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Travel Guide
Please Note
This is a generalized travel guide and it is intended to coalesce several resources, which a traveler might find useful, regardless of a particular destination. As such, it does not include travel warnings for specific "hot spot" destinations.
For travel alerts and warnings, please see the United States Department of State's listings available at URL:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
Please note that travel to the following countries, based on these warnings, is ill-advised, or should be undertaken with the utmost precaution:
Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), El Salvador, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories of West Bank and Gaza, Philippines areas of Sulu Archipelago, Mindanao, and southern Sulu Sea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Venezuela, and Yemen.
International Travel Guide
Checklist for Travelers
1. Make sure you travel with the proper documentation. This may include passports, travel visas, consent for travel with minors, and international driving permits, if necessary. Get the necessary visas for the country (or countries) one intends to visit - but be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry.
2. Protect one's personal information by making copies of one's passport details, insurance policy, travelers checks and credit card numbers. Taking copies of such documents with you, while leaving another collection copies with someone at home, is also good practice for travelers. Taking copies of one's passport photograph is also recommended, as well as leaving a copy of one's passport photograph and details at home is also recommended.
3. Take time to learn about one's destination country and culture. Read and learn about the place one is traveling. Also check political, economic and socio-cultural developments at the destination by reading country-specific travel reports and fact sheets. Always have the contact information for the embassy or consulate of your home country.
4. Keep in regular contact with friends and relatives back at home by phone or email, and be sure to leave a travel itinerary. As well, keep a list of your emergency contacts handy and create a communication plan for reaching family and friends in the event of a crisis.
5. While it may be appealing to travel "off the grid" and without attention to current events, it is inadvisable to travel internationally without paying attention to the news and current events taking place "in country." Monitor local radio, television, and other sources for news and updates. Make contacts with staff at hotels and/or in the community so you are able to stay informed.
6. Phone lines are usually affected during a crisis. Think about other ways to communicate. For example, update your social media status often and send messages as regularly as possible to let friends and family know how you are doing.
7. Know the laws of one's destination country and culture; be sure to understand the repercussions of breaking those laws and regulations. Often the transparency and freedoms of the juridical system at home is not consistent with that of one's destination country. Become aware of these complexities and subtleties before you travel.
8. For longer stays in a country, or where the security situation is volatile, one should register one's self and traveling companions at the local embassy or consulate of one's country of citizenship. Be prepared for crisis situations and have an exit strategy to ensure you can easily evacuate from a volatile situation. Have more than one way to get towards safety as a crisis event may make some roads unpassable or unsafe.
9. Stay healthy by taking all possible precautions against illness. Also, be sure to take extra supplies of prescription drugs along for the trip, while also taking time to pack general pharmaceutical supplies, such as aspirin and other such painkillers, bandages, stomach ailment medication, anti-inflammatory medication and anti-bacterial medication.
10. Do not carry illicit drugs. Understand that the punishment for possession or use of illegal drugs in some countries may be capital punishment. Make sure your prescription drugs are legal in the countries you plan to visit.
11. Women should take care to be prepared both culturally and practically for traveling in a different country and culture. One should be sure to take sufficient supplies of personal feminine products and prescription drugs. One should also learn about local cultural standards for women, including norms of dressing. Be aware that it is simply inappropriate and unsafe for women to travel alone in some countries, and take the necessary precautions to avoid risk-filled situations.
12. If one is traveling with small children, one should pack extra supplies, make arrangements with the travel carrier for proper seating that would adequately accommodate children, infants or toddlers. Note also that whether one is male of female, traveling with children means that one's hands are thus not free to carry luggage and bags. Be especially aware that this makes one vulnerable to pickpockets, thieves and other sorts of crime.
13. Make proper arrangements for accommodations, well in advance of one's arrival at a destination. Some countries have limited accommodation, while others may have culturally distinctive facilities. Learning about these practicalities before one travels will greatly aid the enjoyment of one's trip.
14. Travel with different forms of currency and money (cash, traveler's checks and credit cards) in anticipation that venues may not accept one or another form of money. Also, ensuring that one's financial resources are not contained in one location, or by one person (if one is traveling with others) can be a useful measure, in the event that one loses a wallet or purse. Contact your credit card companies ahead of departure to notify them of your travel plans and be on the lookout for suspicious activity.
15. Find out about transportation in the destination country. In some places, it might be advisable to hire a local driver or taxi guide for safety reasons, while in other countries, enjoying one's travel experience may well be enhanced by renting a vehicle and seeing the local sights and culture independently. Costs may also be prohibitive for either of these choices, so again, prior planning is suggested. If you plan to drive "in country," as indicated above, ensure you have proper international driving permits.
16. Be aware that other countries use different voltage. Travel with a voltage adaptor pack if you will need to power up a laptop, phone, or medical device. It is also advisable to think in terms of power supply, and be sure to find backup power or other ways that will sustain your device or equipment during a power outage.
Tips for Travelers
• Obtain a visa before arrival.
• Check with your embassy, consulate, or appropriate government institution related to travel before traveling.
• Bring enough money for your stay.
• Keep belongings, including your passport, in a safe place.
• Enter next of kin details into the back of your passport.
• Beware of pickpockets.
• Seek medical advice from your doctor. Vaccinate against Japanese Encephalitis and take prophylactics against malaria.
• Don't carry or use drugs; penalties are severe.
• Don't overstay your visa.
Note: This information is directly quoted from the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Sources: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Business Culture: Information for Business Travelers
Vietnam is a markedly Confucian society and its business practices are often more similar to those of China, Japan and Korea than to those of its Southeast Asian neighbors. The social dynamics and world-view of Vietnam's society are reflected in the business climate including such matters as: 'face', consensus building, and the zero-sum game assumption.
'Face' is extremely important to many Vietnamese. It is very important to try not to put your Vietnamese counterparts in an embarrassing situation or one that calls for public back tracking. You should be careful not to cause your Vietnamese contact embarrassment in front of superiors, peers, or subordinates. Fear of losing face often makes Vietnamese wary of spontaneous give-and-take, unscripted public comment, or off-the-cuff negotiation. Tact, sensitivity and discretion are considered the most effective approach in dealing with disagreements or uncomfortable situations. Westerners often view the idea of face as quaint, but to many Vietnamese it matters a great deal, and the loss of face by your contact could very well mean the loss of your contact.
Consensual decision-making is very deeply ingrained in Vietnamese social and political behavior. "Consensus" means different things in different societies. In Vietnam, it often means that all parties with a voice can wield a veto and must be brought on board. In building a consensus, it may prove impossible to "steamroller" the minority opinion, which must be wooed instead. To take the Central Government as an example, the lead ministry on a given issue may be unable to advance its positions if other ministries with seemingly minor involvement in the decision oppose it. Unless the latter can be won over, the result is a stalemate.
Western businesspeople sometimes become frustrated with the apparent inability of the person across the table from them to make a decision (even if the counterpart is quite senior), or the fact that decisions once made are inexplicably reversed. This is indicative, not of the person's ability or willingness to work with foreign businesspeople, but of complexities behind the scenes and the fact that the apparent decision-maker does not always have the only say in negotiations.
Some Western businesspeople typically assume that "win-win" deals are common and relatively easy to achieve. Few Vietnamese probably share that optimism. To most, business is a zero-sum game. There is a winner and a loser. This is important to keep in mind when dealing with a Vietnamese organization. It can define your relationship with your Vietnamese counterpart and your Vietnamese counterpart's relationship with the local market. Once a deal is struck in principle, the Western counterpart may want to get on with it, while Vietnamese may want to take more time to improve their terms (even if that means delaying the entire undertaking).
When initiating contact with a Vietnamese entity, it is often best to be introduced through a third party as people outside a person's known circle may be regarded with suspicion. An introduction from a mutual friend, acquaintance or known business associate before initial contact can help alleviate some of the problems that arise in initial correspondence or meetings.
If it is not possible to have a third party introduce you, self-introductions should start with an explanation of what led you to contact this particular organization. This will help the Vietnamese side understand how to relate to you.
Vietnamese names begin with the family name, followed by the middle name and finally the given name. To distinguish individuals, Vietnamese address each other by their given names. Therefore, Mr. Nguyen Anh Quang would be addressed Mr. Quang. Pronouns are always used when addressing or speaking about someone. You should always address your contacts as Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Miss followed by the given name. Vietnamese often reciprocate this custom when addressing foreigners. Ms. Jane Doe would typically be addressed as Ms. Jane. If you are unsure how to address someone, just ask for advice.
Your first contact with a potential Vietnamese partner should be long on form and fairly short on substance. Effort should be spent on introducing yourself, your company and objectives in the Vietnamese market place. Relatively little emphasis should be placed on the specifics of your objectives. Your correspondence should end with pleasantries and an invitation to continue the dialogue.
If your business relationship continues through correspondence, you should continue to include introductory and closing pleasantries in your letters. Vietnamese are typically used to the formality of corresponding in Vietnamese and the abruptness of some Western business correspondence can make them uncomfortable.
Establishing operations or making sales in Vietnam entails numerous business meetings, as face-to-face discussions are favored over telephone calls or letters. A first meeting tends to be formal and viewed as an introductory session. If you are unsure of exactly who in the organization you should be meeting with, you should address the request for a meeting to the top official/manager in the organization. It is helpful to submit a meeting agenda, issues to be discussed and marketing material and/or technical information prior to the actual meeting. This will allow the Vietnamese side to share and review information within the organization in order to ensure the correct people participate in the meeting.
A meeting usually begins with the guest being led into a room where there may be a number of Vietnamese waiting. The Vietnamese principal is rarely in the room when the guests arrive and you will be left to make small talk with the other meeting participants until the principal makes his or her entrance. It is common for a third person (from either side) to introduce the two principals of the meeting. Once this is done and all participants have been introduced to each other and have exchanged name cards, participants can take a seat.
Seating for a meeting is generally 'us versus them' across a conference table with the principal interlocutors in the center and directly across from each other. Other participants are generally arranged in a hierarchy on the right and left. Generally, the farther one is from the center of the table, the less important one is. Sometimes the meeting will take place in a formal meeting room where there are chairs arranged in a 'U' pattern. The principals will take their seats in the two chairs at the base of the 'U' with other participants arranging themselves in rank order along the sides of the 'U'.
Meetings generally begin with the principal guest making introductory remarks. These remarks should include formal thanks for the hosts accepting the meeting, general objectives for the meeting, an introduction of participants and pleasantries. This will be followed by formal remarks by the Vietnamese host. Once the formalities and pleasantries are dispensed with, substantive discussion can ensue. Even if the principal host is not heavily involved in the details of the conversation, guests should remember to address include the principal in the conversation allowing him or her to delegate authority to answer.
A general business call lasts no more than one hour. Usually, the visitor is expected to initiate or signal the closure of the meeting.
Hiring a reliable interpreter is essential, as most business and official meetings are conducted in Vietnamese. Even with the increasing use of English, non-native English speakers will need interpretation to understand the subtleties of the conversation. When working with an interpreter, one should speak slowly and clearly in simple sentences and pause often for interpretation (generally at the end of a paragraph). One should brief the interpreter on each meeting in advance.
Normal business attire consists of a suit and tie for men and suit or dress for women. During the hotter months, formal dress for men is a shirt and tie. Open collar shirts and slacks may be worn to more informal meetings depending on the situation. The trend in the South is to be more casual; suit jackets are worn only on very formal occasions and first meetings.
Sources: United States Department of State Commercial Guides
Online Resources Regarding Entry Requirements and Visas
Foreign Entry Requirements for Americans from the United States Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html
Visa Services for Non-Americans from the United States Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html
Visa Bulletins from the United States Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html
Visa Waivers from the United States Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html - new
Passport and Visa Information from the Government of the United Kingdom
http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/
Visa Information from the Government of Australia
http://www.dfat.gov.au/visas/index.html
Passport Information from the Government of Australia
https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/index.aspx
Passport Information from the Government of Canada
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_information/passport_passeport-eng.asp
Visa Information from the Government of Canada
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_information/visas-eng.asp
Online Visa Processing by Immigration Experts by VisaPro
http://www.visapro.com
Sources: United States Department of State, United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Government of Australia: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Canada Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Useful Online Resources for Travelers
Country-Specific Travel Information from United States
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html
Travel Advice by Country from Government of United Kingdom
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/
General Travel Advice from Government of Australia
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/General
Travel Bulletins from the Government of Australia
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/TravelBulletins/
Travel Tips from Government of Australia
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/tips/index.html
Travel Checklist by Government of Canada
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_information/checklist_sommaire-eng.asp
Travel Checklist from Government of United Kingdom
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/staying-safe/checklist
Your trip abroad from United States Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1225.html
A safe trip abroad from United States Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html
Tips for expatriates abroad from United States Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/travel/living/residing/residing_1235.html
Tips for students from United States Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/travel/living/studying/studying_1238.html http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1219.html
Medical information for travelers from United States Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_1185.html
US Customs Travel information
http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/travel/
Sources: United States Department of State; United States Customs Department, United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Government of Australia; Government of Canada: Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Other Practical Online Resources for Travelers
Foreign Language Phrases for Travelers
http://www.travlang.com/languages/
http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/index.htm
World Weather Forecasts
http://www.intellicast.com/
http://www.wunderground.com/
http://www.worldweather.org/
Worldwide Time Zones, Map, World Clock
http://www.timeanddate.com/
http://www.worldtimezone.com/
International Airport Codes
http://www.world-airport-codes.com/
International Dialing Codes
http://www.kropla.com/dialcode.htm
http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/
International Phone Guide
http://www.kropla.com/phones.htm
International Mobile Phone Guide
http://www.kropla.com/mobilephones.htm
International Internet Café Search Engine
http://cybercaptive.com/
Global Internet Roaming
http://www.kropla.com/roaming.htm
World Electric Power Guide
http://www.kropla.com/electric.htm
http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm
World Television Standards and Codes
http://www.kropla.com/tv.htm
International Currency Exchange Rates
http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Banking and Financial Institutions Across the World
http://www.123world.com/banks/index.html
International Credit Card or Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Locator
http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global/
http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/cardholderservices/atmlocations/index.html
International Chambers of Commerce
http://www.123world.com/chambers/index.html
World Tourism Websites
http://123world.com/tourism/
Diplomatic and Consular Information
United States Diplomatic Posts Around the World
http://www.usembassy.gov/
United Kingdom Diplomatic Posts Around the World
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/embassies-and-posts/find-an-embassy-overseas/
Australia's Diplomatic Posts Around the World
http://www.dfat.gov.au/missions/
http://www.dfat.gov.au/embassies.html
Canada's Embassies and High Commissions
http://www.international.gc.ca/ciw-cdm/embassies-ambassades.aspx
Resources for Finding Embassies and other Diplomatic Posts Across the World
http://www.escapeartist.com/embassy1/embassy1.htm
Safety and Security
Travel Warnings by Country from Government of Australia
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/
Travel Warnings and Alerts from United States Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1766.html
Travel Reports and Warnings by Government of Canada
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/menu-eng.asp
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/updates_mise-a-jour-eng.asp
Travel Warnings from Government of United Kingdom
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/?action=noTravelAll#noTravelAll
Sources: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the United States Department of State, the Government of Canada: Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Government of Australia: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Other Safety and Security Online Resources for Travelers
United States Department of State Information on Terrorism
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/
Government of the United Kingdom Resource on the Risk of Terrorism
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1044011304926
Government of Canada Terrorism Guide
http://www.international.gc.ca/crime/terrorism-terrorisme.aspx?lang=eng
Information on Terrorism by Government of Australia
http://www.dfat.gov.au/icat/index.html
FAA Resource on Aviation Safety
http://www.faasafety.gov/
In-Flight Safety Information for Air Travel (by British Airways crew trainer, Anna Warman)
http://www.warman.demon.co.uk/anna/inflight.html
Hot Spots: Travel Safety and Risk Information
http://www.airsecurity.com/hotspots/HotSpots.asp
Information on Human Rights
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/hr/
Sources: The United States Department of State, the United States Customs Department, the Government of Canada, the Government of United Kingdom, the Government of Australia, the Federal Aviation Authority, Anna Warman's In-flight Website, Hot Spots Travel and Risk Information
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