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CRIME AND SAFETY |
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Violent crime against tourists in Vietnam is extremely rare, though
Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang have a fairly bad reputation for thieves,
pickpockets and con-artists. In Ho Chi Minh City, cyclo drivers can sell
you drugs and then turn you in to the police. A substantial bribe might
persuade them to drop the matter; otherwise, you're looking at fines and
jail sentences for lesser offences, or the death penalty for smuggling
large quantities.
Vietnam is generally a safe country for women to travel around alone;
most Vietnamese will simply be curious as to why you are on your own.
That said, it pays to take the normal precautions, especially late at
night, when you should avoid taking a cyclo by yourself in Ho Chi Minh
City, Nha Trang or Hanoi; it's wise to use a taxi instead. Asian women
travelling with a white man have reported cases of harassment -
attributed to the fact that some Vietnamese men automatically label all
such women as prostitutes.
If you have anything stolen, get the police to write up a report for
your insurance company; try to recruit an English speaker to come with
you - and be prepared to pay a "fee". Corruption among police and other
officials can be a problem: you might be stopped on the road or at
border crossings and "fined", and trumped-up fines are often imposed on
bus, cyclo or other drivers seen carrying a Westerner - fines you'll
often be expected to pay. But with patience, plus a few cigarettes to
hand round, you should be able to bargain fines down considerably.
Not surprisingly, the Vietnamese authorities are sensitive about
military installations , border regions, military camps, bridges,
airports and train stations. Anyone taking photographs near such sites
risks having the film removed from their camera, or the ubiquitous
"fine". Unexploded mines still pose a serious threat: the problem is
most acute in the Demilitarized Zone, where each year a few local
farmers are killed or injured. Always stick to well-trodden paths and
never touch any shells or half-buried chunks of metal.
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