Vietnam Holiday Help?

LBadinsk on 20/08/2015 - 18:26

My partner and I will be travelling to Vietnam in June 2016. The only other country we have been to is America, so I know we are in for a culture shock. We have only just decided to go there so please excuse my questions if the answers seem quite obvious, we really have no idea.

So far we will be flying into HCM, spending a few nights doing the tunnels and what not, then we have 8 nights in danang/ hoi an, and then we fly to Hanoi for 5 nights.

I'm hoping someone can please assist with my below questions, and also give some advice on where the best places to go/see are?

I know that it is quite safe if you are observant, and this is a weird question, but as girl, is it safe to carry a handbag? Would I be better with something over the shoulder?

I have heard that foreigners can be given a hard time when they arrive in HCM by the customs guys, and ask for "coffee money" in order to be released or for a smooth transition?

Do you need a visa?

Are there really separate lines for men and women going through customs?

How do people travel there so cheaply? The nice hotels I have been looking at are upwards of $300 AUD a night? We have also been recommended to stay in a resort called the Nam Hai in Danang which is $1200 AUD a night?- This is our honeymoon so I would like to stay somewhere nice, but I thought this was a bit expensive?

How do you haggle with someone? And how do you know if they are ripping you off?

Should we be getting something from the pharmacy in case we get sick from the food? I have heard not to eat things that aren't cooked in front of you when it comes to the street food, and also the pho or soup is always quite safe.

General tips and advice would REALLY be appreciated- I want to be as best aware of everything as I can, and we are so super excited to go there for our honeymoon.

Thanks Guys!!!

Travel

Comments

  • eatwell365 on 20/08/2015 - 18:39
    +1

    Congratulations.
    Try also to check out
    http://smartraveller.gov.au and http://www.tripadvisor.com.au

  • davohatcher on 20/08/2015 - 18:57
    +2

    Just my opinion, other people will have their own.

    • Yes you will need a visa, unless Vietnam includes Australia in the recent trial of visa free entry.
    • Yes most countries have separate security lines for male & female as a male patting down a woman is not aloud.
    • Yes you should be careful with snatch and grab robbery's and street robbery like most developing countries
    • You should familiarize yourself with common traveler scams as there are plenty in Vietnam and you will most likely be ripped off if you let them.
    • Yes it is good to have medication for travelers diarrhea etc with you just in-case.

    You can get a nice 4-5 star accommodation in Vietnam and all of South East Asia minus Singapore for $100 a night.

    Just travel smart and you will be fine and have a lovely honeymoon.

    P.S I would avoid that $1200 a night resort unless you are well off..

    I personally have traveled every country in South East Asia some more then 4 times for less then the cost of one night at that hotel.. including flights.

    • Badinsk on 20/08/2015 - 19:51

      Thanks for your input!

      Where would I find these cheaper places to stay? I've looked on trip advisor, and other booking sites but once again they only seem to be 300+ a night. The cheaper ones all have really bad reviews, any recommendations on certain hotels to stay in?

      Many thanks!

      • noyesmaybeok on 21/08/2015 - 05:56
        +1

        Agoda.com. Even airbnb.com.

        Didn't spend much time looking however:
        $46/night in HCMC - https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/5609748?guests=2&s=xVK6
        $70/night in Hanoi - https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/3561398?guests=2&s=dmkW

        For $300+/night I'd recommend going to a first world country which will be far nicer overall. Look at these type of places: https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/3852039?guests=2&s=-uaM
        Can easily find ones cheaper than that too, much much much more luxurious than Vietnam (given as soon as you leave the resort the luxury stops).
        Half the experience with Vietnam and similar countries is the culture and the fact it is so different. Staying in 5 star hotels, eating at expensive restaurants (basically anything on TripAdvisor) isn't going to give too much of that. A lot of things are bad quality, dirty etc but it's cheap (like 99 cent stuff off eBay!). Not really a luxury destination.

        If you want to save money don't use TripAdvisor. On the most part it's the blind leading the blind. There'll be highly rated restaurants with comments like "it's so cheap" - will be multiples above local price, clueless tourists who think $10 for noodles in Vietnam is somehow cheap and so forth. Think about it - how many people on TripAdvisor have actually stayed in the country for more than a few weeks - 5%? If that? Not exactly an authority source on things.

        For food urbanspoon and similar are nearly all locals and much more accurate; not that a lot of places in Vietnam are online.

        Each to their own though.

    • RedSky on 23/08/2015 - 12:59

      Interesting.

      *allowed

      Sorry the spelling nazi in me was offended.

    • Veedub on 23/08/2015 - 15:01

      Having been there 5yrs ago, here are my tips.

      dont drink tap water.
      Avoid ice as this is made from tap water.
      Buy lots and lots of bottled water. Choose recognised brands or brands bottled by Coca Cola or PepsiCo.
      Yes, pack Imodium, just in case you get violent case of the runs.
      Down south is more civilised and friendlier than up north.
      Don't give money to beggars. As this will only have you being swarmed by more beggars.
      Bring/ use the 2 wallet system, and siphon cash into wallet as necessary, why? For bargaining and doesn't show how cashed up you are.
      Locals earn about $200 a month….

      Have fun and enjoy.

  • Vampyr on 20/08/2015 - 19:31
    +4

    I'm currently in Vietnam from an OB special…

    My limited advice:

    Spend as little time in HCM as practical.

    Hoi An is very nice. Spend more time there.

    Those prices sound outrageous. The average Vietnamese person earns somewhere near US$2000 a year… So keep that in mind. I've been staying at homestays and hotels for between AU$25-45 per night (private double room with bathroom). But obviously you would want somewhere nice on a honeymoon. I imagine spending 100AUD would be enough to fulfil your requirements (without knowing you, or more importantly' your wife).

    • Badinsk on 20/08/2015 - 19:54

      Let me know how the special goes! I've often been reluctant to try the special deals!

      I have heard that HCM is very busy, and yes I agree spending less time there is a good idea!

      We are a couple who like luxury, but I don't think vietnam is the right place to always want to be in luxury and we are definitely wanting to be out doing things and seeing things, so accommodation is not really a priority, but I would like it to be nice because its our honeymoon.

      Any suggestions on specific hotels?

      Thanks for the advice, much appreciated :)

      Bec

      • SirFlibbled on 21/08/2015 - 09:23
        +1

        I stayed in a few 2 star hotels in Vietnam which was about 4 star here. They cost about $60 a night. Marbel everywhere in the foyer, 24 hour desk, clean room and good quality bed etc.

        What I did on my trip was spend my time in those sort of places as you spend 90% of the time out and about. I then stayed at the Intercontinental in Nga Trang for a resort style relaxation stop off. DON'T GO TO NGA TRANG IT'S CRAP.

        Make sure you go to Halong Bay for a night from Hanoi. Stay in Hoi An as it's amazing - it was my favourite part of my trip. Maybe for those 8 days do 4 days in Old Town and 4 days at a resort to split it up?

        Also try to take the train where you can to get around. I loved it.

        • noyesmaybeok on 21/08/2015 - 15:50

          Agree, Nha Trang is a ****hole full of tourists & scammers :) Avoid. We have nicer beaches at home anyway.

          I've heard Hoi An's beach isn't very good which sounds like when we stopped by. The resorts are quite far from town too.

          Whatever you do don't sleeper bus anywhere (not at this price point anyway, and even for the price not sure I'd do it again).

        • SirFlibbled on 21/08/2015 - 17:33

          @rochow: Yeah the beaches are are from town in Hoi An which is why I suggested to split it up.

  • Vampyr on 20/08/2015 - 20:56
    +2

    It was just a Jetstar special… We've found out accomodation through trip advisor mostly… Might use AirBNB next time though.

    I have no suggestions! Sorry, but haven't staying in any hotels worthy of a luxury honeymoon. Sorry.

    Congratulation on finding that spcial someone btw…I'm currently in trouble (again) with my gf for some subtlety i 'committed' whilst shopping today… Hope you have smoother sailing :)

    • Badinsk on 20/08/2015 - 21:10
      +1

      Thanks anyway!

      Relationships are filled with ups and downs! Unfortunately my better half is the Defence Force and he goes away ALOT! So we generally always cherish the time we have together! Distance really does make the heart grow fonder! Best advice I've ever been given when it comes to relationships is "always listen to the little alarm bells that tell you things aren't right- don't ignore them"- if you don't hear those alarm bells then relax and ride the waves!

      Good luck :)

      • Vampyr on 21/08/2015 - 00:43

        Yup, "listen to your inner voice" is my take on that. Best advice, ever :)

        Good luck yourself!

    • Bob01 on 04/02/2016 - 23:55

      how did your flight cost mate? from which city did you travel?

  • thirtysixd on 20/08/2015 - 21:18
    +2

    I found vietnam very safe but there are some scams/tourist traps that you should be aware of.

    Quick list of tips in no order:
    Bag theft from scooters does happen- Dont carry around more than you need (keep cards in your hotel safe and only take one out when you need to use an atm)
    Fake Taxis - Only use Mai Linh and Vinasun (Read up on taxi scams if you are going to a place like hoi an)
    No change - Dont expect everyone to be able to break your fresh 500k dong note.
    Learn some vietnamese - Guaranteed to cut hawkers time spent hastling you in half by saying no thankyou in viet
    Do a vietnamese cooking class (lots of fun and useful)
    Pay the extra to get your visa while in Aus (line could be long…there was some talk about visa laws changing so its worth double checking)

    • Badinsk on 20/08/2015 - 21:26

      Really great advice! Thank you so much :)

      • Realsteel on 22/08/2015 - 07:07

        The line can be horrible so if you can get the Visa here. The last thing you would be wanting to do is to wait another hour or so after being in the plane for that long. I travelled in Match and got there in the evening. Waited close to 1.5 hours to get Visa. Not worth the hassle tbh…

        • Davros on 22/08/2015 - 07:19

          I travel to Vietnam regularly and have never waited more than 30 minutes.
          Quite often the bags arent even on the carousel yet

  • NancyCat on 20/08/2015 - 22:10
    +1

    We (hubby, me + 3 kids) went to Vietnam for 2 weeks in April this year.

    We applied for Visa on arrival before we left. But still waited for half an hour at the airport when we arrived at Hanoi.

    We stay at 'Hanoi Elegance Ruby', great little hotel. Not really a 5 star-luxury hotel, but it is very clean and in a very good location, easy walk to everywhere…even with our 3 kids. Very friendly. They knew we have kids, so they put balloons in our room, and the towels were folded into little elephants/puppies!!! Just checked our old email…only US$130 for the family suite (2 Queen beds + baby cot) Including breakfast.

    In Hoi An, we stayed at Anantara. That is a real nice/luxury hotel, great for honeymoon! Good location as well. Only US$230 for the 'Deluxe Balcony' room. Including great breakfast buffet. Free bikes hire.

    Must do in Hoi An: Bike tour to see some local villages http://www.vietnam-bicycle.com/

    We all had a great time there, no problem with safety/food, the people are very nice…I can go on and on about the lovely time we had.

    • MaxTravels on 21/08/2015 - 08:17
      +1

      +1 for the Hanoi elegance motel, we stayed in the emerald. Loved the location, breakfast was great and the staff were supper friendly. They are offering a free airport pick up on trip advisor at the moment http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g293924-d4137737-…

      We stayed a few years ago in low season and paid about $75US for a Jnr suite. We also booked our trip to Halong bay through them at a fair price, and it was amazing.

      My daughter is going next year and wanted something a little more budget, so she is staying at a guest house with private bath etc, $30 per night.

      • Badinsk on 21/08/2015 - 08:40

        I just looked at the Elegance Hotel- its beautiful!!

        Thanks for the tips!

        :)

  • Sunshines bright on 20/08/2015 - 22:28
    +2

    I totally disagree about avoiding Ho Chi Min… I had a lot of fun there for 3 weeks, I suppose if you want to play it quiet and away from everyone you could avoid it but then why go to Vietnam?

    We took a bus from Ho Chi Min to Hanoi, wow what a long trip (just over 2 days)in a lay down bus. Looking back I can't believe we did it. Back in 2012. Hoi An was nice and quaint. Been so long ago, I do not recall a lot of the trip. I will say Ho Chi Min was exciting and had a huge park with many Vietnamese exercising and walking around, we spent a lot of time walking in and around that park ( I can't recall the name of it). I do recall doing a lot of walking every day, we never once took a Taxi.

    I did get my handbag stolen from a biker as I was walking around a corner - everyone told me to put it over my head to protect it, but I choose not to as I felt very safe. Little did I know that a biker would grab it and ride away with it; leaving my arm all bruised where I tried to keep hold. But otherwise I felt very safe the whole time.

    We met a lot of university/college students in the park I mentioned above (it is the biggest grassy area in Ho chi min with children's playground, open areas for doing group exercises, exercise equipment, some people even took dance lessons in the park and a it had a little pond) who wanted to practice their English and get to know us. I liked HO Chi Min better then Hanoi; Hanoi was a stuffy place and not quite as friendly like Ho chi min! You really should visit Ho Chi Min it is a very fun city.

    If you do go to Ho Chi Min (Saigon) stay at the AVA 2 Hotel, 126 De Tham Str., Dist 1.
    It is very inexpensive and clean and the owner takes good care of his employees, they offer laundry service with the room price and breakfast.
    Tel +84.8 3920 8645 - 46 - 47 - 48 this was a few years ago but we were impressed.
    www.avasaigon2.com [email protected] .

    We haggled a lot on the street, cut all the prices in half then offer even less then that to get them started but unless you really want something badly try to avoid paying more the half… walk away and let them chase you and/or go back as if to think about it, see if they will come down…. we got clothes that way and a suitcase too all about half or under what they wanted.

    • Badinsk on 20/08/2015 - 22:38

      Thank you for taking the time to write all of that seriously awesome knowledge!

      I am worried about the handbag thing… so this is good to know.. maybe an over the shoulder bag would be better when I go?

      Thanks again!

      • Sunshines bright on 21/08/2015 - 22:17

        yes, it is good idea when crossing the streets to just move forward at a moderate pace.. do not stop, do not hesitate and push your way across… the bikers know how to get around you if you keep moving, to stop can cause an accident… think like a horse with blinders on do not look left or right just move forward, LOL

        • frewer on 24/08/2015 - 06:06

          I just want to put a side note to that.
          Eh you can do that in big city ( the local calls it Saigon/Hanoi). However do avoided truck/van while crossing, in the country town though. I remember reading about people got run over my truck quite often. Due to the narrow road it is quite dangerous when crossing

  • hihi on 20/08/2015 - 22:40
    +1

    This is just Just my opinion:
    Yes, you will need a visa, i suggest that you get a visa here as the line will be long :)
    In Ho Chi Minh City, just be careful with your phone and your handbag, there will be fake taxis in there so try to book Mai Linh or Vinasun. if you stay for more than 2 days in ho chi minh, i suggest to go to Phu Quoc island, it is about 10 hours of driving or 1 hour of flying , the island is so nice, would be a great place to enjoy a honeymoon
    if you can stay longer in Hoi An and Da Nang, there will be a lot of activities to do, i suggest to go to Ba Na hills and also if you have time take a bus or train to Hue, the food in Hue is excellent :) take a flight to Ha Noi from there. Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue are safer than Ho Chi Minh and Ha Noi.
    In Ha Noi, if you want to see Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, go as early as possible to avoid the heat and queues
    From Ha Noi, if you have time, i suggest to go to Ha Long Bay, spend a night on a boat ( ask your hotel in Ha Noi for a deal ) or take a train to Sapa.
    Basically, all souvenir stores or markets in Viet Nam will sell things for you for a higher price than local, if you really like it, just ask them to reduce the price, if they don't just walk away, they might call you back to give that to you for that price you want :) or try to find a local to buy it for you. It is not only oversea tourists get ripped off but also vietnamese tourists, too.
    I find some beaches in Viet Nam that people carry items to sell, the problem is once you buy for them, a bunch of people will follow you until you buy things for them. so try not to buy anything from them :)
    when you land, buy a local sim like Viettel or mobifone, a lot of places have free wifi, so just ask for a password.
    In June, the weather will be hot ( HCM:in the morning sunny, afternoon light rain
    Hue: hot )
    In my opinion, the south people are alot friendlier than the north ones so stay longer in the south would be nicer ( south viet nam is from hue )
    Last advice, if you want to cross the road, just don't run, just walk slowly

    • Badinsk on 20/08/2015 - 22:45

      Thanks Hihi!

      Some of those places I have not heard of, so I will definitely be having a look! We are definitely wanting to do the cruise at in halong bay! Looks so beautiful!

      June will be very hot! But I don't mind the hot weather when I'm on holidays- is it true that you need to be careful of the bottled water, someone told me that sometimes they re bottle it and it can make you sick? Also to stay away from some ice?

      I don't want to be that person that misses out on lots of activities because I'm too scared of something happen, I just want to be cautious…

      Lets hope it all works out fine! :)

      Thanks very much for your input!

      • hihi on 20/08/2015 - 23:00
        +1

        i have never heard that they are re bottle it. i saw a clip in an airport in Viet Nam that someone cut a bottled water in half and put heroin in the bottled water, it just looks like a bottled of water but in between the water, it's heroin, gave it to someone to pass through the custom. so just don't take anything from anyone in the airport you will be fine. some ice they make it from contaminated fresh water, so just don't put any ice buy from the street :) it's quite dangerous for us but local people are fine. if you want to exchange money, the rates in some stores where they sell gold always higher than in banks

        • maxsavings on 22/08/2015 - 10:34
          +1

          Wow you know a lot hihi

          You will be fine if you go to supermarket for bottle water and its always the cheapest. Coopmart will be first choice as one of the biggest in HCM not sure about the other parts.

          Never exchange money in banks and airport, ridiculous exchange rate and fees. Go to Ben Thanh Market, there are quite a lot gold shops that do exchange. And do not exchange a lot in one time because there are always robbers in front of gold shops and Banks especially foreigners.

      • Dorka on 24/08/2015 - 14:02
        +1

        I bought two bottles of water from a street side stall one felt normal but the other was all soft and weird like the air had been taken out of it. We just threw that bottle out as they are cheap cheap and stuck to buying from convenience stores. Not sure anything was really wrong with it but just wanted to be safe.

    • mparf on 22/08/2015 - 19:36
      +1

      Agreeing so hard with the crossing the road thing.
      Put your arm out. The more space you take up, the more chance people will swerve around you.

      I went for the first time with my parents in January as they wanted me to visit the motherland, and holy crap crossing the road gave me a heart attack. I pretty much clung to my dad and looked at the ground as he walked me across.

      Do your visa here- Go to your embassy in your state to get them done. Don't do them through a travel agent, you'll pay $50 more for the convenience.

      We rented a bus for the day, private driver, all fuel included, for about $80AUD. It was awesome but might not be economical for you.

  • captobvious on 20/08/2015 - 22:51

    You will be saddened by the begging children in hcm
    The embassy stuffed up my visa, i had to bribe my way through, it wasnt too bad a bit like indonesia.

    Good things, cheap just stay in a 5star and if the hotel has the option of an exec club do it, that gives you access to an area in your hotel to pig out and drink for free on your down time

    Some recommendations, get your money changed at a jeweller for the best rates but watch your back and check your cash throughly, if you are not game then the major banks are legit.

    When it rains it floods, bring a pair of pluggers with you or go buy new shoes when your shoes get wet

    Watch put for the prostitutes on scooters they can get pushy if you are a foreign guy walking by yourself.

    I got some food poisoning which sucked but good thing drugs are over the counter there so i knew what i needed.

    People are friendly but i think as a foreigner you have $$ signs printed on your forehead.

    Didnt experience crime but have heard of it happening. Ride a taxi jump in a vinacab as they are legit, scooter is the quickest to get around but ive heard of people getting rolled on them in organised groups.

    Stay alert, go on legit tours and youll be right.

    • SirFlibbled on 21/08/2015 - 09:27
      +3

      At about 20,000-30,000 a meal and 25c for a beer why would you need an executive club.

      • Davros on 21/08/2015 - 15:01
        +1

        Exactly, best food in Vietnam is street food, always the busy spots where the locals NOT tourists eat.
        Worst food is often upmarket hotel buffets, the food often sits out to long and in decades of travel through Asia, much of it Vietnam, the only time I have been violently ill is always at 5* buffets.

      • captobvious on 21/08/2015 - 18:24
        +1

        Dont get me wrong I didnt say Street food was shit just on an occasion street food where the locals ate caused me great uncomfort in my anus. Access to the club helped. This is based on my experience and why not its so cheap to splash out anyway?

        • SirFlibbled on 21/08/2015 - 20:26

          The only time I ate in a proper restaurant the same thing happened lol

        • eatwell365 on 21/08/2015 - 21:50

          caused me great uncomfort in my anus.

          Anh ngo hurt because of hot chilli?

        • captobvious on 22/08/2015 - 00:18

          I know now to stay away from that congealed blood stuff. Vietnamese guts required. Foreign guts -1

  • Badinsk on 20/08/2015 - 23:10

    Ssuuucccchhhh awesomeeeeeeeeee insight!

    Seriously thank you! Money changed at the Jeweller is the type of stuff I need to know.

    I am definitely worried about us being viewed as $$$.

    We are pretty street smart people but I know this is a whole new world, thanks for the tips!

    :)

    Bec

    • SirFlibbled on 21/08/2015 - 09:26
      +2

      Get yourself a Citibank Plus account. You don't really need more than 2M Dong a day (I was spending about 1M a day). That way you can just get money out of an ATM when you need it. It was like 50c in fees.

  • cupcake on 21/08/2015 - 13:42
    +2

    Hi Bec,

    My tips for Vietnam:

    Carry a bag which goes across your body instead of a shoulder hand bag. That way you can have it in front of you at all times. Keep it zipped up at all times. They might swipe your phone even in busy areas like resturants. This happened to my neightbour. Only pull out your phone/camera/purse facing the front of a wall or building. Not facing the street. Carry small amounts of cash in your pocket that way you don't have to pull out your wallet or purse.

    Dress down and don't look rich. They know who westerners are. Do not pack designer stuff unless you're willing to lose it. Same with jewellery. Do not wear gold or diamonds. My brother had his camera nicked and gold necklace stolen - while he was wearing it! They snatch it.

    Try and hand over the exact amount for food and purchases. My friend paid US$20 dollars for a can of coke thinking 200,000 dong was a 20,000 dong note. They might take it and give you a smile. No change lol

    Buy bottled water. It can get up to 40 degrees in June so you'll need at least 10 bottles of water a day. About $1 a bottle. Worth it if you don't want a million runny poos.

    I don't recommend the soup dishes. I like Banh Mi (pork bread rolls) or rice dishes like Goi Cuon (Rice paper rolls) etc. They don't have clean drinking water like we do. Lots of nasties. So avoid ice in your drinks. Just buy chilled drinks in a can or bottle. Also, the way they prep food isn't very hygenic unless you eat at a hotel.

    Wear a cap and cheap sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun.

    Good hotel rooms start from AU$50 a night with air conditioning.

    Do legit day tours.

    Visit kids at an orphanage and donate toys and snacks and see their faces light up. You'll see how lucky we are to live in Australia.

    Remember that people there make AU$100 to $200 a month so don't negotiate too much. You can always walk away if you are not happy with their price.

    Have a great trip and take lots of photos (carefully)!

    • Badinsk on 21/08/2015 - 14:02
      +1

      Hi Cupcake!

      so many awesome tips, thank you so very much!

      If good hotel rooms start from AU $50 then I've definitely been doing this whole thing wrong haha- so far for 17 nights in Vietnam we have been quoted $11500 including flights and all hotels and tours, i thought this was a good price but i thin I may be wrong- I wonder why some hotels are $400-500 if you can get a nice one for $50, is it because they know silly westerners like me will pay it? lol

      Thanks again for the great tips, my engagement ring is quite expensive, and it hadn't even occurred to me to take this off!If it ever got stolen it would break my heart.

      Definitely don't want runny poos! And I would absolutely love to go to an orphanage over there- we definitely are very lucky to live here :)

      Thanks again for the help, really appreciate it!

      Bec

      • cupcake on 21/08/2015 - 14:40
        +1

        I think you may have been quoted a high price but you must have booked with an agency (like Flight Centre) rather than planning and booking it yourself online. You might be staying at a resort for most of your time there?

        Resorts are fine but only if you like relaxing by the pool. Most people travel on a tighter budget and do tours in the day so they don't spend that much time at the resort.

        A way to get around not paying more for things is to ask them for the price before you buy or order. For example, street food is cheap so just ask first. Then tell them you want a fried egg in a bread roll and pay $1 and not $5 lol They might quote you the higher price.

        Also, you can watch Kyle Le or Mark Wiens on Youtube. It will give you an idea of what it's like there before you go.

        • Badinsk on 21/08/2015 - 14:51
          +1

          Yes this was a quote from an agency, the only thing I'm really worried about if I book it myself, is how do we get too and from places like tours and what not? If I was to book somewhere reasonable on air bnb or something, I have no idea of how to get from A to B, and definitely dont want to be stressed about missing tours etc

          I will definitely check out those youtube people.

          Thanks again :)

        • cupcake on 21/08/2015 - 14:57
          +1

          I understand. Catching buses and taxis isn't ideal unless you have the time for it. Best to have all your transfers sorted before you go so you don't miss anything.

          Crossing the street is a challenge in itself!

        • Badinsk on 21/08/2015 - 15:24
          +1

          I've heard this!

          And I saw a video! My goodness its ridiculous! And my partner wanted to get a scooter and drive over there! CRAZY! No way on this earth is that happening!

        • cupcake on 21/08/2015 - 16:01
          +1

          The noise of the bikes, the dust, the food poisoning, the health and safety standards… Best to watch all the videos then lol

        • NancyCat on 21/08/2015 - 17:41
          +1

          @becevans1992: The no.1 rule of crossing the street in Vietnam is just go for it, just keep walking, don't run and don't stop in the middle. Yes, it is crazy. The logic is the cars/scooters will move around the people crossing the street. So if you start running/stop in the middle of the road, the drivers will misjudge your movement. You have to keep a steady pace, and keep eye contact with the drivers (it's hard, because you only have 2 eyes, and there are 100 cars/scooters coming at you in all directions!) It's easier said than done!
          Our first couple of days in Hanoi, we were standing on the street for 10 mins, and thought WTF, how are we ever cross the road! Then we got better at it. We have 3 kids…so imagine! So basically, hubby and I just grabbed the kids hands, and walked into the traffic, hubby kept yelling GO GO GO GO GO…and we just drag the kids across the road with all the cars and scooters flying around us! I still can't believe we all came home alive!..so don't worry…you'll be fine!

        • Badinsk on 21/08/2015 - 17:48

          @NancyCat- this is great advice!

          Thank you very much!!!

        • Badinsk on 21/08/2015 - 17:49

          @NancyCat- this is so useful to know!

          will definitely give it a go!

        • MaxTravels on 21/08/2015 - 18:22
          +1

          @NancyCat:
          Agree 100%. Felt totally safe once I got used to it, just gotta commit. Walk in a straight line, at a constant pace and DO NOT STOP. The only time I got into a bit of trouble was when I hesitated for just a minute mid- road.

          Keep your eye on the other side, walk calmly and you will be fine. It's a rite-of-passage :)

        • Sunshines bright on 21/08/2015 - 22:29

          @becevans1992: Bec, when you book a room yourself most of the time that hotel has a map for you that will get you around locally. Remember, I said we walked our way through Vietnam, took a taxi from airport to hotel only and bus from Ho Chi Min to hanoi but at each stop (hotel) along the way we managed to get maps that helped us walk around. We did not do any tours besides the bus trip we just walked and found places we wanted to visit. A museum about the War was one such place but I hated it as it was all controversy/propaganda about US involvement and it was heavily negative against the USA (I am American). Nowhere did I find it necessary to not walk to visit places. And I managed to lose some weight along the way with all the walking we did. And if you do book any thing the hotel reception will make sure you know how to get there and or tell you about transportation available.

          by the way we booked all the rooms but the 1st week on the fly… we used travelers point online to point us to the hotels and then we walked around to find those places (or others nearby) then booked online as it was the same or cheaper that way; but only after we visited the place to be sure - we even asked to see the room they would put us in before we booked it. Mostly I did find the beds to be a bit uncomfortable in all the places… they were hard and some made my back ache, but I think it was normal (since it was the same in all but a couple places we stayed) Maybe in the 5 star places the beds are softer but I do not know - For Vietnam I would say we spent most of the time in what they would call 3 stars for the area.

          We were in Vietnam for 3 months - most of that in Ho chi Min. the place I mentioned in my post earlier AVA 2 Hotel http://www.travellerspoint.com/accommodation/211861-Ava-Saig… we booked for a whole month and paid only about 400.00 AUD which included doing our laundry daily and breakfast. WOW just did a check on the current prices for "our" hotel and it is double what we paid in 2012.

          The park in Ho Chi Min we loved and visited daily is on Le Lai street, Ben Thanh is north-east of it and a great street market to visit. get google map to be your friend for now.

        • SirFlibbled on 22/08/2015 - 19:47
          +1

          @becevans1992: taxis. They are plentiful and cheap.

      • noyesmaybeok on 21/08/2015 - 16:20
        +3

        $11,500 is an insane amount for Vietnam, that would be like spending $50,000+ in the USA. If you're a millionaire or something and don't care about money then it doesn't matter.

        In my personal opinion if you want luxury and have ~$12,000 for 3 weeks ($700 a day) go to a much nicer destination - infinite pools over the beach, go to Singapore and stay at Marina Bay Sands etc. Way nicer, a lot less crime, no "here's 30 things I have to remember to not get robbed or scammed" which will happen anyway to some extent, and being on guard 24/7 is hardly enjoyable.

        Rent a scooter in Da Nang, a lot less busy. HCMC or Hanoi no, not very safe for beginners!

        Rome2rio.com for cities.

        Arrive HCMC.
        Fly to Hoi An (Da Nang most likely, then taxi to Hoi An)
        Fly to Hanoi
        Taxi to/from airport
        = few hundred at most

        $75/night for accommodation = $1275

        Tours, at most we spent $25pp, most were $5pp or so including lunch. Let's say you did 10 day tours = $500

        Food, let's say you eat at expensive places (but not in restaurants next to crazy hotels) = $10/meal, so $30/day (though lunch would be included 10 times) = $500

        So really it's at about $3000 and it's already staying at upper class accommodation, eating in tourist restaurants every meal and doing 10 tours.
        Do scuba diving, maybe an expensive cruise or two, you'd still be struggling to hit $4000 or $5000.

        • cupcake on 21/08/2015 - 16:35
          +1

          The thing with travelling in Asia is you have to always watch your stuff. Theft is opportunistic and they will take it if they can.

          Just try not to be a target and wear the clothes they wear. Buy cheap outfits from their markets and donate it to some little kid there when you leave.

          Third world countries and undeveloped countries are not usually honeymoon destinations but that price quoted is for two people. It does seem like a lot for Vietnam. If all tours are included, you won't have to tip your guide (no need to) or host families (who will cook you lunches and dinners).

          This is a honeymoon (and I know it's Oz Bargain) but no need to tighten the purse strings too much lol

        • noyesmaybeok on 21/08/2015 - 16:51
          +1

          @cupcake:

          We stayed 2 weeks and spent < $1000 and were private rooms w/ ensuites, moved rather quickly so a number of destinations. 3 weeks for $3000-4000 is still a pretty massive amount.

          I'm not experienced with guided tours, I'm pretty sure private tours are available for wayyyy less than Flight Centre are offering. That would be more appealing to me - stay at nice hotels, then be personally shown around at my own pace without 50 other people. Basically hand held from arrival to departure so not much to worry about it.

        • Badinsk on 21/08/2015 - 17:30

          This is what the itinerary/ prices look like for the 2 of us- feedback very welcome.

          Airfare: $295.00pp. plus taxes & surcharges of $557.20pp. Total $852.20pp.
          Baggage: 1 bag(s) at a cost of $0.00 up to 23.00 kg per piece, totaling $0.00 Taxes are subject to change until paid in full.
          All quotes are subject to availability at time of booking.
          This is not an E-ticket. Please check your flight plan for flight details.
          Total flight price: $1,704.40

          Staying at: CARAVELLE HOTEL
          Address: Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityVIETNAM
          City: HO CHI MINHCTY(SGN)
          Room type: a Deluxe Room
          Total nights: 3
          Number of Rooms: 1
          Breakfast: Buffet Breakfast
          Check in: 30/05/2016
          Check out: 02/06/2016 at 12:00pm
          Comments:
          Please note - a credit card will be required upon check-in to accommodation. The hotel may take a deposit for incidentals from the credit card (amounts may vary). Room bedding configuration and location are requested only, and will be confirmed upon check-in at the discretion of the hotel.
          Total accommodation price:$666.00

          Name of tour: Half day Cu Chi Tunnels
          NCLUSIONS
          Includes:-
          • Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
          • English speaking guide
          • Entrance fees
          DEPARTS
          Daily at 1:30pm
          MEETING POINT
          Pick up from lobby inside hotel
          Total activities price: $190.00

          Name of Tour- Mekong Delta -
          Start date: 01/06/2016
          Finish date: 01/06/2016
          INCLUSIONS
          • English speaking guide
          • Lunch
          • Entrance fee

          Total activities price: $442.00

          Staying at: ANANTARA HOI AN RESORT
          Address: Hoi An, Quang Nam Hoi An VIETNAM City:
          HOI AN (HOJ)
          Room type: a Junior Garden View Suite
          Breakfast: Buffet Breakfast
          Check in: 02/06/2016
          Check out: 06/06/2016 at 12:00pm

          -Total accommodation price: $1,144.00

          Staying at: NAM HAI
          City: HOI AN
          Room type: KING BEACHFRONT VILLA
          Bedding: KING
          Total nights: 4
          Breakfast: FULL BREAKFAST
          Check in: 06/06/16
          COST: $4,000.00
          Company: Infinity
          Staying at: SOFITEL LEGEND METROPOLE HANOI
          Address: 15 Ngo Quyen Street, Trang Tie Hanoi 10000 VIETNAM
          City: HANOI (HAN)
          Room type: a Premium Room
          Total nights: 3
          Total accommodation price: $1,368.00

          Name of tour: Street Eats Tour departing 530pm
          START DATE: 10/06/16
          COST : $112.00

          Cruise line: Buffalo Tours 1N Halong Cruise L’Azalee
          Date: 13/06/16
          Duration: 1N
          Cost: $758.00

          ACCOMMODATION: SOFITEL LEGEND METROPOLE HANOI
          CITY: HANOI
          NIGHTS: 1N
          ROOM TYPE: PREMIUM ROOM
          INCLUSIONS: FULL BUFFET BREAKFAST
          COST: 456

          TOTAL COST:

          CASH PRICE: $11,140.40
          PAYPAL: $11, 251.80
          CC: $11474.60

        • noyesmaybeok on 21/08/2015 - 17:58

          @becevans1992:

          $112 street eats tour. It's $5 of food and a few hrs of time. Should be tours for $20-30 max (a good private tour guide inc car for a day is $70, so that's a benchmark. 3 hrs of walking around a city should be less than half).

          1N Halong Bay - do a google. Pretty sure ~$200 will get a highly TripAdvisor rated overnight one.

          Hoi An - Beach side is not a nice place in my opinion. Beach is worse than Australia, it's quite far from town. I would stay in the city. We rented a scooter while here and I felt relatively safe, average busy not insane like the bigger cities.

          Cu Chi Tunnels - pretty sure we spent $10 for a day tour of tunnels & a temple I can't remember the name of (Ben something). Bus was fine, standard air-con one.
          Mekong Delta - $10 again for both of us, included the bus, a boat ride and lunch. Just got it from some random place on the ground. It was a very good day out.

          In any case, both of these tours are total ripoffs, would be interested to know commission vs what the end guy gets. A good private tour guide with car is $70/day. Much better option IMO.

          Hotels - unrealistic, you wouldn't even pay that for most of those in Sydney! Have a look at Air BNB, make sure to select 'entire place/room'. You can post here with links you like and we can recommend locations. For Hanoi you'll probably want to stay in the old district near the lake. HCMC, being a tourist for a few days just stay in the tourist area, it's where most tours leave from etc. The ones I looked at were very nice and all under $100/night.

          What airline are you flying with?

          The itinerary above is quite light on activities - only 2 day tours, a quick food tour, and an overnight in Ha Long Bay. What about transfers, intercity travel etc, is that all included?

          Do you want to do scuba diving or anything while in Vietnam?

          http://vietnameseprivatetours.com has a 14 day tour and lots of good TripAdvisor reviews, could be worth looking at. Depends on how many days of seeing things vs days of nothing and relaxing you want.

        • Badinsk on 21/08/2015 - 18:02

          @rochow:

          thanks for the input!

          Very interesting to see those price differences, it makes me wonder, I was assured these were the best prices, so i'll definitely be looking into it more!

          Would you suggest booking the tours upon arrival or before we go, but book them ourselves?

          WOULD LOVE TO GO SCUBA DIVING! Love doing awesome fun things like that- we probably want a good 50/50 with doing things and relaxing :)

          thanks again!

        • noyesmaybeok on 21/08/2015 - 18:38

          @becevans1992:

          Well, the best price for them ;) Average wage is ~$200 a month. A good tour guide running their own business will be ~$70/day inc a car. It's good money for a local.

          $442 and from what I can tell not even a private tour… that's a heck of a lot of profit on top.

          Street tour is another good example. TripAdvisor shows a 5 star rated tour for $40/2 people. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293924-d558395…
          Another 100%+ markup.

          Someone is making a killing in the middle, prices aren't good at all.

          Scuba diving is around $80/USD/person. Probably not as good as say Australia, however 1/3 of the price and still a great experience.

          If you spend a few hours coming up with your own itinerary similar to what I wrote earlier, will be just as nice and ~$3000 including food. Plenty of people on here can give advice. Half the problem you'll have is fitting in everything you want to do! Some of the nice scenery is a day trip inland and so forth, time quickly becomes in a issue. Vietnam is skinny but quite long, HCMC to Saigon is a fair distance, in 3 weeks you will see a lot but also be skipping a lot of things.

          For comparison getting prices for private tour companies in Vietnam would be good, so you can see the difference between DIY and a tour (what you have above is very basic, could make it in an hr. It has no details of transfers etc which is where a lot of time is taken, figuring the actual logistics).

        • Sunshines bright on 21/08/2015 - 22:55

          @becevans1992: Bec that is living the "HIGH" life in Vietnam… if you want to spend that kind of money it is possible, as you can see, but not necessary… Up to you, but your being ripped off I think as there are places that are probably just as nice for at least half that price… Look for yourself
          http://www.travellerspoint.com/accommodation/vietnam/ho-chi-…

          your prices are for what Travellers point would consider 4 star accommodations which is quite high end if you ask me.

          although I did search for the caravella and the price at travellers point was 865.00 AUD for 3 nights so your quoted price beats mine.

        • od810 on 22/08/2015 - 14:27

          @becevans1992:

          They picked for you all the most expensive hotels in Vietnam for e.g Sofitel Metropole Hanoi is like double the price of the next most expensive. Although Metropole Hanoi is VERY nice but you can stay in a cheaper one. For example this 5 star hotel around same area for $250:

          http://www.agoda.com/en-au/apricot-hotel/hotel/hanoi-vn.html

        • Aceboy884 on 22/08/2015 - 19:28
          +1

          @becevans1992:

          First reaction, holy shit, you are being ripped off to the max my dear

          Tours in Vietnam can be had for $30 pp

          I booked a trip prior and then a similar one locally

          They were both run by similar operators.

          So just book when you get there, you will see plenty of local tours around city central

        • Badinsk on 22/08/2015 - 19:39

          @Aceboy884:

          I totally agree- I thought it was a good deal, but after all of this advice I am totally wrong! haha

          How would I know if the tours were legit though?

          Thanks for the advice, much appreciated!

        • kctt on 22/08/2015 - 20:27
          +1

          @becevans1992: All of your hotels are top in their city. Like in Hoi An $1000/night for Nam Hai resort. Travel agent will most likely make more in commission with the most expensive hotels but you would not get much cheaper if you book the same hotels directly. Tours are definitely very expensive. You can ask hotels to book same tour when you arrive at the hotel for cheaper price. Options in your quote is like choosing ferrari instead of porsche or mercedes. The buffalo tour is high end luxury target foreigners only (mostly for old rich people with lots of money to spend though). If you are afraid of travel from A to B, just get a taxi. It's not hard and taxi is metered. Almost all tour operators pick you up at your hotel.

        • Aceboy884 on 22/08/2015 - 23:59

          @becevans1992:

          Ask your hotel to recommend local tours

          But in HCM you will find plenty tour operators on the Main Street around district one (central). They are all legit,

          Generally you will buy a voucher/ticker and meet up at the designated bus stop for your tour. You will see other foreign tourist around, so you know you are all in it together.

          I found the local guides very professional and they spoke decent English

        • NancyCat on 23/08/2015 - 14:12
          +1

          @becevans1992:
          When we stayed at Anantara (Hoi An), we booked a hotel private car to take us to My Son Sanctuary. We booked the car for 6:45am, when we arrived, there were only a few tourists there. Such beautiful place. Nice, quite, peaceful. The driver dropped us off at one end of the Sanctuary, and picked us up at the other end. The place is not that big, very easy walk (even with our 2 y.o., no pram). Even though we don't have a guide, no map, hardly any road signs, it was pretty easy to find our way out. Took about an hour and a half to walk through. On the way back to the hotel, we saw many many tourists, buses after buses arriving. So get there early to avoid the crowd and traffic, also not so hot early in the morning. The best thing about hiring the car from Anantara is you can take however long to walk, the driver just wait for you…also, the driver has ice-cold water and wet towels waiting for you after the long walk! BTW, we left at 6:45am, because buffet breakfast starts at 6:30am, so we had time to have a quick breakfast (and stuffed a few yummy croissants/pastry rolls in our back packs for snack!).

        • Becsavers on 26/08/2015 - 16:11

          @becevans1992: I'm so glad that you've included Halong Bay on your itinerary as it's absolutely stunning. However, it definitely shouldn't cost you that much that for one night. I went on a cruise with Paradise Cruises when I was there 2 years ago, and it was less than that for 2 nights. You can still get a lot cheaper than Paradise Cruises, but they were one of the more luxurious cruises and come highly recommended. I would definitely recommend the 2 night cruise as it's almost an 8 hour round trip driving to and from Hanoi to Halong Bay, which is a long drive for only 1 night on the boat. And the scenery is just amazing, it will be worth the extra day!

      • singlemalt72 on 24/08/2015 - 08:20
        +2

        Forget about travel agents (unless you find a good little family run suburban Vietnamese agent) , they make profits on everything they book for you, the more you pay, the more they make.

        Honestly in this day and age just do it all via the internet yourself.

        • iwantthatflight.com to get the best tickets, also if you don't mind budget carriers, try their websites direct as some of them don't show up in the meta searches (Cebu Pacific, Scoot)
        • airbnb.com or booking.com for accommodation (most cities in vietnam, great hotels for $30 a night)
        • Use wikitravel to find out about the places you are going and the scams to be avoided. Also the lonely planet travel forums are good for finding honest, reliable drivers.
        • don't book any tours from Australia, just walk into a travel agent in Vietnam and have them sort your day trips etc …. And HAGGLE with them. The first price is never their best price.

        For instance, I'm going to Vietnam for Christmas; Myself, Wife and daughter - 15 nights - flights and accommodation come to around $2900.

        Cheers

  • MaxTravels on 21/08/2015 - 15:15
    +1

    i too gave too much money to someone there, paid $30 for a taxi when it should have been $3. sure the driver smiled and let me go, and i was furious about it for about 5 minutes. then i realised how much that money would have meant to him, and it seamed pretty trivial. Yes, be careful with your money, but don't sweat the small stuff :)

    • Badinsk on 21/08/2015 - 15:23

      There conversion rate is something like 1 dong = 0.00061 AUD, is there an easier way to convert this quickly when you're out and about?

      Thanks for the input MaxTravels :)

      • cupcake on 21/08/2015 - 16:05
        +1

        17,000 - 20,000 dong is about AU$1 depending on where you exchange it.

        • od810 on 22/08/2015 - 14:20

          At best you can get between 16-16.5K dong now. The AUD is very weak now. But who knows, the VN government just devalued the Dong 1%.

  • MaxTravels on 21/08/2015 - 18:12
    +2

    I always like to have a rule of thumb for converting money in my head, just a quick way to calculate on the run. With dong, I used an approximation of removing 4 zeros, then deciding by 2. That works out close enough to me, so if I'm in a store and see something worth 100,000 I know it's worth about $5 (6 technically, but it's just an appriximation).

    But… I ALWAYS travel with the xe app in my phone which can be used offline. It's free and gives you a great quick conversion.

    • Badinsk on 21/08/2015 - 18:15

      I never thought of it like that! Much easier to comprehend the Dong that way! ;) (lol)

      • MaxTravels on 21/08/2015 - 18:18
        +1

        I have a quick rule everywhere. We are going to Japan this year and the quick calc is to just take off 2 zeros, 3 for South Korea. It's not perfect, but if your buying a can of soft drink from a vending machine, it's a quick way to make sure your getting the value you think :)

    • KaTst3R on 21/08/2015 - 19:17

      You are lucky you have not traveled to Zimbabwe in the mid 2000s, XE app wouldnt be of much help as the converter calculator would have ran out of space from the number of zeros…

  • MaxTravels on 21/08/2015 - 18:35
    +1

    I also bought the lonely planet guide to Hanoi and got some tips on where to eat. We had some fantastic and memorable local food while we were there ( I think all my travel stories from Vietnam involve food). Lonely planet have listed a few names of local places to eat that are known to be good, and I can agree with their choices. if you don't do a food tour, check them out..

  • vip123 on 21/08/2015 - 20:41
    +1

    Whenever you walk out of the airport, It is very important that you take a Vinasun taxi, or only jump in a cab where there is a meter.
    We learnt the hard way, had a random take our bag claiming they were a taxi, and ended up paying 50AUD (600,000) to get to our hotel, if we had taken vinasun it would have costed (180,000).

    Also if you're in HCM and you go to the market, offer them half price and work your way up, if they dont like the price, walk away, they will come after you for a sale. trust me.

    Also if you see those Men on the bike pedalling around offering you a lift somewhere, do not jump on them, they will tell you one price, and when you get off, pretend that you heard them wrong and make you pay through the roof. We agreed on 30,000 and ended up paying 300,000 each.

    pretty much walk around together, do not wear flashy jewellery including rings necklaces etc, i'd wear a bumbag and put a teeshirt over it.

    i'd probably wouldnt go back to HCM due to my experience, people weren't all that nice In HCM.

    • eatwell365 on 21/08/2015 - 21:59

      vip123, do you look like vip, so local targeted you?
      doma for ripping you off.

    • altomic on 21/08/2015 - 22:36

      always agree on a price before you get in a taxi. get them to write it down.

    • singlemalt72 on 24/08/2015 - 08:24

      If you ever have trouble with a taxi from the airport to your hotel, get the concierge to talk to the driver. The hotel staff are very loyal to customers and will give the driver an earfull and negotiate a correct fare for you (because he is hoping for a decent tip at the end of your stay).

      Do not leave the taxi without your bags though, or the driver may take off with them.

  • altomic on 21/08/2015 - 22:33

    if you're travelling through the country then it may be worth checking out a private car with driver. The hotel I stayed at in HCM city (Hotel Majestic) organised a car to drive me to Da Nang (450 kms) for about $150. it was a new car with airconditioning. sure I could have gotten a bus or train but the car was easy. driver stopped at a road house for lunch. we saw the sights. it was good.

    I recommend Hotel Majestic. classic old hotel and very comfortable. good location.

    • Aceboy884 on 23/08/2015 - 00:00

      $150 can you get you ride around town for half a day. Majestic indeed

  • trullyvietnamese on 21/08/2015 - 22:52

    Hey,
    Firstly, I would like to welcome you to visit my country.
    Secondly, I do not have much experience as foreign tourist but I know a group of foreigners who live in Vietnam: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pantsgatewillneverdie/?fref=…
    You can ask them about experience.
    Hope it helps.

  • Jac96 on 22/08/2015 - 00:05

    I have some tips to offer
    1. Get some $us dollars as some hotels and halong bay cruises only accept $us. It happened to us when we were staying in a family run motel in Hue and the tour to halong bay also asked for $us dollars

    2.We bought our tickets from a vietnamese travel agent and they organised a visa for us cheaper than we were to apply through the Vietnsmese embassy in canberra

    3.in terms of finding booking for tours in vietnam, i suggest that you book in Ho Chi Minh city from a reputable tour guide like Saigon Tourist. They may be slightly more expensive, but comfortable clean bus with modern air con. They took us to good restaurants and reasonable souvenir shops.There are lots of travel agents in vietnam you can book through. We went to Dalat, the summer palace of the last emperor Bao Dai of Vietnam through Saigon Tourist. Even if they didnt have the full bus booked, the tour would go ahead and they took off on time. Dalat is truly a beautiful place to visit. Its cooler than HCM city, less chaotic and easier to walk around.

    1. Remember to print out a copy for all your bookings. We booked through agoda. When we got there, they asked for payment again. Lucky i got hard copy to proved we had paid.

    Enjoy your trip in Vietnam

  • Jac96 on 22/08/2015 - 00:15

    I have some tips to offer
    1. Get some $us dollars cash as some hotels and halong bay cruises only accept $us. It happened to us when we were staying in a family run motel in Hue and the tour to halong bay also asked for $us dollars

    2.We bought our tickets from a vietnamese travel agent and they organised a visa for us cheaper than we were to apply through the Vietnsmese embassy in canberra

    3.in terms of finding booking for tours in vietnam, i suggest that you book in Ho Chi Minh city from a reputable tour guide like Saigon Tourist. They may be slightly more expensive, but comfortable clean bus with modern air con. They took us to good restaurants and reasonable souvenir shops.There are lots of travel agents in vietnam you can book through. We went to Dalat, the summer palace of the last emperor Bao Dai of Vietnam through Saigon Tourist. Even if they didnt have the full bus booked, the tour would go ahead and they took off on time. Dalat is truly a beautiful place to visit. Its cooler than HCM city, less chaotic and easier to walk around.

    1. Remember to print out a copy for all your bookings. We booked through agoda. When we got there, they asked for payment again. Lucky i got hard copy to proved we had paid.

    2. DO NOT BRING AMERICAN TRAVELLERS CHEQUES to Vietnam as no banks would accept them. I had some from my previous trips.American Express in OZ told us Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) would cash them for. We tried in HCM and Hanoi and had no luck

    Enjoy your trip in Vietnam

  • lonelyhero on 22/08/2015 - 01:17
    +1

    HCM city eh?
    For sight-seeing try the area near the Vietnamese version of the Notre Dame and the municipal theatre (French design, every sunday at 9AM there's a little symphony playing for free outside). You can also see the Dragon Wharf, where president Ho Chi Minh set out to kick the Frenchies asses in 1954 (apologies to any French here). And the independence as well.
    If you want good food, find a local friend there and ask them to take you to "com tam ba ghien" (it's a superior version of the com rice you find in Perth, cost about 3$ if I remember correctly, the place is a bit dirty in Aussie standard but food tastes good) in Phu Nhuan and "Pho Ngan" next to "Pho Hoa Pasteur". Also try "hu tieu nam vang" and "mi tau". There is one nice Chinese style noodle soup called "mi Minh Sanh" and "mi Cay Nhan", Binh Thanh district.
    If you go to Hue, try "banh beo", "banh bot loc" etc (just tell them, they'll get it). Nice little rice buns haha.
    It's pretty safe there. Well I lived there for 18 years ^^
    My advice is not to go there in June since it's summer, meaning hot + very humid + heaps of rain that can last half a day. Around mid-november to late February is better.
    Oh yeah, not sure about fine dining since I didn't have much share there. But if you want, try "Tang Ham" restaurant. My dad used to go there, romantic atmosphere (he said they even have candles haha) and good food.
    I'm planning to go back maybe around Jan/Feb. If destiny allows I might be able to show you a few places when I'm there.

    PS: around the Notre Dame you may encounter people trying to sell you chewing gums and tissues. Just say no then ignore them, they'll go away eventually. Happens to us as well.

  • wongzy on 22/08/2015 - 01:53
    +2

    $1200 a night? I managed to do Hanoi only for $350 inclusive of accommodation, tours and food but I stayed at an Australian dominated hostel for $6 a night which included breakfast and wifi..

  • ATangk on 22/08/2015 - 10:46
    +1

    Always front bag. The crowds will move past you before you realise you're missing everything. One of those waist bags will help you a lot with valuables, although keep it slim so it can blend in with your belly. That being said, if you are trying to buy something, don't focus too much on the transaction. It would be best to have only yourself or your partner buying, and having the other on the lookout for any trouble. This is something I did whilst my friends were buying items, just for peace of mind.

    Only drink bottled water to avoid any health concerns. When i was there, teachers told us to even brush with bottled water. Its like ~50c per 1.25L bottle of water, although certain brands are much more recommended than others. I cant remember which ones.

    IMPORTANT: When crossing the roads with many many motorbikes, DO NOT HESITATE. Walk together (in a mass preferably), confidently, slowly, and without changing your pace. The traffic will ebb and flow around you.

    There are many other things but I cant quite remember much.
    source: Visited Vietnam in a small school trip last year.

  • KTGV on 22/08/2015 - 11:45
    +3

    Hi Beck,

    1) I don't know which state you live in but whenever I go to Vietnam (I was born and raised in Vietnam and my whole family is still in Vietnam so I go there very often) I always book my ticket at Metropole Travel in Marrickville (Sydney, NSW). They always have the cheapest tickets to Vietnam compared to other agents and online websites. It's worth giving them a call and the owner there is very nice (her name is Suong).

    2) Also, when you arrive in HCM city remember to go to Pham Ngu Lao street in District 1. There are a lot of tour services for tourists from one day to a few days. It's worth travelling around the Mekong Delta to see people living on boats whole their lives and doing everything on the rivers. Go to a candy factory and see people make coconut candy from scratch, engage in fishing activities and get yourself covered in mud, etc.

    3) Visit the water puppet show in Saigon Address: 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Phone: +84 8 3930 2196.

    4) If your want to bottled water, go to a supermarket to buy to make sure the quality and you won't get ripped off. There are many supermarkets in Vietnam and the most popular ones are Big C, Maximax, Coop Mart. As a Vietnamese I even get ripped off when buying bottled water on the street!

    5) Never carry anything that can be easily snatched and be careful of your camera when crossing the streets. It's not like you will be likely to be snatched but always be careful. Vietnamese always put their stuff in the storage on their scooters. Remember to put your passport in a safe area maybe at the hotel. just don't carry it with you.

    6) You must try BANH MI in HOI AN :-) go to the ancient town and visit the temples.
    Try MI QUANG in Da Nang and visit the beaches. In my opinion, Da Nang people are the loveliest in Vietnam. You wont have to worry about thefts or bag snatching there. The weather is also the best as there's no air pollution there compared to Saigon and Hanoi.

    7) Always haggle everything you buy, and how much you ask? Reduce the price up to 200% if necessary, or just to the amount you think the item is worth. Last time I went to Ben Thanh night market to buy a souvenir top for a friend and the salesperson quoted 250k (about AUD $10-$12 now), my sister-in-law didn't think it was worth it so we left. Then we were called again and told 50k (about $2) would be ok and they were happy to sell. That was just one of my experiences.
    ….

    Generally Vietnamese people are very friendly and welcoming. Enjoy your honeymoon!

    • Badinsk on 22/08/2015 - 19:16

      I have noted those places down, and thank you very very very much!

      Some solid advice here- I'm quite nervous about traveling there, but I'm positive that there are many more good things about Vietnam than bad. Besides, people can get robbed anywhere in the world, I think we will just have to be very cautious!

      Any recommendations for accommodation??

      Seriously, thank you!

      Bec

      • KTGV on 24/08/2015 - 18:11

        I don't stay in hotels in Vietnam as I have homes there so I don't really know which one to recommend but I think any hotel with 3+ star rating is all good.

        Have a look on booking.com I guess :-)

        Oh I know a couple who stayed in one of these hotels. It's worth checking their website out ;-) (just so you know I don't work for them and I know nothing about them) >_<

        http://www.victoriahotels.asia/en/

        Enjoy :-D

  • od810 on 22/08/2015 - 14:18
    +1

    1) Use GrabTaxi or Uber. It's cheaper and you know where they are driving you to.

    2) Phu Quoc (there are flights from HCM) is very nice if you don't like chaotic big city.

    3) Go to any travel agency to get your visa sorted out here.

    4) For foreigners, it's generally safe but like everyone suggests be careful with pickpocket or bag grabs.

    5) $300 a night is outrages for accommodation. I won't spend more than $150 per night

    Also make sure you eat a lot especially in Hoi An, Hue & Hanoi. There are food tour and cooking classes for foreigners. Another thing, don't buy VND here. You get better rate if you change cash at the hotel or even withdraw from the ATMs over there

    Source: I'm Vietnamese.

    • Denn31 on 23/08/2015 - 01:13

      Dont withdraw from the atm unless you hold one of those citibank cards that dont extract fees.

      Best way is to exchange at jewellers over there. The spread on rates are minimal. If hcm is your first stop, you can even make a quick swap at the airport. A few hundred bucks to get you through at first. Rates are acceptable.

    • lgacb08 on 25/08/2015 - 21:36

      Don't go to Phu Quoc, it's now another Bali with even worse infrastructure and heaps of garbage everywhere on the island, only the rich are now rushing into the island trying to grab the last available beachfront land to make a quick cash. Used to be very nice 10 years ago but not anymore.

  • Resin on 22/08/2015 - 15:17
    +4

    Hi. This is my first post/comment on ozbargain. I have followed this forum for more than 3 years and never made an account however this is a topic I'm sure I can offer some advice on as I have visit Vietnam once or twice a year as my family has businesses and property over there. Before I go ahead, there is some pretty sound advice in this thread already.

    Firstly,
    With taxis. Vinasun is your best bet but all taxis will try to take you for a ride especially in the cities. Make sure you ask then to use the meter as they will try to make you agree to an inflated price beforehand and hold you to it. Additionally, you will get lost in Hanoi and ho chi Minh so don't stress when you do. You can usually ask a taxi to take you around for a day for $40 or so.

    You don't need too much time in ho chi Minh. Go to the local markets in district 1 and do the tunnels. That covers the better part of a day. The tours to the tunnels should not cost you much. I remember it was roughly 5-10aud per person. You can do some shooting out there too. Which is about 50aud+ depending on what you shoot. Do check out bui vien; the travellers centre. Its pretty hectic though.

    Commit to crossing the road. Its daunting but its like a boulder in a stream. The water will pass around it.

    Do not take any handbags with those string straps. They are targeted most often.

    Do not take anything of value out with you. Cards, id, etc. Leave them in your safe.

    Be very careful late at night. Especially if there's prostitutes around. They will disorientate you with a quick grab to the crutch whilst another will reach for your pockets. Only a worry if you have the manbits for it. True story.

    Most atms have a limit on cash out. Some are higher than others. I believe its usually 4million or 10million.

    There are separate lines at the airport.

    Do get a visa before hand. However I've been told that you can now get it done cheaper at the airport upon arrival. Have not tryed it yet myself. Might be worth looking into.

    75-100$ a night is plenty for a nice hotel. Make sure you get your own safe in your room. The difference between the equivalent of a 4 and 5 star hotels costs are pretty substantial. Depends what you are really after for your honeymoon.

    Not everyone will have change for your 500,000 dong notes.

    With haggling. Rule of thumb is to negotiate to 1/3 of what they're asking. E.g. a pair of those loose Cambodian pants is worth say $2.33. They charge 10$. They have to make money so $3.33 is a fair price.

    Scams with children are prominent. The one I have seen most is a child asking for baby formula for their younger sibling. You buy it for them for like $25 and then later they sell it back to the store.

    Mekong delta is dirty and dangerous in regards to mosquitoes and malaria. In saying that, its pretty rare but don't get your hopes up for anything gobsmacking.

    Give some thought to phu quoc. Only need 2-3 days there. Beautiful honeymoon destination. Cannot recommend it enough. Will explain further if you consider it.

    Don't cheap out at halong bay. Some of the cheap boats are infested with bed bugs and whatnot. Your safe with the 200-300 boats.

    Finally $11,000 is ludicrous for 17 days. I stayed pretty comfortably for 15k for 2 months on one of my trips.

    Regards,
    Resin

    I apologise for my poor formatting and grammar. On my phone on holidays ATM. Will post anything else that comes to mind later.

    • Badinsk on 22/08/2015 - 19:13

      Hi Resin,

      Thank you for all of that advice, I really appreciate it, lots of things you have mentioned I hadn't even thought about so thank you!

      Would love some more information on Phu Quoc if you have any?

      Thanks again!!!!!

      Bec

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