Knowing These Six Secrets Will Make Your Hanoi Tourist Look Amazing

The most common way to extend your visa is to have an intermediary broker the transaction rather than going directly to the Immigration office to do the paperwork yourself. The cost will vary depending on your country of origin as well as your visa type (1 month single entry vs multiple entry vs 3 month entry etc). Extending your stay in Vietnam can be done with relative ease in Hanoi.

Hotel staff members may try to pick padlocks on travelers bags, fake mechanics throw nails at tourists on motorbikes to cause flat tires and the police, probably the worst crooks of them all, are known to steal from people (both locals and tourists) and ask for a bribe to get the items back. Either learn to speak Vietnamese or prepare to pay up to 70,000 dong for that bowl of pho which locals next to you are paying 35,000 dong (as of June 2016). Another rule of thumb is that Vietnamese have no qualms charging double or more Attraction for tourist in Hanoi tourists, as prices are seldom listed on stalls or within shops.

The front of the gym is full of scooters and the rear wall has pictures of Uncle Ho exercising back in the day! The floor is hazardous and no one will spot you whilst benching so ensure you are able to place the bar back on the stand with your last repetition or go with a friend. Equipment is archaic and crowded together; some is home-made.

Be aware, however, that the gym is in very poor condition. The cost is 20,000 dong per session as of February 2014. If you want to do some mild weight training on a budget, head to 88 Hang Buom St, a short walk from Hoan Kiem Lake.

If you chose to travel by cyclo, be clear on your destination, negotiate your fee first (100,000 dong is more than fair for a 30-34 minute ride in any direction), be willing to get out and walk away (if your driver tries any monkey business), also be willing to walk away at the end of the journey if the driver won't stand by your original agreed price. Otherwise, you might be surprised when the driver tacks on several million dong for having waited. At the end of a ride, some will offer to hang around to drive you to your next destination - either be clear that you don't want a return ride (and don't go near him when you leave), or get a price in advance.

Many drivers will accept US dollars as well. Even if you do speak Vietnamese, a driver might mis-hear (accidentally or intentionally) that you said 50,000 dong instead of 15,000, In case of argument over fares after the ride, keep calm and repeat the original agreement (remember, you have the leverage). You should also write down the negotiated fare (with all zeros) to avoid confusion.

Most taxi drivers speak limited English, so it's a good practice to get your hotel to write the name and address of you destination in Vietnamese to show the taxi driver, and get your hotel's business card in case you get lost.