Download and view the following for the most common etiquette rules in Vietnam.

• Lady Borton Etiquette Guidelines

In case you don't know this already- Vietnamese people's names and titles (both professional and social) are different than ours. They always write their names in the order-  family name- middle name- given ["first"] name.  This is a totally logical, but different system than ours and there should not be any confusion. But confusion arises when your Vietnamese hosts (who are very familiar with the differences in our cultures) try to be helpful and tell you their names using our system. The result is confusion as to which is their given name and which is their family name. So, (if you middle name is Ann) your name would be written Penrose Ann Nancy. To prevent confusion, I often ask people I am meeting for the first time to tell me their given name, middle name and family name.  After a while you will start recognizing common given and family names, but, even here it can be confusing.

But professional and social titles would be attached to your first name only and your last name would never be used to address you. Your social title is complex- and would depend on gender, status, familiarity and age compared to the person you are with.  Accordingly, because you are younger than me, I could call you Em Nancy [Em means "younger sister', but this has a flirty connotation, so it would be better and more formal for me to call you Co Nancy [even though Co means older sister, but it would be safer to use because of the flirty aspect of Em] . In return, you would call me Anh Rob. Anh means "older brother".  Her are all of the social titles for men...

For men:   Cu = great-grandfather (or someone old enough to be your great grandfather)

                  Omg= grand-father (or someone old enough to be your grandfather)

                  Bac= older uncle (or someone older than your uncle)

                  Chu= uncle (or someone the age of your uncle) 

                  Anh= older brother (or someone the age of an older brother)

                  Em= younger brother (or someone the age of a younger brother)

                  Chau= grandchild (or someone the same age)

For women: the equivalent titles are Cu, Ba, Co, Chi, Em and Chau

These titles are used when saying "hello", "please" and "thank you" [hello= chao; please= cam on; thank you= lam on].

These titles are a a complex way to say a simple "you", but this stuff is important and saying things without the appropriate title is not gracious, but will usually be tolerated because they know our culture is different.  One simple way of being gracious is to call all men "Anh" and all "women "Co" the first time you meet them. They will be very impressed that you went to the effort to try and then they will gently correct you, if necessary.  Needless to say, all of this stuff is great material for conversations with your hosts- and they will gladly will explain all of the fine points (which I'm still learning). 

Yes, Vietnamese cuisine has many delicious vegetarian dishes and they make wonderful dishes using tofu. Vietnam also has an amazing amount of fabulous fruits and vegetables.  Please see the next FAQ for more details.

Yes. Cosmetics are popular. Some foods are popular - in particular chocolates  and other candies (Almond Rocca  and chocolate covered macadamia nuts work well) and nuts (eg almonds) that they don't grow in Vietnam are popular. Also yellow raisins. I've tried giving music CDs, but I their musical tastes are very different from ours and I don't know how well my efforts giving them classical music, jazz and opera have worked (very few comments, suggesting that I have not succeeded). I've taken pint-sized bottles of bourbon for a few guys- obviously appreciated. For very special people I bring new-edition of medical textbooks- but these are expensive and heavy.

It is very easy for this gift giving to get out of control.  I think that bringing a few food gifts, plus a couple of jars of face cream for special people should work well for you.   My guess is that you might a few people you will really get to know and like a lot and want to give bigger gifts to; and that there will be others that you might want to give a smaller gifts to. 

Numerous vegetarians have volunteered with the MEET.  None have starved. Excellent vegetarian dishes are usually available, including a vastly greater range of fruits and vegetables than available in the US.  Even their tofu is better (it is firmer, and has lots of holes to hold those delicious sauces).

Even dishes described on menus as “vegetarian” will often contain small amounts of animal products (e.g. fish sauce, shrimp paste, ground shrimp, meat, pork and/or lard). It may be impossible to reliably communicate with restaurant staff to determine this. If a small amount of animal products are acceptable to you, you will have no problems. On the other hand, if small amounts of animal products are not acceptable to you, it will be necessary for you to make plans regarding eating. One option is to eat in strictly vegetarian Buddhist restaurants. Another option is to bring your own food. Doing these might require eating separately from the rest of the group and our Vietnamese hosts.

Many Buddhists in Vietnam are vegetarian part or all of the time; and others are pescatarian, so nobody will be surprised or offended if you are a vegetarian. About 6 yrs ago we had the first vegetarian Healing the Children volunteer come with us to Vietnam. I was worried how she would fare. So, whenever we went out to eat, we would order a couple of vegetarian dishes for her, which I tried.  It turns out that Vietnamese vegetarian food is probably the tastiest vegetarian food out there, mainly because they cook with a great variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, their sauces are consistently delicious, and also, because they use tofu that has lots of holes that fill with their sauces. And they often fry their tofu so it is a bit crunchy, which is a far more pleasant texture that the slimy, stuff served in US.  So, vegetarians are happy in Vietnam. 

If you are a pescatarian, fish and seafood are excellent in Vietnam in general, and they get better the further south you go in Vietnam. So, since Can Tho is almost as far south as you can get in Vietnam, the fish and seafood are as good as it gets.  I've tried to copy some of their famous fish dishes and my results have only been good enough to bring back fond memories. I think the main reason is freshness of ingredients.  In the US most of our fish and seafood have been refrigerated for some time or frozen, whereas in Vietnam these are very fresh.

Vietnamese people love to talk about their food and discuss recipes, and many are serious amateur chefs.  So food and cooking are always a sure-fire topics of conversation.

A few movies worth watching:

• Indochine
• The Quiet American- get the version with Michael Caine, not the old version with Audie Murphy. 
• Three Seasons
• Cyclo
• The Vietnam War- PBS documentary series. An objective account of the American War from all sides- the North, the South and the Americans. It is the fastest way to get an overview. 

Yes, there are ATMs in Can Tho and other middle sized and large cities. ATMs are rarer in small towns. Most ATMs will dispense as much as 2,000,000 dong daily- which sounds like a lot, but is only $100.  Fees for ATM use will depends on your bank. Having had a credit card "shut off" because the bank thought something suspicious was happening (in spite of my having told them my travel plans),  Because some banks' ATM and credit cards might not work in all ATMs, I usually  take backup ATM and credit cards, and I also take a significant amount of cash- at least $500 which I put in several places.  Regarding security- most (but possibly not all) hotels we will be staying in have safes in the rooms. These are usually big enough to hold cameras, ipads and smaller laptop computers. 

Money in Vietnam

• Notify your credit card and ATM companies of the exact dates of your travels. If you do not do this your cards will likely NOT work.
• The currency in Vietnam is the Dong. The exchange rate is currently about US $= 28,000 Dong. $US cash is accepted in payment almost everywhere in Vietnam (including small businesses and in remote places).  
• You will not need to get Vietnamese Dong before the trip. They are easy to get in Vietnam using your ATM or debit card, but you must notify your ATM/debit card company about your travel plans- more about this below. Hotels will change US $ into Dong.
• $US cash has to be in almost perfect condition (almost new, no marks, no writing, no stains, no rips, no missing corners).  Cash that is not in excellent condition may not be accepted as payment (they are very particular about this). The new "big head" bills are popular but serial numbers staring with CB are not OK (there is concern that these might be forged). The fancy new $100 bills are readily accepted. 
• Credit cards - Visa and Master Card are usually (but not always) accepted at major hotels in major cities (HCMC, Can Tho, Hanoi, etc) and at some major resort hotels in (Hue, Hoi An, etc). American Express is not accepted in most places. Credit cards may not be accepted at smaller hotels and restaurants.  Some tour companies accept cash or credit cards (but some companies only accept cash, wired money and prepayment before you arrive in Vietnam, so check with your tour company about this).
• On past Ed Ex trips to Vietnam and SE Asia, there have been several incidents involving fraudulent charges to credit cards, all have involved smaller businesses (tailors, jewelry stores, etc); none have been at hotels.  Accordingly, it seems prudent to minimize use of credit cards and to only use them at bigger businesses, like hotels. 
• Transactions paid with credit cards are charged a 3% surcharge fee by most credit card companies. 
• You will also need cash to buy souvenirs. Things are inexpensive, but there are many nice gifts to bring home. This means that it is very helpful to bring a fair amount of cash US Dollars. I usually bring about $1000 in cash and have never spent all of it.
• ATM machines - are in the airport in HCMC and are readily available in most cities like HCMC, Can Tho, Hue and Hanoi. ATM machines are becoming more common in smaller cities but you can NOT count on finding one in working order in more remote places. ATM machines are harder to find in Cambodia and Laos, but they are becoming more common.
• ATM machines usually accept debit and cash cards (major bank and credit union debit cards usually work). Beware - There are at least two types of ATM machines in Vietnam - some are the type where you swipe your card and can put it back in your wallet before proceeding with the rest of the transaction and getting your money; other ATM machines are the ones that take your card and do not return it until the entire transaction and you have been given your money- some of these machines take a few seconds to return your card at the end of the transaction, creating a real risk that you will leave the ATM machine and forget to take your card with you. This is a real risk- several volunteers have lost their cards this way.  
• Travelers checks - are a hassle- few places will accept them and may be hard to replace. 
• Money changing - Booths that exchange money are available on entering the HCMC airport and are located along the main streets in HCMC and Hanoi. Many of these booths will accept credit cards or US cash. Jewelry stores selling gold items will exchange US cash for dong- they will not accept credit cards. These places generally give better exchanges than the booths, and will give a slightly higher exchange, especially for $100 bills.
• Pick-pockets and purse and jewelry snatchers are a risk in major cities (eg- HCMC). With all of the cash that you will be carrying, consider keeping your money and credit card in several divided places and using money belts, loop wallets, and other devices that hide money and credit cards under your clothes. Men tend to find loop wallets comfortable, whereas women seem to prefer conventional money belts.
• Regarding jewelry -Vietnamese people are usually very modest when it comes to jewelry, so there's no need to bring your bling. 
• Cell phone thefts - Two of our volunteers have had cell phones stolen. One was during a preoperative screening clinic, and the other was in a restaurant. Both events involved putting the cell phone on a table when not in use. Accordingly, it is prudent to keep our cell phones in our pockets when not in use, and to not keep your cell phone with you if you are in the habit of putting your cell phone on tables wherever you go. Any other suggestions welcome?
• Hotel security - most, but not all, hotels have safes in the rooms, but some safes are not big enough to hold bigger laptop computers or camera. Almost all hotels can secure valuables at the desk.  Safes in hotel rooms often are not big enough to hold laptop computers and bigger cameras. Considering bringing a inexpensive computer, camera, I-pad or an old computer that would not be a tragedy to loose. Or plan on carrying your computer and camera everywhere with you. 
• Tipping is not required in Vietnam, but Vietnamese who will be providing services are very lowly paid and you may want to tip them. Tips of $1-2 are enough for short services (eg-carrying your bags to your hotel room), $2-3 are enough for bigger services (eg- waiter in a restaurant for a fancy meal), and $25-100 are enough for extended services (eg- your guide for a weeks' tour). Give tips directly to the person you want to get it- tips left on restaurant tables go to the owner, not the waiter. Tips in hotels for the room cleaners are best put in a place (eg- in a pillow case or on the rim under the toilet seat) where the person you want to receive the tip is likely to be the one to find it, instead of their supervisor.

Action Items - a money "to do" list:

• Notify your credit card and ATM card providers of your travel plans.
• Collect lots of $1 bills (in excellent condition) for tips and small purchases. Fifty $1 bills is plenty.
• Get larger ($50 or $100) bills (in excellent condition)- for payment for hotels, etc, and to exchange for Dong
• Get a money belt, loop wallet, or other device to secure your money and credit cards.

Copied below is what I found on the CDC web site... 

Repellent Efficacy
Published data indicate that repellent efficacy and duration of protection vary considerably among products and among mosquito and tick species. Product efficacy and duration of protection are also markedly affected by ambient temperature, level of activity, amount of perspiration, exposure to water, abrasive removal, and other factors. In general, higher concentrations of active ingredient provide longer duration of protection, regardless of the active ingredient. Products with <10% active ingredient may offer only limited protection, often 1–2 hours. Products that offer sustained-release or controlled-release (microencapsulated) formulations, even with lower active ingredient concentrations, may provide longer protection times. Studies suggest that concentrations of DEET above approximately 50% do not offer a marked increase in protection time against mosquitoes; DEET efficacy tends to plateau at a concentration of approximately 50%. CDC recommends using products with ≥20% DEET on exposed skin to reduce biting by ticks that may spread disease.

Yes, heat will be a serious medical risk during our trip. Numerous MEET volunteers have had heat cramps and heat exhaustion. One volunteer had heat stroke (fortunately the volunteer survived).  

Vietnam can be very hot and humid. For example, during our April 2023 trip the temperature almost reached 100F and the humidity almost reached 90% Looking at the heat index chart below (darker yellow areas are more likely to cause heat exhaustion or stroke)-the apparent temperature was almost 170F and several of us volunteers had heat exhaustion. View current weather conditions.

Heat and humidity are especially dangerous for people who are not acclimatized to these conditions (which probably includes all of us coming from the UK and US) and especially those who are older, sicker or using numerous types of medications.

This risk is not just theoretical, numerous MEET volunteers have had "near-misses" with heat exhaustion and there has been at least one "near disaster" with heat stroke. 

Heat cramps may be the first sign of heat-related illness, and may lead to heat exhaustion or stroke.

• Symptoms: Painful muscle cramps and spasms usually in legs and abdomen and heavy sweating.
• First Aid: Apply firm pressure on cramping muscles or gently massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water unless the person complains of nausea, then stop giving water.
• Seek immediate medical attention if cramps last longer than 1 hour.

Heat Syncope - fainting resulting from a combination of dehydration and vasodilation. 

• Symptoms: Fainting, dizziness, restlessness, headache, increased pulse rate, nausea, vomiting. 
• First Aid: Lie or sit down in the shade, elevate feet, drink salt-containing fluids. 

Heat Exhaustion

• Symptoms: Heavy sweating, Weakness or tiredness, cool, pale, clammy skin; fast, weak pulse, muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, headache, fainting, Temperature stay
• First Aid: Move person to a cooler environment, preferably a well air conditioned room. Loosen clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths or have person sit in a cool bath. Offer sips of water.
• Seek immediate medical attention if the person vomits, symptoms worsen or last longer than 1 hour

Heat Stroke is often fatal

• Symptoms: Throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, body temperature above 103°F, hot, red, dry or damp skin, rapid and strong pulse, fainting, loss of consciousness.
• Take the victim to a hospital immediately. Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency. Delay can be fatal. Move the victim to a cooler, preferably air-conditioned, environment. Reduce body temperature with cool cloths or bath. Use fan if heat index temperatures are below the high 90s. A fan can make you hotter at higher temperatures. Do not give fluids.

Some important considerations:

• Dehydration and salt loss in sweat are involved in heat-related illnesses. 
• We can become dehydrated before becoming thirsty, so start drinking water before you feel thirsty; it is better to use frequency and color of urine to decide when to drink more water.
• Salt loss in sweat resulting in dehydration is worse before we become acclimatized. 
• Vietnamese cuisine is salty and an effective way to replace salt lost by sweating.  Having pho or other salty fluids for breakfast is a good strategy to maintaining hydration and salt. Alternatively, eat salty foods and drink until you are not thirsty. Salt tablets are not recommended by the CDC for most people. 
• The danger of hyperhydration resulting in hyponatremia is real for anyone who limits salt and drinks a lot of water. This condition is equally as dangerous as dehydration. Do not try to maintain a low sodium diet unless you have strict medical limitations.

 Susan Kleiner, who leads all MEET Nutrition Project Leader and nutrition consultant to Olympic athletes recommends:

• Vietnamese cuisine is salty, which is good while in the heat and humidity of South Vietnam. Most of us are not heat acclimated, so our perspiration will have high concentrations of sodium. Do not try to maintain a low sodium diet unless you have strict medical limitations. Consuming soup in the morning at breakfast is a very good strategy to maintaining hydration and electrolyte balance all day.
• You may find that you have swollen feet and ankles, and even fingers, the first few days in Vietnam. You are working on thermoregulation, and your body will adjust to the heat and humidity and the swelling usually dissipates if you limit sitting time and get out and walk. 
• The danger of hyperhydration or hyponatremia is real for anyone who limits sodium and drinks a lot of water. This condition is equally as dangerous as dehydration. That is why it is helpful to consume soups on a daily basis. Then always have water with you and drink according to thirst. Anyone who knows that they are a salty sweater may want to consider bringing electrolyte tables or salt tablets, but in general we can consume plenty of sodium from the food as long as you don’t restrict sodium. 

MEET teams usually stay in 3- or 4- star hotels. These are very nice, clean and include great breakfasts in the room rate.  Less expensive hotels in Vietnam are pretty good too. Even 1-star hotels are usually OK (equivalent to a Motel 6 in the US), but can get weird (for example some rooms have no windows).  By the way, hotel mattresses in Vietnam are consistently excellent (on the firm to very firm side)- I have never run into a "deep valley" bed in Vietnam. Almost all 3-star hotels have WiFi, I'm not so sure about 2 and 1 star hotels. One thing that is pretty predictable with 3-star hotels is having a safe in your room, 2- and 1- star hotels often do not have safes.  Having a safe to put your computer, camera stuff and cash is very nice (it is a real nuisance to drag all of this stuff everywhere). All 3- and 4- star hotels have western toilets, in addition to air conditioning [which may be a luxury, but it is a really nice luxury on some of the really hot nights in Vietnam. 

• You will not need any fancy clothes for working. Vietnamese women and men usually wear knit or button shirts and slacks.
• Coats and ties are not necessary or recommended for men. 
• Jeans are OK.  
• Shorts are not OK. 
• Skirts and dresses are OK as long as they go below the knee.  
• Shirts, blouses and dresses need to cover the shoulder and upper arm and entire torso for both women and men. 
• Loose collars are OK, but low neck-lines are not. 
• You might want to bring a nice shirt, blouse, dress or skirt for a few of the dinners.
• Shorts, tank tops, etc. are fine when not in professional settings.
• The hospitals provide scrub clothes for work in operating room and maternity units. But these will be smaller sizes, so bring your own if you need larger sizes.
• It will be hot- you will not need a jacket or sweater for warmth in Can Tho, but you will need one for the plane flights and perhaps if you are traveling to cooler locations.
• Consider bringing a swimsuit.
• It may rain- consider bringing a waterproof and breathable rain jacket. Cheap plastic panchos and umbrellas are available everywhere.
• Bring a hat to protect yourself from the sun. Sunglasses too.
• Closed tip shoes and are best to protect your feet from injury from irregularities on sidewalks and roads. Permethrin- treated socks (and all other clothes) help prevent mosquito bites. 
• Bring minimal or no jewelry.  Vietnamese people do not wear a lot of jewelry. Most, but not all, hotels provide safes in rooms. 
• All of our hotels provide good laundry service, but many volunteers find it more convenient to bring quick-drying clothes and wash their clothes in their rooms. 

Non-medical volunteers, 18yrs and older, are welcome to join MEET's conversational English team. Younger volunteers can participate with a parent present. For more info, please contact the MEET English Project Leader-  Hannah Smith

Travelers' Diarrhea (TD) is very common (revised Oct. 2024 using (Sept. 2024) Up-To-Date and CDC recommendations https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/preparing/travelers-diarrhea).

• TD is very common- 40-60% of travelers to developing countries will get it.
• TD is nearly always self-limited and benign without antibiotic treatment.
• The usual symptoms include diarrhea, defined as loose or runny bowel movements, as well as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, bloating, fever, and malaise.
• Differential diagnosis includes:
  • Systemic infections- malaria, dengue and covid.
  • Food poisoning.
  • New medications.
• 60-90% of cases of TD are caused by bacterial infections. 
• Onset is typically within 3-14 days of arrival; can be as late ad 10 days after returning home
• Onset after eating infective foods:
  • <6 hrs after “food poisoning”- eating of heat stable toxins.
  • 6-48 hrs with bacterial or viral infection.
  • 1-2 wks with protozoan infection.
• Severity:
  • Mild- tolerable diarrhea that does not interfere with activities.
  • Moderate- diarrhea interferes with activities.
  • Severe- diarrhea is incapacitating and prevents activities; or diarrhea is bloody.
• TD duration depends on cause and treatment: untreated bacterial TD usually lasts 1-5 d, TD treated with antibiotics lasts one day less.  viral- 2-3 d, protozoan- weeks to months. Overall, 90% of cases resolve in 1 wk and 98% in 1 month. This means that TD probably will not kill us, but it can ruin a trip.
• Risk is increased with: younger age, diabetes, irritable bowel disease, immunosuppression, use of meds that reduce stomach acidity, honeymooners, increased alcohol use, and those who solicited travel advice regarding TD before their trip.
• Prevention:
  • Here are some of the high-risk foods to consider avoiding:
    • Street foods, especially those that are not thoroughly cooked before serving
    • Salads 
    • Other raw foods, rare meats, hamburgers, sushi, raw oysters, lobster, shrimp
    • Buffets (especially at the end of the serving period)
    • Creamy salad dressings
    • Tap water
    • Ice
    • Dairy products and ice cream
  • Here is a list of low-risk foods:
    • Bottled water (if it has not been refilled or tampered with)
    • Boiled foods
    • Dry foods
    • Packaged foods
    • Carbonated foods- pop, beer
    • Peeled fruits
  • However, avoiding high-risk foods is not very effective in prevention of TD, and since TD is almost always self-limited and benign, each person needs to balance pros and cons avoiding high risk foods vs. not being able to enjoy those foods. 
  • Since avoidance of high-risk foods might not help, what about other ways to avoid TD?
    • Hand washing and skin disinfectants (eg Purell) can reduce TD 30%.
    • Probiotics- data is inconclusive.
    • Prophylactic antibiotics- not recommended- could result in infection caused by resistant bacteria.
    • Pepto Bismol- large doses required, results in black tongue and stools, and has a salicylate in it, which can cause salicylate toxicity- can’t be used by people with aspirin allergy or GI bleeding conditions.
• Treatment of TD:
  • Fluid replacement- is recommended for all cases of TD.
    • When to use oral rehydration solution (ORS)- 
• Mild dehydration (urinating every 4-6 hrs.) – alternate sipping salty and sugary fluids; ORS not necessary.
• Severe dehydration (urinating less than 2 cups per day or extremes of age)- use oral rehydration solution made with commercially available packets; or use home-made ORS - 0.5 teaspoons salt = 0.5 teaspoons baking soda+ 4 tablespoons sugar in 1 liter bottled water (may add ½ cup orange juice or ½ banana to replace potassium and improve taste). Continue until urinating usual frequency.
  • Diet- not necessary to eat special diet- eat what and how much you want. 
  • Treatment is determined by severity:
    • Mild diarrhea
      • Fluid replacement
      • Consider treatment with loperamide- Start with 4mg oral, then 2mg oral after each loose stool, max dose 16mg total per day for adults.
      • Bismuth subsalicylate (eg- Pepto Bismol) - not generally recommended for treatment, see precautions above. 
      • Antibiotics not recommended.
    • Moderate diarrhea
      • Fluid replacement
      • Consider loperamide
      • Antibiotics can be used- See CDC recommendations- https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/preparing/travelers-diarrh 
    • Severe diarrhea
      • Use oral rehydration solution (ORS)- see details above.
      • Antibiotic treatment is advised (single-dose regimens may be used); Azithromycin is preferred.  See CDC recommendations- https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/preparing/travelers-diarrhea .
      • Loperamide can be used, but only if also using antibiotic. 
• How our Vietnamese partners deal with TD- I recently asked a group of Vietnamese friends how they deal with TD. Here’s what they said-
  • They get TD fairly regularly – mild (once a month) and severe (once or twice a year)
  • They recommended avoiding high-risk foods- tap water, ice, seafood, raw vegetable (especially mushroom, bean sprouts and pickles).
  • They replace fluids (bottled water, ginger tea, and ORS (they recommended Oresol brand. RX- drink H2o, ginger tea; ORS (Oresol)
  • They regularly use diosmectite clay for treatment (they recommended Smecta brand).
  • They do not use antibiotics for prophylaxis or treatment. 
• Some other bathroom issues:
  • Travelers’ Constipation- Past MEET volunteers  have said that constipation is much more common than TD.  Here’s info about it- https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/21/travel/travel-constipation-causes-treatments-wellness
  • Toilet paper- All of our hotels will have plenty of toilet paper. But other places probably will not. Consider bringing a small stash with you on outings. 

Avoid mosquito bites during the daytime, which is when the mosquitoes that transmit it are active. The best way to avoid all mosquito bites is DEET on skin and permethrin on clothes. The US Army studied various bug repellants, and found that the combination of DEET on skin and permethrin on clothes was, by far, superior to either alone. Treating clothes with permethrin is easy (just spray  it on outdoors [I use a respirator because breathing that stuff couldn't be good]. There is also permethrin in liquid solution for soaking clothes, but I have not seen that for sale for a couple of years.  REI has permethrin kits (enough for 4 sets of clothes).

I usually buy permethrin at REI. Cabella's also carries it. And you can order it from Amazon and other online places. They sell a big spray bottle with enough to treat four sets of clothing (one set = pants, shirt, socks). It costs about $18. One treatment lasts for 6 weeks and is good for 6 washings of each set, so this is enough for 3 weeks of traveling if you change your clothes daily.  

The spraying should be done before you go to Vietnam- I has to be done outside on a dry day with little wind. Here's what I do- I stretch a rope between two trees in my backyard, I put the clothes on plastic hangers (which I wash thoroughly afterwards). Then I apply the permethrin spray as instructed on the box. I wear rubber gloves while doing this and I wash my hands when done. Although the box does not say this, I use a face mask respirator (the type intended for use with toxic solvents) while applying it

I don't know if there is any objective evidence that this helps, but permethrin spray is really toxic, breathing it during application is probably the time when we could get the greatest exposure, and that using a respirator couldn't hurt. Let me know if you know more objective evidence about doing this. It takes about 2-4 hrs to dry. After drying, I give the clothes a short rinse in the washing machine to remove any non-adsorbed permethrin from the cloth- doing this in not on the box, but it makes sense and, at the worse, it would count as one of the 6 allowable washings.

An alternative to treating your clothes with permethrin is to buy clothing that has been given a special long-lasting permethrin treatment. These clothes last for something like 70-80 washings, which is roughly the life of the clothing. Unfortunately, they are expensive- eg- about $70/shirt.  I don't know if they make socks that are pre-treated, so you might have to treat your socks separately. BTW- ankles and feet need special attention- wearing socks with permethrin is the easiest way to go. Alternatively, (eg- if you wear sandals) you'd need to put DEET on your feet. 

Soffell popular brand-name of insect repellent 12% DEET

• kem chống muỗi
• kem = cream
• chống = prevent
• muỗi = mosquito

1. All MEET volunteers will follow Vietnam government covid-19 policies- Vietnam currently does not require covid-19 testing entering the country. Mask use is optional. Self-quarantining is required if covid-19 test is positive. Rules could change at any time. Click here for current VN govt rules.
2. All volunteers will follow hosts institutions’ covid-19 policies- CTUMP currently does not require covid-19 testing or mask use. Rules could change at any time. 
3. Vaccination and booster requirement for volunteers- MEET requires that all volunteers are vaccinated and have at least one booster.  
4. MEET and MEET-UK Boards, and MEET Project Leaders may require greater covid-19 precautions (mask use, testing, etc.) than those required by the Vietnam government or host institutions. 
5. Covid-19 testing- MEET requires covid-19 testing if symptomatic. Rapid and PCR covid-19 testing are available in Vietnam.
6. Mask use- Is not currently required, but is recommended in crowded settings, air travel, etc. Please bring masks with you as this rule may change at any time. 
7. Volunteer selection- MEET cannot make the assessment of which volunteers should not travel to Vietnam because of covid-19 risks.
8. MEET recommends that all volunteers, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions, talk with their doctors about the risks of getting covid-19 while volunteering with MEET. 
9. Paxlovid is not available in Vietnam. Accordingly, MEET recommends that all volunteers from countries recommending paxlovid or other antiviral medications to treat covid-19 discuss and get a supply from their doctor. 
10. Medical care of volunteers who get covid-19- All MEET volunteers are required to have medical and evacuation insurance. To the best of our ability MEET will help volunteers access care in Vietnam and inform family friends. Medical and evacuation companies will be responsible for delivery and payment for care. 

For US Citizens, remember to submit notification to the US Embassy in Vietnam STEP Program. The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. 

• Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.
• Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.
• Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.

For UK Citizens, please view the latest information online for travel to Vietnam. 

• If you’re abroad and you need emergency help from the UK government, contact the nearest British embassy, consulate or high commission.
• The Overseas Business Risk service offers information and advice for British companies operating overseas on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.
• Take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before you travel.

British Embassy Hanoi

Central Building, 4th floor
31 Hai Ba Trung
Hanoi, Vietnam

Telephone+84 (0)4 3936 0500

Fax+84 (0)4 3936 0561

US Embassy Hanoi

7 Lang Ha Street
Hanoi
Telephone: +84 (0)4 3850 5000

British Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City

25 Le Duan Boulevard
District 1
Ho Chi Minh City
Telephone: (+84) (8) 3825 1380

Concerning to airport bribery, many of us are tired after a long flight home and custom inspectors know that. They want us to bribe them so we can get through and be with the family quickly. Especially when they see we bring things of values home, such as iPhone, digital cameras, or even bulky boxes. Many of us hated their guts and argued loudly with the intention to make others aware that we were being asked to bribe . We hope foreign tourists, such as you, will pay attention and look their way so they feel their foil being broken. I have not paid bribes at the airport for a while as I had nothing expensive to take home.

Recently, my brother and a friend were being asked to pay bribes just because they had their luggage in cartons. Inspectors said without paying bribes, they would have to open the boxes and inspect the content, one by one, and it's up to the passenger to put them back together. Concerning that they would not be able to pack everything back together, as before the boxes were open, they gave in and paid bribes - 10 to 20USD.  It's small amount but we felt harassed and would not want it become a patterns for all.

In your case, I suggest you would stand up to them. Asking them if that is the price for coming to help the poor of Vietnam? Speak and yell loudly so others can hear. They cannot jail you as you break no law. Someone wil pay attention and write a blog on the web so others can read about it. We want this bribery business to stop. I hope it does not come to that for you. My brother-in-law did that and got away with not paying anything. They know that what they are doing is illegal, and could be fired on a job that they had to pay dearly to get. It costs from 10-20 ounces of gold to get a job as a custom inspector at the airport - many years worth of their annual salaries. If they could make people to pay bribes quietly to them, they will get their money back sooner.  

Weather in Can Tho varies between hot and very hot. Very pleasant in evenings and early mornings. Very sunny most of the time. Rain is possible. Rain in Vietnam tends to be very heavy (soaking us completely in the time it takes to cross the street), lasting relatively short times and is as warm as a shower.

This link will give you an idea of the weather in Can Tho in November

You might find it helpful to bring a light breathable rain jacket and shoes that dry quickly. Bringing a compact umbrella is also a good idea, but you can buy these inexpensively in Vietnam. Cheap plastic panchos are also available in Vietnam.

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