Hanoi people are very gracious, polite and generous and will make every effort to make guests feel comfortable. Here are some general advices about things to do and not to do in Hanoi and Vietnam as well:

BARGAINING & SHOPPING

Bargaining is a culture in small retail businesses in Asian countries in general and in Vietnam in particular. If you look at any items which do not have listed prices when you go shopping, salesperson usually offers 10% - 20% higher than the real price. Be skillful and haggle to buy your favorite items and keep in mind the following tips:

• Some shops display a "fixed price” sign” no hope there! But there are many places to practice your bargaining techniques: markets, stalls, souvenir shops and so on. Try your luck in the morning: many vendors will accept a very favorable price to secure the first scale of the day. It brings them luck. Remain friendly manner at all times: a deal will only be struck if both parties agree to it. Bargain should be an enjoyable experience, not a battle, and leave both sides satisfied.
• DO make a reference and consider carefully before buying valuable items such as jewelleries, gems or cameras. It is suggested to buy your needed items in large stores with clear warranty period.
• Night Markets: Hanoi Night Market takes place every Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays stretching horizontally from Hang Ngang, Hang Dao, Hang Duong and so on. You should not expect to find good quality products here, but they offer amazing rates which are very cheap and could be a pleasant experience for you.
• Do not buy souvenirs such as pearls from fisherman. Halong is the centre for pearl cultivation to export for trading. Normally, those commodities which are made by fisherman do not have good quality and provide very cheap rates.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

• According to Vietnam Laws, all items must be listed in Vietnam Dong and all transactions must be settled down by Vietnam Dong. It is easily to exchange currency from USD or other currencies into Vietnam Dong directly at our hotel reception or surrounding banks. The nearest banks are Vietcombank which is on the left of our hotel or VietinBank which is just few steps away from the hotel.
• Paper notes include: VND 500,000; 200,000; 100,000; 50,000; 20,000; 10,000; 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500; 200 and 100. Coins include VND 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500 and 200.
• Visa, Master card, JCB and American Express Cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants, tourist centers, shops, supermarkets and booking offices.
• Most of the foreign currencies can be exchanged into Vietnam Dong. The most widely accepted currency is U.S. dollar. Many restaurants hand you the bill in both currencies – VND or US dollar. Fees and rates are quoted in dollar as well. Euro is hardly recognized and can actually be quoted at rates significantly less than the international rate. Therefore, it is advisable to keep Vietnam Dong for easy shopping such as buying souvenirs or enjoying delicious cuisine on the street vendors.

DRESS CODE

• Always dress appropriately and conservatively. In Vietnam, the dress code is casual. Unless you want to dress for dinner in the top-end hotels and up-market restaurants, there's no need to bring smart outfits and accessories.
• DO always be aware when entering someone’s home, local dwellings or visiting religious sites such as temples/pagodas, it is a must to remove your shoes at the front door.
• Never wear shorts, dresses or skirts, or tops with low-neck lines and bare shoulders to Temples and Pagodas. To do this is considered extremely rude and offensive.

GIFT GIVING

• If invited to Vietnamese home, small gifts for the hostess, children or elders of the home are a sign of respect. Usable items, such as soaps, cosmetics or picture frames or flowers, fruits are appreciated, and should be wrapped in colorful paper.
• Do not give handkerchiefs, anything black, yellow flowers or chrysanthemums.
• Business gift giving is fairly common at the end of a meeting or during a meal in honor of your business associates. Gifts should be small but not expensive. Something with your company logo or something typical from your country both makes excellent gifts.

HOTEL PHOTOS & HOTEL REVIEWS

• Hotel Photos: Our hotel photos are 100% real and are not modified by any image programs like Photoshop. When selecting the best hotel in any destination, you should distinguish between the real and 3D photos. You should also pay attention to the hotel scale such as how many rooms and categories the hotel has. A hotel which has little rooms could not guarantee other services for guests.
• Fake Reviews: Before booking any hotels or services in Vietnam, most tourists will check certain services through various social networks for their references. We highly appreciate all guests’ comments in those websites. However, there are many competitors currently who compete unfair. By whatever means, they could hire someone to write fake reviews about our hotel in order to lose our hotel’s reputation. They may post a bad review or a short indifferent review. By being affected by bad reviews, the hotel will lose its good rankings. Travelers who are searching for accommodation may ignore hotels that are low down in the ranking and overlook the good hones hotels because of this scam. Our advice for fellow travelers is please do not let the bad or fake reviews fool you and believe in your choice by reliable sources in order to make the right decisions.

HANOI CUISINE

It is recommend to spend time enjoying Hanoi’s cuisine culture and delicious dishes

• "Pho” – Special Hanoi’s noodle.
• Hanoi Spring Roll.
• "Cha Ca La Vong” – Grilled fishes.
• "Bun Cha”

Most traditional Hanoi dishes could be found at "Quan Ngon Restaurant” which is located at No.18 Phan Boi Chau. Telephone: (04) 3942 8162.

Moreover, if you would like to cook and enjoy your own food, we strongly recommend taking part in the cooking class in the best cooking centre in Hanoi – Hanoi Cooking Centre. For your information of this program, kindly click here.

Our Guest Relations team is always ready to provide all useful information above at any your best convenient time.

LANGUAGES & EXPRESSIVENESS

Expressiveness and Vietnamese language is very rich, sometimes you will probably make a mistake. Many Vietnamese people do not speak English well; they can somehow listen to you, laughed and just nodded. It is actually their friendly gesture, but it does not mean that they totally understand what you mean. When you need to express your language without an interpreter, it is advisable to use pen and paper.

PLACES OF INTERESTS

Upon your arrival to Hanoi, you should spend your valuable time to visit the following sightseeing places:

• 01 hour to stroll around the Old Quarter streets of Hanoi.
• Water puppet program – a traditional art form of Vietnam. (The Water Puppet Theatre is 50m away from Boss hotel).
• Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam which is built in 1070 with the ancient and unique architecture.
• Complex of HCM Mausoleum – where you can image a great portrait man who used to live and work there. This is also a place where One Pillar Pagoda – a famous temple, was built in 1049.
• Museum of Ethnology – where you will have time to understand deeper about the Vietnamese’s culture and it shows 54 images of Vietnam ethnic minorities.
• Halong Bay – a must see destination in Northern Vietnam. It has been listed as one of the seven natural wonders in the world. It is advisable to travel to Halong Bay for a few hours cruise on the emerald water.
• Hotel location – located in the heart of the city centre – provides easy access to many famous and popular sightseeing places such as Dong Xuan market, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son temple, Hoa Lo prison, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Long Bien bridge, Opear House and so on...