Vietnam

Vietnam, alongside the water with colorful encounters.
Vietnam... perfume of Indo-China! This legendary country rocks our imagination. Here, more than elsewhere, trekking is an excellent way of favoring human contacts in the middle of cultivated terraces of rice plantations and hills covered with tropical vegetation. Strong in colors, the ethnic groups from the mountains of the North and the high plateaus of the center promise you authentic encounters, which transport you towards the real meaning of this trip. This immersion in traditional Vietnam is supplemented by cultural stopovers and discoveries along the Mekong River... And everywhere, the same remarkable welcome... Vietnam is really a treat for the enthusiastic traveler in love with authenticity!

 

 

• A choice of two different trips: innovators for over ten years.
• An authentic approach of the country: discovery of the villages traditional way of life while lodging with the inhabitants, and on a traditional junk on the bay of Halong.
• An in-depth knowledge of the areas, even the most remote ones, thanks to the involvement of our Vietnamese partner and his team of guides, which maintain privileged contacts with the inhabitants
• Guaranteed departures with 4 participants
• One porter per participant during the trek.

 

One can travel to Vietnam, wet tropical country subjected to a very complex monsoon mode, all year round. If you traverse it from north to south, you will meet good weather and rain.
The northern areas have two distinct seasons:
- Winter, between November and April, ideal conditions for trekking. Generally stable weather, with less rain and fresher temperatures (even can be cold in altitude). According to the cloud cover, temperatures between 59 to 77 °Fahrenheit during the day, 32 to 50 °Fahrenheit at night.
- From May to October, period of the summer monsoon, it is the blossoming of the vegetation. Splendid lights and green landscapes of an extreme beauty, in particular the rice plantations whose harvest becomes ripe. Better season also to see a clear Halong bay. Hot and wet weather (84 °Fahrenheit on average, in July in Hanoi).
- The center has a rainy period in November.
- The south has a stable climate throughout the year.

 

 

Population	approximation 87 million habitants. Vietnamese 84% of origin Animists and 15% of various ethnic groups
Surface	128,527 squares miles
Capital	Hanoi
Main Cities	Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) - Hooted - Danang - Haïphong
Peaks	Phan Si Pan Mount (10,312 feet)
Official Language	Vietnamese, but there are 55 other different languages
Religion	Buddhism and Christianity, the worship of the ancestors and the Cao-Daism religion is also very present
Head of the State	Guyen Minh Triet
Political Status	Vietnam is a socialist republic, the legal system is founded on French law and communist theories
Time Shift	http://www.worldtimezone.com/utc/utc+0700.htm

 

The currency is the Dong (VND).
We advise you to carry American dollars in small increments that you can change almost everywhere. In the main cities, there are many ATM machines.

As an organizer of worldwide trips, Mountain World Travel is concerned for our guest's safety and security. We always keep ourselves up to date with current travel warnings and always consider the government safety advices, while organizing and preparing our different trips.
Please double check on the official government website regarding each country's warnings.
US Government Travel Advices

Our adventure in Vietnam started with French guides impassioned by the authenticity of this country and allured by the phenomenal richness of the meetings with the different ethnic groups; their costumes and traditions so interesting.
When we cross Hoa's path (now our representative) and his group of friends, all graduates of Hanoi University who are seeking to develop their country, our voyage to Vietnam then takes on a whole new direction; one inspired by these thinkers.
Around Hoa, the recognized leader of the group, our Vietnamese friends decide to create a reception/agency, with the true belief that a local development here is possible, in a zone barely touched by tourism. A long exchange and formations begin between our guides and the local guides.
Hoa and his team know perfectly the most withdrawn zones of Vietnam and everywhere, the reception in the villages is extremely cordial. Very sensitive to the living conditions of the inhabitants of the mountains, Hoa seeks to help them and is vested at our sides to support the actions of development in his country.

Since 2005, Hoa, our local person in charge, leads, with our support, an improvement project of the inhabitants' residences in the Northern villages, west of Cao Bang. This action has a double objective: to propose a better reception for travelers, and to generate a new source of income for the local communities.
In addition to our financial support, we insist on the use of local materials and the management of waste. The three first homesteads were built in the villages of Ban Phieng Lan, (the ethnic group characterized by their black teeth), Coc Dong and Tan Nam who is the village's "Ritual Master". The construction of new lodgings in the other minority communities of North-Vietnam will be spread out over the next several years.

The official language is Vietnamese, from which many sophisticated words come from Chinese. It is a modal language with 6 different sounds, a difficult language to break through for Westerners.
A simple mistake in tone can completely change the meaning of what you wish to say and cause laughter amongst your listeners. Depending on the age and sex of who you are speaking to, different,complex rules apply.
Common polite words such as "Please" are only used in exceptional cases.
In the countryside, one does not say "hello", but rather "where are you going?" or "what are you doing?" To avoid appearing odd, we advise you to learn and use only the following expression:
Hello (in the cities): sin chào
And then smile, it is often the best means of having good contacts!

A system of specific codes of conduct applies in the East, and the local populations will appreciate your respect and your comprehension of their culture and their habits.
Therefore, avoid:
- Pointing your finger. If you wish to make a sign with your hand, use the whole palm of your hand turned towards the ground. Do not touch anyone on the head.
- Couples, be discrete in your demonstrations: avoid kissing or even holding hands in public. In the presence of a third person, a couple should not show signs of mutual affection. A man should never shake hands with a woman: saying "hello" is sufficient for greeting.
-  Before taking a photograph, make sure that you have the permission of the inhabitants. Photographing one of the villagers is usually done on an exchange. In the markets, on the other hand, you can take photographs without a problem.
-  When you visit temples, pagodas or monuments, dress modestly, without being eccentric, otherwise you risk been told to leave. It is not necessary for the women to cover their head in places of worship.
Advice from Hoa and his team in Vietnam:
It is unthinkable for the host who receives us during the trek not to offer us something to drink.  Typically, it is all about rice alcohol.  For the host who receives us during the trek, it is unthinkable not to offer to us to drink. It is always about rice alcohol. To refuse, without upsetting, is not always easy!!! Therefore, for those who do not wish to drink alcohol, try to take a small mouthful, hold your glass fondly in both hands and smile big!

Do the Vietnamese speak English?
English is spoken by all of the Vietnamese in liaison with the foreigners.

Do hard feelings still exist against Americans which could be felt by tourists today?
For the Vietnamese, the war against the United States definitely belongs in the past. The warmth of one's reception in the villages and the people's smiles prove that the war is well a part of history.

For cameras and videos, can one find electricity everywhere?
Running 220 volts. The most removed villages that we cross during our treks do not have electricity at all. You can count on about 2-3 days of life for your batteries. It is advisable to carry an adapter for electrical outlets.

Which souvenirs should one bring back home?
The Vietnamese craft industry is very rich and inexpensive, in particular the jewelry, lacquers, etc... Hanoi is an exceptional city to make your purchases. Do not hesitate to buy what you like at the beginning of the voyage, when we visit this city.

Because of hunting, there remains very little wild fauna in Vietnam. The tropical forest of East Asia is curiously silent.  Most of the country is covered with conifers and leafy trees, with some reaching 100 feet high. However, the primary forest was decimated by government authorized companies involved in illegal de-forestation. This creation of these clearings by the farmers led to the disappearance of 247,000 acres of forests annually. In the tropical low grounds, the palm trees and the fruit trees are cultivated. The wild flowers flourish in the tropical rainy forest, and an innumerable number of orchid species abound.
We count on you to leave natural spaces that you pass through as clean as possible.