By aussiematesvietnam 
Using Technology to Enhance Your Vietnam Experience
G’day fellow adventurers! Aussie Mates here, coming to you from the bustling streets of Hanoi where I’ve been lucky enough to call home for nearly two decades now. After spending almost 20 years exploring every nook and cranny of Vietnam with my lovely wife Tracy, I’ve seen this incredible country transform in more ways than one – especially when it comes to technology.
Remember the days when we’d lug around massive guidebooks and paper maps? When finding a decent feed meant taking a punt on a random street stall? Those days are well and truly behind us, cobber! Today’s Vietnam is as tech-savvy as they come, and knowing how to harness that technology can take your travel experience from good to absolutely ripper.
So grab a cold one, settle in, and let me share some tech wisdom that’ll make your Vietnam adventure smoother than a fresh jar of Vegemite.
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Essential Apps for the Vietnam Traveller
Before you even think about packing your thongs (that’s flip-flops for you non-Aussies), make sure your smartphone is loaded with these must-have apps:
- Grab: Forget about haggling with taxi drivers or trying to explain your destination. Grab is Southeast Asia’s answer to Uber, and it’s a bloody lifesaver. Tracy and I use it constantly for getting around Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and even smaller towns these days. You can book cars, motorbikes, and even food delivery – all with set prices in advance.
- Google Translate: While many Vietnamese in tourist areas speak decent English, having a translation app is essential when you venture off the beaten track. Download the Vietnamese language pack so you can use it offline. The camera translation feature is particularly handy for menus – saved me from accidentally ordering pig intestines more than once!
- Maps.me: Google Maps works well in Vietnam’s major cities, but for those trips to Sapa, Phong Nha or other remote areas, Maps.me with its offline functionality is the way to go. Tracy swears by it during our countryside motorbike adventures.
- Zalo: This is Vietnam’s most popular messaging app. If you’re making local friends or need to contact Vietnamese businesses, having Zalo installed makes communication a breeze. We use it to keep in touch with our favorite tour guides and homestay hosts.
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Staying Connected: SIM Cards and Wi-Fi
Back in my early days in Vietnam, finding decent internet was harder than spotting a koala in the Mekong Delta. Not anymore, mates! Vietnam now boasts some of the best connectivity in Southeast Asia.
For the best experience, I recommend grabbing a local SIM card as soon as you land. Viettel, Mobifone, and Vinaphone are the big three providers, with Viettel offering the best coverage nationwide. A tourist SIM with generous data (we’re talking 60GB+) will set you back around 200,000-300,000 VND (about $13-20 AUD). Worth every dong, trust me.
Most airports have telecom counters in the arrival areas – the staff speak English and will set everything up for you. Just make sure your phone is unlocked before leaving Australia!
As for Wi-Fi, it’s everywhere – from five-star resorts to tiny cafes in mountain villages. The quality varies, but in major tourist spots, you’ll rarely struggle to get online. Tracy and I have had solid Zoom calls with the grandkids from beach huts in Phu Quoc – that’s how good it can be!
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Digital Payments: Less Cash, More Convenience
Vietnam was cash-dominant when we first arrived, but things have changed dramatically in recent years. While cash is still king in rural areas, digital payments have taken urban Vietnam by storm.
Many places now accept international credit cards, but the real game-changer is mobile payments. If you’re staying a while, consider setting up:
- VNPay: A local payment app that connects to Vietnamese bank accounts
- Momo: Another popular e-wallet that lets you pay for everything from coffee to electricity bills
For shorter visits, I suggest keeping your international banking apps updated and ensuring your cards work for overseas transactions. Notify your bank of your travel plans to avoid any card freezes when you start making purchases in Dong.
Pro tip: Many shops and restaurants in tourist areas also accept AliPay and WeChat Pay, which might be useful if you already have these set up from travels to China.
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Tech for Food Adventures
Finding good tucker in Vietnam isn’t hard – the challenge is knowing what to order when you’re surrounded by unfamiliar dishes. Technology can be your best mate here.
Tracy and I rely heavily on food apps and websites to navigate Vietnam’s incredible culinary landscape:
- Foody.vn: The Vietnamese equivalent of Yelp, with extensive listings and reviews (mostly in Vietnamese, but the app translates well)
- Google Maps: Don’t underestimate the power of Google reviews for restaurants
- Instagram: Follow local food bloggers for up-to-date recommendations
One of our favorite techniques is the “point and order” method using Google Images. If you’ve heard about a famous dish like “bún chả” but aren’t sure what it looks like, a quick image search helps you identify it on menus or street food carts.
Last month, Tracy and I joined a food tour in Hoi An where the guide introduced us to a brilliant app called “Picture This” – but for food! You snap a photo of unknown food, and it tells you what you’re looking at. Absolute game-changer for street food adventures!
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Capturing Memories: Photography Tech
Vietnam is ridiculously photogenic – from the terraced rice fields of the north to the pristine beaches of the central coast. While your smartphone camera will do a decent job, there are ways to level up your photography game:
If you’re serious about photography, consider a compact mirrorless camera with a good zoom lens. The ability to capture distant details in Vietnam’s landscapes or zoom in on cultural performances makes a huge difference.
For smartphone photographers, I recommend:
- A clip-on wide-angle lens for those spectacular landscape shots in Ha Long Bay or Sapa
- A decent power bank – nothing worse than your battery dying just as you reach that perfect sunset spot
- A lightweight tripod for night shots and timelapses
Don’t forget about storage! Vietnam’s beauty will have you snapping thousands of photos. Tracy and I learned the hard way after nearly losing our Mekong Delta photos to a corrupted SD card. Now we back up regularly to cloud storage whenever we have decent Wi-Fi.
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Navigating Language Barriers with Tech
While many Vietnamese in tourist areas speak English, venturing into less-traveled regions can present communication challenges. This is where technology truly shines.
Beyond Google Translate, there are specialized tools worth considering:
- Pocketalk: A dedicated translation device that works fantastically well with Vietnamese
- Learn Vietnamese apps: Even mastering a few basic phrases can transform your experience
One of our most memorable experiences happened last year when Tracy and I visited a remote village near the Laos border. Using a combination of hand ges