Vietnam is a stunningly beautiful and diverse country which provides value for money. Here are our Top 10 tips for an enjoyable trip to Vietnam. 1. SIM cards with internet access are cheap. Do yourself a favor and buy a SIM card as soon as you arrive. Ask the shop owner to help sign you up for internet access. It’s not difficult, but the process is in Vietnamese which can be tricky. Unlimited internet access can be had for as little as VND 50-70,000 per month. 2. Bottled water is cheap, so avoid tap water if possible. Most ice is made from clean water – look for ice with a hole in the middle which shows that it was made in a proper factory. Ragged chunks of ice mean it was cut from a large block which may not be as sanitary. 3. Until your stomach is used to traveling, stay away from raw herbs, greens and pre-cut fruit. The water used to wash these items may not be clean. 4. Vietnam is a relatively safe country with few guns. However, pickpocketing and crimes of opportunity (eg. purse snatching) do occur. Leave your valuables locked up at your hotel and be careful when using your phone or expensive camera in public. 5. If you do stay out late and have had something to drink, ask a sober friend to help you make it back to your hotel safely. Drunk tourists late at night make for a tempting target. 6. When crossing the street, walk slowly so drivers can avoid you. Some locals raise one hand up high so as to be more visible in heavy traffic. 7. Always ask the price beforehand. This goes for taxis, xe om, and even street food. 8. When eating street food, look for stalls with high turnover, meaning the food is fresh. Check that the vendor wears gloves when handling food. 9. Limes are often on the table as a condiment. Squeeze a bit of lime juice over your utensils and wipe dry if you feel the utensils may not be clean. 10. When shopping, don’t touch anything or ask about prices if you do not intend to buy. This may anger the sellers, especially if it’s early in the morning. Expect to bargain on souvenirs and clothing, but do so with a smile.

Cuisine is what makes a place much more appealing to visitors. You should not leave the  beautiful island of Phu Quoc without trying Phu Quoc Cuisine once. Goi Ca Trich (Raw Herring Salad) Herring Salad is one of the must-tries in Phu Quoc Island. The unique flavour of the dish is from white meaty herring fish meticulously prepared and marinated to its perfection. “Goi Ca Trich” is made by mixing chopped filet herrings with onion, lime juice, chilies, and pepper. The dish is served with rolled rice paper, fresh lettuce and herbs, and dipping sauce. A herring salad roll which is dip into Phu Quoc special fish sauce is heavenly tasty. Local people in Phu Quoc often drink “Sim” wine (Rose myrtle wine) when eating herring salad to accelerate mouthful flavour of the salad and help better digestion. Ghe Ham Ninh (Ham Ninh Sea Crab) No one should leave out this delicacy when paying a visit to Ham Ninh Fishing Village. “Ghe” is a Vietnamese word for sea crab. Ham Ninh crabs are quite small, but firmer and tastier than other kinds of sea crabs. The price for 1 kilogram ranges from 200,000VND ($9) to 500,000VND ($25) depending on the size of crabs. You should choose the medium size (6-7 crabs/kg) as crabs in this size offer best tastes. Ask the fishermen to cook the crabs for you in their traditional way and savour the taste from the sea while sipping “Sim” wine to the best. Grilled “Coi Bien Mai” (Grilled Scallops) The dish is made from a kind of sea scallop that has a triangle-shaped shell and hides deeply under the ocean floor. Travelers can experience collecting scallops on their own after watching how fishermen do the job. “Coi bien mai” can be cooked into different delicious dishes, but the most recommended dish is the crunchy and chewy grilled one to sample. Tourist can try this specialty at any seafood shacks along the beaches in Phu Quoc. Fish Sauce Like champagne in France and olive oil in Greece, fish sauce is the prized staple of Vietnam, as it is a must-have ingredient that finds its way into almost every Vietnamese dish from spring rolls to noodles. The island of Phu Quoc has been famous for producing some of Vietnam’s finest fish sauce, a pungent liquid extracted from fermented and salted fish of the island. Phu Quoc fish sauce is world-renowned for its premium quality, thanks to the abundant seaweed and plankton around the island that feeds the anchovies needed for the dark golden colored sauce. In fact, fish sauce made elsewhere often falsely uses the Phu Quoc brand! That’s the reason why local producers have been working with the WTO to protect its appellation of origin. Phu Quoc attractions include visiting a fish sauce factory where you’ll find larger-than- life wooden vats up to 4 meters high containing up to 13 tons of deliciously pungent fish sauce. Tourists can visit the distillery but should not buy any bottles as carrying fish sauce on the airplane is not allowed. Some of famous fish sauce distilleries that allow visitors (with no fees) are Hung Thanh (Road 30/4, Duong Dong Town), Red Boat (11 Cau hung Vuong, Duong Dong Town), Thinh Phat (Road 30, Duong Dong Town) and Nam Huong (near Sao Beach, An Thoi Town). However, it is recommended for foreigners to hire a tour guide for better understanding of the product. Tours to fish sauce factories are available on any apps for travelers such as Tripadvisor and Airbnb with the price of about $50 for a half-day trip to 3 places including a fish sauce distillery. Sim Wine Also known as “Ruou Sim” in Vietnamese, Sim Wine is made from the Rose Myrtle, a local fruit. Fishermen often drink Sim Wine when eating seafood to get the best taste of the dishes. Vietnamese also believe that Sim Wine can help with fatigue, aide digestion and ease pain. Its taste is like a fermented blackcurrant alcoholic beverage mixed with a uniquely flowery scent that you can never find in any Western wine. Sim Wine can be the best alternative to French wine for parties on the beach so people cannot be hammered but a little bit tipsy to feel good.

With miles and miles of pristine beach, a laid-back fishing village vibe and easy accessibility to the mainland via ferry or a short one-hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc makes for the ideal destination wedding. For the boutique wedding of your dreams, look no further than the intimate La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc. Named ‘Asia’s Best’ Luxury Romantic Beach Resort by The World Luxury Hotel Awards, La Veranda’s perfect mix of warm Asian hospitality, international-standard 5-star service and spectacular backdrops makes it the ultimate destination wedding venue. From barefoot beach ceremonies to classic cocktail receptions to inspired theme weddings, romance rules at La Veranda. Our crack staff of wedding planners, designers, chefs and servers are ready to turn your special day into a truly unforgettable one, hosting up to 60 of your closest friends and family. Barefoot Chic The resort’s private stretch of wide, sandy beach can be transformed into the perfect backdrop for a barefoot ceremony. Imagine reciting your vows under a gorgeous canopy with the sun, sand and sea as witnesses to your most special of days. Classic Cocktails Our Indochine-chic lounge with its vintage-inspired tiles and plantation-style doors opens out onto the beautifully manicured lawn to create an intimate indoor / outdoor space for your guests to mingle before and after the ceremony. Whether it’s cocktails under the star accompanied by soft ocean breezes rustling through the palm trees, or a full sit-down meal served on the beach, the lawn, or at The Peppertree, La Veranda’s own fine dining restaurant, your reception will be as memorable to your guests as it is to you. Sumptuous Theme Weddings Choose from an Exotic Vietnamese Wedding, complete with dancing dragons, blessings by a monk, and flowing silk tunics or a Tropical White Wedding theme where our gardens burst with sprays of all-white blooms, soft lanterns sway overhead and two become one under a bamboo arch draped in dreamy white linen. Imagine your wedding ceremony in a romantic paradise of Phu Quoc with a stunning sunset as the backdrop and gorgeous land-and-sea natural settings. All can be realized in La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc. There are two common themes on offer for boutique weddings: Chinese theme and beach theme. Chinese theme With splendid, boasting, delicious food and vibrant colors, Chinese weddings hold a special cultural status. Originated from millennial traditions, Chinese weddings carry a strong emotional connection to a myriad of brides and grooms who have come before, which is the reason why a Chinese traditionally-styled wedding is so special. In true Asian fashion, Chinese weddings feature meticulous customs and involve an array of deeply meaningful wedding rituals including the traditional Tea Ceremony, in which newlyweds serve tea to the groom’s family before receiving wedding presents. The centerpiece has an important meaning in any Chinese weddings as it signifies happiness and fertility. Traditionally, Chinese wedding receptions are splendid and vibrant events owing much to their most fundamental feature: the red color, a symbol of luck, happiness and prosperity. This is also the reason why the Chinese wedding dress is particularly styled in this color. Likewise, common Chinese decorative items namely lanterns, fans, or umbrellas often combine red with shades of gold as a wish for wealth and prosperity. These typical design elements can easily be incorporated into the decor, along with happily meaningful flowers such as red roses, orchids, peonies, narcissus, daffodils or other kinds of flowers that match your preferences. Another essential aspect of Chinese-themed weddings is authentic local cuisine, meticulously prepared for this special occasion, featuring a selection of delicious specialties, sizzling with flavor and style. To make your big day unique and unforgettable, La Veranda’s meticulous wedding planners will plan and tailor the marriage festivities according to your specific requests, making sure the design proposals meet your requirements. Beach theme Beach weddings always epitomize blissful romance. They are the sort of once-in-a-lifetime event that any women would dream of. This kind of weddings usually brings together small groups of about 50 people for an intimate affair with kins and friends. The idea of a beach wedding is appealing to many soon-to-be-wed couples, especially to those who are ocean lovers. It is the sea’s vibrant hues, from turquoise to brilliant deep blue pigment, blended with white fine sand that create a breath-taking wedding backdrop. La Veranda oceanfront destinations offer ideal venues for couples choosing to exchange their vows with the witness of everyone. Meticulous wedding planners at La Veranda will propose you many creative ideas, for instance by creating a fresh seafood-inspired menu, or simply by matching the color theme of your centerpieces with the surrounding coastal palette. Beach wedding packages are also designed to help you realize your dream of a beachfront wedding in style, associating the timeless elegance of chic contemporary accommodation and the naturally beautiful surroundings of the luxurious seaside locations across the globe. Documentation for a marriage has to be consulted with your national embassy and cannot be done in Phu Quoc but a nice and romantic ceremony can be arranged to make the dream come true.