Background reading

Here are some basic facts about the country of Vietnam.

• Vietnam is the easternmost country on the IndochinaPeninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east.
• With a population of over 86 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world.
• Vietnam is approximately 331,688 km² (128,066 sq mi) in area (not including Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands), larger than Italy and almost the size of Germany.

The Dong (VND) will be your main currency here. The notes come in denominations from 200 dong to the recent 500 000 dong.


1 SGD = 11,902.07 VND 1 VND = 0.0000840190 SGD

Note:SGC =Sing Dollar 1 VND= Vietnam Dong.


















A bowl of ph, which is a Vietnamese thinly sliced meat and rice-noodle soup dish cost about 38 000 VND.


Reflection questions:

1. How much money do you think you need for this trip? Give reasons for your estimation.

2. Give three reasons why you want to take part in the GP Vietnam 2009 programme.