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There are certain towns that should not be missed if you are having Vietnam Holidays. In a country with such a huge area to cover and so much to offer in terms of sightseeing and culture; to hit the mark with the ideal itinerary can be a bit stressing sometimes especially when you only have few days for your holidays.

Perhaps one of the most charming and colourful towns in Vietnam is the Ancient Hoi An located in Central Vietnam. Surprisingly such a charm has not being spoiled yet by excessive tourism and it still retains its local flavour despite a recent increase in the number of tourists and expats.

Hoi An’s architecture is astonishing. Its townscape is dominated by French colonial buildings often decorated by colourful flowers and lamps. It is not a big town, it is rather small and made of just few streets running along the main river where you can also find some tiny islands with promenades and market places.

As with much of Vietnam, the streets of Hoi An are congested with the traffic of motorbikes, but the old town is definitely less crowded than many places. Still you need to be aware of the traffic. You can spend the majority of our time just walking the streets and trying the various street foods that are unique to Hi An.

Interestingly and debatable is that two of the most famous local dishes — White Rose dumplings and co lo — are said to get their unique qualities due to the water used that comes from a single well in Hoi An and the ash from a particular tree that grows only in Hoi An.

Additionally, the White Rose dumplings recipe is a secret, held by one family in Hoi An who supplies all the restaurants in town. White Rose dumplings do have a very light, soft rice paper that surrounds a shrimp filing and a garlic rice wine vinegar dipping sauce. The White Rose has become a favourite Vietnamese dish so far. Fresh shrimp and nice light rice paper? Hard not to love.

If you want to experience on of the most hectic and colourful backdrops of Hoi An – The fish market – then get up early morning when the sun is rising at around 5:30 AM. Small and big boats compete frantically to unload their fish and even before the fish reach the stands to be weight others are yelling and bargaining for the best deals on the purchases.

Last but not least are the beaches of Hoi An located only 2 to 3 miles from the town and reachable by taxi or bicycle. The beaches of Hoi An are not as busy as neighbour Da Nang and Nha Trang and are a perfect place to cool off the high temperatures.

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According to the Vietnamese Tourist Authority, around 100,000 tourists from Great Britain will experience Vietnam travel from UK locations each year. Visitor restrictions there are very strict and visitors always need to be fully aware of the all the rules. It is crucial to have all customs and visa documentation in proper order.

To visit Vietnam you must have a travel visa before entry into the country unless prior arrangements have been made by a tour operator or if you are listed as an officially sponsored visitor. You will probably not be allowed to enter the country if your passport will have less than a month before expiration beyond the date of which your Vietnamese visa expires. You should check for proper visa details and be aware of all conditions.

Vietnamese visas are usually valid for only one entry. Persons who plan to leave the country and re-enter from another country should be sure to obtain a visa that allows multiple entries. There can be some harsh fines or the chance of imprisonment if you were to overstay your visa.

If your passport were to be lost or stolen, you would need to get a replacement passport as well as a replacement visa from immigration authorities in order to leave Vietnam. This can be done only during normal work hours and it usually takes from three to five working days to be received. It is not possible for the Embassy to expedite replacement of Vietnamese visas.

You should always keep the customs forms on entry into Vietnam, since this is a requirement for exit. If you happened to lose this form your belongings might be confiscated and you could also be fined as you leave. This too, is an issue the British Embassy is generally unable to help you with.

Most visits will be trouble-free but still, it is advised that all visitors register with the British consulate. For the most part, British nationals most commonly require consular help in Vietnam with regard to cases of lost or stolen passports. Registration can provide better assistance for you in an emergency. You should remember that obtaining any adequate assistance is difficult outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City because of Vietnam’s lack of a well developed infrastructure.

Vietnam travel from the UK should usually go very smoothly, providing that visitors take the proper care to have their paperwork in order.

Jose Mauricio is a specialist reservation consultant for Vietnam Holidays and Cuba Holidays