Vietnam Personal Safety

To avoid unwanted attention, try to be as inconspicuous as possible. Respecting local customs (in many cases, dressing more conservatively than you would at home) may placate would-be hecklers. Never wear shorts, short skirts, or clothing with large, recognizable labels on them. Familiarize yourself with your surroundings before setting out, and carry yourself with confidence. Check maps in shops and restaurants, not on the street. If you are traveling alone, be sure someone at home knows your itinerary, and never tell anyone you meet that you’re by yourself. When walking at night, stick to busy, well-lit streets and avoid dark alleyways. If you ever feel uncomfortable, leave the area as quickly and directly as you can.

There is no sure-fire way to avoid all the threatening situations you might encounter while traveling, but a good self-defense course will give you concrete ways to react to unwanted advances. Impact, Prepare, and Model Mugging can refer you to local self-defense courses in Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and the US. Visit the website at www.modelmugging.org for a list of nearby chapters. Workshops (2-4hr.) start at US$50; full courses (20hr.) run US$350-500.

Crime

Violent crime is extremely rare in Vietnam, but it’s been on the rise for the past few years. There have been reports of armed robberies in H· Chí Minh City and even a few attacks on tourists on Cát Bà Island in recent years. The vast majority of tourist-related crime is limited to petty theft and pickpocketing, but tourists should be especially vigilant in urban areas. Travelers are advised not to resist theft attempts and to report all incidents to their home country’s embassy.

Possessions And Valuables

Never leave your belongings unattended; crime occurs in even the most demure-looking guesthouses and hotels. Don’t ever store highly valuable items in a locker, and bring a padlock for storing other items in one. Vietnamese guesthouse and hotel owners take pride in the trustworthiness of their establishments, and are acutely aware of the impact an incidence of theft might have on their business. However, that does not protect you from other travelers and employees. Be particularly careful on buses and trains; horror stories abound about determined thieves who wait for travelers to fall asleep. Carry your bag or purse in front of you where you can see it. When traveling with others, sleep in shifts. When alone, use good judgment in selecting a train compartment: never stay in an empty one, and use a lock to secure your pack to the luggage rack. Use extra caution if traveling at night or on overnight trains. Try to sleep on top bunks with your luggage stored above you (if not in bed with you), and keep important documents and other valuables on you at all times.

There are a few steps you can take to minimize the financial risk associated with traveling. First, bring as little with you as possible. Second, buy a few combination padlocks to secure your belongings either in your pack or in a hostel or train station locker. Third, carry as little cash as possible. Keep your traveler’s checks and ATM/credit cards in a money belt—not a “fanny pack”—along with your passport and ID cards. Fourth, keep a small cash reserve separate from your primary stash. This should be about US$50 sewn into or stored in the depths of your pack, along with your traveler’s check numbers and photocopies of your passport, your birth certificate, and other important documents. But also check ahead as to the availability of banks and ATMs where you will be traveling to ensure you do not run out of cash.

Theft

Pickpockets, petty crime, and con artistry top the list of crimes against travelers in urban Vietnam. Maintain a heightened sense of awareness, but don’t be paralyzed by fear of criminal activity; most problems can be almost completely avoided with a few precautions and would cause only temporary setbacks. Use common sense and don’t let culture shock and hassling throw you off guard.

Street crime is a big problem in Vietnam’s increasingly crowded cities. Beware of pickpockets in city crowds. Women and children will often distract you with innocent appeals while someone else steals your wallet. Beware of certain classics: sob stories that require money, rolls of bills “found” on the street, spitting on or distracting you while they snatch your bag. Watch out for drive-by motorcycle theft—riders speeding by and grabbing loosely guarded bags and valuables out of your grasp. Never let your passport and your bags out of your sight. The best way to avoid misplaced documents is to keep your valuables in your money pouch or other hidden pockets. Most tourists will look inevitably out-of-place in Vietnam, but anyone who looks especially lost, confused, or helpless is a prime target for thievery.

More well-organized scams are ubiquitous and inventive, and frequently take the form of “hidden costs” that are difficult to prove or disprove. Tales of woe include locks sold by motorcycle rental owners whose friends have keys to them, forcing the renter to pay vast sums to replace the “stolen” bike, and motorboat drivers who claim higher-than-plausible fees for gas or alleged damage to their vehicle. Your intuition is probably your best ally here. Try to limit your transactions to more established outfits or ones that other travelers have vouched for, and be wary of recommendations from drivers and hotel owners you don’t know well.

If you will be traveling with electronic devices, such as a laptop computer or a PDA, check whether your homeowner’s insurance covers loss, theft, or damage when you travel. If not, you might consider purchasing a low-cost separate insurance policy. Safeware (US ☎ 800-800-1492; www.safeware.com) specializes in covering computers and charges US$90 for 90-day comprehensive international travel coverage up to US$4000. Let’s Go does not recommend bringing large electronic devices unless strictly necessary. It is often difficult to find adequate power resources and, unless you are staying in one place for an extensive period of time, they are not worth the extra load and the hassle of heightened supervision. If you do bring a laptop, keep it in a backpack or drawstring bag, not a laptop case.