Never wear shorts, dresses or skirts, or tops with low-neck lines and
bare shoulders to Temples and Pagodas. To do this is considered
extremely rude and offensive.
Never give your empty water bottles, sweets and candies to the local
people when trekking through ethnic minority villages. You cannot
guarantee that the empty bottles will be disposed of in a correct
manner and most of these people do not have access to dental health. If
you would like to give pens/paper, ask your guide to introduce you to
the local teacher and give them to the teacher for distribution.
Never sleep or sit with the soles of your feet pointing towards the family altar in someone’s house.
Never venture out from your hotel with more cash than you really need
for that day. It is NOT something to be paranoid about, simply do not
make yourself a target for pickpockets or drive-by bag snatchers in the
big cities. Ho Chi Minh City seems to be a little worse than anywhere else in Vietnam is. On the
whole it is one of the safest countries you could wish to travel in.
Never lose your temper in public or when bargaining for a purchase.
This is considered a serious loss of face for both parties. Always
maintain a cool and happy demeanor and you will be reciprocated with
the same.
Never try and take photographs of military installations or anything to
do with the military. This can be seen as a breach of national security.
Never take video cameras into the ethnic minority villages. They are considered to be too intrusive by many local people.
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