Vietnam travel guide
Short, practical guides to Vietnam, written by Flosa, a flower shop in Ho Chi Minh City. We buy our flowers in the market every morning, so the seasons are our daily business, and visitors ask us the same questions again and again. Here are the answers.
Guides
- When to visit Vietnam: weather by region and month
Three climates, three rainy seasons: which months suit the north, the centre and the south, and what is in bloom.
- Vietnamese fruits: what to try, and when
Dragon fruit, mangosteen, lychee, durian and more: the season for each, how to eat it, and what you can take home.
- What to buy in Vietnam: souvenirs worth bringing home
Coffee, tea, an áo dài made to measure, lacquerware and silk: what to buy, where, and what to leave behind.
- The ao dai and other symbols of Vietnam
The long silk tunic, the conical hat, the lotus, the dragon: what Vietnam’s symbols mean and where you will see them.
Vietnam at a glance
- Capital
- Hanoi. The largest city is Ho Chi Minh City, which most people still call Saigon.
- Currency
- The Vietnamese đồng (VND).
- Flag
- Red, with a five-pointed yellow star.
- Time
- GMT+7 all year, with no daylight saving.
- Provinces
- 34 provinces and cities since the 2025 reorganisation.
- Language
- Vietnamese, written in the Latin alphabet with accents.
Flowers and gifts in Vietnam
- Vietnamese flower customs
What to send for Tết, a funeral or a birthday, and what to avoid.
- The lotus, Vietnam’s national flower
What it means, when it blooms and where to see it.
- Gift ideas for Vietnamese parents
What parents and grandparents in Vietnam appreciate.
From a florist in Ho Chi Minh City
These guides are written by Flosa, a flower shop in Ho Chi Minh City. Celebrating something while you travel, such as a birthday, an anniversary or a proposal? We deliver flowers to hotels across Vietnam. Want to thank someone in Vietnam after you get home? You can send flowers to Vietnam from abroad.