Currency: Vietnamese dong (VND) is the official currency in Vietnam. Paper notes include: VND 500,000; 200,000; 100,000; 50,000; 20,000; 10,000; 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500; 200. Coins include VND 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500 and 200. The exchange rate is US$ 1 to approximately 19,000 dongs.
Language: Vietnamese is the official language. English is spoken in major tourist areas.
Vietnam time: GMT plus 7 hours
Weather: The weather tends to be humid and hot throughout the year. September is officially in the “rainy season” with temperatures around 30°C.
Electric power: Electric current in Vietnam is mostly 220 Volts, but 110 Volts system is still in use.
Office hours: Offices are usually open from Monday to Friday from 07:30 or 08:00 until 17:00 or 18:00 and often close for lunch between 11:30 and 13:00. Shops open early and close any time between 18:00 and 22:00. Most shops are open 7 days a week.
Visa: A Vietnamese entry visa is required for all foreigners wishing to visit Vietnam except for citizens of countries having bilateral agreements on visa exemption with Vietnam.
By plane: Tan Son Nhat International Airport is the largest airport in Vietnam. It is located 7 km north of the center (District 1) of Ho Chi Minh City. You can fly direct to Hochiminh City from Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bandar Seri Begawan, Manila, Macau, Hong Kong, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Nanning, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Seoul, Busan, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Doha, Frankfurt, Paris, Moscow, Perth, Darwin, Sydney and Melbourne.
By bus: Overland travel is possible from Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
From the airport: Airport taxi costs about 80,000 – 90,000 VND (about 4-5 USD) to the centre of Ho Chi Minh city.
Public Transport
Transportation around Hochiminh City and to and from the conference venue is the responsibility of participants. For foreign visitors, getting around in Ho Chi Minh City by taxi is probably most convenient if you don't know the language or you don't know the place well. Price is about 12,000 dong for the first 1km, plus 10,000 dong per additional km. Options include:
Mai Linh taxi (green & white taxi) Tel: 38 262626
Vina taxi (yellow taxi) Tel: 38 111.111
Petro taxi Tel: 35. 121212
Vina sun taxi Tel: 38.272727
Try to avoid travelling by car / taxi in and around the city centre during peak hours which are about 07:30 – 09:30 and 16:30 – 18:30.
