Country Information

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
A passport valid up to 6 months beyond your travel date and a tourist visa are required for entry into Viet Nam.  A tourist visa is valid for one month and can be extended while in-country.  Multiple-entry visas and business visas are also available.  You will need two completed and two passport photos.  Visa processing takes about 5-15 working days.

CURRENCY
The Vietnamese currency is the Dong. US dollars, preferably crisp clean, new, unmarked US bills, are accepted almost everywhere. Use the currency converter to help you quickly calculate your exchange amount.   We recommend exchanging only a small amount at a time since Vietnamese bank notes are issued only in small denominations.  U.S.– issued VISA, Mastercard and American Express cards are accepted in major hotels, restaurants, and shops in the urban areas.  While traveler’s checks are also accepted, exchanging them for dong can be quite inconvenient.  ATM machines are available in major cities.

CLIMATE
The climate in Ho Chi Minh City and elsewhere in the south is hottest and most humid in March and April. The dry season runs from November to April and the rainy season from May to October.  In the north, the wet season is from May to September; December to March are the driest months.  Whatever time of year you travel, dress comfortably with easy-to-launder clothing.  Comfortable walking shoes that are easily removed to enter homes and temples are recommended.

Monthly Maximum Temperatures (F°)

HEALTH
No vaccinations are officially required to visit Viet Nam.  However, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that visitors have up–to–date inoculations for polio, meningitis, hepatitis A&B, tuberculosis, TABT (typhoid, paratyphoid A&B and tetanus), cholera, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis.  In addition, we suggest you contact your personal physician or clinic specializing in international travel.  Of course, travelers should bring any prescription medications (in the original containers) currently required.  Travelers should pack a small medical kit which includes sunscreen, insect repellent, diarrhea medication, ibuprofen or aspirin and antibacterial ointments.  For those who wear eyeglasses, it is recommended that an extra pair be taken, as the quality of local replacement services varies. It is strongly suggested that you have a dental check-up before departure.  Medical care facilities are available but are limited to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and can be expensive for emergency care. For more information visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.

WHAT TO BRING
Lightweight packing is generally the best policy.  Not only will it be more convenient for you, but you will be charged for luggage over the weight limit of 44 lbs/person at the airport for in-country travel.  Most basic necessities can be obtained through your hotel.  However, some hotels may or may not provide hair dryers, so you might want to bring your own.  In that case, you will also want to bring a converter and multiple prongs as shapes of outlets will vary even within the same city. Laundry and dry cleaning service is excellent and available at most hotels. Other sundries include camera, plenty of film, batteries, flashlight, money pouch, and bug repellent.

WHAT NOT TO BRING
Government officials will be on the lookout for incoming pornographic materials, anti-government literature or videos, religious articles, military paraphernalia, illegal drugs, imported cigarettes, poisons, explosives, and weapons. If you have any goods to declare, pack them within easy reach so that you will not have to unpack all your luggage for customs officials. Note: It is illegal to take any items that might be considered antiques from Viet Nam. Custom officials at Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi aiports strongly enforce this policy.

FOOD
Rice is a staple throughout the country. However, traditional Vietnamese cuisine also boasts specialties that vary according to the region visited. Oven-baked French breads, seasonal fruits (including tropical fruits such as dragon fruit, rambutans, and longans), fresh vegetables, and local seafood are readily available. Vietnamese restaurants offer a broad selection of tempting international fare as well including French, Italian, American, Indian, Chinese and Japanese. All fruits and vegetables should be cooked or peeled. Drinking water or ice is NOT recommended. Bottled water is available (remember to check the seal).

LANGUAGE
Vietnamese is a tonal language with distinctive accents in three regions, North, South and Center. Much of the language is Sino/Vietnamese in origin, although influences from minority languages, French and English are also apparent. English is now the second language taught in the school system and is beginning to be spoken and understood throughout the country.

RELIGIONS
Viet Nam is home to both Western and Eastern religions and philosophies, including Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism and Caodaism. Ancestral worship, the belief that the soul lives on after death and protects its descendants, is practiced throughout Viet Nam.

THE PEOPLE
The majority of the population (85%) is comprised of the Viet, or Kinh. The balance of the population is made up of over 50 minority tribes, living mainly in the mountainous areas of the country. The best–known minority hilltribes are the Tay (the most populous), H’mong, Zao, Dao, White and Black Thai (both mainly from the north), and the Hoa. Each hilltribe has its unique customs and dialect making them fascinating to visit.

MAJOR HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS
The most widely celebrated public holiday is Tet, the Lunar New Year, which is the most important festival of the year. The week–long holiday is usually celebrated in late January or early February. The Liberation of Saigon (April 30) and Vietnamese National Day (September 2) are two important secular holidays.

LOCAL TIME
GMT +7 hours or +12 hours for EST (subtract 1 hour for daylight savings).

ELECTRICITY
Mostly 220V, 50 Hz; some 110V, 50 Hz.

TRAVEL ADVISORY
Visit the US State Department website at for the most current travel advisory.

RECOMMENDED READING
We recommend titles from Longitude Books, www.longitudebooks.com.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
A passport valid up to 6 months beyond your travel date and a visa are required for entry into Cambodia. A tourist visa is valid for one month and can be extended while in-country. Multiple-entry and business visas are also available. You will need two completed visa application forms and two passport-size photos. Visa processing takes approximately 5-10 working days. Electronic visas may also be obtained online through the Embassy website or upon arrival at Siem Reap or Phnom Penh.

CURRENCY
The local currency is the Riel (KHR). The US dollar is widely used in Cambodia. Credit cards are not generally accepted. We recommend you bring small denominations and new, clean unmarked US bills with you. Use the currency converter to help you quickly calculate your exchange amount.

CLIMATE
The climate is tropical with three seasons. The most pleasant season is the dry season from November to February when temperatures are cooler. The hot season lasts from March to May with average temperatures in the high 90s. The monsoon season, which is both hot and humid, is from June to October. The wettest months are August and September. Note: Siem Reap is generally cooler than Phnom Penh.

Monthly Maximum Temperatures (F°)

HEALTH
No vaccinations are officially required to visit Cambodia. However, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that visitors have up–to–date inoculations for polio, meningitis, hepatitis A&B, tuberculosis, TABT (typhoid, paratyphoid A&B and tetanus), cholera, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis. In addition, we suggest you contact your personal physician or clinic specializing in international travel. Of course, travelers should bring any prescription medications (in the original containers) currently required. Travelers should pack a small medical kit which includes sunscreen, insect repellent, diarrhea medication, ibuprofen or aspirin and antibacterial ointments. For those who wear eyeglasses, it is recommended that an extra pair be taken, as the quality of local replacement services varies. It is strongly suggested that you have a dental check-up before departure. Medical care facilities are available but are limited and can be expensive for emergency care. For more information, visit the CDC web site.

WHAT TO BRING
Lightweight packing is generally the best policy. Most basic necessities can be obtained through your hotel. However, some hotels may or may not provide hair dryers, so you might want to bring your own. In that case, you will also want to bring a converter and multiple prongs as shapes of outlets will vary even within the same city. Laundry and dry cleaning service is excellent and available at most hotels. Other sundries include camera, plenty of film, batteries, flashlight, money pouch, and bug repellent.

FOOD
Khmer food is predominately seafood and is typically spicy. In Phnom Penh there are numerous international restaurants offering Italian, French, Indian, Thai, and Chinese cuisines. Outside of Phnom Penh, the selection of food and restaurants is usually limited to Khmer and Thai. All fruits and vegetables should be cooked or peeled. Drinking tap water or ice is NOT recommended. Bottled water is available (remember to check the seal).

MAJOR HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS
Traditional Cambodian festivals are set according to the Khmer lunar calendar. The biggest festival is the Cambodian New Year in mid-April. Other national holidays include Liberation Day (January 7), Genocide Day (May 9), Visak Bochea (Buddha’s birthday) in April, the King’s Birthday (October 31), and the Water Festival (late October or early November).

LOCAL TIME
GMT +7 hours or +12 hours for EST (subtract 1 hour for daylight savings)

ELECTRICITY
220v, 50Hz

US STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL ADVISORY
Although major crime has not been a problem for US travelers, the potential for crime remains. Visitors should not risk travel by road or rail other than in the immediate vicinities of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and should not travel alone or in remote areas of the city, especially after dark. Visit the US State Department website for the most current travel advisory.

RECOMMENDED READING
We recommend titles at Longitude Books, www.longitudebooks.com.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
A passport valid up to 6 months beyond your travel date and a tourist visa are required for entry into Laos. A tourist visa is valid for up to 15 days and can be extended while in-country. To obtain a visa directly through the Lao Embassy or a travel agency, you will need two completed visa application forms along with two passport-size photos. Visa processing takes approximately 7–10 working days. You may also obtain a visa upon on arrival at Vientiane’s Wattay International Airport.

CURRENCY
The local currency is the Kip. Credit cards are not generally accepted although major hotels and restaurants accept Visa and American Express. Traveler’s checks and currencies other than US dollars are accepted only at major banks. We recommend you bring small denominations and clean notes with you. Use the currency converter to help you quickly calculate your exchange amount.

CLIMATE
The cool dry season is from November to February. A sweater or jacket is recommended during the cool season as nights may be cold, especially in the mountainous areas including Luang Prabang and the Plain of Jars. The hot season is from February to April followed by the rainy season from May to October. The best time to visit is between November and March when it rains the least and it is not overbearingly hot.

Monthly Maximum Temperatures (F°)

HEALTH
No vaccinations are officially required to visit Laos. However, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that visitors have up–to–date inoculations for polio, meningitis, hepatitis A&B, tuberculosis, TABT (typhoid, paratyphoid A&B and tetanus), cholera, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis. In addition, we suggest you contact your personal physician or clinic specializing in international travel. Of course, travelers should bring any prescription medications (in the original containers) currently required. Travelers should pack a small medical kit which includes sunscreen, insect repellent, diarrhea medication, ibuprofen or aspirin and antibacterial ointments. For those who wear eyeglasses, it is recommended that an extra pair be taken, as the quality of local replacement services varies. It is strongly suggested that you have a dental check-up before departure. Medical care facilities are available but are limited and can be expensive for emergency care. For more updated information, visit the CDC web site.

FOOD
The staple diet for local people is rice and fish. Vientiane has a selection of international cuisine to choose from including French, Indian and Italian. All fruits and vegetables should be cooked or peeled. Drinking tap water or ice is NOT recommended. Bottled water is available (remember to check the seal).

MAJOR HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS
Laos has numerous festivals that are generally linked to agricultural seasons or the Buddhist holidays. The biggest festival is the Lao Lunar New Year which begins in mid-April. Other celebrated holidays include International Labor Day (May 1), Boun Bang Fai (celebrating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha) in May or June, That Luang Festival (November during a full moon), and Lao National Day (December 2).

LOCAL TIME
GMT +7 hours or +12 hours for EST (subtract 1 hour for daylight savings)

ELECTRICITY
220V, 50Hz

TRAVEL ADVISORY
Visit the US State Department site for the most current travel advisory.

RECOMMENDED READING
We recommend titles from Longitude Books, www.longitudebooks.com.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
A passport valid up to 6 months beyond your travel date and a tourist visa are required for entry into Laos. A tourist visa is valid for one month starting from your entry date.

CURRENCY
The local currency is the Kyat. Tourists not on an organized tour are required to exchange USD300 into FEC 300 (Foreign Exchange Certificates) upon arrival at the airport. The FEC have about the same value (approximately 5-10% less) as the US dollar and are used to pay officially approved hotel rooms, shops and restaurants. Credit cards are not generally accepted. Travelers checks and currencies other than US dollars are only accepted by major banks. We recommend you carry new, clean, unmarked US dollar bills in small denominations. Use the currency converter to help you quickly calculate your exchange amount.

CLIMATE
Myanmar has three seasons. The winter is cool and dry and lasts from November to February. From February to May is the hot summer and following that is the monsoon season, which lasts until October. The best time to visit is during the winter from October to February.

Before you go, check out the 5-day forecast in Yangon (Rangoon).

FOOD
Basic diet is rice and curry. There are numerous forms of fish paste with salad. Soup is taken together with rice and other dishes. Almost every town boasts Chinese restaurants (mainly Cantonese and Fukinese). Indian food is also popular. European food is only available in major hotels. All fruits and vegetables should be cooked or peeled. Drinking tap water or ice is strongly not recommended.

LANGUAGE
Most of the linguistic groups are monosyllabic and polytonal, like those of Tibet and China. The great majority of the population, including many of the non-Burman ethnic minorities speaks the official Myanmar language. English is spoken among the educated, and a sizable number of people speak Chinese.

RELIGION
A majority of the population practice Theravada Buddhism while a minority is Muslim or Christian.

THE PEOPLE
More than two-thirds of the people are Burmese, ethnically akin to the Tibetans and the Mongols. The most important of the native minority groups, who have their own languages and cultures, are the Karen and the Shan, each of which comprises less than one-tenth of the population. There is also a Chinese and Indian minority population.

MAJOR HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS
Festivals are a central part of Buddhists in Burma and most coincide with full moons of the lunar calendar. The majority of festivals take place in central Burma during March , July-September, December and during Buddhist lent. They usually either start or finish on the full moon day. Some major festivals include Full Moon Day of Tabaung (March), Water Festival and Myanmar New Year (April), Buddhist Lent (July-August) and Light Festival (November). Official holidays include Independence Day (January 4), Union Day (February 12), Armed Forces Day (March 27) and Martyrs’ Day (July 19).

LOCAL TIME
GMT +7 hours or +12 hours for EST (subtract 1 hour for daylight savings).

ELECTRICITY
230V, 50 Hz

INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE CODE
++95

GETTING THERE AND AWAY
There are frequent flights from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur and less frequent flights from the capitals of other neighboring countries. Airport departure tax is USD6. Crossing overland is possible from Yunnan province in China and from Thailand at Three Pagodas Pass, Mae Sot and Mae Sai.

RECOMMENDED READING
We recommend titles at Longitude Books, www.longitudebooks.com.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
A passport valid up to 6 months beyond your travel date and certain nationalities are required to obtain a tourist visa for entry into Thailand. Most visitors may stay for 30 days without a visa.

CURRENCY
The Thai currency is the Baht. The US dollar is readily acceptable for exchange. Traveler’s checks and credit cards (including VISA, Mastercard, and American Express) are accepted in major hotels, restaurants, and shops in the urban areas. ATMs, which accept Visa and other credit cards, are available in major cities. Use the currency converter to help you quickly calculate your exchange amount.

CLIMATE
The best overall time for visiting most of Thailand is between November and February when it rains least and is not too hot. The south is best visited from March to May and the north is best from mid-November to February.

Monthly Maximum Temperatures (F°)

Before you go, check out the 5-day forecast for Bangkok or Phuket.

HEALTH
No vaccinations are officially required to visit Thailand. However, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that visitors have up–to–date inoculations for polio, meningitis, hepatitis A&B, tuberculosis, TABT (typhoid, paratyphoid A&B and tetanus), cholera, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis. In addition, we suggest you contact your personal physician or clinic specializing in international travel. Of course, travelers should bring any prescription medications (in the original containers) currently required. Travelers should pack a small medical kit which includes sunscreen, insect repellent, diarrhea medication, ibuprofen or aspirin and antibacterial ointments. For those who wear eyeglasses, it is recommended that an extra pair be taken, as the quality of local replacement services varies. It is strongly suggested that you have a dental check-up before departure. Medical care facilities are available but are limited and can be expensive for emergency care. For more information, visit the CDC web site.

FOOD
The basic Thai diet is comprised of rice, fish, and vegetables, flavored with garlic, black pepper and nam pla, or fish sauce. The Thais have also assimilated Portuguese, Indian, Japanese, and Chinese elements into their dishes to create some of the most exotic foods in the world. All fruits and vegetables should be cooked or peeled. Drinking tap water or ice is NOT recommended. Bottled water is available (remember to check the seal).

MAJOR HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS
Most festivals are associated with Buddhist or Brahman rituals and are based on the lunar calendar. There are festivals almost every month celebrated in different regions of the country. Public holidays observed are the New Year (Jan. 1); Thai New Year or “Songkran” (mid-April); Queen’s birthday (August 12); and the King’s birthday (December 5). The Rocket Festival (May) in Yasothon and Loy Krathong (November) in Sukhothai are two major festivals.

LOCAL TIME
GMT +7 hours or +12 hours for EST (subtract 1 hour for daylight savings).

ELECTRICITY
220V, 50Hz

TRAVEL ADVISORY
Visit the US State Department website for the most current travel advisory.

RECOMMENDED READING
We recommend titles at Longitude Books, www.longitudebooks.com.