GIP VIETNAM INFORMATION PACKAGE
2008
THIS PACKAGE WILL GIVE A HEADSTART FOR THE READER BEFORE EMBARKING ON GIP VIETNAM.IT IS ADVISABLE THAT THE READER INITIATES AN INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH ABOUT VIETNAM THROUGH OTHER
SOURCES SUCH AS THE INTERNET INSTEAD OF SOLELY RELYING ON THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PACKAGE.
THIS PACKAGE CONSISTS OF 5 PARTS. 1. Personal Items
2. Cost Breakdown
3. Places of Interest
4. Other Information
5. Contact
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1. Personal Items a) Medications Obtain your Doctor’s prescription for common illnesses such as flu, sore throat, diarrhea
etc. Or you can purchase medicines from NTU medical centre. Bring a first aid kit. There are pharmacies that sell off-the-shelf medications in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). It is advisable to bring medications that you are familiar with from Singapore. Medical Care Centres
•
Family Medical Practice
34 Le Duan Street (2 Nguyen Van Chiem St.), District 1, HCMC, Vietnam 24 Hr Tel: 84-8-822 7848
•
International SOS Clinic
OSCAT/AEA Vietnam Company 65 Nguyen Du, Dist 1 HCMC, Vietnam
Tel: 84-8-8298520 If you chose to approach any clinic or hospital other than those mentioned above, do
enquire with the admin staff at the respective clinic or hospital whether you are able to claim your medical fees through your travel insurance.
REMEMBER TO OBTAIN AN OVERSEAS TRAVEL INSURANCE ! b) Clothes Bring only what you need. Do not carry excess baggage as clothes in Vietnam are cheap.
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c) Cash It would be wise to bring US dollars (100 USD) for emergency usage. As long as your ATM card has one of the following; Cirrus, Maestro, Plus, MasterCard or Visa, you can
withdraw from most of the local ATMs. A debit card is an ideal option. You would receive a better currency exchange rate when you change currency in Ho Chi Minh City.
d) A set of photocopied documents of your passport, IC and other important documents
that you deem necessary for overseas travel. Remember to bring along your laptop’s
International Warranty. e) International adaptors Electrical shops do sell them in Singapore. Each individual should have one. Bring all the electrical chargers you need for your futuristic gadgets. f)
Food
Instant noodles as you might not be accustomed to the food for the first few days. And bring some of your favourite dried food. Do not overload your bag with too much food.
g) A spare mobile phone. Advisable not to bring expensive mobile phones. h) Research on HCMC from the internet or books. Good to know what to expect. There are some good websites that provide this information.
i)
It is good to have an external hard-disk drive in case your laptop needs servicing or you
j)
You may bring textbooks that you deem beneficial for your attachment period in the
encounter any other problems with your laptop.
company.
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GIP VIETNAM INFORMATION PACKAGE
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2. Cost Breakdown Ticket Cost Jetstar and Tiger Airways are the budget airlines that ply between Singapore and HCMC.
For luxury travel, Singapore Airlines is the best option. It takes about 2 hours to arrive in
HCMC from Singapore. Ticket costs depend on prevailing rates. Refer to these websites for more information.
Jetstar - http://www.jetstar.com/3k/index.html Tiger Airways - http://www.tigerairways.com/ Singapore Airlines - http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/index.jsp Accommodation GIP Office will advise on this issue. Food Vietnamese food is generally affordable. But it is advisable that the reader discovers
cheaper alternatives by scouting around. Another alternative is to initiate friendship with Vietnamese students and information can be gathered with ease. Getting Around In HCMC Taxi fares are much cheaper when compared to Singapore and there are quite a number
of taxi operators in HCMC. The reliable taxi operators are Vinasun and Mai Linh. The flag down rate is about 12 000 dong to 15 000 dong. Most rides along the city centre cost
less than 30 000 dong. As for public buses, it is even cheaper than taxis. For instance, a
bus ride from District 5 to District 1 costs 3000 dong. There are lots of motorbike taxis
(Xe om) and you can negotiate the price before getting on the bike. Xe om riders usually hang out on their parked bikes on street corners. There are no trains plying within Ho GIP VIETNAM 07/08
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GIP VIETNAM INFORMATION PACKAGE
2008
Chi Minh City. But there are train services within Vietnam i.e. between HCMC and
Hanoi. There are also cyclos around the city centre. Cyclos are the rickshaw version as seen in Singapore. Short hops around the city centre will cost about 8000 dong to 12000 dong. District 1 to Cholon (District 5) costs about 20 000 dong. 3. Places of Interest Go on a tour package to Central Vietnam. And for those who are more adventurous, you can
plan a backpacking trip. Do plan your trip in advance by researching on the areas you intend to visit.
Tour Agencies i.
TNK Travel Address: 216 De Tham Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tel: (84-8) 9204766 E-mail:
[email protected] Website: http://www.tnktravelvietnam.com/
ii.
TourViet Agency 167 Pham Ngu Lao St. District 1, HCMC Tel: 084-8-2913386 Email:
[email protected] Website: www.tour-viet.com
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My Nga’s Travel 169 Pham Ngu Lao St. District 1, HCMC Tel: 84-8-9056271 Email:
[email protected]
Train Services In HCMC, there are train services plying between the south and the north and vice versa along the coast. Train tickets can be purchased from the following places; •
Saigon Railways Tourist Services
275C Pham Ngu Lao St., District 1, HCMC Tel: 84-8-367 640 •
Saigon Train Station
1 Nguyen Thong, District 3, HCMC In Vietnam, you can visit the following places and if you have the opportunity, do visit the northern and central areas. •
Reunification Palace Directions: Along Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
•
Mekong Delta: Vietnam’s “rice basket” is a landscape of green fields and sleepy villages. Directions: Book a tour package from tour agencies.
•
Vung Tau Beach: Enjoy the sun, sand and the sea at the southern part of HCMC. Directions: Purchase the hydrofoil ticket at Bach Dang Jetty along Ton Duc Thang. GIP VIETNAM 07/08
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Cu Chi Tunnels: Walk through nature and get through the 100m tunnel. Directions: Book a tour package from tour agencies.
•
Notre Dame Cathedral: Indulge in its interior architecture. Directions: Along Han Thuyen Street
•
Cho Lon – Chinatown (District 5) Directions: Take a “xe om” or taxi to District 5.
•
Da Lat – Experience cool temperatures and breathtaking sceneries. Directions: Book a tour package from tour agencies.
•
Nha Trang Beach Resort Directions: Book a tour package from tour agencies.
•
War Remnants Museum: showcases the aftermath of the war & its crimes. Directions: 28 Vo Van Tan
•
Night Market: Cheap clothing, footwear & accessories. Directions: Outside Ben Thanh Market which is along Le Loi Boulevard.
•
Mui Ne Beach Resort Directions: Book a tour package from tour agencies.
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4. Other Information •
Emergency Hotline Police
: 113
Fire
: 114
Ambulance : 115
•
Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore Saigon Centre, Level 8
65 Le Loi Boulevard, District 1 HCMC, Vietnam
Tel: 84-8-8225174
Email:
[email protected] 5. Contact
For more enquiries, the GIP Vietnam HOD can be reached at the following email:
[email protected] or
[email protected]
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