Don’t make this mistake.
We were denied entry into Vietnam!
Before leaving Australia I had organised our visas…or so I thought. I’m not sure if I misread something, but when I was applying online it wouldn’t let me buy seperate ones for the girls because they had to be over 18 years old so instead they were added as dependants on our visas.
We of course found this out when we were denied entry into Vietnam and customs officials took our passports away from us for over an hour. Eventually they came back and told us we could buy a visa on arrival for the girls. No problem. Wrong. Problem.
We needed $50 USD and we had none. The only ATM in the airport was broken and extra cash and the ability to grab a SIM card (hello internet) was on the other side, with our luggage, of customs. Oh and to make matters worse we had a connecting flight we needed to make.
You know that feeling when you’ve gone through all the options and not one of them will work. Yup. We were at that point. Panic stations everyone.
Thankfully, as we’ve seen over and over again this year, eventually a solution presents itself. There is almost always a secret option C!
In this case it was asking an American tourist if we could borrow some money until we could reach our luggage. Oh the kindness of a complete stranger who happily leant us some money until we made it to the other side. The world is really very kind.
Oh and we made that connecting flight. It was five hours delayed.
Here are five things we would never do after being denied entry into Vietnam
1. Have no cash on us
Always carry money in the currency you’re arriving in. If you can’t do this then google if there is another currency accepted. In many countries USD or euro is widely accepted.
2. Arrive without a VISA
Some countries allow you to buy a visa on arrival but you’ll save time and hopefully quite a bit of hassle (and even money) if you come prepared and apply online prior. Many countries are moving to only online applications so do your research.
3. Book a connecting flight soon after arrival
Give yourself plenty of time to make that next flight. I would suggest at least three hours unless it’s a booking made through the same airline as part of one ticket.
4. Not know some basic words
Learning key phrases or words demonstrates your interest in and respect for the local culture that you’re travelling to. It also goes a long way to gain the favour of locals and help you get around.
5. Travel without insurance
As the saying goes if you can’t afford travel insurance than you can’t afford to travel. Travel insurance isn’t just for when you get sick but its your go to whenever you get into a tricky situation. We are covered through World Nomads and they have been brilliant.
The Whole of Us 
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