Getting there & away

There are three international airports in Vietnam. Tan Son Nhat airport (SGN; tel 08-848-5383) serves Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and is Vietnam’s busiest international air hub. Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport (HAN; tel. 04-886-6527) is the destination of choice for those concentrating on north Vietnam, while a handful of international flights also serve Danang airport (DAD; tel. 0511-830-339), a useful gateway to the charms of central Vietnam.

Vietnam Airlines (tel 04-943-9660 in Hanoi, tel 08-829-2118 in HCMC; www.vietnamair.com.vn) is the state-owned flag carrier, and the majority of flights into and out of Vietnam are Joint operations between Vietnam Airlines and foreign airlines.

Vietnam Airlines has a modern fleet of Airbuses and Boeings and the level of service on its international flights is starting to catch up with its bigger rivals. However, on the domestic front, cancellations and late flights are common.

Many international flights leaving Hanoi connect through HCMC, but it’s a pain. Passengers have to pay a domestic departure tax, fly to HCMC, claim their bags, check in again, and pay an international departure tax before boarding the international flight.

All phone numbers are in Hanoi (area code 04) unless otherwise stated.

Aeroflot (airline code SU; tel  825 6742; www.aeroflot.com; hub Moscow)

Air France (airline code AF; tel  825 6742; www.airfrance.fr; hub Paris)

All Nippon Airways (airline code NH; tel 934 7237; www.ana.co.jp; hub Tokyo)

Asiana Airlines (airline code 0Z; tel 822 2671; www.us.flyasiana.com; hub Seoul)

Cathay Pacific (airline code CX; tel 826 7298; www.cathaypacific.com; hub Hong Kong)

China Airlines (airline code Cl; (tel 824 2688; www.china-airlines.com; hub Taipei)

China Southern Airlines (airline code CZ; tel 771 6611; www.cs-air.com; hub Guangzhou) Japan Airlines (airline code JL; tel 826 6693; www.jal.co.jp; hub Tokyo)

Korean Air (airline code KE; tel 934 7236; www.korean air.com; hub Seoul)

Lao Airlines (airline code QV; tel 846 4873; www .laoairlines.com; hub Vientiane)

Lion Air (airline code JT; www.lionair.co.id; hub Jakarta)

Lufthansa (airline code LH; in HCMC tel  08-829 8529; www.lufthansa.corn; hub Frankfurt)

Malaysia Airlines (airline code MY; tel 826 8820; www.malaysiaairlines.com; hub Kuala Lumpur)

Philippine Airlines (airline code PR; In HCMC tel 08-822 2241; www.philippmeair.com; hub Manila)

Qantas (airline code QF; tel 934 7238; www.qantas.com.au; hubs Sydney & Melbourne)

Siem Reap Airways (airline code FT; in HCMC tel 08-914 0296; www.siemreapair.com; hub Phnom Penh)

Singapore Airlines (airline code SQ; tel  826 8888; www.singaporeair.com; hub Singapore)

Thai Airways (airline code TG; tel 826 6893; www.thaiair.com; hub Bangkok)

It is essential to have a Vietnam visa before rocking up to the border, as they are not issued at land crossings. There are currently nine international land borders: three each with Cambodia, China and Laos.

There are few legal money-changing facilities on the Vietnamese side of these crossings, so be sure to have some small denomination US dollars handy. The black market is also an option for local currencies – Vietnamese dong, Chinese renminbi, Lao kip and Cambodian riel. Remember that black marketeers have a well-deserved reputation for short-changing and outright theft.

Vietnamese police at the land-border crossings, especially the Lao borders, have a bad reputation for petty extortion. Most travellers find that it’s much easier to exit Vietnam overland than it is to enter. Travellers at the border crossings are occasionally asked for an ‘immigration fee’ of some kind.

The Moc Bai-Bavet border is the traditional favourite for a cheap and quick way between HCMC and Phnom Penh. For those willing to take their time, it is much nicer to meander through the Mekong Delta and travel by river between Chau Doc and Phnom Penh. One-month Cambodian visas are issued on arrival at Bavet and Kaam Samnor for US$20, but they are not yet available at Phnom Den.

The most popular border crossing between Cambodia and Vietnam is Moc Bai, which connects Vietnam’s Tay Ninh province withCambodia’s Svay Rieng province. There are several buses daily between Phnom Penh and HCMC (via Moc Bai), usually departing around Sam, taking about seven hours and costing a paltry US$6. The cheapest tickets are sold at the travellers cafes in HCMC’s Pham Ngu Lao area, or try Capitol Guesthouse (tel 023-364104) or Narin Guesthouse (tel 023-982554) in Phnom Penh.

A more pleasurable alternative to the Moc Bai crossing is the Vinh Xuong border near Chau Doc. This offers the advantage of a leisurely look at the Mekong delta without the boredom of backtracking lo HCMC. There are several companies offering daily boats between Chau Doc and Phnom Penh, departing around 9am and costing aboul US$8. It takes about six hours including a slow border check.

For something faster, consider the’ Victoria Hotels express boats (www.victoriahotels-asia.coin), which run from the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel to Phnom Penh several times a week. It is pretty pricey at about US$6 per person, but very comfortable.

Finally there are two companies that offer luxury boat cruises between HCMC and Siem Reap via this border: the international player Pandaw Cruises (www.pandaw.com) and Cambodian company Toum Teav Cruises (cfm@online.com.kh). Pandaw is an expensive option favoured by high-end tour companies, while Turn Teav is smaller and is well regarded for the personal service and excellent food.

This border crossing point sees little traffic, as anyone in Chau Doc tends to the river crossing direct to Phnom Penh. It’s pretty remote and the roads are in bad shape so give it a miss for now.

There are currently three border check-points where foreigners are permitted to cross between Vietnam and China: the FriendshipPass, Lao Cai and Mong Cai. It is necessary to arrange a Chinese visa in advance (US$35 for one month) through the embassy inHanoi

The Vietnam-China border-crossing hours are 7am to 4pm (Vietnam time). your watch when you cross the border as the time inChina is one hour behind.

The busiest border crossing is located at the Vietnamese town of Dong Dang, 164km northeast of Hanoi. There is a 600m walk between the Vietnamese and Chinese border posts.

Dong Dang is an obscure town, about 18km north of Lang Son. Buses between Hanoi and Lang Son are frequent. The fastest way to cover the 18km between Dong Dang and Lang Son is to hire a motorbike (30,000d). There are also mini-buses cruising the streets looking for passengers. Just make sure they take you to Huu Nghi Quan, as there are other checkpoints for locals only.

On the Chinese side, it’s a 20-minute drive from the border to Pingxiang by bus or a shared taxi. Pingxiang is connected by train and bus to Nanning, the capital of China’s Guangxi province.

There is a twice-weekly international train between Beijing and Hanoi that stops at Friendship Pass. You can board or get off at numerous stations in China. The entire Hanoi-Beijing run is about 2951km and takes approximately 48 hours, including a three-hour delay (if you are lucky) at the border checkpoint.

Train tickets to China are more expensive in Hanoi, so some travellers prefer to buy a ticket to Dong Dang, cross the border and then buy another ticket on the Chinese side. While this plan involves a motorbike to the border and a bus or taxi on to Pingxiang, it is a good way to go as it avoids the three-hour delay while the international train is given the once over.

There’s a 762km railway linking Hanoi with Kunming in China’s Yunnan province. The border town on the Vietnamese side is Lao Cai, 294km from Hanoi. On the Chinese side, the border town is Hekou, 468km south of Kunming.

There are currently no direct train services between Hanoi and Kunming. There are three trains a day from Hanoi to Lao Cai, so it is easy to combine a stop at Sapa when crossing this way. On the Chinese side, the Hekou-Kunming trip takes approximately 17 hours.

From the border crossing to Lao Cai train station is about 3km, so it’s best to take a motorbike (10.000d).

Vietnam’s third (but seldom-used) border crossing to China can he found at Mong Cai in the northeast of the country, opposite the Chinese city of Dongxing. It might be useful for anyone planning to travel between Halong Bay and Hainan Island, but otherwise is out of the way.

There are three overland crossings between Laos and Vietnam – Lao Bao, Cau Treo and the latest, but not greatest, option of Na Meo. At all three border crossings, 15-day Lao visas are now available. We have received scores of letters complaining aboul immigration and local-transport hassles on the Vietnamese side of these borders, but the situation is slowly improving.

Keep your ears open for news on the Tay Trang border near Dien Bien Phu (northwestern Vietnam) opening up to foreigners.

The border town of Lao Bao is on Hwy 9, 80km west of Dong Ha. Just across the border is the southern Lao province of Savanna-khet, but there is no town on that side of the border. An international bus runs between Danang (Vietnam) and the city of Savanakhetdaily, but at US$25 for foreigners, it is a poor deal. Better is the service from Hue to Savannakhet (US$15, 13 hours, departing at 6am and 6pm daily). Coming in the other direction, there is a daily 10pm bus from Savannakhel that is much cheaper, serving Dong Ha (US$7, 329km), Hue (US$9, 409km) or Danang (US$11, 508km).

Vietnam’s Hwy 8 hits Laos al Keo Nua Pass (734m), known as Cau Treo in Vietnamese, Kaew Neua in Lao.

The nearest Vietnamese city of any importance is Vinh, 96km east of the border. On the Lao side it’s about 200km from the border to Tha Khaek. Most people this border when travelling on the direct buses between Hanoi and Vientiane, but this is no picnic. In fact it’s a menu from hell. The journey takes about 24 hours and the buses get progressively more dangerous and over-crowded. The bus hardly stops for bathrooms or meals, but stops randomly when (lie driver fancies a sleep. Invariably the bus arrives at the border at an ungodly hour. Almost everyone ends up wishing they had flown! If you are a sucker (or punishment, travel agents and guesthouses in Hanoi andVientiane can help vou up, literally, for somewhere in the region of US$12 to US$25.

This is only for hardcore border aficionados. The border crossing is more than 200km northwest of Vinh and nt.

BORDER CROSSINGS Country Border Crossing Nearest Town Cambodia Bavet/Moc Bai Svay Rieng/Tay Ninh Kaam Samnor/Vinh Xuong Neak Luong/Chau Doc Phnom Den/Tinh Bien Takeo/Chau Doc China Youyi Guan/Huu Nghi Quan (Friendship Pass Pingxiang/Lang Son Hekou/Lao Cai Hekou/Lao Cai Dongxing/Mong Cai Dongxing/Mong Cai Laos Donsavanh/Lao Bao Sepon/Dong Ha Nam Phao/Cau Treo Tha Kaek/Vinh Na Meo/Nam Can Phonsavanh/Vinh