Vietnam
VietnamEveryday basics
The numbers and habits that only matter when you need them.
Can you drink the tap water?
No — the instruction from the tourism board is to stick to bottled water. Read the rest of that sentence carefully though: the caution about ice is written for rural areas, not for the whole country.
What number do I call in an emergency?
Three numbers, split by service: 113 police, 114 fire, 115 ambulance.
Do I need a plug adapter here?
220 volts, and most sockets take two round pins. European plugs go in as they are; American and Japanese ones need an adapter — which the tourism board says any electrical shop will sell you.
What do I need to know about temples — and those altars in shops?
Cover legs and shoulders, take off shoes and hat. And watch the floor: shops and homes keep ancestor altars at ground level, and stepping over one is the mistake nobody warns you about.