Laundry

All good hotels provide laundry services. Laundries in Vietnam offer the quality at bargain prices.

Taxis

Vietnam has perhaps the best taxi services in the world. Always take metered taxis which are plentiful in the major cities.

Cyclos

Agree on the price before you depart. It is always advisable to have the doorman or concierge arrange the cyclo for you.

Bed Time

It is not advisable in Ho Chi Minh City to be out and about after 10:00 pm, a time which it seems the police go home for the evening. Take a taxi back to your hotel.

DO’S

The traditional Vietnamese gesture of greeting is to bow slightly. In general, a younger person should make his/her bow first, then elder ones return. Nowadays, shaking hands, a Western custom, is quite popular; though, the traditional one is still used with pressing two hands together in front of the body, especially by Buddhist monks and nuns, to whom it is proper to respond in kind.
Always smile, be pleasant and polite.
Dress appropriately because of the prevailing weather of tropical monsoon climate, and your own efforts to avoid causing offence to the local people. Vietnamese dress conservatively, and it is only in larger cities which are heavily influenced by Western culture that this custom is more relaxed.
Remove shoes when entering somebody’s home. You can wear shoes when wandering around the compound of Buddhist temples; but it’s obligatory to walk on bare feet inside the chapels. And make sure that the bottoms of your feet do not point towards other people or anything sacred, especially Buddha figures, regardless their conditions: large or small, ruined or intact.
Criticize others in a joking manner in order to avoid confrontation.
Ask for permission when having intention of taking photographs of someone and respect his/her opinions.
Drink plenty of bottled water and bring large amount of it when on long excursions, not only for the hot and dry weather but also for the fact that you cannot rely on the quality of tap water or other natural water sources.
Keep your cash, credit cards, airline tickets and other valuables in a safe place.
Carry a card indicated your personal information and a business card of your hotel which you can acquire from the reception desk. It could help you much.
DON’TS

Carrying too much money or wearing a great deal of jewelry when walking around the street can drive you into two unpleasant situations:
You are likely to become a victim of pickpockets or drive-by bag snatchers.
You are considered to be impolite to show off your wealth in public.
Don’t wear singlets, shorts, skirts or dresses, or revealing clothes to temples or pagodas. When meet with Buddhist monks, try to keep your head lower than theirs. Though it’s unable to avoid the reverse, efforts to do so are appreciated.
It is considered rude to use the bottom of your feet to point, especially at a person. Another relevant tip which is very important is that when in someone’s home, be sure not to let the soles of your feet pointing towards the family altar.
Since Vietnamese regard their heads as the highest and most respected part of the body, it’s not approved to touch someone’s head.
Physical displays of affection between lovers in public are frowned upon.. That’s why you may come across couples holding hands but hardly hugging or kissing.
Losing your temper not only is rude but also means losing your face. Keep a cool head and remain polite, you’ll have a greater chance of getting what you want.
Acting as if you deserve service from others gets you nowhere but just make you delayed.
Don’t keep running around complaining about everything. Don’t be paranoid about your safety, just be aware of your surroundings.
Don’t be inquisitive about personal matters.
Avoid taking photographs of military headquarters or installations which can been seen as a breach of national security and secret.