Make up for lost time and travel to Vietnam.
A country on the cusp of an economic boom, Vietnam has steadily transformed itself into a tourist haven in recent years, with attractions range from the occasional dusting of snow in winter months on the paddy terraces in the market town of Sa Pa, to the bustling metropolises of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where never ending streams of mopeds swarm around colonial edifices bearing French architectural influence.
Not unlike other Southeast Asian countries, food forms the fabric of Vietnamese society. Naturally, when you’re here, apart from visiting icons such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site-listed Halong Bay, is to seek out all the best places serving staples like banh mi, spring rolls and drip coffee. Locals love their own cuisine so much that foreign brands ubiquitous anywhere else struggle to establish a foothold in Vietnam.
For a taste of luxury, the tropical Phu Quoc lapped by the gentle waves of the Gulf of Thailand caters to the discerning traveller with a constellation of beachfront high-end resorts. A national marine park to boot, Phu Quoc reopened in November 2021 under a travel bubble scheme, following Vietnam’s drastic decision to shut its borders during the onset of the Covid pandemic. The country has since reopened in March 2022 for international tourism.
If this tropical idyll is on your must-visit list, read on how you can enter Vietnam post-reopening.
Things to know when you travel from Malaysia to Vietnam starting 27 April 2022:
Malaysians can travel to Vietnam visa-free and stay up to a maximum of 30 days. Other nationalities may be granted visa-free entries or have to apply for e-Visa. Click here to find out if you are eligible.
Since 15 March 2022, Vietnam no longer imposes mandatory quarantine on travellers, fully vaccinated or otherwise. However, pre-departure tests are still required.
For air travel, upon arrival, anyone aged two years old and above must present to the authorities a negative result. The PCR test must be taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure. In addition, if you are strapped for time, a negative rapid test result obtained within 24 hours before departure is acceptable, provided it is certified by trusted authorities in the home country.
Toddlers aren’t required to undergo Covid screenings. No on-arrival Covid test will be conducted.
Unlike Malaysia, you are expected to possess travel insurance with Covid coverage of at least US$10,000.
To further ease entry requirements, Vietnam has scrapped the demand for all inbound travellers to submit health declaration forms upon arrival, effective April 27.
Nonetheless, you must download and register the Vietnamese Covid contact tracing app, which you will have to present when entering premises. Click to download from Google Play and Apple App Store.
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Hero and feature images: foc foodoncam on Pexels
