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Vietnamese phrasebook

Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) is one of the most spoken languages in the world, with around 90 million native speakers. It is the official language in Vietnam and also spoken in places where Vietnamese have immigrated to such as the United States, France, Australia and Canada. It is also the native language of the Gin or Jing ethnic group from some islands off the coast of Guangxi province in southern China, who are ethnically and culturally Vietnamese but citizens of China.

Vietnamese is part of the Mon-Khmer language family. It is related to the Khmer language spoken in neighbouring Cambodia, but the two languages are not mutually intelligible. Vietnamese was more influenced by Chinese, while Khmer was more influenced by Sanskrit.

Vietnamese grammar is very simple: nouns and adjectives don't have genders, and verbs aren't conjugated. Vietnamese is a tonal language; the meaning of a word depends on how high or low your voice is. Vietnamese is not related to Chinese, though it contains many loan words from Chinese due to centuries of Chinese rule in Vietnam, and even used Chinese-based characters as its writing system, called "chữ Nôm", until Vietnam was colonised by the French. As a result of the French colonisation, modern Vietnamese also contains numerous loan words from French.

In modern times, Vietnamese is generally written in the Latin alphabet, with chữ Nôm mostly having fallen out of use, except for certain ceremonial and religious purposes, and among the small ethnic Vietnamese community of China.

Vietnamese is traditionally divided into three different regional dialect groups: North, Central and South. The Northern dialect, as spoken in Hanoi, is the prestige dialect that is used in news broadcasts, and all Vietnamese pop singers are expected to sing in the Northern dialect regardless of what dialect they speak. That said, if you are based in Vietnam's main economic centre in the South (around Ho Chi Minh City), the Southern dialect is what you will hear in everyday life. The Southern dialect also tends to be more prevalent in overseas Vietnamese communities, due to the Southern origin of most of the refugees who fled in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

Pronunciation guide
Vietnamese spelling is more or less phonetic, and generally similar to Portuguese (which it is based on). Once you figure out how to pronounce each letter and tone, you have a pretty good idea of how to pronounce Vietnamese, which has very few exceptions compared to English.

Unless otherwise indicated, pronunciation throughout this phrasebook is for Southern (Saigon) Vietnamese, which is quite different from Northern (Hanoi), North Central (Vinh) or Central (Hue) Vietnamese.

Vowels
Vowels in the middle of triphthongs are often silent in the South, but pronounced in the North.

 * a
 * like 'a' in "laugh": ba (means "three"); in the South may be pronounced like 'a' in "apple" in some words.

 * ă
 * like 'a' in "basket": chăn (means "blanket").

 * â
 * like 'o' in "person": sân (means "yard" in front of back of a house).

 * e
 * like 'e' in "wed": tre (means "bamboo").

 * ê
 * like 'ay' in "say": cà phê (means "coffee").

 * i
 * like 'ee' in "see" or "deed": thi (means "test/exam"), same pronunciation as "y". In the South like 'u' in "hurl" when followed by 'nh'.

 * o
 * like 'o' in "dog": lý do (means "reason").

 * ô
 * like the first component of the diphthong 'ow' in "low" or 'o' in "go": á-lô ("Hello" on the phone).

 * ơ
 * like â, except longer, or 'ir' in "bird": bơ (means "avocado" or "butter").

 * u
 * like 'oo' in "hoop": thu (means "autumn/fall").

 * ư
 * like 'oo' in "book", with a hint of the 'i' in "lick", or like saying "you" without moving your lips, keeping your mouth wide open, like 'i' in "Halifax": thư (means "mail" or "letter").

 * y
 * like 'ee' in "see". Same pronunciation as "i".

Consonants

 * b : like 'b' in "bed". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * c : like 'c' in "scale" (unaspirated), same pronunciation as "k".
 * d : in the South (Ho Chi Minh City), like 'y' in "yes"; in the North (Hanoi), like 'z' in "zip". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * đ : like 'd' in "dog". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * g : before "i", "e" or "ê", like 'z' in "zip" in the North, or like 'y' in "yes" in the South. Like 'g' in "go" otherwise.
 * h : like 'h' in "help", silent in the South if before a 'u'.
 * k : like 'k' in "ski" (unaspirated), same pronunciation as "c" Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * l : like 'l' in "love". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * m : like 'm' in "mother".
 * n : like 'n' in "nice", in the South like 'ng' in "sing when at the end of a syllable.
 * p : like 'p' in "pig". Used mostly at the end of a syllable.
 * r : in the South (Ho Chi Minh City), like 'r' in "red" or 's' in "pleasure"; in the North (Hanoi), like 'z' in "zip". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * s : in the South like 'sh' in "shoot" but softer, in the North like 's' in "see". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * t : like 't' in stop (unaspirated), in the South like 'c' in "scale" when at the end of a syllable.
 * v : in the North, like 'v' in "victory"; in the South, like 'y' in "yes". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * x : like 's' in "see". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * y : like 'y' in "yes".
 * ch : at the beginning of a syllable, similar to 'ch' in "touch", aspirated in the North but unaspirated in the South; at the end, like 'ck' in "sick" (but it is never enunciated).
 * gh : like 'g' in "go". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * kh : like 'ch' in Scottish "loch", identical to the "ach-Laut" sound in German. Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * ng, ngh : like 'ng' in "sing-along": Nga.
 * nh : similar to 'ny' in canyon, basically the same as Portuguese nh, Spanish ñ or French/Italian gn.
 * ph : like 'ph' in "phone".
 * th : like 't' in "time" (aspirated). Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * tr : similar to 'ch' in "touch". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.

Other combinations

 * gi : in the North, like 'z' in "zip"; in the South, like 'y' in "yes". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * qu : like 'qu' in "quest", in the South, like 'w' in "win". Used only at the beginning of a syllable.
 * uy : like 'wi' in "win", except faster.

Tones
In Vietnamese, syllables can have six different tones, with five of them indicated by tone marks applied to the syllable's main vowel. Tone marks can be combined with the other diacritics.

 * a : flat
 * à : low
 * á : high rising; example: đấy, like saying "day?"
 * ả : falling, then rising
 * ã : creaky
 * ạ : a low "a'ah"

Grammar
One important difference between Vietnamese and Western languages is that Vietnamese has no polite equivalent of the second-person pronoun, "you." Only very close friends use the second-person pronoun "Mày" (pronounced "mhay" with a heavy A and accentuated Y), as it is considered very impolite between strangers. It is roughly equivalent to the pronoun "Omae" in Japanese. Consider it the extreme version of misusing "Toi" in place of "Vous" in French, except there is no equivalent of "Vous" in Vietnamese. Like with many other Asian cultures, it is more socially acceptable to be aware of your formal/informal relationship to another person, and imply it through the word you use to address them.

Strange as it might sound, conversational Vietnamese takes place almost entirely in the third person. For example, instead of saying "I think you are very beautiful" to a girl you like, you might say, "This older male thinks this younger female is very beautiful" or abridge it to "This younger female is very beautiful." There is always an overt implication in how you address someone according to their age and sex.

To Western ears, talking in the third person sounds stilted and pretentious, but to Vietnamese ears, it is the social norm. Vietnamese has a word for "I", tôi, but Vietnamese would use it only in abstract or formal situations (such as public speaking, addressing a television camera, or writing in a book.) Only foreigners use tôi in conversation, which sounds stilted to Vietnamese, but they understand why it is done and come to expect it.

In conversational Vietnamese, the proper way to refer to yourself and others depends on a hierarchy of age and sex. Many of the terms have a literal meaning of family relationships, though they are used for all people on all occasions. Options include:
 * Bạn (friend, pronounced "bhang" with a heavy A. Easily confused with the word "table" to hilarious effect.)
 * Con (child, pronounced "kon", and – parents will be amused – also means animal, for example "Con chim" literally means "(that) animal (which is a) bird".)
 * Em (literally, younger person, generally reserved for a younger sister, younger female relative, or a female acquaintance whom you consider equal to or younger than you – refers to anyone younger than you but older than a child. It is the usual way to address your wife, girlfriend, or female lover, regardless of your own age or sex, with implications of endearment beyond daily usage of the word. Can be considered the equivalent of "my dear".)
 * Anh (older brother – man older than you by up to 10-20 years depending on how close they are. Or refers to a man of the same age as you, but whom you hold in high regard even if you are slightly older. It is also the usual way to address a husband, boyfriend, or male lover, regardless of your own age or sex, with implications of endearment beyond daily usage.)
 * Chị (older sister – woman older than you by up to 10-20 years depending on how close they are, with the implication that you feel the age between you and her does not matter. Generally only used for females slightly older than you.)
 * Chú (literally, "Mister" with implications toward "uncle". Also used to address your father's younger brother – man older than you and who you feel deserves the distinction beyond "Anh".)
 * Cô (literally, "Miss" or "Young Mrs." – woman older than you by 10+ years, or your female teacher prior to college. Implies that you feel she is a generation older than you, but you still think she is too young to be called "Madam" or "Mrs.")
 * Bác (unisex term, used for both Sir and Madam, – refers to a mature person, generally 40 to 60 years old. Polite in that it implies you do not think the person is a senior or elderly yet.)
 * Ông (literally, "old gentleman", grandfather – refers specifically to a senior man, 50-60+ years old depending on how close you are.)
 * Bà (literally, "Madam" or "elderly lady", grandmother – refers specifically to a senior woman, 50-60+ years old depending on how close you are.)

Choose one from the list to represent yourself, and one to represent the person you are talking to, depending on sex and relative age. For example, to get the attention of a waiter or waitress in a restaurant, say em/anh/chị/... ơi (ơi being the ubiquitous Vietnamese term for "hey"). If you listen closely, when people address you or talk about you in Vietnamese, they will be using these terms. They will be very impressed if you can master this! Nonetheless, even between native Vietnamese speakers, it can get awkward when you try to figure out how to address someone who appears to be the same sex and, as far as you can tell, about the same age as you. Once you figure out their age and sex, they may have you use one of the above terms, or simply be amiable and ask you to call them "Bạn", or "friend".

In formal situations, Vietnamese people generally refer to each other by a title and their second or third given name. Surnames are generally not used to address people in Vietnam. For instance, Hồ Chí Minh has the surname Hồ, but would ordinarily be address as Bác Minh in Vietnamese.

For simplicity, however, many phrases below are translated without the relevant terms for you and/or your listener: For example, "How are you" is literally translated as "Healthy or not?" It is generally impolite to speak to a person without directly addressing them unless they're a subordinate, but Vietnamese usually don't take offense when foreigners omit this. Wherever you see tôi below, you can substitute one of the words above according to the circumstance.

Phrase list
The following are very commonly-used phrases. They are listed in a general order of importance:

Basics

 * Hello. (informal): Chào. (jow)
 * Hello. (formal): Xin chào. (seen jow)
 * Hello. (on the phone) : A-lô. (AH-loh)
 * How are you? (Are you healthy?) : Khỏe không? (kweah kohng?)
 * Fine, thank you. (I am healthy, thank you.) : Tôi khoẻ, cảm ơn. (thoy kweah, gam uhhn)
 * What is your name? (formal, to a man (forties or older, depending on the sensitivity of the person you address)) : Ông tên là gì? (ohng theyn la yi)
 * What is your name? (formal, to a woman (forties or older, depending on the sensitivity of the person you address)) : Bà tên là gì? (ba theyn la yi)
 * What is your name? (informal, to a male who is not quite middle-aged AND/OR is not significantly older than you) : Anh tên là gì? (ayng theyn la yi) Anh is an umbrella term for any older male figure. Its literal meaning is "older brother".
 * What is your name? (informal and also flattering, to a female who is not quite middle-aged AND not significantly older than you) : Cô tên là gì? (goh theyn la yi)  There is a distinction between this and the last phrase, because in Vietnamese culture, one generally assumes that a woman, regardless of whether she looks middle-aged or not, is either not yet married, or does not yet have children, or is younger than she looks. Using "Cô" instead of "Bà" implies that you are giving her the benefit of your lack of knowledge about her. Thus, if she feels the need, she will (as a result of your flattery and politeness) correct you to use the mature "Bà" or the gender-disregarding term for an adult who is anywhere in their late thirties to fifties, "Bac" which is equivalent to "Sir" or "Madam". Some men and women prefer to be addressed as the polite and age-ambiguous "Bac" indefinitely, until they feel it is appropriate to be addressed in more mature terms.
 * My name is ______ . : Tôi tên là ______ . (Thoye theyn la _____ .)

 * Please. : Làm ơn. (lam uhhn)
 * Thank you. : Cảm ơn. (gam uhhn)
 * You're welcome. : Không sao đâu. (kohng sao doh)
 * Yes. : Vâng (affirmative). (vuhng); Dạ (affirmative, respectful) (ya'a) ; Đúng (correct) (duhn)
 * No. : Không. (kohng)

 * I'm sorry. : Xin lỗi. (seen loh'EE)
 * Goodbye : Chào. (jow), Tạm biệt
 * I can't speak Vietnamese [well]. : Tôi không biết nói tiếng Việt [giỏi lắm]. (thoy kohng bee-IT noh-Y thee-IHNG vee'it [yi-oh-i lahm])
 * Do you speak English? : Biết nói tiếng Anh không? (bee-IT noh-Y thee-IHNG ayng kohng)
 * Is there someone here who speaks English? : Có ai ở đây biết nói tiếng Anh không? (GAW ai dey bee-IT noh-Y thee-IHNG ayng kohng)
 * Help! : Cứu (tôi) với! (gih-OO (thoy) vuh-y!)
 * Look out! : Cẩn thận! (guhn tuh'n!)

 * I don't understand. : Tôi không hiểu. (thoy kohng hee-oh)
 * Where is the toilet? : Nhà vệ sinh ở đâu? (...)
 * Be back soon : Tôi sẽ quay lại sớm (...)

Problems

 * Leave me alone. : Đừng làm phiền tôi. (DUHung LAHm fien Thoy) (beware that "Thoi" with a fat and long sounding "T" translates to "enough!" in standard Vietnamese)
 * Don't touch me! : Đừng chạm vào tôi! (...)
 * I'll call the police. : Tôi sẽ gọi cảnh sát./Tôi sẽ gọi công an. (Thoy seEh GAWoy Kanh Sat/ Thoy seEH GAWoy Kong aanh)
 * Police! : Công an!/Cảnh sát! (Kong aanh!/Kanh Sat)
 * Stop! Thief! : Ngừng lại! Ăn trộm! (GNoong LAai! Anh Chom!)
 * I need your help. : Tôi cần (second person pronoun) giúp. (Thoy Khan yip )
 * It's an emergency. : Việc này khẩn cấp. (VAHech nuhay Khan gup)
 * I'm lost. : Tôi bị lạc. (Thoi bee lack)
 * I lost my bag. : Tôi bị mất cái túi. (Thoi bee mUHtt kai Thuii)
 * I lost my wallet. : Tôi bị mất cái ví. (Thoi bee mUHtt kai veee)
 * I'm sick. : Tôi bị bệnh. (Thoi bee binh)
 * I've been injured. : Tôi bị thương. (Thoi bee Tahuung)
 * I need a doctor. : Tôi cần một bác sĩ. (Thoi Khan moat back see)
 * Can I use your phone? : Tôi dùng điện thoại của (second person pronoun) được không? (Thoi young dean tahoaI KOOa DUHuc KHAong)

Numbers
(Phonetic approximations are in italics, and English words that sound very similar are in quotes.) When giving your age, it is common to say just the digits, e.g., "three-one" instead of "thirty-one".

 * 0 : không (kumm, kowm, humm, or howm depending on the speaker and adjacent words)
 * 1 : một (mo'oht, though most of the time comes out "moke" with a very slight swallowing of the final "k" sound)
 * 2 : hai ("high")
 * 3 : ba (bah)
 * 4 : bốn ("bone")
 * 5 : năm ("nahm")
 * 6 : sáu (sao)
 * 7 : bảy (bai-ee, almost like "buy" in English)
 * 8 : tám (tahm)
 * 9 : chín ("chean")
 * 10 : mười (meui)
 * 11 : mười một (muh-uh-ee mo'oht)
 * 12 : mười hai (muh-uh-ee hai)
 * 13 : mười ba (muh-uh-ee bah)
 * 14 : mười bốn (muh-uh-ee bohn?)
 * 15 : mười lăm (muh-uh-ee lahm)
 * 16 : mười sáu (muh-uh-ee sao?)
 * 17 : mười bảy (muh-uh-ee buh-ee)
 * 18 : mười tám (muh-uh-ee thahm?)
 * 19 : mười chín (muh-uh-ee jeen?)
 * 20 : hai mươi (hai muh-uh-ee)
 * 21 : hai mươi mốt (hai muh-uh-ee moht?)
 * 22 : hai mươi hai (hai muh-uh-ee hai)
 * 23 : hai mươi ba (hai muh-uh-ee bah)
 * 30 : ba mươi (bah muh-uh-ee)
 * 40 : bốn mươi (bohn? muh-uh-ee)
 * 50 : năm mươi (nahm muh-uh-ee)
 * 60 : sáu mươi (sao? muh-uh-ee)
 * 70 : bảy mươi (buh-ee muh-uh-ee)
 * 80 : tám mươi (thahm? muh-uh-ee)
 * 90 : chín mươi (jeen? muh-uh-ee)
 * 100 : một trăm (moht cham or often just "cham")
 * 200 : hai trăm (hai cham)
 * 300 : ba trăm (bah cham)
 * 1000 : một ngàn/nghìn (mo'oht ngang/ngeen...)
 * 2000 : hai ngàn/nghìn (hai ngang/ngeen...)
 * 1,000,000 : một triệu (mo'oht chee'ou)
 * 1,000,000,000 : một tỷ (mo'oht thee'ee?)
 * 1,000,000,000,000 : một ngàn/nghìn tỷ
 * number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : số _____ ("so?")
 * half : nửa (neu-uh?)
 * less : ít hơn (eet huhhhn)
 * more : hơn (huhhhn), thêm (tehm)

Time

 * now : bây giờ (bee yuh...) (northern dialect example: 'buy zaa')
 * later : lát nữa (laht? neu'uh?)
 * before : trước (jyeuck?) (northern dialect example: 'Tchuck')
 * morning : sáng (sahng?)
 * afternoon : chiều (jee-oh) (northern dialect example: hard 'ch', like TR down tone)
 * evening, night : tối (thoh-ee), đêm (dehm)

Clock time

 * one o'clock AM : một giờ sáng (moht. yuh sahng?)
 * two o'clock AM : hai giờ sáng (hai yuh sahng?)
 * noon : trưa (jyeu-uh)
 * one o'clock PM : một giờ chiều (moht. yuh jee-oh)
 * two o'clock PM : hai giờ chiều (hai yuh jee-oh)
 * midnight : nửa đêm (neu-uh dehm)

Duration

 * _____ minute(s) : phút (foodt) _____
 * _____ hour(s) : tiếng (thee-uhng?) _____
 * _____ day(s) : ngày (ngai) _____
 * _____ week(s) : tuần (thoo-uhn) _____
 * _____ month(s) : tháng (tahng?) _____
 * _____ year(s) : năm (nahm) _____

Days

 * today : hôm nay (home nye)
 * yesterday : hôm qua (hohm gwah)
 * tomorrow : mai (my)
 * this week : tuần này (thoo-uhn nai)
 * last week : tuần qua (thoo-uhn gwah)
 * next week : tuần sau (thoo-uhn sao)

The days of the week are simply numbered, with the exception of Sunday:

 * Sunday : chủ nhật (joo nyuht.)
 * Monday : thứ hai (teu? hai)
 * Tuesday : thứ ba (teu? ba)
 * Wednesday : thứ tư (teu? theu)
 * Thursday : thứ năm (teu? nahm!)
 * Friday : thứ sáu (teu? sao?!)
 * Saturday : thứ bảy (teu? buh-ee?)

Months
Vietnamese does not have special names for each month. Instead, the months are simply numbered. Take the word tháng and add the month's number (see above). For example:

 * March
 * tháng 3 / tháng ba (tahng? ba)

Writing time and date

 * Friday, December 17, 2004
 * Thứ sáu, ngày 17 tháng 12 năm 2004

 * 12/17/2004
 * 17/12/2004

 * 2:36 AM
 * Hai giờ 36 sáng

 * 2:36 PM
 * Hai giờ 36 chiều

 * Two in the morning
 * Hai giờ sáng

 * Two in the afternoon
 * Hai giờ chiều

 * Ten in the evening
 * Mười giờ đêm

 * Half past two
 * Hai giờ rưỡi

 * Noon
 * Trưa; 12 giờ trưa

 * Evening
 * Nửa đêm; 12 giờ đêm

Colors
When describing the color of an object etc., use the word below. When referring to the color itself, use màu or mầu followed by the word below.

 * black : đen (Dan)
 * white : trắng (chahng?!)
 * gray : xám (sahm?)
 * red : đỏ (daw... aw?)
 * blue : xanh nước (sahyng neu-uhk?)
 * yellow : vàng (vahng...)
 * green : xanh (lá cây) (sahyng lah? kay)
 * orange : cam (kahm)
 * purple : tím (just as it is written, tim but long 'i' )
 * brown : nâu (know)

Bus and train

 * How much is a ticket to _____? : Một vé đến _____ là bao nhiêu? (mo'oht veah? dehn? _____ lah... bao nyee-oh)
 * One ticket to _____, please. : Xin cho tôi một vé đến _____. (seen jyaw thoh-ee mo'oht veah? dehn? _____)
 * Where does this train/bus go? : Tàu/xe này đi đâu? (thoe.../seah nay...! dee doh)
 * Where is the train/bus to _____? : Tàu/xe đi đến _____ ở đâu? (thoe.../seah dee dehn _____ uh...uh? doh)
 * Does this train/bus stop in _____? : Tàu/xe này có dừng tại _____ không? (thoe.../seah nay...! goh? zeung... thah'ee _____ kohng)
 * When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : Tàu/xe đi _____ chạy lúc nào? (thoe.../seah dee _____ jyah'ee loohk? nahh-oh...)
 * When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : Khi nào tàu/xe này sẽ đến _____? (kee nahh-oh thoe.../seah nay...! seah'uh? dehn? _____)

Directions

 * How do I get to _____ ? : Làm cách nào để tôi đến _____ ? (...)
 * ...the train station? : ...nhà ga? (...)
 * ...the bus station? : ...trạm xe buýt? (...)
 * ...the airport? : ...sân bay? (son bye...)
 * ...downtown? : ...thành phố? (...)
 * Đường xuống phố như thế nào? (...)

 * ...the youth hostel? : ...nhà trọ cho khách du lịch? (...)
 * ...the _____ hotel? : ...khách sạn _____? (...)
 * ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? : ...tòa lãnh sự Mỹ/Canada/Úc/Anh? (...)
 * Where are there a lot of... : Nơi nào có nhiều... (...)
 * ...hotels? : ...khách sạn? (...)
 * ...restaurants? : ...nhà hàng? (...)
 * ...bars? : ...quán rượu? (...)
 * ...sites to see? : ...thắng cảnh? (...)
 * Can you show me on the map? : Chỉ trên bản đồ cho tôi được không? (...)
 * street : đường (...)
 * Turn left. : Rẽ trái. (...)
 * Turn right. : Rẽ phải. (...)
 * left : trái (...)
 * right : phải (...)
 * straight ahead : đi thẳng (...)
 * towards the _____ : tiến đến _____ (...)
 * past the _____ : đi qua _____ (...)
 * before the _____ : trước _____ (...)
 * Watch for the _____. : Coi chừng _____. (...)
 * intersection : ngã ba/tư/năm/sáu/bảy (3/4/5/6/7-way intersection) (...)
 * north : bắc (...)
 * south : nam (...)
 * east : đông (...)
 * west : tây (...)
 * uphill : lên dốc (...)
 * downhill : xuống dốc (...)

Taxi

 * Taxi! : Taxi! (tha? see)
 * Take me to _____, please. : Vui lòng đưa tôi đến_____,. (...)
 * How much does it cost to get to _____? : Đến _____ giá bao nhiêu? (...)
 * Take me there, please. : Vui lòng đưa tôi đến đó. (...)

Lodging

 * Do you have any rooms available? : Bạn còn phòng không? (...)
 * How much is a room for one person/two people? : Giá phòng cho một/hai người là bao nhiêu? (...)
 * Does the room come with... : Trong phòng có ... không? (...)
 * ...bedsheets? : ...ga trải gường? (...)
 * ...a bathroom? : ...phòng vệ sinh? (...); ...phòng cầu tiêu (...)
 * ...a telephone? : ...điện thoại? (dee-ehn twhy)
 * ...a TV? : ...TV? (thee vee)
 * May I see the room first? : Tôi xem phòng trước có được không? (...)
 * Do you have anything quieter? : Có phòng nào yên tĩnh hơn không? (...)
 * ...bigger? : ...lớn hơn không? (...)
 * ...cleaner? : ...sạch hơn không? (...)
 * ...cheaper? : ...rẻ hơn không? (...)
 * OK, I'll take it. : OK, tôi sẽ lấy phòng này. (...)
 * I will stay for _____ night(s). : Tôi sẽ ở đây _____ đêm. (...)
 * Can you suggest another hotel? : Có thể giới thiệu cho tôi một khách sạn khác được không? (...)
 * Do you have a safe? : Có két an toàn không? (...)
 * ...lockers? : ... tủ đồ? (...)
 * Is breakfast/supper included? : Có kèm theo bữa sáng/tối không? (...)
 * What time is breakfast/supper? : Ăn sáng/tối lúc mấy giờ? (...)
 * Please clean my room. : Làm ơn dọn phòng giúp tôi. (...)
 * Can you wake me at _____? : Xin đánh thức tôi dậy lúc _____? (...)
 * I want to check out. : Tôi muốn check out. (...)

Money

 * Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : Có chấp nhận đô la Mỹ/Úc/Canada không? (...)
 * Do you accept British pounds? : Có chấp nhận bảng Anh không? (...)
 * Do you accept credit cards? : Có chấp nhận thẻ tín dụng không? (...)
 * Can you change money for me? : Bạn đổi tiền cho tôi được không? (...)
 * Where can I get money changed? : Tôi có thể đi đổi tiền ở đâu? (...)
 * Can you change a traveler's check for me? : Có thể đổi séc du lịch cho tôi được không? (...)
 * Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : Tôi có thể đổi séc du lịch ở đâu? (...)
 * What is the exchange rate? : Tỷ giá là bao nhiêu? (...)
 * Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : Máy rút tiền (ATM) ở đâu? (...)

Eating
Note: Em is the most common pronoun used in this situation because waiters and waitresses in Vietnam are usually young people, but if the waiter or waitress looks older than you, see the Grammar section above for the appropriate pronoun to use instead.
 * A table for one person/two people, please. : Cho tôi một bàn cho một/hai người. (...)
 * Can I look at the menu, please? : Làm ơn cho tôi xem menu? (...)
 * Can I look in the kitchen? : Cho tôi xem nhà bếp được không? (...)
 * Is there a house specialty? : Quán ăn này có món đặc sản nào không? (...)
 * Is there a local specialty? : Ở vùng này có món đặc sản nào không? (...)
 * I'm a vegetarian. : Tôi là người ăn chay. (...)
 * I don't eat pork. : Tôi không ăn thịt lợn. (...)
 * I don't eat beef. : Tôi không ăn thịt bò. (...)
 * I eat only kosher food. : (...)
 * Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard) : Vui lòng làm nó ít béo được không? (ít dầu/bơ/mỡ heo...)
 * fixed-price meal : fixed-price meal (...)
 * à la carte : gọi theo món (...)
 * breakfast : bữa sáng (boo... ee? sahng?)
 * lunch : bữa trưa (boo... ee? cheu-uh)
 * tea (meal) : trà (...)
 * supper : bữa tối (boo... ee? chee-oh...)
 * I want _____. : Xin _____. ("seen")
 * I want a dish containing _____. : Cho tôi một đĩa có _____. (...)
 * chicken : (thịt) gà (teet. gah...)
 * beef : (thịt) bò (teet. baw...)
 * fish : cá (gah?)
 * ham : jambon (zhahm bohng)
 * sausage : xúc xích (sook? sick?)
 * cheese : phô mai (...)
 * eggs : trứng (cheung?)
 * salad : sa lát (...)
 * (fresh) vegetables : rau (tươi) (rao theu-uh-ee)
 * (fresh) fruit : trái cây (tươi) (chai? gai)
 * bread : bánh mì (ba'in me...)
 * toast : bánh mì nướng (bain mee... neu-uhng?)
 * wheat noodles : mì (me...)
 * rice (cooked; as a dish) : cơm (guhm)
 * rice (uncooked) : gạo ("gah-ow.")
 * beans (like mung beans) : đậu (duh-oh.)
 * beans (like coffee beans) : hột (hoht.)
 * May I have a glass of _____? : Cho tôi một ly _____? (...)
 * May I have a cup of _____? : Cho tôi một cốc _____? (...)
 * May I have a bottle of _____? : Cho tôi một chai _____? (...)
 * coffee : cà phê (ga... fey)
 * tea (drink) : nước trà (neu-uk? chah...)
 * _____ juice : nước ép _____ (...)
 * bubbly water : nước ngọt (neu-uk? ngawt.)
 * water : nước (neu-uk?)
 * beer : rượu (rih-oh.), bia (pronounce "beer" with a British accent)
 * red/white wine : rượu đỏ/trắng (rih-oh. daw... aw? / chahng?!)
 * May I have some _____? : Có thể cho tôi _____? (...)
 * salt : muối (moo-ee?)
 * black pepper : hạt tiêu (haht. thee-oh)
 * fish sauce : nước mắm
 * soy sauce : xì dầu (in the north) / nước tương (in the south)
 * butter : bơ (buh)
 * Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): Em ơi (...)
 * I'm finished. : Xong rồi. (sah-ohng roh-ee...)
 * It was delicious. : Nó rất ngon. (...)
 * Please clear the plates. : Xin hãy dọn đĩa đi. (...)
 * The check, please. : Thanh toán tiền giúp tôi. (...)

Bars

 * Do you serve alcohol? : Có rượu ở đây không? (...)
 * Is there table service? : (...)
 * A beer/two beers, please. : Cho tôi một/hai cốc bia. (...)
 * A glass of red/white wine, please. : Cho tôi một ly rượu đỏ/trắng. (...)
 * A pint, please. : (...)
 * A bottle, please. : Cho tôi một chai. (...)
 * _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please. : (...)
 * whiskey : uytky (...)
 * vodka : (...)
 * rum : (...)
 * water : nước (neu-uhck?)
 * soda pop : nước ngọt (neu-uhck? ngawt.)
 * club soda : (...)
 * tonic water : (...)
 * orange juice : nước cam (neu-uhck? gam)
 * Coke (soda) : Côca-Côla (koh-kah? koh-la)
 * Do you have any bar snacks? : (...)
 * One more, please. : Cho tôi một ly/chai nữa. (...)
 * Another round, please. : (...)
 * When is closing time? : Bao giờ đóng cửa? (Bow yuh... downg? geu-uh?)
 * Cheers! : Một, hai, ba, dzô! (mo'oht, high, bar, yo/zo!)

Shopping

 * Do you have this in my size? : (...)
 * How much (money) is this? : Bao nhiêu (tiền)? (bahw nyee-oh thee-uhn...)
 * That's too expensive. : Đắt quá. (daht?! kwahh?)
 * Would you take _____? : Bạn lấy _____ được không? (ley? _____ deu'uhk kohng)
 * expensive : đắt (daht?!)
 * cheap : rẻ (reah...uh?)
 * I can't afford it. : Tôi không có đủ tiền mua. (thoh-ee kohng kaw? doo...oo? thee-uhn... moo-uh)
 * I don't want it. : Tôi không muốn. (thoh-ee kohng moo-uhn?)
 * You're cheating me. : Mày ăn gian tôi. (my ang yang Thoy)
 * I'm not interested. : Tôi không thích lắm. (...)
 * OK, I'll take it. : OK, tôi sẽ lấy nó. (...)
 * Can I have a bag? : Bạn có túi không? (...)
 * Do you ship (overseas)? : Có thể gởi đồ (ngoài nước) không? (...)
 * I need... : Tôi cần... (thoh-ee cuhn...)
 * ...toothpaste. : ...kem đánh răng. (keahm dayng? rahng)
 * ...a toothbrush. : ...bàn chải đánh răng. (bahn... chah-ee? dayng? rahng)
 * ...tampons. : băng vệ sinh
 * ...soap. : ...xà bông. (sah... bohng)
 * ...shampoo. : ...dầu gội. (...)
 * ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) : ...thuốc giảm đau. (too-uhc? yah...ahm? dahw!)
 * ...cold medicine. : ...thuốc cảm. (...)
 * ...stomach medicine. : ...thuốc đau bụng. (...)
 * ...a razor. : ...dao cạo râu. (yahw kah'oh ruh-oo)
 * ...an umbrella. : ...dù/ô. (...)
 * ...sunblock lotion. : ...kem chống nắng. (...)
 * ...a postcard. : ...bưu thiếp. (...)
 * ...postage stamps. : ...tem. (tham)
 * ...batteries. : ...pin. (bean)
 * ...writing paper. : ...giấy. (yay?!)
 * ...a pen. : ...bút mực. (boot?!) (in the north) / ...viết mực. (in the south)
 * ...a pencil. : ...bút chì. (boot?! chee...) (in the north) / ...viết chì. (in the south)
 * ...English-language books. : ...sách Anh ngữ. (...)
 * ...English-language magazines. : ...tạp chí Anh ngữ. (thuh'p chee? ayng-eu'eu?)
 * ...an English-language newspaper. : ...báo Anh ngữ. (bahw? ayng-eu'eu?)
 * ...an English-English dictionary. : ...từ điển Anh-Anh. (theu... dee-n? ayng-ayng)

Driving

 * I want to rent a car. : Tôi muốn thuê xe. (...)
 * Can I get insurance? : Có bảo hiểm cho tôi không? (koh? bah...oo hee...m? chaw thoh-ee khohng)
 * stop (on a street sign) : dừng (...)
 * one way : một chiều (...)
 * yield : yield (...)
 * no parking : không đỗ xe (...)
 * speed limit : tốc độ cho phép (...)
 * gas (petrol) station : cây xăng (keh-ee sahng!)
 * petrol : xăng (sahng!)
 * diesel : ("...")

Authority

 * I haven't done anything wrong. : Tôi chưa làm gì sai. (thoh-ee cheu-uh lam zee sai?)
 * It was a misunderstanding. : Chỉ là hiểu lầm thôi. (chee...ee? lah... hee...oh? luhm... toh-ee)
 * Where are you taking me? : Bạn đang dẫn tôi đi đâu? (bahn dahng yuh'n? thoh-ee dee duhw)
 * I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. : Tôi là công dân Mỹ/Australia/Anh/Canada. (toh-ee lah... kohng yuhn mee'ee? / australia / ayng / kah-nah-dah)
 * I want to talk to the (American/Australian/British/Canadian) (embassy/consulate). : Tôi cần phải nói chuyện với (đại sứ quán/lãnh sự) (Mỹ/Australia/Anh/Canada). (thoh-ee kuhn... fah...ee? naw-ee? cheu-ee'n vuh-ee? (dah'i seu? kwahn?/lay'ng? seu'eu) (mee'ee?/australia/ayng/kah-nah-dah)
 * I want to talk to a lawyer. : Tôi muốn nói chuyện với luật sư. (...)
 * Can I just pay a fine now? : Tôi chỉ trả tiền phạt thôi được không? (...)
 * Can I just pay a fine now? : Tôi chỉ trả tiền phạt thôi được không? (...)

Learning more

 * Vietnamese textbook at Wikibooks
 * Learn Vietnamese Your Way Learn Vietnamese fast from English
 * Vietnamese Online Web Application with 40 Interactive Free Lessons

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Vietnamese phrasebook


text:
Vig

There is more than one place called Vig:

Denmark

 * Vig (by) — a village in the municipality of Odsherred

Albania

 * Vig (Macukull) — a village in Dibër County, Northeastern Albania

Venezuela

 * Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo Airport in El Vigía

title: Vig


text:
Vigan

Vigan is a city in Ilocos Sur, Northern Luzon. Its Spanish colonial influence in local architecture and old-world charm make it a unique city in the Philippines.

History
The area of Vigan was once a settlement of traders from Fujian Province, China. At the time of Spanish colonization, the Chinese settlers, whose language was Southern Fujianese (Minnan, referred to as "Hokkien" by most Filipinos), referred to the area as "Bee Gan" (Chinese: 美岸; pinyin: Měi'àn, pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bí'gān), which means "Beautiful Shore." Since the Castillian and Basque Spanish conquistadors interchanged V and the B to refer to the B sound, they spelled the Hokkien Chinese name "Bee Gan" as "Vigan", which is the name used to this day.

In pre-colonial times, Vigan was an important trading post for Chinese merchants trading gold, beeswax and other products from the central Cordilleras for exotic Asian goods. Many Chinese traders settled in the mestizo district, marrying locals and starting new bloodlines.

Vigan was captured and settled by the Spanish in 1572, and grew to become a center of Spanish political and religious power in the north of Luzon. In 1758 Vigan became the seat of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia.

The town was also a hotbed of anti-Spanish politics. Diego Silang was perhaps the most notable resistance leader, but was assassinated by his friends (on commission from the Spanish) in May 1763. Undeterred, Silang's wife, Maria Josefa Gabriela Silang, assumed leadership of the uprising but was later captured by the Spanish and publicly hanged on September 20, 1763.

Local legend has it that Vigan got its name from a simple communication breakdown. A Spaniard walking along the Metizo River apparently met a local and asked what the city was named. Not understanding what he was being asked, but seeing that the Spaniard seemed to be pointing to a tree, replied "Bigaa Apo" (a giant Taro plant that was common in the area). It is from the word "Bigaa" that Vigan is said to have derived its name.

Orientation
Vigan is a relatively small city with two hearts: the recreational and shopping area around the adjacent Plaza Salcedo and Plaza Burgos in the north, and the commercial centre around the public market in the south. The mestizo district is focused along Plaridel and Mena Crisologo Streets, running south from Plaza Burgos towards the cemetery.

There is a helpful and friendly provincial tourist information office south west of Plaza Burgos (next to Cafe Leona) that can dispense information on Vigan and the rest of Ilocos Sur. Banks with ATMs accepting foreign credit cards are located around the recreational and shopping areas and at Quezon Avenue, as are internet cafes with access that charge per hour. Some restaurants offer Wi-Fi access.

By bus or car
It's 7-10 hours' drive along the scenic MacArthur Highway or Manila North Road from Manila or Quezon City to Vigan. Partas Bus Co., Dominion Bus Lines, Viron Transit, and St. Joseph/Aniceto Transit have regular trips to Vigan. Bus lines like Philippine Rabbit Bus Line, Farinas Transit, Maria de Leon, Florida, and RCJ Transit have regular trips plying the Manila-Laoag route, which passes by Vigan.

By plane
Alternately, you could go to Laoag's International Airport (1.5 hours by car). Philippine Airlines flies dally from Laoag and Manila

Get around

A fun throwback to colonial days are the calesa horse-drawn carriages that still clip-clop through Vigan's streets. Rates for calesa rides should be the same as those for the many tricycles ( within the city limits) that will undoubtedly by vying for your custom. But you could also hire a private calesa for around per hour. Unless you're absolutely sure you have a tour guide that will give you in depth information about the sites you're visiting, A whole day calesa adventure for about (roughly 6-7 hours) would be advisable. You can take your time visiting the sites and not being rushed by a guide, as well as picking and choosing the areas you want to visit.

See

The Historic Town of Vigan is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
 * Just adjacent to the Cathedral is the Archbishop's Palace of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, which dates from the 16th century during the Spanish era - the oldest archbishop's residence still in use in the Philippines. It was completed in 1793 after 7 years of construction. It features sliding capiz windows and cut-out decorations with floral motifs. It has a back entrance that leads to the nearby Govantes Dike. The palace has a collection of priceless ecclesiastical artifacts and relics from other Ilocos churches.
 * Govantes Dike is a body of water connected to the Archbishop's Palace which was once a docking port for water craft. It is now a place for boating, similar to the lake in Burnham Park in Baguio.
 * Just adjacent to the Cathedral is the Archbishop's Palace of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, which dates from the 16th century during the Spanish era - the oldest archbishop's residence still in use in the Philippines. It was completed in 1793 after 7 years of construction. It features sliding capiz windows and cut-out decorations with floral motifs. It has a back entrance that leads to the nearby Govantes Dike. The palace has a collection of priceless ecclesiastical artifacts and relics from other Ilocos churches.
 * Govantes Dike is a body of water connected to the Archbishop's Palace which was once a docking port for water craft. It is now a place for boating, similar to the lake in Burnham Park in Baguio.

Do

 * Take a swim at the nearby Mindoro Beach Resort.
 * Visit Baluarte, the governor's fortress. It also features a mini zoo with exotic animals and you can get a free ride with the small horses. It is also a popular venue for special events such as seminars and conferences. The Baluarte is owned by former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson.
 * Try your hand at pottery. Vigan's Pagburnayan makes burnay jars which are made of carabao-kneaded clay and fire-blasted in a huge kiln.
 * Ride a calesa, a horse-drawn carriage, around Vigan and the surrounding towns.
 * Witness old women weave abel at Camangaan.
 * Visit St. Augustine Church in nearby Bantay and climb up its belfry to get a breath-taking view of the town.
 * Join the Viva Vigan, Kannawidan, and Binatbatan Festivals when it happens.
 * Try the Heritage River Tour, with its main base at Celedonia Garden in Beddeng Laud.

Buy
There are dozens of antique and souvenir shops dotted about the city, particularly on Crisologo and Plaridel Streets in the mestizo district. Although most of the antiques are only reproductions, you'll still enjoy browsing odd items, religious paraphernalia (look out for the toddler Jesus figurines) and some unique foods. You can also buy hand-rolled cigars, sold in packs of three.

You can buy native handwoven abel cloth at the Vigan Public Market, as well as delicacies like longganisa (native pork sausages) and bagnet (deep-fried crispy pork) at its Meat Section.

Eat and drink
Popular snack stands along Plaza Burgos serve up a variety of local treats, including:
 * sinanglao (soup made from beef innards)
 * arroz caldo (rice soup with chicken)
 * miki (flat noodles in a thick soup with meat bits and sometimes drizzled with eggs)
 * empanada (turnover with a filling of eggs, Vigan longganisa/sausage and vegetables wrapped in a rice flour crust/shell)
 * okoy (a pancake made with local shrimp).

Nobody should leave Vigan without tasting their empanada. It is a different concoction from the flour-based empanada that is more widely known.

Royal Bibingka is very popular at Tongson's Royal Bibingka, #8 Florentino St., Vigan City--just a street away from Plaza Burgos.

Also, try the Vigan longganisa, which is spicy unlike its Pampanga counterpart which is sweetish.

There is also a delicacy called tinubong, a sticky sweet rice cake that's sold in bamboo tubes, and you have to break the bamboo to eat the sticky sweet rice inside. They are usually sold in the Heritage Village in bundles of three to five.

Fried tasty corn (cornick) can also be bought in the various stalls. It comes plain or flavored.

Sugar is made in surrounding towns and barangays of Vigan in the form of tagapulot (molasses) and balikutsa (a very hard sugar concoction shaped into scrolls).

Also try the Basi, a local wine (native rum) made from sugarcane.

title: Vigan


text:
Vigo

Vigo is a city of almost 295,000 people (2018) in Galicia, Spain. It has some Roman ruins and Romanesque churches.

Understand
Vigo is not only one of the major industrial cities in Galicia, but it is also one of the more important Roman centres of Pontevedra. Although within the city you will not find much Romanesque architecture, it can be seen a few kilometers away from the city centre. A large number of Roman ruins remain in many of the municipality's neighbourhoods and parishes. Such is the importance of the Roman remains in Vigo that many Spanish authors have come to coin the term románico vigués (Vigo-style Romanesque). Vigo retains some interesting examples of Romanesque churches in southern Galicia: Santa María de Castrelos, Santiago de Bembrive, and San Salvador de Coruxo.

Vigo was a 1960s boom town after Franco's government gave this city a free-trade zone in 1947 and a Development Pole in 1964. Vigo is one of the region's primary economic agents, owing in part to the French Citroën automotive factory and to the Port of Vigo.

The Galician language (Gallego), Portuguese, and Castilian (Spanish) are all spoken in Vigo.

Climate
Vigo is the rainiest city in Galicia. Compared to many other Galician towns, Vigo and Pontevedra experience warmer summer temperatures than A Coruña or Santiago de Compostela and milder winters than inland areas.

By plane

You could also fly into Santiago, or to Porto which has a shuttle bus to Vigo.

By train
There is direct train from Porto (Portugal) twice a day (€14, 3 hr) and to several other Spanish cities - Santiago de Compostela (hourly, 1½ hr, €9), Madrid (twice a day, €50), Bilbao (one per day, €48), Pontevedra (several times a day, €3, 30 min)

By car
Distances to Vigo: Madrid 590 km, A Coruna 156 km, Ourense 100 km, Pontevedra 27 km

By sea
Local ferries sail from Cangas and Moaña across the gulf.

See
An industrial and recent city, Vigo has few remarkable old buildings but is home to a collegiate church and a few museums, most of which were inaugurated between the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Do

 * Stroll down the main port and savour the impressive variety of local seafood.

 * Football: Celta Vigo play soccer in La Liga, Spain's top tier. Their Balaídos stadium (capacity 29,000) is 2 km southwest of the old centre.

In the city centre
There are a lot of budget-friendly restaurants in the city center.

Drink
Queimada is an alcoholic beverage of Galician tradition.

Queimada's characteristic blue fire. Queimada has origins in the Pagan festivals of Galicia. It is a punch made from Galician aguardiente (Orujo Gallego) - a spirit distilled from wine and flavoured with herbs or coffee, plus sugar, lemon peel, coffee beans and cinnamon.

Traditionally while preparing the punch a spell or incantation is recited, so that special powers are conferred to the queimada and those drinking it. Then the queimada is set alight, and slowly burns as more brandy is added.

Sleep
Accommodation is very easy to find, there are a lot of hotels, pensiones and hostales (B&B) all around the city, mostly in the city centre or near (the previous) train station.

Connect
Vigo has 5G from all Spanish carriers.

Go next

 * Pontevedra has a well-preserved old city.
 * Cangas do Morrazo is its beach resort, on the peninsula north of Vigo.
 * Santiago de Compostela is a must-see cathedral city. You don't have to hike there wearing a scallop.
 * Tui is a pleasant hilltop town overlooking the border.
 * Minho is the first province you reach south of the border in Portugal - remember to adjust your watch.

title: Vigo


text:
Vijayawada

Vijayawada is the second largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is on the banks of the Krishna River, bounded by the Indrakeeladri Hills on the west and the Budameru stream on the north. Its name literally translates to "The Place of Victory". It is also known as Bezawada.

Vijayawada is in Krishna District and is known as the business capital of Andhra Pradesh. It is just 20 km from the legislative capital Amaravati. It is spread over an area of 61 km² (urban area) with a population of over 1 million people (agglomeration 1.4 million) (2011).

By plane

Unlike major international airports, there is only domestic connectivity from several cities in India. There was only one international flight to Singapore in 2018. There are several hotels close to the airport, including the guest house provided by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

IndiGo connects the city with Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and Mumbai. SpiceJet connects the city with Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pondicherry. Air India connects the city with Delhi and Hyderabad.

By train
Vijayawada is along the Chennai-Howrah, and Chennai-Delhi rail routes, the largest railway junction of the South Central Railways, and with frequent service to Hyderabad.

By rickshaw
Travel by rickshaw was once the most common mode of transportation in city. It is now rarely seen on the road. If you can find a rickshaw, they are often a good, cheap ride to most locations within the city.

By autorickshaw
Not to be confused with a regular rickshaw, these metal and motorized vehicles can take you around the city. Ensure you bargain the fare with the driver before making the trip. There is commonly no meter fitted, so if you don't bargain you might end up paying a lot more based on excuses such as 'there was too much traffic' or 'you didn't know the directions'. There are also pre-paid auto kiosks at the railway station (near the front entrance) and at the bus station, where a policeman or a clerk can give you a printed or written bill for the auto fare, and the driver cannot charge anything more than that amount.

By taxi
There are very few car-taxis in Vijayawada. You can, though, call up a cab hire (Jahnavi Car Travels, 0866-2474394) and have the taxi pick you up. Ola Cabs is the latest addition in this sector which allows you to hire a taxi via Android, iOS and Windows applications.

By car
There are many car rental companies available.

By bus
Most parts of the city and suburbs are knitted together by the bus network run by the APSRTC. A local bus is generally referred to as a 'City bus', and can be boarded at numerous bus-stops spread all across the city. Most bus-stops do not have a timetable displayed, so you have to catch a bus simply by reading the nameplate on the top. Also, during rush hour (which is usually around 8:30AM and 4:30PM and evening rush-hour may continue well until 7.30PM), there is a lot of hassle when a bus halts, as people trying to get on and off the same time. Overcrowded buses can be tedious and suffocating and are best avoided. If you have to take a bus at all, it is better to try boarding one that has enough room inside.

You have to purchase a ticket when you board a bus, and make sure you have the right amount of change with you.

The inter-city bus station is in Krishnalanka, from where state-owned transport corporation APSRTC plies buses to every corner of state. You go to almost any place in the Andhra Pradesh from here.

There are private buses that connect the city with Guntur, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore, Pune and Tirupati over a comfortable night-journey, though there are also options for the day-traveller. The tickets for these have to be booked at the offices of the operators.

Eat

Drink

 * Vijayawada has a special take on south Indian filter coffee which can be purchased almost anywhere.
 * Vijayawada has a special take on south Indian filter coffee which can be purchased almost anywhere.

Sleep
Vijayawada is one of big railway junctions in India. There are many choices.The ones below are the star hotels.

 * Hotel Krishna Residency,M.G.Road,Beside Jaihind Theater,Besent Road.
 * Hotel Ilapuram,Gandhinagar.
 * Hotel Mamata.
 * Hotel Manorama
 * Hotel Monica
 * Hotel Swarna Palace.
 * Hotel Monica
 * Hotel Swarna Palace.

Budget hotels are near the Old Busstand and near the Railway Station.

Kondapalli
Kondapalli village is 16 km from Vijayawada. The village is known for making toys with light-weight wood sourced from the hill forest.

Go next

 * Amaravati — The capital of Andhra Pradesh is just at the opposite bank of the Krishna River
 * Guntur

title: Vijayawada


text:
Vijlen

Vijlen is a village in South Limburg, the southernmost part of the Dutch province Limburg. The surrounding hamlets included, some 1500 people live here, although in summer the village also receives a large number of visitors. Mostly Dutch tourists find their way to this friendly village, which serves as a fine base to explore the region. It is known as the highest situated village in the Netherlands and is commended for the beautiful landscapes and forest areas around. It promotes itself as the only "mountain village" in the country, which of course is an exaggeration of its hill-top position, but is the basis for a number of activities for tourists and inhabitants alike.

Understand
The village of Vijlen comprises the hamlets Camerig, Harles, Rott, Melleschet and Cottessen. Vijlen as a whole is part of the municipality Vaals. If accommodation gets scarcer during the summer season, or if you like the countryside experience, these hamlets have a number of camp sites and holiday houses to offer. The main village of Vijlen is located on a hill, the Vijlenerberg, and therefor lies up to 200 m above Normaal Amsterdams Peil.

History
Burial mounds in the nearby Vijlener forest are proof of human settlement in this area at the time of the Linear Pottery Culture, some 3000–5000 years ago. Children's teeth were found in one of the mounds, which is therefor called the "children's grave". Since no valuable items were found at the site, but Roman pottery remains were, the Romans are believed to have plundered the graves long before their excavation in the 1920s and 30s. The modern day village is most likely Roman in origin, and the name Vijlen is presumably derived from "villa" or "villare", which would mean "farm villa" or "belonging to a farm villa" in Latin.

Around 1877, cement industry settled in the small village. A factory was built on top of the Vijlenerberg (the hill on which the village lies) and made a natural cement out of local limestone. A second factory was built in 1899, lower on the hill, but went bankrupt soon after. A new owner was able to get the new factory running again and made good profits during World War I, when cement became scarce. Both factories had underground tunnels, originally for underground mining purposes and later to connect open air quarries to the factory buildings. A long 2-m-high and no more than 1.7-m-wide tunnel under the Vijlenerberg connected the new factory to its quarry. In the 1920s, strong competition in the cement branch and the remote location, far from any railway, eventually caused the factories to close.

Get in
The main road leading to Vijlen is a side way of the N278 (between Maastricht and Vaals). When leaving the N278 it's about 1 km uphill to the centre of the village. Smaller regional roads connect the village to Mechelen and Vaals. Your fastest connection to the extensive Dutch and German highway system is via junction Knooppunt Bocholtz, wheren the N278 connects to the A76.

Bus line 59 runs right through the village on its way from Vaals to Mamelis and back. If you're coming from Heerlen or Simpelveld bus line 43 can take you as far as the hamlet of Mamelis or Vaals. From Maastricht and Aachen, Vijlen is reable by bus 350 which stops in Vaals and Mamelis, where a transfer to line 59 is possible. From Mamelis a 15 minutes walk uphill is also a option with a separated walking path next to the road.

The nearest train stations of use are in Heerlen or Maastricht or in Aachen (for German connections). From there you will have to take a bus. Taxis are available but very expensive, as Heerlen and Maastricht are both at least a 20 minute drive. Count on at least €60 for a taxi ride from Heerlen. Uber is active in the region but expect to have to wait for your driver to reach the more remotely located Vijlen.

For the odd chance you're flying in, Maastricht-Aachen airport is the closest one, with only discount carriers and limited destinations. For more international flights, try Dusseldorf, Cologne, Brussels, Eindhoven and of course Amsterdam Schiphol airport (which is some 2½ hr away by train).

Get around
The town is small, and you'll be fine on foot. Visiting one or two hamlets is still doable on foot. However, unless you like a firm walk, you'll need a car, bike or some other form of transport to get around to several of them. You can reserve an electric bike via Wandelcafé A gen Kirk and hotel/restaurant Vijlerhof. If you're staying in holiday park Reevallis, you can also rent a bike there. For cars, quads or vespas, head to Valkenburg or Maastricht. The region is a hillier than the rest of the Netherlands and biking on a normal bike can be a very physical activity. If untrained or uncertain of your biking-stamina, an electric bike would be advised.

Do

 * Of course, the main activity in Vijlen (as in most villages around), is exploring the surrounding natural areas. Around the village you'll find great landscapes (in part because of the high location of the village), lots of marked routes and a nice forest. Several shorter and longer walks start are colour marked, starting in or around Boscafé 't Hijgend Hert. In the small groceries store you can buy (€4) the "Spatzierkaart", a map with several hiking routes in the area.
 * Some of the local bars have joined forces to develop a so-called Kroegjesroute, or bar route. It's basically a number of walking routes, leading along some of the best viewpoints around ánd connecting all of the 12 participating establishments, some of which are in surrounding villages. Depending on your wishes, you can opt for a longer or shorter route, or take several in a row. Maps and routes are available in any of the participating cafés, but Fiets en wandelcafé 'A gen Kirk' (across the church) is the designated place to get more information on this or other hiking or biking routes, as it doubles as a tourist office info point.
 * The Vijlener forest is nice for a walk and the Linear pottery culture burial mounds there are visible. One of the mounds, the "children's grave", has been opened on one side. The information sign next to it is not in English, though.
 * The Koelmarkt is an annual summer fair, held around the end of July. It has a flee market, lots of stalls with all kinds of goods and food, but also music and fireworks at night.

Buy
The village has a small grocery store for all daily needs, as well as a bakery and a flower and gifts store. All those are located on the main road, around the church. In April and May there's also a temporary garden centre on the Mamelisserweg. The groceries place, advertised as "buurtwinkel" (neighbourhood store), sells postcards and some local specialities including beer, wine, apple juice and honey.

Eat
There are a few places to eat in this small village, but several of the restaurants are attached to hotels. Therefore, see the Sleep-section for more options.

Connect
Most hotels and larger lodging facilities have Wi-Fi available, but in some cases you will pay extra. Check in advance. For computer use you'll have to head to the local public library in Vaals.

The grocery store (buurtwinkel) next to the church sells mobile phone prepaid cards, postcards and stamps. There's a mailbox across the road from the store (the church side). The mail box has an orange colour. Mail has to be separated in 2 categories: postal codes within a local range and those outside of that local range. Sending your mail in the wrong section could get it severely delayed. For packages or other postal services you'll have to head to the more equipped post offices of Mechelen, Vaals or Gulpen.

Go next
Nearby destinations that are popular with tourists include:

 * Vaals
 * Epen
 * Gulpen
 * Maastricht
 * Simpelveld
 * Aachen (Germany)
 * Sippenaeken (Belgium)

title: Vijlen


text:
Vik

Vik or Vík can refer to more than one place:

Iceland

 * Vík í Mýrdal, a village in South Iceland

Sweden

 * Vik (Österlen), a village in Österlen, southern Sweden

Norway
Is the name of a municipality and a number of villages.

title: Vik


text:
Viladecans

Viladecans is a city near Barcelona and a great place for sports.

Understand
Viladecans has a population of 66,000 (2018) and is mainly lower middle class. The city is beautiful because of its beach and its streets, which are full of markets. For these reasons, it is nice to walk around. The people of Viladecans are very friendly.

The town is famous for sports, and it has produced Olympic athletes and marathon runners who have represented Spain. You will also find a great enthusiasm for baseball.

Buy
there is a big shopping Mall called The Style Outlets

Eat
There’s an area called “La Rambla”, where a lot of outdoor bars and restaurants are.

title: Viladecans


text:
Vila do Conde

Vila do Conde is a city of 79,000 people (2011) in the Douro Litoral region of Northern Portugal.

Understand

Vila do Conde (VEE-luh doo KOHN-d(ih), /ˈvi.ɫɐ du ˈkõ.dɨ/) is an important industrial centre, fishing port and bathing and tourist area. It is one of the most sought after bathing centres in the country. The city is on the north bank of the mouth of the river Ave, and is part of the same urban agglomeration as Póvoa de Varzim.

Get in
There are buses, subway and trains from Porto.

The city is connected by road on a north-south axis from Vila Nova de Cerveira to Porto by the A28 motorway. The A7 motorway crosses the A28 and on an east-west axis, through the north of the city, connecting it to Vila Nova de Famalicão and Guimarães. The EN13, which crosses the municipality and the city in the north-south direction, is used by motorists coming from the parishes south of the city of Vila do Conde for it to access or move around in the parishes of the municipality; and to the north, to access from Póvoa de Varzim. The EN205it crosses the municipality to the north, on an east-west axis and connects Vila do Conde to Vila Nova de Famalicão. The EN104 crosses the municipality in the middle, on an east-west axis, and connects Vila do Conde to Trofa and Santo Tirso. The EN205 and EN104 are used by travellers from the interior of the municipality to access the city or move around the parishes in the municipality.

By plane
The Porto/Pedras Rubras (Sá Carneiro International Airport), 15 km from the city centre, is the second largest airport in the country, connects to the municipality and the city of Vila do Conde via the A28, EN13 and Metro from Porto.

Get around
It's small enough to walk around.

Public transport within the city of Vila do Conde is managed mainly by Litoral Norte - Transportes Urbanos da Póvoa de Varzim; the remaining lines are managed by Transdev.

Line B of the Metro do Porto connects Vila do Conde to the city of Porto and the airport in two types of services, normal and express. It also connects to the north of Póvoa de Varzim.

See

 * This is not a town on the main trail for foreign tourists but it's no worse for that. It has long been connected with lace-making and there's an interesting museum.
 * The old part of the town is fascinating and it is still a minor port.
 * There is a disproportionately large Friday market.
 * Vila do Conde was a very important shipyard in the first decades of the Maritime Discoveries. You can see and visit a replica of a Portuguese "Nau" (a big seafaring ship from the 15th/16th century, bigger than the caravelle, smaller than the galleon) by the riverside. If you arrive by the bridge from the south, the "Nau" is easily visible on the docks by your left.
 * Beaches.
 * Beaches.

Do

 * Festivities of São João are the most important and most expressive festivities in the city. São João de Vila do Conde is considered the oldest and most typical celebration around this popular saint in Portugal. They take place during the month of June, with the main days being the 23rd and 24th of June. Traditions such as the martelinhos and sanjoaninos balloons, are traditions common to all the localities that celebrate this popular saint, but Vila do Conde has unique traditions during these festivals, such as the singing of the Orvalhadas, the throwing of the pebble into the niche (Fonte de São João), the traditional trip to the beach on the night of the 24th of June, the construction of Sanjoanine waterfalls in all the typical streets and neighbourhoods of the city, the luminous procession on the night of the 23rd of June, the parade of mordomas representing the parishes of the municipality, the exhibition of the Sanjoanine masts representing each parish of the municipality, the distribution of carnations by the lacemakers and the great regatta Sanjoanina Monte VS Praça.
 * Lord of Navigators Festival: parties are held in Caxinas to honor the patron saint of Caxinas fishermen on the first weekend of August. The highlight of these festivities always takes place on the first Sunday of August with the majestic procession that has sixteen floors, which brings countless outsiders to Vila do Conde.
 * Pilgrimage of Nossa Senhora da Guia takes place at the beginning of February. The chapel of Nossa Senhora da Guia in Vila do Conde is at the start of the Rio Ave, at the beginning of the south sea bar of Vila do Conde. It is in this chapel that the procession is held in honour of the patron saint of the fishermen of Vila do Conde. The procession of Senhora Guia, which takes place on the last Sunday in January, leaves the Igreja Matriz in Vila do Conde and runs through the entire riverside area of the city to the estuary of the Rio Ave, while devotees of the Saint launch rockets on the south bank of the river.
 * Easter and Angel's Day: the procession of the Burial of the Lord and the Way of the Cross takes place on Good Friday, the Easter vigil on Alleluia Saturday and the blessing of the houses of all villagers on Easter Sunday. On Easter Monday or Easter Angel Day it is tradition in the region of Vila do Conde and Póvoa de Varzim to head to the bouça and have picnics between families and friends.
 * Football: Rio Ave FC play soccer in Primeira Liga, Portugal's top tier. Their home ground Estádio dos Arcos (capacity 12,800) is 2 km north of city centre.

Eat
Vila do Conde, like any Portuguese fishing village, has very good restaurants, especially the old, typical ones. Expect good fresh fish, big steaks, and reasonable prices.

Go next

 * Porto
 * Povoa de Varzim — If you follow the main street in Vila do Conde, you will find yourself in Povoa do Varzim without noticing anything different. Both were fishing villages that grew side by side, until they grew together. No borders are visible.

title: Vila do Conde


text:
Vilanculos

Vilanculos  (Vilankulo) is the Mozambican capital of water sports. It's a popular beach resort area with accommodation from economy to 5-star barefoot luxury. The gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique's only underwater national park. The dry season is from March to November with temperatures around 15 to 23 °C. Bring a sweater for the evenings, The "rainy season" can be hot with temperatures ranging between 23 and 34 °C.

Get in
Vilanculos, has many options options with excellent coach service from Maputo or Beira and small 15 seater vans from Inhambane. Vilanculos International Airport is serviced by Airlink, LAM and by Federal Air, from all major airports (stopover in Johannesburg or Maputo may be nesserary, road transport is less expensive.  Charter flights are offered ay competitive prices from South Africa and Zimbabwe.

By road:
From South Africa a good asphalt road 730 km north of Maputo Follow the EN4 to the outskirts of Maputo then take the EN1 to Xai Xai, always go straight on, once you pass Xai Xai the highway signs will direct you to Vilanculos turn-off which is 18 km from Vilanculos town (The total distance from Johannesburg to Vilanculos is Approximately 1,378 km

From Zimbabwe a good asphalt road from Forbes Border Post Mutari approximately  584 km to Vilanculos. Follow the EN6 on the Beira road, turn right (south) on the EN1 for 384 km to the turn-off to Vilanculos.

From Maputo expect a 12 hours Coach ride leaving at 4 AM, one way ticket costs 1500 MTs as of January 2024.

Get around
The town is compact and walkable.

See
South Beach Vilankulo

Do
The Bazaruto Archipelago comprises five islands which are within the Bazaruto Archipelago. From north to south, these islands are: Bazaruto, Santa Carolina Known as Paradise Island, Benguerra, Margaruque and Bangue. There are a number of dive sites around the islands, generally on the seaward side. Other dive sites are located on the seaward side of San Sebastian (south of the islands on the mainland peninsular), A point jutting out in line with the islands. From San Sebastian, the mainland curves south west to form a large bay which is protected from rough seas by the point and the islands. Travelling northwards up the bay, Archipelago Resort looks out to the south of Margaruque Island.

Dhow Safari
Experience the wonder of a traditional sailing dhow gliding through the Bazaruto Archipelago. The islands of Benguerra, Bazaruto, Magaruque and Santa Carolina are complete with azure waters, sandy beaches, palm trees and pristine coral reefs.

Sailing
Explore the archipelago on board a fully crewed yacht.

Game fishing
The area surrounding is ranked as the best Black Marlin destination in the Eastern Indian Ocean. The season runs from early October through to the end of January each year. The Marlin come close in to the shallow waters around the islands and can often be found feeding around the shoals of various species of tuna that frequent our waters during this time of the year.

Scuba diving
The Bazaruto Archipelago is nearby, an offers some excellent scuba diving on daytrips from Vilanculos. 2-tank dives are the norm, and snorkellers are also welcome. The archipelago's coral reefs and clear waters offer some of the best diving in the world, dive sites are un-crowded and marine life is varied and abundant. With sites at a depth of 12 to 30 m and visibility up to 40 m you will discover protected reefs teeming with dolphin, hump back whales, whale sharks, sharks, manta and spotted eagle rays, green and turtles.

Connect

 * TDM and the Tourist Information in the Town centre have computers offering internet access as well as some of the resorts and restaurants.
 * Vodacom 4G network works fine in Vilanculos.

Go next
Fly out of here to:
 * Kruger National Park
 * Mpumalanga

title: Vilanculos


text:
Vila Nova de Gaia

Vila Nova de Gaia  is a city the Douro Litoral region of Northern Portugal, immediately facing Porto across the Duoro river. The two cities form the core of a contiguous metropolitan area. Vila Nova was created out of the need to house the workers of Porto, and is thus much more residential in character. It has become more populous than Porto. Sometimes called "Gaia" in common parlance, the city is home of cellars of port wine, several shopping centres and some of the region's best beaches.

Understand

Vila Nova de Gaia (VEE-luh NAW-vuh d(ih) GAHY-uh, /ˈvi.ɫɐ ˈnɔ.vɐ dɨ ˈgaj.ɐ/) is actually where the history of Porto began, having been founded as a Roman settlement called Cale on the southern side of the river Douro. The town had its port on the other side of the river, referred to as Portus Cale, which originated the name not only of Porto, but also the whole country. What followed the Roman Empire were the Moorish invasions of the Iberian peninsula, with the Moors stopping right at the river and most inhabitants escaping the invasion by moving to what is now Porto on its northern bank. After the Moors were driven out, many moved back to the southern back, founding what is now known as Vila Nova de Gaia (vila nova as the town was reestablished, with Gaia being a transliteration of Cale).

By plane
Porto Francisco Sa Caneiro airport is the closest, within 20 minutes by car or slightly more by public transit.

By train
Vila Nova de Gaia is located on a railway backbone linking the North to the other regions of Portugal, so it is easy to reach from almost all major cities. In particular, high-speed Alfa Pendular trains call in the city, linking it not only to Porto, but also in. al. Lisbon, Braga, Coimbra and Faro.

See
Perhaps the most famous tourist attraction in Gaia are the Port Wine Cellars, warehouses where the famous Port wine is stored. The Cellars are placed in Ribeira de Gaia, an area of the city located in the bank of River Douro opposite Porto. Ribeira de Gaia has also some typical and international restaurants, particularly in Cais de Gaia. Even if you are not in visiting the cellars, you should visit Ribeira the Gaia in order to get some amazing views of Porto.

Port wine tours and tasting
Take a port wine tour and visit the various wine caves! This is a must as this is where port wine actually comes from. Tours vary in price but generally cost €3-6 and include a tasting. Most all have English speaking tours along with Spanish, Portuguese, and French. There are also quite a number of cellars offering free tastings. See the drink section of the main Portugal page for more information about port wine in general.

There are a couple of restaurants along the river that offer tastings of five Port wines for €5 (Feb 2024) from lesser-known wineries.

Other

Go next

 * Porto lies across the Douro River from Vila Nova de Gaia.

title: Vila Nova de Gaia


text:
Vila Real

Vila Real is a city of 52,000 people (2011) the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region in Northern Portugal. It is the home of the beautiful Palácio de Mateus.

Understand

Vila Real (VEE-luh rree-AHL, /ˈvi.ɫɐ ʁi.ˈaɫ/) has 51,850 residents (2011), with 29,624 residing in the city proper.

Sitting on a plateau at the confluence of the Corgo and Cabril rivers, the city is framed in a beautiful natural landscape (Escarpas do Corgo), with the backdrop of the mountains of Alvão and, further away, Marão. Over more than seven hundred years of existence, Vila Real has gained the contours it has today, a city of beautiful monuments, where the temples and noble houses stand out. It used to be known as the Corte de Trás-os-Montes, because the Marqueses of Vila Real lived in it and had a palace. This noble family had a close family connection with the Portuguese Royal House.

History
The region shows traces of habitation from the paleolithic era, while the settlement of Panóias had a Roman presence. Vila Real was founded in 1289 by King Denis of Portugal, hence its name, meaning Royal Town. It housed more members of the royal family during the Middle Ages than any other settlement in Portugal except the capital in Lisbon, and family Coats of Arms remain above old houses, some of which still occupied by those families. Vineyards were introduced to the municipality in 1764, growing red, white and rosé wines for export.

By car

 * A24 - Connects Chaves (frontier with Galiza, Spain), to the north, and Viseu, to the south.
 * A7 - Indirect connection to Minho (Braga, Guimarães, etc.), from Vila Pouca de Aguiar, via A24.
 * A4 - Main Road that connects Porto, to the West, and Bragança, Northeast and the frontier with Castilla y Leon, Spain.

By plane
The Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, the main airport serving the northern region, is 100 km away and is accessible by motorway A4.

Get around
The city bus system in Vila Real is run by Urbanos Vila Real; there are 5 lines.

See

 * Chapel of Espírito Santo or Chapel of Bom Jesus do Hospital
 * Casa de Carvalho Araújo, an important sailor who stood out in his profession, for having prevented the escort boat (the steam ship S. Miguel) from being sunk by a German submarine, sacrificing the mine-dredge he commanded (NRP Augusto de Castilho) and your own life.
 * Casa dos Brocas, built by Camilo Castelo Branco's grandfather and where he lived for some time.
 * Casa dos Marqueses of Vila Real, with a beautiful Manueline style window, where they lived until they fell out of favour due to their involvement in the conspiracy against D. João IV, in 1641.
 * Church of Mercy
 * Church of São Domingos / Sé de Vila Real
 * St. Peter's Church
 * Church of Bom Jesus do Calvário
 * Church of São Paulo / Capela Nova, of baroque style, whose authorship is attributed to Nicolau Nasoni
 * Bairro da Judiaria de Vila Real, one of the most interesting housing developments, with the entrance before the Metallic Bridge over the Corgo River and through there the ancient Roman and medieval road, with the primitive bridge.
 * Church of Bom Jesus do Calvário
 * Church of São Paulo / Capela Nova, of baroque style, whose authorship is attributed to Nicolau Nasoni
 * Bairro da Judiaria de Vila Real, one of the most interesting housing developments, with the entrance before the Metallic Bridge over the Corgo River and through there the ancient Roman and medieval road, with the primitive bridge.
 * Bairro da Judiaria de Vila Real, one of the most interesting housing developments, with the entrance before the Metallic Bridge over the Corgo River and through there the ancient Roman and medieval road, with the primitive bridge.
 * Bairro da Judiaria de Vila Real, one of the most interesting housing developments, with the entrance before the Metallic Bridge over the Corgo River and through there the ancient Roman and medieval road, with the primitive bridge.
 * Bairro da Judiaria de Vila Real, one of the most interesting housing developments, with the entrance before the Metallic Bridge over the Corgo River and through there the ancient Roman and medieval road, with the primitive bridge.

Buy

Drink
Praça Pioledo in the city centre has a set of bars around.

Go next

 * Pinhão (Alijó)

title: Vila Real


text:
Vila Real de Santo António

Vila Real de Santo António is a city in the Algarve region of Portugal, on the eastern bank of the River Guadiana which across from Spain.

Understand

Vila Real de Santo António (VEE-luh rree-AHL d(ih) SUHN-too uhn-TAW-nee-oo, /vi.ɫɐ ʁi.ˈaɫ dɨ ˈsɐ̃.tu ɐ̃.ˈtɔ.ni.u/) municipality has 18,828 residents (2021 preliminary), with over 11,500 living in the city proper. The municipality is noncontiguous, occupying up two different stretches of coastal land, separated by Castro Marim.

In the earthquake of 1755, the places on the border with Spain were badly damaged. Under the direction of the Marquês de Pombal, Vila Real de Santo António was built in just five months in 1774, partly following the same pattern as before Lisbon.

Get in
There is no airport near the city: the two nearest airports are in Faro and in Sevilla, Spain. Faro is closest, but both are perfectly good choices, and within a 1½-hour drive.

By bus
There are 10-15 daily buses from the regional centre Faro, which takes between 1½-2 hours depending on the company, expect to pay around €5 for a one way ticket, there is no substantial discounts on return fares. Many of these buses continue to Sevilla in Spain, which takes around 2½ hours and cost approximately €15. There is a 1-hr time difference between the two countries. The reverse route is naturally also possible. Companies that operate on this line include Eva Transportes, Eurolines España, and Damas.

By train
Up to 10 trains per day traverse the quite scenic route along the coast from Lagos to Villa Real via Faro. The train takes around 1 hour 15 min. from Faro and costs around €4.50. The route is run by the Portuguese Railways. There are no direct trains from Sevilla but it is possible to take the train to Huelva about half way, and continue from there with a bus.

By boat
Since the highway bridge crossing the river to Spain is off limits to pedestrians or cyclists, there is still a small ferry crossing the river to Ayamonte on the opposite side of the river. It generally runs once every hour between the two cities and the ride takes less than ten minutes. Be sure to bring your passport in order to enter Spain. A passport is not required to enter Portugal from the Spanish side.

title: Vila Real de Santo António


text:
Vila Ulongwe

Vila Ulongwe is a city in Central Mozambique.

Get in
Vila Ulongwe is an easy drive from the Dedza, Malawi border along a beautiful, paved, all-weather highway in the Angonia district of Tete Province.

Get around
The town is small enough to travel by foot, though local transport by bike or vehicle is also readily available.

Do
Vila Ulongwe is the site of the Hefsiba Christian Theological College, an accredited Bible training school founded in 1994 originally by the Reformed Church in Mozambique. According to their website: "Not only do students here receive Bible and theological training but also develop the ability to write and speak English, to better their knowledge of the Portuguese language, to become computer literate, to turn out as community development facilitators and able to lead the battle against HIV/AIDS. In general the leadership style conveyed is that of servant hood, with Christian compassion towards the poor and the needy."

Buy
A Barclay's bank is available with ATM.

Eat
Basic restaurants are available.

Sleep
Basic accommodations are available, like the Pousada Angonia near the local Mercado.

title: Vila Ulongwe


text:
Vila Velha

 * Vila Velha (Espírito Santo) - A city in the state of Espírito Santo in Brazil
 * Vila Velha State Park - A park in the city of Ponta Grossa, in the state of Paraná in Brazil

title: Vila Velha


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Vila Velha (Espírito Santo)

Vila Velha, meaning old village, is a city in the metropolitan region of Vitória. It was the original capital of Espiritu Santo State, founded in 1535 by Vasco Fernandes Coutinho. Then due to clashes between colonists, slaves, and Indians, the colonists largely resettled in Vitoria across the bay leading to the transfer of capital status to the latter. Vila Velha today though can boast the highest population in the Vitoria-Vila Velha area, albeit a lot of it is rather unremarkable housing blocks to the tourist.

By plane
Vitória Airport (VIX) - also known as Eurico Salles Airport - in the capital city of Vitória, is the closest airport to Vila Velha. It receives daily flights from most state capitals in the country. Among the main airlines serving the airport are LATAM and Gol. A number of smaller carriers also serve the airport, including Azul, TEAM, and TRIP.

To get to the airport, catch bus line 507 direction Terminal Laranjeiras. From the airport, catch the same bus line 507, but with direction Terminal Ibes.

Get around
Most urban buses pass by Terminal Vila Velha in the city center, including quite a few that cross to Vitória.

Beaches
Vila Velha is a good place to be if you like beaches:

Stay safe
Vila Velha had a bout of rather ugly uprising when the police went on strike in the area in 2017, with carjackings and homicides making people fearful for their lives. It has tamed down since then, but be conscientious of your safety here as in other Brazilian cities.

Stay healthy
As elsewhere in Brazil, some beaches in Vila Velha are not suitable for bathing, and conditions can change from day to day. On the day of your visit, check the city's latest weekly bathing report result (in Portuguese, resultado de balneabilidade).

Connect
The telephone area code for Vila Velha is 27 (as well as in central and northern parts of Espírito Santo).

Go next

 * Vitória - The capital of the state of Espírito Santo, famous for its bay, beaches and nightlife. (just across the beautiful Terceira Ponte - Third Bridge)
 * Guarapari - A popular beach resort town. Famous for its lively ambiance, with many clubs and beach parties, especially during the summer months.
 * Domingos Martins - To get a taste of a town colonized by German immigrants, and the famous Pedra Azul (Blue Rock).
 * Santa Teresa - To get a taste of a town colonized by Italian immigrants.
 * Itaúnas - Famous for its dunes and forró, a Northeastern Brazilian dance.
 * Rio de Janeiro - World-known city famous for its breathtaking landscape and annual carnival.

title: Vila Velha (Espírito Santo)


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Vilcabamba

Vilcabamba, meaning Sacred Valley, is a quiet, scenic, peaceful town near the Podocarpus National Park in southern Ecuador.

Get in
It is a one hour bus ride from the City of Loja. There are international buses from Piura (10 hours $10) on Peru´s Panamerican Highway 3 times daily. Transportes Loja has buses from Loja throughout Ecuador. Access is also possible from Iquitos & Chachapoyas in Peru via the frontier at Balsas & Zumba

Get around
A camioneta cooperative is run from the main square. It is $1 to get around pretty much everywhere in the town.

Do

 * Self-guided treks or hire a guide into the surrounding mountains or the national park Podocarpus. Many hotels (including Cabanas Rio Yambala, Rendez-Vous, Rumi Wilco, and Izhcayluma) have trail maps. Or just pick a direction and walk the dirt roads going into the countryside. Beautiful. Don't take any valuables up the Mandango mountain - many armed robberies occurred there over the years, continuing into July 2011 when a group of tourists were robbed by men with machetes. All other trails appear to be safe.
 * Rent a mountain bike at El Chino (corner of Diego Vaca de Vega & Jose David Toledo), $8 per day. Ask for a map of where to go. Recommended.
 * Do a 2-hour, 4-hour, or 1-3-day horse-riding trips. There are quite a few reputable tour operations in town. Tours to Las Palmas cloud forest in the Podocarpus National Park can be arranged through Cabañas Rio Yambala, 4km out of town.
 * Get a massage, manicure, pedicure or wax at a few locations in town or at Hosteria Izhcayluma, 2 km south of town. Massages at the salon next to Yogurt cafe (just off the main square) are good and cost $10 for one hour. The best massages in town, however, are done by Lola, of Shanta's restaurant/bar (10-minute walk from parque central, on road to Craig's Book Exchange). She only does two per day and appointments are hard to come by, but it's worth the effort. She starts by giving you an all-over assessment of what's needed, then proceeds to give a powerful manipulative massage, incorporating many modalities: chiropractic, Swedish, Eastern styles. She's very empathic and has 14 years experience plus lots of training. She uses hot oil, mmm... $14 for 80 minutes.
 * Spend a bucolic afternoon at one of the restaurants around the main plaza.

Eat

 * La Terraza: Central Plaza (corner of Diego Vaca de Vega and Bolivar). Serves Mexican and Italian food. Excellent chicken fajitas and nachos. Mains are $3 to $6.
 * Charlito's: (on Diego Vaca de Vega, above Sucre) Run by a friendly Virginian named Charlie, they have good cheap food and drinks. The veggie sandwich is especially recommended, inexpensive and filling.
 * Shanta's Bar: Calle Diego Vaca de Vaga, past the bridge, 15 minute walk East of town. Cool atmosphere with a cowboy vibe. Bar seats are horse saddles and the walls are covered in international money, weird animal hides, and neat photos. Serves pizza, filet mignon, and pasta. Good food. Mains $3 to $6. Large menu of drinks, including their homemade Snake Drink moonshine.

Drink
Drink the magic springwater that Vilcabamba is famous for.

Sleep

 * El Agua de Hierro is under new management (same family as former owner, who was run out of town after sexually assaulting a guest), and it's actually a nice place to stay, with swimming pool, jacuzzis, sauna, steam room, bar, all the amenities. Dorm beds for $7, private rooms starting at $12. Long-term rentals available for $150/month.
 * Hostel Le Rendez-Vous: Calle Diego Vaca de Vega 06-43. Owners are a French couple Isabelle and Serge. Beautiful cabanas around a garden. Very clean, very nice, and lots of hot water. Breakfast is included: home-made bread, eggs or fruit salad, fresh fruit juice, coffee, tea, hot chocolate. 1 person is $15 per night, 2 people are $12 per person per night, and 3 people are $11 per person per night. They have a large collection of DVDs with a portable TV/DVD player, hammocks, information booklets on Vilcabamba, Ecuador, and Peru, hiking maps of the area, and WiFi ($4/day).
 * Hostería Izhcayluma: Owners are 2 German brothers, Peter and Dieter. Located about 2 km south of town, overlooking the valley. Different kind of accommodation, surrounded by fantastic tropical gardens. Dormitory bed for $10, double room for $12-15 per person, single room for $19. Generous buffet breakfast is included: home-made bread, eggs or crepes, fruit salad with home made yogurt and granola, fresh fruit juice, coffee and tea as much as you like, etc. Private cabañas also available for more. A swimming pool and spa services (massages, facials, etc.) are available. Several self-guided hiking trails are offered in the Vilcabamba area with excellent maps based on air photos. The panorama restaurant with great views is also open for lunch and dinner. They have a large collection of DVDs which can be watched, last one starting at 17:00. On-site bar with a pool table and ping pong table opens at 19:00 (guests only). There's a community of international travelers to be found. Wi-Fi connection for free. This place is one of a kind and definitely worth a visit, even if only for a meal with the incredible view. However, service can often be on the slow side- you can wait half an hour for a drink from the bar.
 * La FloridaLong-term rentals only. Basic but decent one-bedroom duplexes with private bathroom and kitchen for $150/month. Rooms with private bathroom and shared kitchen for $100/month. Room with shared bathroom and shared kitchen for $80/month. Located across the street from Agua de Hierro.
 * La FloridaLong-term rentals only. Basic but decent one-bedroom duplexes with private bathroom and kitchen for $150/month. Rooms with private bathroom and shared kitchen for $100/month. Room with shared bathroom and shared kitchen for $80/month. Located across the street from Agua de Hierro.

Go next
Shared taxis ($1.75 per person) run from the main bus stop to Ruta 11 Mayo taxi co-op in Loja, on Calle Universitad when there are 4 people to fill a car, takes 45-60 min. Buses ($1.25-1.30) run every hour, takes about 1-1½ hr to the bus station in Loja.

title: Vilcabamba


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Altos de Lircay National Reserve

Altos de Lircay National Reserve, in the Andean mountain skirts of San Clemente (Vilches Alto), is an ideal place for nature lovers and outdoor activities, hiking, horseback riding, and connecting with nature.

Understand
The 121-km² reserve offers an attractive setting that borders the north bank of the River Lircay. This place is one of the cheapest for this kind of activities. Locals also offer stays very cheap and very good quality, internet access, tourism guide, horseback riding and relaxation areas.

Vilches is a small community to the east of the town of San Celemente that serves as a gateway to the Altos de Lircay national reserve. It has several campgrounds, posadas (inns), and a grocery store.

Created in 1996 has a rich flora and fauna, consisting of a vegetation hualas, raulíes, laurel, cypress and huillipataguas range and an animal population that includes species such as parrots tricahue, black woodpeckers, eagles, thrushes, quail, pumas, doves and condors.

During walking, you can see remnants of a culture extinct: The Indians Pehuenches. You may appreciate "the stones of the cups, bigs rocks where the Pehuenches used the stones´s holes for food preparation.

Moreover, since the reserve can access the "Sendero de Chile", a route that allows a walking tour or horse to enjoy areas of natural beauty as "Deer Valley", "The Brickwork" and "Volcano Big Headed".

Climate
Temperate Mediterranean. On the coast the temperatures are moderate and there is a 6-month dry season in the north and four months in the south. In summer, maximum temperatures are 19 °C and 30 °C, while in winter the minimum is 7 °C.

Fees
Entrance fees, as of May 2021:
 * Foreign adult 6,000 pesos; youth 12-17 3,000 pesos; children free
 * Chilean adult 3,000 pesos; youth or disabled adult 1,500 pesos; over 60, under 12, and disabled youth free

By road
The unit is 66 km east of Talca, passing through San Clemente, of which 50 km are paved and 20 are gravel. Traffic is maintained all year round, although in winter this can be hampered by snow in the last 4 km of the journey.

By bus
There are 4 buses daily (Mar-Dec) running from Talca at 07:15, 12:00, 13:00, and 14:50 (as of May 2021).

See

 * Flora and fauna
 * Attractive landscape

Do
Horse riding, mountain biking, mountaineering, climbing, river kayak, picnic, contemplation of the flora and fauna, photography.

Hiking
The main hiking trails here are:
 * Laguna del Alto – 4 km, 10 hr. Path partly under the native forest of oaks, coigües and ñirres and high Andean steppe reaches the lagoon, after a steep climb and similar descent.
 * El Enladrillado – 7 km, 11 hr. It reaches a plain of large fractured rocks, which resemble large bricks. A few hours further takes you to a great chain of volcanoes including the Descabezado Grande, Cerro Azul and Quizapú (which erupted in 1932).
 * La Playa to Valle del Venado – 13–18 km, 3–4 days. This trail runs partly under native forest, which includes lengas (the northernmost in the country). It reaches the Claro river after a few hours of hiking, where it is possible to cool off without risk. Finally, the Venado valley is reached, crossing a little before arriving through an old cypress forest of the mountain range.
 * Antumahuida – 350 m, 20 minutes. Environmental interpretation trail, all under native forest, with information panels ends in a spectacular viewpoint towards the Lircay river and the Morillo hill.
 * Retrofit – 850 m, 1 hr.

Sleep

 * Antahuara campsite (mountain sun) in the reserve 800 m from the administration.
 * Campsites and posadas in Vilches

title: Altos de Lircay National Reserve


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Vilhena

Vilhena is a town of 102,000 people (2020) in Rondônia, Brazil. It has little to offer tourists, but is a nice enough stopover if you are doing the overland route between Porto Velho and Cuiabá.

Climate
The climate is hot and humid, with some short periods of cool weather from May to September, when the minimum temperature can reach 7 °C in the coolest days, but normally it stays around 12-16 °C. The rainy season runs from October to April. On the hottest days, the temperature may reach 36 °C. The high altitude in comparison with the region average (Vilhena is situated 615 above sea level, while other cities of the state are, as a general rule, around 100-200m above it) provides constant refreshing winds, mainly during the night, keeping the temperature pleasant.

By plane
Vilhena is served by. It is 8 km (5 mi) from downtown Vilhena. Azul Airlines offers daily one direct flight to Cuiabá (the capital of Mato Grosso State), where passengers can change flights to all the most important cities of the country.

By car
Vilhena is linked by paved road (BR-364) from Porto Velho, the capital of Rondônia (approximately 700 km), in the northwestern of the State, and, on the southeast direction, from Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso (near 730 km), from where is possible drive through the other regions of the country.

The Transoceanic Road is entirely paved, linking the State of Acre, in Brazil, to the city of Cusco, in Peru, transport by road, from Vilhena to other neighbor countries, such as Peru, Chile, Colombia and Bolívia.

title: Vilhena


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Viljandi

Viljandi is an ancient hilly city of 17,000 people (2019) in the South of Estonia.

Understand
Evidence of civilization around Viljandi dates back to 500 BC. The first written record of a "Viljandi stronghold" was in 1154 in the commentaries to al-Idrisi's world atlas "Geography." Hanseatic merchants settled in Viljandi in the 14th century.

During the Soviet era, Viljandi was an important center of agriculture and industry, and many new apartment blocks and industrial facilities were built. However, the town also suffered from neglect and environmental degradation during this time.

For many people Viljandi conjures up images of the Viljandi Folk Music Festival and Viljandi Culture Academy. This small city is a cultural hub and the "capital of folk music" for most Estonians and a treat for the eye. Old wooden houses, cobblestone roads, the beautiful surroundings of the castle and the nearby lake make this city something special.

Get in
Bus and train schedules are easily available online – read more under Estonia.

By bus
Viljandi has a regular bus connection from/to Tallinn, Tartu, Valga, Pärnu and Põltsamaa (with a potential change at Kolga-Jaani), among others. The can be found in the centre just north of the main junction.

By train
Elron connects Viljandi to Tallinn. Trains run a few times per day.

By car
Viljandi is on route 92, 75 km from Tartu and 90 km from Pärnu. From Tallinn, you have to take highway #2 first, and then turn off to route 49 - just 160 km. Further south, the 49 leads to Valga (75 km).

Get around
Viljandi can easily be explored on foot. See the local transport website for more on buses.

Do
Tennis courts, cafes, playgrounds, a diving tower, boat rental and catamaran trips are available at the lake.

Events

 * Viljandi hosts many events and several international festivals throughout the year, including:
 * Early Music Festival
 * Hanseatic Days
 * Young Dance Festival
 * Mulgi Rally
 * Winter Folk Dance Festival
 * "Theatre in Suitcase" puppet theatre festival

 * Since 1928, a run around Lake Viljandi has taken place on the first day of May every year.
 * Hanseatic merchants' spirit can still be felt in Viljandi every June. People trade at a fair, dress the way people did in that era, organise exhibitions and party.

Buy
Viljandi is not great for shopping, but you will find the regular souvenirs and such related to the folk festival. Everything else, is what can be found in other cities as well.

Go next

 * Tartu – Museum-rich and hanseatic city on the banks of the Emajõgi River. Also, Estonia's second-largest and oldest city, intellectual hub famous for its universities, and a lively student city.
 * Otepää – A small town set in the hills of south Estonia and best known winter sports centre in the Baltics, and the Winter Capital of Estonia. Surrounded by lakes, hills and ski jump towers.
 * Põltsamaa – The centre of Estonian winery and wine production just a dozen km north.
 * Soomaa National Park – About 60 km south of Tallinn and second largest national park in Estonia, known for its swamps and bogs (Soomaa means "land of bogs" in Estonian), and its "fifth season". Surprisingly, swimming is popular there and is said to rejuvenate the skin.
 * Pärnu – A historical resort seaside city with a small harbour. Estonia's summer capital.
 * Tõrva – The second largest city of Valga County after Valga. Popular for its caves, the ruins of a medieval castle, several interesting manors, and the fully authentic mausoleum of Barclay de Tolly.
 * Valga – A town on the border with Latvia, where it literally grows into the Latvian town of Valka.

title: Viljandi


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Villa Carlos Paz

Villa Carlos Paz is a tourist city in the northwest of the province of Cordoba Province, Argentina, in the region of the Sierras de Cordoba, more precisely in Puntilla Valley, along Don Roque dam. It is the most important tourist center in the province.

Weather
The weather is generally pleasant. It is hot during the day and warm at night. In January and February, the city is full of tourists so if you want to avoid the crowds, you should visit in December or March.

Get in
Carlos Paz is 40 minutes by car from Cordoba capital and other major tourist towns such as Cosquin, Tanti or Alta Gracia.

There is also public and private transportation to get there from route 20.

See and do
It is a great place for relaxing, you can enjoy the peacefulness of the river and nature of the mountains.

You can go to the mountains and enjoy a beautiful complex of chairlifts. Once you're up, you can buy a picture of yourself in the chairlifts, enjoy the cafeteria, go to the train in the mountain, do archery, buy souvenirs, and many other fun activities.

You can also enjoy a good theater show in the city.

The city is known for its beautiful landscapes and attractions, such as water sports on lake San Roque, which has a recreational area; the Cuckoo Clock; the chairlift to Cerro “La Cruz”; lots of theatres; rallies; casinos and several nightclubs, which over time have become emblems of the city.

There are also other places to visit in Carlos Paz, like the Embudo. This magnificent work has also become a symbol of the city. The San Roque dam has been described as “the largest in the world” since its inauguration in 1980, due to the capacity of its reservoir, which holds up to 250 million cubic meters of water. There is also a museum of tractors. This houses over 250 machines and it exhibits models produced between 1880 and 1950. The first 4 by 4 tractor invented in the world is on display here.

Siquin Villa park is 17 km from Carlos Paz. This is a permanent attraction for student groups from different places in the country.

Ground station Bosque Alegre is on route 14, heading to San Antonio de Arredondo, through the chapel and convent of St Francis the Assisi. From there you can take a mountain road to a modern and important observatory.

Buy
At the end of your holidays don’t forget to bring home, among various possible souvenirs, the famous “alfajores serranos”, which are a true delight.

Eat, drink and sleep
As for offers of goods and services, the hotels and restaurants are very good and there is a variety of prices, depending on the requirements of the tourist.

title: Villa Carlos Paz