub that is one of the top choice of nightclubs among both expats and backpackers. The multi-story nightclub features several themes and also offers free drinks and snacks between 20:00 to 22:00 on themed nights.

Source: CityPassGuide