1. Avoid wearing underclothed swimsuits in public
Wearing swimwear that is too revealing when visiting beaches, rivers and streams is not a common thing in this country. Vietnam has a classy and luxurious beauty, not suitable for wearing clothes that lack fabric.
This is especially inappropriate when visiting temples and religious buildings. In 2016, a foreigner was asked to leave the sacred space for wearing a bra and shorts. Locals won't criticize Westerners directly when Westerners dress inappropriately but that's definitely not acceptable here. You may receive unsympathetic looks from passersby.
2. Don't bother with queues or chaotic traffic
Coming to Vietnam, foreign visitors may encounter interruptions when queuing or road users encroaching on lanes. This seems to be changing but in general, queuing in Vietnam is not common, except at banks or airports. Tourists may feel frustrated or unfamiliar but in these cases, locals don't perceive it as rude but simply see others benefiting from not queuing so they follow suit.
The same thing happens with traffic jams. Traffic in Vietnam is quite crowded with 65 million motorbikes circulating, according to 2020 statistics of Statista. If there is an opportunity to get ahead, someone will "take this opportunity" and gradually create a traffic jam. Tourists should not feel uncomfortable or too bothered about this.
3. It is necessary to respect temples and places of worship
Like in other countries in Southeast Asia, private homes, restaurants and workplaces all have small altars. Locals often offer food and drinks to pay homage to their ancestors and consider this a sacred place.
Tourists visiting homes or inns, especially in the countryside, should be careful what they say when around these temples. Before entering these spaces, you should take off your shoes. In addition, although this may be a private space, foreign guests still need to avoid intimate behavior, such as hugging and kissing, if there is an altar in the room. Locals will feel disrespected.
4. Beware of dating app or bar scams
Tourists should be careful if asked to meet at a nightclub on a first date. Recently, some warnings have been issued about tour guides and bar managers using dating apps like Tinder to find customers. Even a thread on the Reddit forum was discussed in November 2022, showing how this scam is growing in popularity. Once paired on the app, these people will invite you to the bar where they work. This is a trick to attract customers and make them pay "exorbitant" bills with alcoholic beverages.
5. Don't be afraid to bargain with street vendors
Street vendors are popular in Vietnam, with more than 430,000 street food vendors across the country in 2018, according to statistics by Statista. Street vendors often have signs with the name of the dish and the price. In this case, you should not bargain. But some people, especially selling clothes and jewelry in popular tourist destinations, often charge very high prices to foreigners. When buying from these people, boldly pay half the price.
Also, some vendors charge tourists for taking their photos. In Hanoi, for example, fruit vendors will invite tourists to take photos with their cones and carry their goods but will be asked to pay about a dollar or more.
6. Get out of the 'safe zone' of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang
When visiting Vietnam, you should research destinations between these big cities. Vietnam has an area equivalent to the state of New Mexico, not only Hanoi, Saigon or Da Nang but also many natural landscapes stretching from North to South. Some places not to be missed include the rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai, the majestic mountain in Ha Giang, jungles and caves in Phong Nha and the ancient capital of Hue in Central Vietnam.
7. Don't get upset if locals don't go according to plan
Arriving late or changing plans at the last minute isn't a big deal, so don't feel frustrated or angry. In Vietnam, flexibility is highly valued, so locals believe that eventually everything will be sorted out in one way or another.
According to Inside