Due to the fact that nearly 300,000 Australians traveling to Vietnam every year, there are a lot of information needed for a well-planned trip to Vietnam. Here below are some useful tips from flights, visa and things to do for the best Vietnam tour packages from Australia.
Flights to Vietnam from Australia
It has never been easier to travel from Australia to Vietnam; due to numerous flights from big cities including Melbourne, Sydney to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. These can be direct or one stop flights with time fluctuation from 9 to 12 hours. The major airlines operating flights from Australia to Vietnam include Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific, Malaysian Airlines, Air Asia, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines.
If you plan to book Vietnam tour packages from Australia through a travel agent, then you just have to book the international flight tickets. The travel agent will take care of all the internal flights in the itinerary. However, if you intend to book all domestic flights by yourself, Vietnam Airlines and VietJet are two options. VietJet offers cheaper price, while Vietnam Airlines receives much better reviews. Moreover, if you don’t have to worry much about time, take a night train in one part of the country for special experience and admiring the gorgeous landscape of Vietnam.
How to get Vietnam visa for Australian citizens
Australian citizens do need a visa to visit Vietnam. Before boarding the flight to Vietnam, you must show either a visa in your passport or visa approval letter. Also, make sure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after you leave the country.
There are 3 main ways to get a visa:
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Embassy Visa:
This is made via Vietnam Embassy from your country. This way is very convenience for people living nearby the Embassy, and, if you are not close by, you must send your passport to them. With Embassy Visa, you can get through Immigration quickly at the airport. The only thing is that it normally costs more than the two other ways below, the fee ranges from USD 50-150 depending on which country you are from.
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Visa on Arrival:
Before getting a Visa on the Immigration checkpoint at international airports in Vietnam, you must request for an Approval Letter. There are many websites offering the Approval Letter with the fee ranging from USD 6. Especially, some travel agency will offer together with the tour package you book from them. Please make sure the name on the letter and other information match with ones in your passport. Otherwise, you may be denied at the entry.
Upon arrival at the international airport, you need to go to visa counter and show them your approval letter, 2 photos of your passport size and USD 25 in cash for single entry or USD 50 in cash for multiple entries to get your visa. The process for this way is ranging from 15 minutes up to 2 hours sometimes. There are 4 airports accepting the Approval letter for Visa on Arrival; including Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh), Da Nang (Da Nang) and Nha Trang (Nha Trang). Therefore, don’t use this option if you are planning to enter Vietnam by land or sea entry.
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E-Visa:
This is the most convenient method that’s widely accepted at many airports, landports, and seaports in Vietnam. The whole process will be implemented online through e-visa website. Before beginning, make sure to have these following: a scan of your passport, an email address for support purposes, a temporary address in Vietnam, your entry and exit dates and entry and exit points/airports, a valid international credit or debit card. Follow all the steps and get your application approved at last. Finally, the visa will be sent to your email in PDF file within 3 working days. Print it out to show it together with your travel itinerary at the airport.
Best time to visit Vietnam from Australia
Since Vietnam has a very diverse climate in different areas, there are different suitable period for visiting different areas. For example, to see the best landscape of Northern Vietnam you should come at the period from April to October. Though the weather is quite hot and humid in June, July, August, the breathtaking landscape of green rice terraces among grandiose ranges of mountains will never disappoint you. Also, that period is good time for relaxing on the beaches at the center and south Vietnam (Da Nang, Hoi An, Mui Ne, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, etc.). Try to avoid August, September and October if you want to visit Mekong Delta – Southern Vietnam as it rains a lot that time.
In general, the best time for a best Vietnam itinerary is from October to April due to favorable weather. It is dry and comfortable, average temperature ranging from 17-24 degree Celsius. That’s the reason why this period is the high season for tourists in Vietnam. Thus, if you are a budget traveler looking for a good price tour package, let’s plan your trip to Vietnam from May to September. It would be a wise decision as there is a lot of promotion offered from travel agencies.
What to do in your Vietnam tour packages from Australia
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Discovering local cuisine
There is no doubt that Australians love Vietnamese food so much; thus, the best Vietnam tour packages from Australia should cover a Hanoi street food tour or cooking lesson. Most of Australians have chance to try some famous Vietnamese food such as Pho, paper roll, banh my due to a large number of Vietnamese restaurants in Australia. However, is the “real taste” of these food exactly the same like those? The answer is absolutely “no” since you can’t find some of the same ingredients in Australia.
Another reason is that most of Vietnamese people living in Australia coming from the South Vietnam. There are obviously different version for the same dishes in different areas throughout the country. An ideal street food tour also provides you opportunity to try some of the best local drink; such as “Bia Hoi” – beer with no preservatives and 48 hour lasting and coffee, especially coffee with condensed milk or egg coffee. For a Cooking tour in Hoi An, you can learn some recipes of Vietnamese food and keep it as one of the best souvenir from Vietnam.
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Outdoor activities
A best of tour package from Australia should also cover a lot of outdoor activities since Australians loves great outdoors. That’s also the reason why Vietnam becomes popular for them.
From easy relaxing in Halong Bay cruise with some activities like kayaking and caving; trekking in the mountain like Sapa and other mountainous areas; exploring caves at Phong Nha- Ke Bang National Park; then relaxing on the beach, Vietnam has it all. Just do research on Google on what you really want to do, you will find many articles about destinations suitable for specific activities.
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Party
It is a mistake not to mention Vietnam as a good place for party. It may surprise some people to know that Vietnam is the second country after South Korea in alcohol consumption in Asia. This is because Vietnamese people like party, drinking and eating like Australians. The way Vietnamese people party may not the same like Australians, still, we all share the same hobby for drinking. If you have some Vietnamese friends, let’s come with them to a karaoke bar; which is very popular from urban to rural areas. Believe me, you don’t need to have a good voice, just “sing and shout”; and I bet that would be one of the most memorable hours in your life. Otherwise, big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang, Nha Trang have many bars and pubs in western style for your enjoyment.
Last but not least, it is really depending on your time duration and travel interest to pick up the best Vietnam tour packages from Australia. If you are a young traveler and have a lot of time searching information, there is a lot of articles, blogs that could help to design the best itinerary of Vietnam. On the contrary, senior people who are often busy with their job can find a travel agency to customize a tour based on their travel interest and duration. You might find Vietnam cultural highlight 14 days tour suitable for you. Normally, travel agency can get a good deal with the hotel so please be worried free that your trip can be very expensive.
Please visit our website Indochina Voyages for the best sample of Vietnam tour packages from Australia. Happy travelling!
Van Do – Travel Specialist
