Some Helpful Tips

Internet Access

In Vietnam the best way for travelers to check e-mail and access the Internet is from the country's ubiquitous Internet cafes. Of course, using your own laptop -- or even a PDA (personal digital assistant) or electronic organizer with a modem -- gives you the most flexibility and you can always plug in at better hotels, but these come at inflated prices.

Without a Computer--Internet cafes are just about anywhere in Vietnam -- I've even been to an Internet cafe with a thatched roof in a rural hamlet. The quality of connections varies. In big cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, you can find fast, affordable ADSL service for as low as 4,000 VND (25¢) per hour. The Internet is controlled by the government post office in any town, and most post offices now have adjoining cybercafes that are a good bet for fast, affordable service. In rural areas, it can get frustrating; the good ADSL line that starts at the post office gets split and spliced in its path to rural parts, creating patchy service or, if someone's been digging in the wrong place, unavailable service. The other drawback is that these places are often smoky and very crowded with screaming kids playing online shoot-'em-up games. Check the listings in individual chapters, or inquire at any hotel front desk to find an Internet cafe.

Avoid hotel business centers unless you're willing to pay exorbitant rates.

To retrieve your e-mail, ask your Internet service provider (ISP) if it has a Web-based interface tied to your existing e-mail account. If your ISP doesn't have such an interface, you can use the free mail2web service (www.mail2web.com) to view and reply to your home e-mail. For more flexibility, you may want to open a free, Web-based e-mail account with Yahoo! Mail (http://mail.yahoo.com). (Microsoft's Hotmail is another popular option, but Hotmail has severe spam problems.) Your home ISP may be able to forward your e-mail to the Web-based account automatically.

If you need to access files on your office computer, look into a service called GoToMyPC (www.gotomypc.com). The service provides a Web-based interface for you to access and manipulate a distant PC from anywhere -- even a cybercafe -- provided your "target" PC is on and has an always-on connection to the Internet (such as with Road Runner cable). The service offers top-quality security, but if you're worried about hackers, use your own laptop rather than a cybercafe computer to access the GoToMyPC system.

With Your Own Computer--Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) is the buzzword in computer access, and many of the larger high-end hotels in Vietnam are signing on as wireless "hotspots" from where you can get high-speed connection without cable wires, networking hardware, or a phone line . You can get Wi-Fi connection one of several ways. Many laptops sold in the last few years have built-in Wi-Fi capability (an 802.11b wireless Ethernet connection). Mac owners have their own networking technology called Apple AirPort. For those with older computers, an 802.11b/Wi-Fi card (around $50) can be plugged into your laptop. Many of Vietnam's wireless hotspots, like the public spaces in Danang's Furama Resort, or any of the big city hotels, are available for free. Prepaid plans are likely to follow.

Most business-class hotels in Vietnam offer dataports for laptop modems, and increasingly offer high-speed Internet access using an Ethernet network cable. You can bring your own cables, but most hotels will gladly loan them. A number of hotels in Vietnam are now offering free promotional in-room Internet service.

Wherever you go, bring a connection kit of the right power and phone adapters, a spare phone cord, and a spare Ethernet network cable (some of the better city hotels can provide all that you need). The current in Vietnam is 220V. Most laptops can plug directly into Vietnamese outlets, but bring a three-prong-to-two-prong adapter and a surge protector.

Online Traveler's Toolbox

Veteran travelers usually carry some essential items to make their trips easier. Following is a selection of handy online tools to bookmark and use.

Airplane Seating and Food. Find out which seats to reserve and which to avoid (and more) on all major domestic airlines at www.seatguru.com. And check out the type of meal (with photos) you'll likely be served on airlines around the world at www.airlinemeals.com.

Foreign Languages for Travelers (www.travlang.com). Learn basic terms in more than 70 languages and click on any underlined phrase to hear what it sounds like.

Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com or weather.yahoo.com) gives weather forecasts for areas of Vietnam.

Mapquest (www.mapquest.com). Choose a specific address or destination, and in seconds this site will return a map and detailed directions.

Time and Date (www.timeanddate.com). See what time (and day) it is anywhere in the world.

U.S. State Department (http://travel.state.gov). A good place to check for travel warnings.

Universal Currency Converter (www.xe.com/ucc). See what your dollar or pound is worth in more than 100 other countries.

Visa ATM Locator (www.visa.com) for locations of PLUS ATMs worldwide, or MasterCard ATM Locator (www.mastercard.com) for locations of Cirrus ATMs worldwide.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (www.vietnamtourism.com). Provides good background information on areas of Vietnam.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.mofa.gov.vn). Offers some insight into current Vietnamese trade policies and international issues.

Vietnam Embassy in Washington (www.vietnamembassy-usa.org). A link with current news about Vietnam and helpful visa guidance.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov). A useful site with updated information on outbreaks in the region, as well as trip-planning advice.

Vietnam News (www.vietnamnews.com). Vietnam's English-language daily newspaper.

Vietnam Economic Times (www.vneconomy.com.vn). A useful source of industry news.

Vietnam Online (www.vietnamonline.com). Provides some basic travel information and extensive industry listings in Vietnam.

International SOS (www.internationalsos.com). The premier international emergency, medical, and dental clinics in Hanoi and Saigon.

Family Medial Practice (www.doctorkot.com). A high-end medical- and dental-care facility geared to expatriates and travelers, with offices in Hanoi, Danang, and Saigon.

Tales of Asia (www.talesofasia.com). A website dedicated to bringing you the most up-to-date info on overland travel throughout the region. Some useful pointers and funny anecdotes from Web author Gordon Sharpless.

Back to Vietnam (www.backtovietnam.com). Back to Vietnam tells the story of journalist Andrea Nguyen, who left Vietnam as a refugee at the age of 5 and returned to her home country some 20 years later.

Things Asian (www.thingsasian.com). Things Asian is a blog site where folks share their stories about travel and post photos to prove it. Become a member for free and contribute, or just browse as a visitor and benefit from the wisdom of those who've gone before.

Sam Says (www.samsays.com). A fun and inspiring site dedicated to one man's journey with a digital camera around the world. Enjoy his images of Asia (the selection from Vietnam are quite good).

Trung Nguyen Coffee (www.trungnguyen.com.vn). Links you with Vietnam's largest coffee grower and manufacturer, Trung Nguyen.

More Online Tools: Activities & Adventures

Mountain Travel Sobek (www.mtsobek.com). Mountain Travel Sobek is a big international adventure outfit, with great tours all over the north of Vietnam.

Phat Tire Ventures (www.phattireventures.com). Phat Tire Ventures is a longtime favorite for trekking and adventure sports in Dalat.

Sinh Balo (www.sinhbalo.com.). A midrange ecotour operator out of Ho Chi Minh City.

Ratraco (www.ratracogroup.com). The official website of Vietnam's national rail line, with good information about rail tours and scheduling for the Reunification Express.

The Minsk Club (www.minskclubvietnam.com). For those serious about adventure and crazy enough to rely on a hulking old Russian motorbike to putt-putt them around Vietnam, this is the official site of Vietnam's Minsk Motorcycle Club.

Rainbow Divers (www.divevietnam.com). Rainbow Divers has a near monopoly on diving in Vietnam, with fine shops in popular Nha Trang as well as Whale Island, Phu Quoc Island, and the Con Dao Archipelago.

Full Moon Beach (www.windsurf-vietnam.com). Full Moon Beach at Mui Ne in south-central Vietnam is the place for kite surfing, and the helpful folks here can get you off the ground, literally.