We planned our vacation at the end of November. When choosing a vacation spot, I was guided by this plate found on a website dedicated to travel.
As you can see from the table: a good season begins in November in Mui Ne / Phan Thiet, as a rule, at this time there is an increase in prices for tours, and at the same time, the party Nha Trang, where the rainy season begins, is getting cheaper.
The weather in Mui Ne in late November - early December was very comfortable and sunny.
It is very warm at night, the temperature did not drop below 24 degrees, and a warm jacket did not come in handy at all. A light rain fell only once during our entire vacation.The flight Moscow-Nha Trang lasted about nine and a half hours.
The road from the airport of Kamran to our hotel took 6 hours, but this time flew by unnoticed. During the way, the guide of the tour operator Anex tour -Roksolana told us a lot of interesting things about the country. On the way, we stopped for a bite to eat at a roadside cafe. I advise you to order a national dish - soup-pho, served here in large portions it will turn out tasty and inexpensive, and most importantly, hearty.*********************************************************************************************************************
Vietnam visa for Russians staying up to 15 days is not required, if you are planning a longer vacation, then a visa is issued upon arrival at the airport. We didn't need it, we spent only 12 days in Vietnam.
*********************************************************************************************************************
You need to take dollars with you to Vietnam. The national currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). Official exchange rate for 11/25/2015 1 $ = 22504 Vietnamese dongs.
Visiting Vietnam, you can become a millionaire
The banknotes are thin plastic, which significantly extends their useful life.
After reading a large number of reviews, we changed money at the airport, as it turned out there the most unprofitable rate is 22,000 vnd for $ 1. You can profitably exchange currency in shops, street travel agencies, etc., where the rate for 1 dollar is 22,500-22700 dongs.*********************************************************************************************************************
Tour operators have very high prices, especially in terms of the current exchange rate. But nevertheless, on the very first day, we purchased from a hotel guide the most popular tour of Dalat - Nha Trang among vacationers, and a sightseeing tour to Phan Thiet was provided free of charge.
Perhaps you also noticed that when meeting with a guide the next morning after arrival at the hotel, they always offer, and sometimes even impose excursions, while offering a discount or sightseeing tours, or as I call them "shop tours". And if you say what you think, the guides remind you that the discount offer is available only today. Probably, this is all because as soon as you leave the hotel territory, you will definitely find an excursion 2-3 times cheaper than that of the operator.We independently organized an excursion to the Fairy Creek, located not far from our hotel.
In a small shop on the street in Mui Ne we bought a fishing excursion and a trip to the red and white dunes.
The prices are several times lower than those of the operator.
*********************************************************************************************************************
There are two clubs in Phan Thiet: Dragon and Lion. We visited the Dragon Club in Phan Thiet, located on the very beach.
Here you will be offered drinks, hookah. You can sit on sofas listening to the sound of the sea, or you can go to the dance floor. On one of our visits, the club had a birthday and a spectacular show was organized on this occasion: dragon dance, fire show, go-go dances.
*********************************************************************************************************************
The beaches sandy in Mui Ne, there are many beautiful shells on the shore,
in the mornings, when there are still few swimmers, small crabs hide in their burrows. As in all tourist areas of different countries, Mui Ne has beach activities: jet skiing, parasailing over the sea.
On the bus on the way to our hotel, the guide warned us about the beginning of the mating season for sand fleas, at which time they have their own migration routes along the coast. Of our entire large and friendly company (11 people), only one girl was bitten.
*********************************************************************************************************************
The Mui Ne area is washed by the South China Sea, although the Vietnamese do not like this name, they simply call it South. The sea has been warm since the early morning. Fans of diving and snorkeling in this part of Vietnam have nothing to do, but surfers "catch their wave." On the coast, many hotels have surfing and kitesurfing schools, where you can take a course and work out on your own by renting the necessary equipment.
Swimming in the sea, sometimes there was a feeling as if grains were falling from the sky, as it turned out it was anchovies, meeting a "barrier" under water, bypassing it through the air.
*********************************************************************************************************************
The main rule of traffic rules in Vietnam is "always beep" no matter what maneuver you plan to make: overtaking, you see pedestrians walking on the side of the road, or just want to be let through, etc.
In Vietnam, the tax on a car is 100% of the purchase price, so a motorbike is the most popular form of transport.
In Mui Ne, traffic is relatively calm compared to Nha Trang.
My husband and I were planning to take motorbike rent and explore some of the sights on our own, but the guide warned us that in this country there are no international driving rights, but only domestic ones, which means that any foreign tourist is a potential violator. Police officers easily identify tourists on bikes by skin color, height and clothing. If they stop, they will demand a fine and even have the right to confiscate the motorbike and return it only after paying an impressive amount.Bus ... There is a bus from Mui Ne village to Phan Thiet. The buses are old and usually run off schedule. Travel 9000VND per person.
Taxi ... In Vietnam, there is an unspoken rule - you are not looking for a taxi, but it is you. It's true, there are a lot of taxis here and they differ from each other.
We always chose a green car (travel is more economical), and depending on the number of passengers, you also need to choose the type of car, since the tariff also depends on this. By the way, the rates can be seen on the taxi door.*********************************************************************************************************************
On our phones, we turned off the transmission of cellular data, and were in touch only with the help of Viber, since there is Wi-fi in almost every hotel and every cafe, we even had it on the beach. In many cafes, wifi with a password, to enter it, you just need to give the phone to the waiter and he will enter it in front of you.
TV. In our hotel, only the first channel was broadcast.*********************************************************************************************************************
- antiques and art objects
- What cannot be exported from Vietnam?
Stuffed animals: turtles and crocodiles, lizards, etc., although there are many shops selling them.
- corals, for an attempt to take them out there is a fine of -500 $Gold items weighing more than 300 grams
Durian (fruit with a very unpleasant odor)
Fish sauce.
- jewelry purchased in specialized stores, it can be silver, pearls. On a hotel beach, they sold products made of river pearls, the prices are low, you can and should bargain, they are inferior and even discount half the cost. They checked the pearls like this: they held a pearl over the teeth, its surface is rough and creaks on the teeth, and the pearl always remains cool and never heats up, and if you try to set it on fire, it should not melt.
- What can be exported from Vietnam?
Silk clothes
Coffee Tea
Vietnam became the world leader in coffee export for the first time in history. For many years Brazil held a solid first place, but this season Vietnam has been more successful. The manufacturer has made a profit of $ 2.5 billion since the beginning of the year. This is a quarter more than last year. Previously, Vietnam mainly exported the Robusta variety, but this season the production of Arabica has been increased.
What delicious and aromatic coffee is there !!!
We bought two varieties of ground mocha and arabica coffee. We found one cozy shop in Phan Thiet, where they sell different types of coffee beans and a huge selection of teas. On request, coffee can be ground and sealed in special bags.
Vietnam's national coffee pride is the most expensive coffee Luwak ... I'll tell you a little about how you get it, if you are eating now, then postpone reading this paragraph for later. There are coffee plantations whose owners, in addition to coffee, are engaged in breeding palm martens, which eat the upper shell of the coffee bean and swallow the grain, as a result, under the action of the gastric juice of this animal, the beans acquire a unique taste and aroma. Plantation workers collect waste products, wash each grain and dry it.Here you will find a very large selection of tea: oolong tea (milk), ginger tea, ginseng tea, lotus tea
Alcohol tinctures with a snake or cobra inside are a good and unusual gift for men.
Various ointments, creams
At the pharmacy, we purchased White Tiger balms, Cobratex ointments, inhalation pencils, artichoke extract, toothpastes, face masks, collagen creams for our mothers, snail gel, capsules with royal jelly, etc.
What to take with you to Vietnam?
**********************************************************************************************************************
- documents (passport, insurance, voucher, etc.)
- medications you take at home. Unfortunately, not all medicines can be found in pharmacies in Vietnam. In most countries, the names of drugs differ from those we are accustomed to, so I advise you to memorize / write down the active substance of these drugs, thanks to this the search will be crowned with success,
- sunscreens, anti-burn products (I always take panthenol), glasses, hats, but even if you forget any of the above at home, it’s not scary, because you can buy everything you need in Mui Ne stores. But masks and fins need to be left at home, there is still nothing to look at the sea,
- comfortable shoes,
- mosquito repellent,
- do not forget to bring a good mood and a positive attitude with you.
Conclusion
I really fell in love with Vietnam and really dream to visit there again. I wrote this review both for you, dear readers, and for myself, in order to periodically remember those happy days spent in this wonderful place.
I certainly recommend visiting this wonderful country to admire the beautiful and diverse nature, taste delicious and cheap seafood, and enjoy exotic fruits.With love from sunny Vietnam
P.S. I want to express my gratitude to the author [email protected] Thanks to her feedback on the Notepad editor, I was able to transform the review text for better readability by adding navigation.******************* All my travel reviews can be read. ******************
The idea of writing this article came to us after we came across something similar on one of the travel sites. Such nonsense was written there that we began to dig further to find adequate advice for tourists.
As it turned out, 80-90% of sites simply copy each other, carrying the same nonsense to the masses, but paraphrased. Here you and "pack a raincoat if you are flying in the rainy season" and "take flashlights with you, since the streets are not lit." In short, according to most of these "writers", Nha Trang is a kind of African village, where you will be almost the first white person in the tribal territory. Forgive me for the harshness, of course, but here it was directly brought to emotion. Therefore, here is the current information on the topic: What to take with you to Vietnam (Nha Trang).
Medicines
Let's start with the most burning topic - a first aid kit for travel. Of course, everyone has their own, but there are some general recommendations for guests of Vietnam. First, take your stomach medications. Let's face it, Vietnamese cuisine is not to every digestive system's liking. In addition, acclimatization, other foods, etc. can negatively affect your digestive tract. Of course, after a while you get used to it, but just in case it is better to stock up on a couple of packs of pills for indigestion. As for food poisoning, they also happen, but this is often the fault of the tourist himself. For example, if you are offered lobster from some suspicious pot on the beach, but cheaper than in a restaurant, think three times.
Also, so as not to spoil your trip to Nha Trang, bring sunscreen with you. And you can safely take the most powerful ones. The sun in Nha Trang is very insidious. You can easily burn out even in cloudy weather.
Just an hour and a half of the midday sun will do something similar to you
The list of things to take to Vietnam will not be superfluous, include insect bite remedies. Not to say that this is the main problem of Nha Trang, but nevertheless, sand fleas or commonplace mosquitoes can somewhat spoil the impression of the resort.
If you listen to all the advice of tourists, Nha Trang is a kind of terrible place, where diarrhea, colic, allergies, black pox, bubonic plague and anthrax await you in every cafe. Therefore, most "experienced" are advised to take liters of antiseptic with you in order to wipe each door handle and soak restaurant forks in it. In fact, you will need a bottle of antiseptic spray, but rather during the flight itself. Well, you can take another one for your comfort. But we still recommend grabbing a jar of green / iodine. Abrasions and scratches have not been canceled. By the way, there is such a cool Vietnamese remedy for open wounds.
A magical remedy for a penny cost
A few words should be said about local medicines, and about all medicine in Nha Trang. It is quite expensive here, so it is advisable to take out insurance. Minor "repairs" will cost you decent money, but if something more serious happens, you can get a tidy sum. We will talk in more detail about Vietnamese clinics in another article.
As for medicines, in Nha Trang you can buy medicines that are not freely available in our pharmacies: tramadol, codeine pain relievers and much more. By the way, Vietnamese pain relievers are sometimes really very effective, so if you have a headache, you can safely go to your local pharmacy with an interpreter on your phone. Although, pharmacists often know a couple of words in Russian and have a special brochure with the translation of symptoms. Remedies for burns, insect bites, etc. there are also. For example, ointments with python fat help burns worse than any Panthenol, and they cost a penny.
Vinmec is perhaps the best private clinic in Nha Trang
Clothes and footwear
Now let's figure out what to take with you to Vietnam from shoes and clothes. For girls, the first and most important thing is a swimsuit. Especially if you are the owner of a magnificent bust. There is a huge problem with swimwear in Nha Trang. Moreover, both in terms of quality and size. There are, of course, a couple of craftswomen who can make you a bespoke swimsuit. But there the price will not be the most pleasant, and you will have to wait. The second important wardrobe item that you just need to take to Vietnam is a headdress. As mentioned above, the sun is merciless here and it is undesirable to walk without a hat / cap / cap. Of course, all this stuff is more than enough in local markets, but if you are not used to covering your head with anything, take your hat with you. By the way, never walk around Nha Trang wearing the traditional Vietnamese Non hat. As soon as you put on this hat, you automatically turn into a tourist, from whom you need to chicken out as much money as possible. The same goes for any caps, T-shirts, etc. in the style of I love Vietnam. You want to pay for more and more - your choice. But we don't recommend it.
Let's go further. Be sure to take clothes made from natural fabrics, otherwise the local temperature and humidity will torment you. It is advisable to take clothes with long sleeves. If you are planning a trip to Da Lat, bring 1 set of warmer clothes: some kind of raglan, tracksuit, or a pair of pants with a light jacket. It can get quite chilly in the mountains, especially during the winter.
The mountain coolness of Dalat will be a real salvation from the summer heat of Nha Trang
Now let's consider what to take with you to Vietnam from shoes. First, there are sneakers. In the vicinity of Nha Trang, there are a lot of places where it is better to appear with closed comfortable shoes. For example, the same Baho waterfalls. If you want to climb to the very top of this natural attraction, then it is better to do it in comfortable, reliable shoes. As for the traditional "flip flops", you can take them with you, or you can buy them on the spot. In tourist shops, they can cost 300-400 thousand dongs. In Vietnamese shops away from the tourist quarter 30-50 thousand. Here is such an injustice, ladies and gentlemen.
Other
We have considered the basic set of things for a trip to Nha Trang, now let's move on to additional ones. We want to note right away that, returning from Vietnam, you will have much more things. So don't fill your bags with everyone. "Small things" are often much easier to buy on the spot than to lug around half the world in a bag.
Useful little things
Frankly speaking, there are no exclusively Vietnamese details. The recommendations are pretty general:
- Powerbank. You will likely need to use the translator on your phone a lot, so it's best to have an extra battery handy.
- Backpack for hiking excursions
- Camera with optional memory card
- Preferably a GoPro type camera
- Banana bag for documents and a piece of money
The experienced traveler will fit everything you need in 1 backpack
Useless little things
But now we decided to walk through what the journey of Nha Trang will be terrible without (according to many would-be authors):
- Raincoat. The presence of a raincoat in a bag is motivated by the fact that it is the rainy season, will you get wet chtol? In fact, the simplest raincoat in Nha Trang costs 10,000 dongs - about $ 0.4. And for $ 4, you can get a chic, tight raincoat. In this way, you can easily walk under a tropical downpour, ride a bike, and then go fishing for a couple of years at home.
- Torch. Of course, you can take with you a flashlight, a bowler hat, and a raincoat. However, if you eat in a civilized manner to relax and not survive as a savage in the jungle, you don't need any flashlights. You can always illuminate with a flashlight on your phone, and there are simply no dark streets in Nha Trang, if we are talking about some more or less tourist places.
- Towels, soaps, shampoos, etc. Firstly, to carry all this stuff with you in your bag to the other end of the planet is so-so pleasure. Secondly, you can easily buy all this on the spot in any more or less large store. You can also use small Vietnamese, but it is more difficult to explain what you need there. Thirdly, any normal hotel provides towels and hygiene products. Even most apartments offer bed linen and towels to their long-term tenants. Even if you have to buy something, it costs mere pennies in Nha Trang. It is better to leave space in your luggage not for a used towel, but for more valuable souvenirs to friends and relatives.
Photo for those who complain about the dark streets of Nha Trang
Dangers of vacation in Vietnam
Frankly, there are not so many dangers. Food poisoning is rarely severe, and sunstroke and heatstroke can hit you at any beach resort. In Nha Trang, there is some likelihood of contracting Dengue fever, which is carried by mosquitoes. However, the city authorities are effectively fighting her. Mosquitoes are mercilessly exterminated, and the disease is of a point nature and does not turn into an epidemic. In general, going to Vietnam to get vaccinated is absolutely not necessary.
Another point that worries tourists is the sharks in Vietnam. But these predatory fish do not pose any danger. The fact is that those sharks that are still found in the South China Sea prefer to stay away from Nha Trang. Don't forget that this town was once a fishing village. And the fishermen have a short conversation with sharks. So these predators did not appear in coastal waters for many years. But other marine life can cause some trouble. It's about jellyfish. Dangerous species are not observed within Nha Trang, but in the Mui Ne area in the summer you can find unfriendly individuals that can sting painfully.
Such giants are rare, but even they are not dangerous.
Winter winds and waves can also be attributed to the danger of recreation in Vietnam. The latter can reach several meters and sometimes wash out the city beach. On the other hand, Bai Dai Beach is full of surfers during this period. The bottom relief allows both experienced athletes and novice board and wave masters to ride. As for the wind, it can turn into a real typhoon, but this is not so bad either. Hotels and apartments in Nha Trang have been tested by the winds and are able to withstand even an abnormally strong typhoon. In addition, the approach of the latter becomes known in advance, so there is nothing wrong with that. And they happen very rarely. Over the past 100 years, there have been 2 powerful typhoons. Moreover, during one of them, the author of this article was at the very epicenter. As you can see, everything is in order.
Something like this can happen on a city beach during the height of the wave season.
Now you are waiting for not just a blind trip to Vietnam: what you need to know, what to take with you and what to fear you know. So choose a more profitable offer, stock up on a good mood and welcome to Nha Trang!
Have you ever seen an official medical prescription for a snake heart? Are you ready to take strange and unfamiliar mushrooms along with your usual medicines? Then think about what medicines to take with you on vacation in Vietnam.
The characteristics of Vietnam's medicine are shaped by its historical past. Traditional medicine of the country is based on the use of exotic and unusual means for us, as elsewhere in Asia. Snake blood and grated mushrooms, strange plants from the jungle, which in themselves are a real pharmacy for a local resident.
At one time, the country was a colony of France, and French medicine tried to introduce its own rules into the methods of treatment, including European medicines.
In the middle of the last century, doctors of this country studied in medical universities of the Soviet Union, which left its mark on their methods. This generation of doctors is still numerous. Now European-type medicine has again come to the country, and the result is a real cocktail of several medical schools and approaches.
Of course, there are pharmacies and shops in the country where you can buy drugs familiar to us and Europeans. You need to buy only in large stores and pharmacies or in public hospitals.
What medicines to take with you to Vietnam? To do this, it is enough to make a list of the essentials for you and your fellow travelers on the trip.
In Vietnam, there is no iodine, hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green, elastic bandage, which are usual for us. Therefore, a first aid kit for a trip to Vietnam should look something like this:
iodine and hydrogen peroxide, which are sold there in low concentration;
activated carbon or similar absorbents;
sedatives that you simply cannot buy there;
remedies for stomach and intestinal disorders;
means for restoring intestinal microflora;
antipyretic drugs that do not contain paracetamol, because there are none;
remedies for malaria and fungal infections;
simple antibiotics of general action;
antiallergic agents - there are many insects in the country;
elastic bandages, bactericidal plasters;
pain relievers and antispasmodics;
with the constant intake of specific, individually prescribed medicines for you, it is simply necessary to take them with you!
You should have sanitary napkins, repellents - mosquito and mosquito repellent. If you use devices such as a pressure measuring device, then take care of an adapter - sockets in Vietnam have flat contacts.
The climate in the country is hot and humid, so it is necessary to take care of medicines to maintain heart activity and remedies for respiratory infections. Take antibiotics with you only of the most general action, more complex means will be provided, if necessary, by the local state medicine, in which many Russian-speaking doctors work.
Added by me
What to take to Vietnam
Going to Vietnam, you should take into account the climatic features of what medicines to take in Vietnam seasons. This will come in handy for deciding what to take with you to Vietnam.
The only thing that can be bought when climbing is cane juice (15 rubles), which is immediately passed through a press in front of you. It tastes very sweet, but they say it is a natural energetic.
We also visited a hot spring, smeared ourselves with mud, had fun taking pictures.
The visit to the crocodile farm turned out to be fun. Everyone was given a fishing rod with a fish head attached to the line. Well, and then the competition began, who can tease the crocodiles longer, not allowing them to devour this fish head. These creatures snapped their jaws so hard when they missed! Well, just horror, of course, how terrible they are, God forbid to get into their corral!
So, in Mui Ne it is great to have a rest: the sea, the sun, if you get bored with passive rest, surfing, kiting, excursions, inexpensive shopping. For lovers of individual tailoring, there are atelier shops where any outfit of your choice will be sewn for you in 2-3 days.
One cannot but mention the medicines purchased in Vietnam. Vodka tinctures on snake and ginseng, medicines for joints, what medicines to take in Vietnam for the spine, means for cleansing the liver and kidneys, removing stones, etc. And of course, almost all of their medications have a positive effect on potency :)
We went to the city of Phan Thiet, closest to the Mui Ne resort. From the attractions of the local market and supermarket)
We decided to expand our understanding of Vietnam and spend a couple of days in Saigon before flying to Moscow. This time we took a taxi, which cost us $ 100 and 4.5 hours on the way. The hotel was booked through booking.com in the center of Saigon Hai Long5 ($ 120 for two nights). The number must be taken the most expensive, tk. standard rooms are tiny with windows to the hotel corridor. We ordered an individual excursion around the Mekong Delta ($ 80 per person), which originates in the mountains of Tibet. Boats are a way of life in the river delta. They live, move around and earn money.
They use canals instead of roads.
An individual excursion is only $ 15 more expensive than a group one, but you feel like a white lady on a separate boat and with your guide. Again, there is no need to wait for the whole group to visit the toilet or take a picture of the tree.
The excursion is very pleasant and not stressful with a delicious lunch, where the famous elephant ear fish is served. " In your presence, it is cut, wrapped in rolls with various additives and absorbed by tourists with appetite)
In Saigon, we walked around the center on our own, looking outside Notre Dame de Saigon, City Hall, and the opera house.
Shopping in Saigon did not leave much impression. Good branded items are expensive. Had dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Although the Vietnamese do not like the Chinese and contemptuously call them narrow-eyed, "the restaurant is good, and the duck, which we ate in unmeasured quantities, is especially good. Or rather, measured: having ordered a bunch of everything and 2 more servings of duck for four, we thought about it and decided to order another one. Having called the waiter and told him about our intention, they heard in response. two is enough for you! " All the same, he fulfilled our increased order. When we ate everything and left, having paid off, the waiters glanced at each other cheerfully, nodding in our direction) Note that there are very few of our compatriots in Saigon. It is extremely difficult to communicate with the Vietnamese: rarely does anyone know English, and the peculiarities of their language with 6 keys leaves an indelible imprint on their pronunciation: that they meow. unclear! And with tonalities it is generally interesting to combine two letters ma ", depending on the tonality, it can mean a ghost, a mother, or a horse. Although the last two values are, in principle, very close!)
Previously, the very word Vietnam always evoked simple associations: the socialist camp, Zvezdochka ointment, and Vietnamese traders in the now defunct Cherkizon. And now for us Vietnam is sincere and kind, a little naive people, benevolence and warmth, sun and sea, delicious food and exotic fruits. And, of course, the opportunity for very little money to feel like a millionaire)
For people with a weak heart, it also makes sense to attend to heart remedies as well.
Anti-shock and strong pain relievers make sense if you are planning something with a truly increased risk of injury, fracture, such as mountain tourism. In ordinary life, it is rarely when it is so pinned that such powerful countermeasures as dexamethasone, cordiamine and tramal are needed.
In the case of mountains, the possibility of the manifestation of "mountain sickness" should be taken into account. Fighting "-mountain sickness" - the drugs used are a separate topic and are not considered here, see about this on specialized resources.
Slumping:
Imodium is necessary for southern countries. Change of diet, climate, daily routine. Diarrhea will be, it is not discussed. Such means "-shut" - the problem quickly and efficiently. It is necessary to distinguish diarrhea of the onset of dysentery or amoebiosis from the above "-natural" - aspects. In case of a serious illness, Imodium will not help. It will help when you need to "-run" - (tomorrow morning a plane or a bus, and in the evening you "-broken" -). Does not cure the cause, and since diarrhea does not occur from scratch, it may make sense to let the body cleanse itself "naturally". Long-term (more than 3-4 days) diarrhea is a reason to think about doctors.
Loperamide is a part of Imodium, a complete analogue and much cheaper. All description is identical to Imodium.
Antispasmodic:
No-Shpa is a good anti-spasmodic drug of a wide spectrum, traditional and proven. Cuts in the abdomen and other organs (sometimes headaches), female ailments - this is for him.
Drotaverin is the same but cheaper. In fact, no-shpa is created on the basis of drotaverine.
Against temperature, general pain reliever:
soluble Aspirin (Upsarin or Bayer) is a temperature-reducing pain reliever for general use. Universal. It helps me.
The ubiquitous Paracetamol (also commonly known by the "off-the-shelf" name of Tylenol). It is considered less harmful to stomach acid than Aspirin.
Antihistamine:
Claritin is a good modern drug that relieves allergic reactions. It also makes sense to have one or two ampoules for the same cases that are indicated in a similar case for painkillers (loss of consciousness by the "-object" - Quincke's edema (swelling), breathing problems as a result of a bite from insects, animals or from unusual food) ...
Suprastin is a traditional antihistamine drug. Minus - "- slows down". Under no circumstances should it be used if it is possible to be behind the wheel or in other conditions requiring a normal reaction.
(Lamilan, Telfast, Claratodin, Tavigil)
Antibiotics:
Amoxicillin is a good broad-spectrum antibiotic.
Levomycetin is an old antibiotic, harmful to microflora, of limited effectiveness. It is used mainly against intestinal infections.
Tsiprolet (Tsifran) is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, especially effective against urinary infections. Widely distributed in India (where it is mainly produced).
Cefepim (Cefotaxime, Ceftriaxone) - The newest and most effective antibiotics in medicine. Cephalosporins 4 (in brackets 3) generation. They are mainly produced in the form of injections. If you want something new and destructively universal - then theirs.
I will supplement the paragraph about antibiotics with the traditional, but often ignored warning not to use them as "vitamins" - (alas, this approach is common even among doctors). Antibiotics are powerful weapons, but remember that with regard to microbes, the adage “what doesn't kill them makes them stronger” works very well. Several wrong cycles of strong antibiotics, and now you are "happy" - the owner of a culture of microbes, which this antibiotic already "does not take". The laws of natural selection work here as directly and quickly as possible. The less often you use antibiotics, the more they work in your case. Do not shout "-Wolves!" - too often, otherwise it may happen that nothing will help you when you really need it.
To restore microflora (after severe diarrhea and antibiotic treatment):
Hilak-forte - drops. No contraindications.
Antimalarial:
Doxycycline is a cheap and relatively effective drug for most malaria-prone countries. LOTS of significant side effects, use with caution and in mini-doses (100mg daily, week before and week after being in a potentially malaria-prone area).
Lariam is a powerful antimalarial drug for especially dangerous countries such as New Guinea and island Indonesia (the active ingredient is mefloquine). A HUGE number of side effects that actually appear. Take once a week, start one week before.
Malarone (Malarone) is the best option, with a minimum of unpleasant side effects (the active ingredient is proguanil), but it is not sold in Russia. Expensive (about 50 euros a pack). Reception daily. Produced in "-therapeutic" - and "-prophylactic" - dosages.
So, I went in February, the ticket is economy class.
What you need to know in advance:
1. Don't take a lot of things with you. Economy class allows you to take 20 kg of luggage and 5 kg of hand luggage per person (business class - 30 and 10, respectively), excluding winter clothes. For the overweight you will be asked to pay at the rate of 15 bucks per 1 kg. The less you carry with you in your luggage, the more gifts, fruits, things you can take out of Vietnam on the way back. Among the obligatory things are comfortable, proven, open summer shoes (slates, flip flops), tanning products. From warm things: such as a turtleneck with a throat and long sleeves, do not take, for a trip to Dalat, "winter" things, in which you flew out, will do.
2. Be prepared for the fact that upon arrival you will have problems with digestion, stock up on medications for this case. There is nothing wrong: the local cuisine, climate change, an abundance of fruits are doing their job. It's not for long. Wet wipes are also indispensable in this case, to wipe your hands before eating!
3. If you love (will) walk, chances are that even the most comfortable shoes will rub your feet. Take a patch with you. Scuffs must be disinfected. I used iodine and softened the corns with coconut oil.
4. If you want to travel further than the tourist quarter, know that the further you go, the worse people understand Russian. And in English too. Download yourself a translator or use Google translator on your smartphone, just be sure to download the Vietnamese language so that it is available without the Internet.
What you need to know on the spot
1. WiFi is available almost everywhere - in a hotel, in any cafe, salon, on the beach (but bad), do not hesitate to ask the staff for the password. I put my phone on "on the plane" and communicated via WhatsApp. Those interested can spend money on a local SIM card. I didn't see the point in this.
2. Be sure to take your hotel business card at the reception. It is good to show it to a taxi driver if you get lost. Will take you without further explanation.
3. The guys from the Russian Information Center (RIC) will answer almost any questions. Moreover, it's free. They even gave us a card reader and access to a computer so that we could save the memory card from the camera.
And remember, we are tourists there, that is, people on whom the local population, by definition, makes money. Do not bargain for every thousand dongs, bargain within reasonable limits! Moreover, the Vietnamese have not yet learned to cheat and do not break the price for the Russians too much.
And now the particulars.
Hotel. We had Indochina, 2 stars. Neat, 6 floors, elevator. If you do not like the room, it is easy, if available, to change to another one. The rooms overlook either the courtyard (pluses - silence, minuses - a view of the building), or onto the street (pluses - a balcony, a good view, minuses - very noisy from early morning until late evening).
View from the hotel balcony to the street
The room has air conditioning, a refrigerator with drinks for some money, a TV with Russian Channel One. Combined bathroom - toilet, shower, sink. In that order, counting from the far wall. The room is cleaned every day, you can leave the laundry in the basket, for some money they will wash it for you. The price of washing depends on the quantity and type of clothing. Personally, in my room I only went to the shower and slept at night, the rest of the time - on the street.
Breakfast (buffet) is included in the voucher. The menu changes within such a list: hot stew (meat / fish / chicken with vegetables, vegetables), fried rice or noodles, something fried in breadcrumbs (fish / chicken / tofu), soup (there were 3 types in two weeks), Russian salad (like Olivier), vegetable salads, just sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, juice (2 types) and tea or coffee. All sorts of sauces. Plus a watermelon or a banana. It is possible to eat on the balcony from which you can see the sea.
The hotel is located in a good location (the second street from the sea), near the night market, Russian Information Center, cafe "3G", shops, at the entrance of an inexpensive fruit point.
The construction site opposite is breaking the idyll. But this is the current misfortune of the whole of Nha Trang, the coastal zone is being actively built up.
Sea and beach... The sea (24 degrees and above) is a 5-minute walk from the Indochina Hotel. We went to meet the dawn. By the way, until 6 in the morning on the square near the beach, exercises and dances are taught for free. The sea is not transparent, they say, the water is muddied by the river, which flows into it nearby. The beach is open from 9:00 to 17:00, sun beds are paid - 40-50 thousand pieces, an umbrella is attached.
Come with your own - roll for free. There was a strong wave, I floundered with pleasure, but many did not risk it. On the beach there is coarse sand, which, when leaving the sea, is skillfully clogged by a wave wherever possible. If you want a calm, transparent sea - go to Zoklet or the islands.
Money. It is better not to change the entire amount at once: it is inconvenient to wear and it is difficult to track expenses. 100 bucks is about 2 million, 700 thousand dongs, zeros dazzle in the eyes. On the first day, it is enough to change two hundred and it is advisable to be stingy until you get comfortable with the prices and find cheap points of sale.
There is a safe at the reception where you can keep money. They are sealed in a bag with scotch tape to sign and give you a receipt. The most profitable money to exchange is the new $ 100 bills. Better to change in jewelry "Angora's Treasure" and "Princess", as well as in the "Russian Information Center".
They didn't change at the bank, maybe it's even more profitable there. At the hotel reception - an underestimated rate. To understand “how much is it in rubles?”, Drop three zeros from the price tag, and multiply the rest by three.
For example, a kilo of mango costs 25,000 dong: the zeros were thrown away, 25 * 3, and we got 75 rubles. I could not get used to the bills themselves in 2 weeks: 100 thousand, confused with 10 thousand, and 50 thousand with 200 thousand, candy wrappers, what to take from them. Banknotes from 10 thousand and more - plastic. With them you can swim in the sea (in a secret pocket), nothing will happen to them.
Food. Remember the main thing - wash your hands before eating or wipe with wet wipes! Around a bunch of restaurants with fresh seafood. For lovers there is Chinese, Indian, Mexican cuisine, sushi, steakhouse (expensive establishment), pizzeria and burger king. But I would recommend Vietnamese cuisine. Fresh shells, squid, shrimps, fish, etc., pho soups, salads. The food is neither spicy nor sour.
A huge plus is the frequent breakdowns with fruits. Here you can not only buy something exotic, but also order a smoothie. Any fruit will be whipped right in front of your eyes and served in a glass with a straw. For me, the best local smoothie is mango.
BBQ buffet: choose what you cook and eat
Type, sit at the table, in the center of which is a pot of coals and a grate on which you cook yourself. Have eaten - go for a new batch of fresh meat. Alcohol - for separate money. Also try small eateries on 4 lines, they are inexpensive and local flavor.
Prices. Don't buy anything serious for the first couple of days. Go, see the prices, look for where and what is cheaper. From personal experience, the cheapest stores are the Sapphire chain. But even in them there is a difference for the same goods: ointment in one costs 17 thousand, and in the other - 20. The further from the first line, the more the cost of lunch in restaurants falls. The price tag strongly depends on the Chinese New Year, at this time Nha Trang is full of Chinese, prices are increased for them.
For all the seemingly cheapness, keep an eye on the money. They can melt before our eyes. That is why I do not recommend changing all the dollars at once.
Transport. It is easier to walk around the block and around. In the Russian information center, you can take a map of the area for free, ask where what is located. They will be happy to answer you.
Buses. They are used by conductors who do not know foreign languages well, and the ticket price depends (as far as I understand) on the distance of the trip. It's one thing when you went to the beaches of Zoklet - it's the final stop, another thing when you decide to drive a couple of blocks. It is very difficult to explain to the conductor where you are going. But you can.
Taxi. There are several companies that differ in the color of the car. Each firm has its own price range. In different cars landing - from 4 to 14 thousand. The rest of the price depends on the mileage and does not differ much. See the price tag either on the dashboard in the cabin or on the side of the car. Here are the three most inexpensive price tags:
The most inexpensive taxis in Nha Trang
There is a regularity - the larger the car, the more expensive the price of the trip. The most inexpensive are small silver cars. It is easier to get around by taxi, show the driver the location on the map (even on your phone) and he will take you there. If you agree without a counter, you can try to bargain and throw 5-10 thousand from the declared amount. But based on personal experience, even without trading it will be cheaper than using the counter.
I didn’t ride rickshaws, I don’t like to exploit a person like a horse.
Fruit export... In hand luggage, you can carry no more than 5 kg per person. To be honest, we did not weigh our carry-on luggage. But rumors speak of the incredible cruelty of the Cam Ranh airport employees: "One guy was forced to eat 2 extra mangoes!"
I took separately in the package "winter" and a fruit basket, which contained exactly 5 kg of fruit. Since I took 8 kg of luggage to Vietnam, on the way back I managed to stuff 3 kg of passion fruit into my suitcase. Therefore, once again - do not take a lot of things if you want to take out more from Nha Trang: 5 kg can be in hand (no one will count +/- half a kilo), plus the remaining weight in luggage, which can be safely taken away for fruit. And the main thing in the fruits from Vietnam - they disperse with a bang, treated everyone a little bit and the basket is empty.
Places to remember:
Cafe 3g (somewhere here ) - not far from the hotel, good assortment, cheap beer "Saigon" (9 thousand dongs a bottle), in the evening the owner can treat him to moonshine.
Zoklet beach... White sand, shallow sea, small wave. One minus is to go far: by bus a little less than an hour and a half (200 thousand for four). But it was a pity for a taxi (750 thousand dongs for four round trip).
Long Son Pagoda - lying and sitting Buddha. A functioning Buddhist temple. Please note that admission is free.
The Buddha, of course, is a remake, but it looks all the same - cool!
We got to the service (or whatever it’s called). Impressive.
Catholic cathedral... Catholic saw for the first time. Made solidly. Believing Christians can check themselves whether they are well versed in the New Testament: behind the cathedral, in sculptures, the last path of Christ is told, if you go from the right side, it looks like the path to Calvary.
The path of Christ to Calvary is represented in sculptures
Local tours / excursions. Tours are offered by anyone: the operator who brought you (with us it was Pegasus), the Russian Information Center, what smaller offices, such as "Pineapple-tour" and a hotel in the republic. Do not take the latter in any case! Having grabbed it, we did not dare to go either with "Pineapple" or with RIC afterwards. However, even beginners can go to Winperl or Zoklet themselves, without tours.
In general, a resolute and courageous tourist will definitely find a reason not only to relax, but also to have fun. In Nha Trang there are also evening clubs, various attractions, numerous tours, which you can go to yourself.
Have a nice holiday.
What is the best tour operator in Cyprus
How to get from Tbilisi to Borjomi Distance from Tbilisi to Borjomi
What tourists can't do in Vietnam
Airports of Italy: list, description
Topics in French