Vietnam is a country of contrasts and bright colors. Every tourist who visited this country wants to see once more the attractive Halong Bay, see the Hoan Kiem Lake and marvel at the grandeur of the Cathedral of Notre Dame De Saigon in Neo-Romanesque style. enjoy the aromas and flavors of traditional cuisine, to evaluate the affordable luxury hotels and, of course, get a boost of energy from communion with friendly locals.
Vietnam is known as a fusion of cultures of East and West - Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, French. Beautiful beaches with white sand, lush vegetation, amazing tropical forests - a paradise for relaxation and knowledge of the mysteries of nature.
Population
Vietnam's population is 86,967,524 people. The largest ethnic group - Viet (over 85%). The country is also inhabited by Chinese, Thai, Khmer, and others.
Language
Official language is Vietnamese. In tourist regions widely used Russian and English.
Religion
The basic components of the religious system in Vietnam are ancestor worship, Buddhism, Confucianism and Catholicism. Among the mountain tribes spread animism.
Culture
The culture of Vietnam is one of the oldest in Asia, an integral part of the culture of East Asia. It developed at the crossroads of cultures of the two civilizations: Chinese and Indian. Some elements of the culture are considered to be characteristic: the worship of ancestors, traditional family and community values, crafts, focus on training. Folk art of music is very original. The main musical instruments are disc-shaped four (five) -chord guitar, three-chord guitar dan-tam, the two-chord violin dan-ni and the bamboo flute om dit.
Cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine with a touch of French, Chinese and Thai uses a minimal amount of fats and focuses on fresh ingredients as the healthiest cuisine in Asia. As elsewhere in Asia, the basis of food constitutes a rice, noodles and spices. Widely used mint leaves, legumes, sweet potatoes (sweet potato), cassava, ginger, basil, lemon grass, and so on.
Climate
The climate of central Vietnam (from the resort of Nha Trang to the ancient capital of Hue) from February to August is clear, rains are rare, the temperature varies between +35… + 30°C. In the middle of December are heavy rains, in October - November there are possibility of typhoons in Da Nang and Hue regions, +20... + 28°C.
Transport
The city's public transport is crowded with passengers, there is no any timetable, stoppages system is extremely convoluted, speed of motion is small, the roads are not very smooth, buses were stuffy inside. However, the city's drivers can stop anywhere, and the fare is minimal: for example, a trip to Hanoi city bus costs $ 0.1. Vietnamese taxi - cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, boats and boats. Some taxis are without counters and always need to negotiate a price. Try to bargain up to the amount of not more than $ 1 for a 15-minute trip. At night, don't use the rickshaw and motorcycle taxi, only cars.
Official currency
Vietnamese Dong (VND) is the official currency of Vietnam. If you are traveling to a major city or resort advertised of Vietnam, you will always be able to exchange the dollars and euros. Sometimes the euro more advantageous to change than the dollar. You can exchange money in Vietnam without any problem at the airport, at hotels (often their is no signboards and you have to ask at the reception).