What should I pack for Vietnam?
First and foremost: pack as light as possible!
Remember that you are guaranteed to come across things during the semester that you will want to take with you as souvenirs and give to friends and family. You should make sure to have space in your luggage to bring home memories from your time in Vietnam.

Clothes
Pack clothes suitable for a tropical climate.
In your free time, you can wear whatever you want, but when you are on campus, you must adhere to the university's dress code. This requires covering your shoulders and knees. This dress code applies to everyone, regardless of gender.
Make sure to pack enough clothes that meet these requirements. Linen or other materials suitable for tropical climates that cover your knees and shoulders can often be more comfortable in the heat than cotton tank tops and shorts.

You should bring a cap or sunhat to protect yourself from the sun. You will probably wear sandals, flip-flops, or other light shoes in the heat.
Bring a pair of wool socks for cooler nights, hiking, and excursions.
You should also pack a formal outfit.
Toiletries
You can find most toiletries in Hoi An and Da Nang. Bring any prescription medication you need.
If you are using ADHD medication, you should bring the prescription and make sure to have the medicine in its original packaging.
You should bring enough sunscreen from home for the entire stay. Most sunscreens in Vietnam contain bleaching agents. Make sure to check the expiration date if you still decide to buy sunscreen in Vietnam.

You can buy shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and so on in Hoi An and Da Nang.
If you use contact lenses, you need to bring everything you need for the entire stay from home (lenses under 1.0 power are not available in Hoi An).
If you use tampons, you should also bring enough for your entire stay, as these can be difficult to find in Vietnam.
Bring earplugs if you're a light sleeper. Your neighbor won't hesitate to start the day's karaoke concert before 6:00 AM!

Different
You don't need to bring regular towels, but you should bring a bath towel.
You can buy paper, pens, staplers, and so on in Hoi An and Da Nang.
Bring your laptop and textbooks.
Read more packing tips from former students

- Vietnam
- Student blog