When you start planning your trip to Vietnam you must have a current passport that will not expire for 6 months when you enter Vietnam. You then need to apply to the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate in your country. VIETNAMESE EMBASSY in the UNITED STATES. Just search for "Vietnamese Embassy (Insert Your Country". Your visa application will require 2 passport size photos. You can also inquire about a "Visa On Arrival" at HOPVIET TRAVEL. This procedure involves getting an "Approval Letter" from the Viet Nam Immigration Department with the services of an agency such as HOPVIET TRAVEL. These Visas On Arrival are only available at international airports in Vietnam.

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By Dwight Zimpel

Vietnam is becoming a very popular travel destination. People have put Vietnam on their itinerary for 2 main reasons: Vietnam travel is a great bargain for the budget minded tourist and when they arrive in Vietnam they are greeted by great hosts.

Airfares to Vietnam are bargains if you shop. You can be in Ho Chi Minh City (known as Saigon to the Vietnamese in the south) from the west coast of the United States in less than 19 hours and this includes a 1 ½ hour layover.

Domestic transportation is cheap! An open tour bus ticket from Saigon to Hanoi costs less than $30.00 and your get to see some of the greatest scenery imaginable. Don't want to take the bus? Comfortable trains and fast planes are available. A two hour flight from Saigon to Hanoi is about $100.00.

Tourist hotels are cheap and inviting. The staffs are helpful and courteous. You can travel from town to town with out a reservation and always find suitable lodging.

As mentioned earlier the scenery is fabulous - misty mountains to lush green rice paddies to sunny beaches. Vietnam is home to 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Halong Bay. Bring 2 cameras - you'll probably wear one out.

I have saved the best for last. The Vietnamese cuisine is awesome. Most restaurants still get their daily fares fresh from the local market. Fresh herbs, spices, vegetables and local meat make for great meals. Seafood and chicken dishes are specialties, together with those made from pork and beef. Vietnamese food is light and flavorful at the same time. Oriental and a bit of French influence create the right mixture for the Western palate.

Don't hesitate to put Vietnam in your travel plans. You won't be sorry. And you won't forget.

Dwight Zimpel, Your Vietnam Tour Guide, is a Vietnam Veteran and has made 5 recent trips to Vietnam. He has lived in the Middle East and traveled the world for the past 20 years. Your Vietnam Tour Guide

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