- Accommodation
- Transport
- Nutrition
- Excursions and entertainment
- Purchases
You can come to Vietnam, one of the most mysterious and amazing countries of Southeast Asia, in any season of the year. And it will always be cozy and warm - on the magnificent white beaches in combination with coniferous forests, mountain peaks and picturesque jungles. This country has everything you need for a full vacation. Holidays at sea resorts are designed for a variety of categories of tourists - the sea and the sun will be enough for everyone. Although Vietnam is considered an inexpensive country, everyone is trying to decide in advance how much to travel.
The official Vietnamese currency is dong, denomination of notes from 100 to 500 thousand. The country's central bank produces the most popular money in a plastic version to extend its service life in a humid Asian climate. The local currency is prone to inflation, so dollars are used. Course: one dollar costs over 23 thousand dongs. Dollars can be exchanged not only in banks, but also in hotels and tourist offices. Quite a profitable course can be in the most unexpected places - restaurants or jewelry stores. As for the terminals, it is extremely unprofitable to cash out ruble cards through them - there is a double conversion: rubles are converted into dollars, and only then into dongs. In addition, fees apply at ATMs. Payment by card is possible in large supermarkets, travel agencies, hotels and other tourist places. In markets, in taxis, small shops or cafes, with street vendors only cash is settled.
Advice: in the early days, in any calculations, pay special attention to the denomination of the bills - the banknotes of the local currency are very similar in design, they are easy to confuse.
In order not to overshadow your vacation with a lack of finance, you should immediately plan a budget based on your own capabilities and needs. So, how much money to take for a vacation in Vietnam.
Accommodation
In all tourist cities of the country there is a large selection of hotels of all degrees of star, bungalows and hostels. It is not necessary to book on the hotel's website, you can use one of the search engines for accommodation. Prices for accommodation in Vietnam are lower than in neighboring countries, when renting for a month or more, you get a discount.
In Nha Trang, from almost any hotel, and there are more than a thousand of them, you can walk to the beach on foot. It remains only to choose the one you like, focusing on the following prices:
- Clean decent double rooms with air conditioning and hot water in a budget hotel cost from 12 to 18 dollars per night, with breakfast - up to 24 dollars.
- A modern room in a front line hotel, with a pool and breakfast, will cost from $ 25 to $ 50 per night.
- A room in a hotel of a higher level, with its own beach, gym and spa-salon, a balcony overlooking the sea, a restaurant or a rooftop pool and other delights, will cost from $ 60 to $ 150.
- You can stay in a hostel with breakfast for $ 5-7 per day. The air-conditioned room is designed for four to five people, the conditions are more suitable for young people.
If you plan to stay for more than a month, it makes sense to rent an apartment. The number of bedrooms may vary. The main thing is the availability of a kitchen and household appliances. The monthly rental price depends on your desire to maintain cleanliness on your own and deal with other household problems. It will cost about $ 300-350. If you leave the cleaning, delivery of water and gas cylinders to the administration of the apart-hotel, the rental price rises to 400-450 dollars. Renting an inexpensive house will cost almost the same.
Transport
The transport infrastructure in Vietnam is well developed. It is more expensive to travel by rail than by intercity bus. For long distances, mainly the so-called sleeping buses (sleeping buses) - with seat-beds. There are a lot of amenities: the main one is the evening and night time of the trip, that is, there is no need to spend vacation time on moving. The bus is clean, blankets are also given clean. All buses have wi-fi, most have a toilet. Prices from 5-7 (Nha Trang - Mui Ne) to 10-12 dollars (Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh).
In small resorts, everything you need is within walking distance. There is a public transport system in Nha Trang and the capital cities. The route of some city buses is also an intercity one. In Da Nang, the cost of travel around the city by bus of the first route starts from 4 thousand dongs, on the same transport you can get to Hoi An for 17 thousand dongs.
Taxi is a common and inexpensive means of transport. All official cars are equipped with meters, and the cost of boarding and driving is indicated on the side window. A short distance of a couple of kilometers can be taken by taxi for 25 thousand dong - a little more than a dollar.
Car rental starts at $ 50 per day. You can rent a motorcycle - from four dollars a day. But do not rush, it is better to weigh your strength. Traffic in Vietnam defies any rules and is more chaotic. It is wiser to rent a transport one-time - for a trip on an independent excursion.
Nutrition
The prices of restaurants and cafes in resort towns differ: on the first line and in tourist places it will always be more expensive. Moreover, this does not depend on the quality of the dishes, but on the atmosphere and service.
Seafood dishes are everywhere and the prices are relatively inexpensive:
- Steamed octopuses will cost $ 3-4.
- An ancient imperial dish - shark fin soup costs 4-5 dollars.
- For a portion of squid stuffed with meat, you will have to pay 5-6 dollars.
- And for a plate of turtle soup, about $ 7.
In the menu of pretentious establishments on the embankment, the price for any of these dishes will be 3-4 times higher. The further you go from the tourist areas, the more budget it will be to visit a cafe or bar. Delicious asparagus crab soup can cost a dollar, and grilled eel can cost around three dollars.
On average, breakfast at a local cafe for two will cost from two dollars, a three-course lunch - 13-15 dollars. A combo lunch at McDonald's is several times cheaper - 3-4 dollars. In a cafe where locals eat, lunch (a delicious baguette with a complex filling, meat soup and grilled meat with rice) will cost less than two dollars.
With such low prices, hardly any vacationer will spend time preparing food. But compatriots (mostly pensioners) who come to Vietnam to wait out the winter, rent apartments with a kitchen and cook with pleasure.
Prices in supermarkets for basic products:
- A liter of milk costs a little more than a dollar.
- A kilogram pack of rice - 80 cents.
- Loaf of bread 0.5 kg - 60 cents.
- A package of 12 eggs will cost $ 1.4.
- For a kilogram of chicken fillet, pay $ 6-7.
- Potatoes, tomatoes and other vegetables will cost around the dollar per kilo.
- A pack of tea (100 g) - about a dollar.
- Local coffee (packaging in 0.5 kg) - from three dollars.
- A bottle of water 1.5 liters - 50 cents.
Fruit is best bought in the markets. In the season, $ 2 is asked for a kilogram of apples or the famous durian. A dollar will cost a kilogram of bananas, rambutan, mango and dragon fruit. And a watermelon costs 50 cents a kilogram. Less than this can only be paid for coconut, it is sold in pieces. A peeled pineapple sells for 70 cents.
Top 10 Vietnamese dishes you must try
Excursions and entertainment
Both the ancient and modern history of Vietnam is replete with significant events, wars and battles. The Vietnamese managed to preserve and carry through the centuries a significant number of cultural and architectural monuments. In addition to history, tourists are attracted by amazing natural beauty. If you want to get away from the sea and get to know the country, the choice is sufficient.
Top 24 attractions in Vietnam
Approximate prices for excursions from Nha Trang look like this:
- A trip to Da Lat, a wonderful French colonial-style town in the mountains, among lakes and picturesque waterfalls, will take two days and cost $ 80.
- An excursion to the Northern Islands with a visit to Orchid Island and Monkey Island, riding ostriches and elephants will cost about $ 40.
- A visit to the world famous Winperl amusement park, located on Hon Che Island, with all the rides and a cable car ride, costs from $ 40. By the way, the road to the island itself is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest "cable car" over water. Therefore, there is always a huge queue. If you don't want to waste time, you can get to the island by boat or ferry. So you shouldn't pay the cost of the cable car ride right away.
- A five-hour excursion to the Baho Falls is suitable for lovers of untouched nature. It costs from $ 40, amazing impressions and unique photos remain.
- A two-day trip to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) will introduce you to numerous attractions and will cost you $ 100-120.
Unusual excursions in Vietnam:
Purchases
If we are not talking about buying souvenirs home, but about shopping, first of all, we should pay attention to natural pearls. It is of high quality and low cost in comparison with Russia. Pearls from Phu Quoc Island are considered the best. The prices in shops at different resorts are different. In general, it looks like this:
- Plain metal earrings with small pearls cost $ 2-3.
- A medium-sized pink pearl necklace can cost from $ 10, more expensive in the salon.
- Hand-picked pearl bracelets range from $ 8 to $ 80, depending on design, metal and size.
- A custom-made product with select pearls and intricate designs can cost up to $ 5,000.
In addition, the country has rich deposits of rubies and sapphires, and jewelry made from them is also much lower than in Russia.
The second must-have shopping item is drugs to strengthen your own health. All local balms, ointments and tinctures are made exclusively on a natural basis and have a powerful healing effect. Most Vietnamese pharmacies in tourist cities have Russian-speaking specialists who can be consulted. Half a liter of medicated tincture of a spider, scorpion or snake will cost from $ 20.
There are also many opportunities for souvenir shopping, from coconut oil, tea and coffee to authentic hats and local spices. All of this can take anywhere from $ 10 to $ 100. It all depends on your scale and the number of friends you are bringing presents.
On average, two people can relax for ten days for $ 600-650. The calculation is given without the cost of staying at the hotel with breakfast. For lovers of Asian cuisine and good restaurants, the rest will be a little more expensive - 720-750 dollars. For fans of excursions, the rest will cost about a thousand dollars. If you came only for the sea and the beach, your budgetary holiday expenses can be $ 300.
