Vietnam

From chaos to calm

What we loved most about Vietnam was the ability to be in a chaotic city, but then after only a few hours travel be in calmer country areas. Enjoy bustling cities with street food vendors sprawling out onto the roads then find some calm at a city lake, garden or temple. Explore the countryside and villages then top it off with a visit to Lan Ha Bay and Halong Bay. Immerse yourself in the history of Vietnam at temples, cultural sites and excellent museums.

This destination guide for Vietnam covers Quick Facts, Things to See and Do, Better Traveller Tips, Typical Costs and Money Saving Tips. Or you can jump straight to a list of blog posts by clicking here.

Quick Facts

Population: 97.2 million
Money: Vietnamese Dong ₫ (VND)
Beliefs: Majority identify as non-religious, followed by Buddhism and Catholic
Language: Vietnamese, English
Best time to visit: weather patterns are different across Vietnam. The Vietnam Tourism website has great information on weather and climate for different areas of Vietnam.

Lan Ha Bay Vietnam

Things to see and do in Bali

Explore Nature

A trip to Vietnam should include some time in nature – visit a village, or enjoy Lan Ha Bay or Halong Bay or explore the Trang An area (known as inland Halong Bay).

Embrace the cities

The larger cities of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi can be overwhelming, but try and embrace the chaos! Wander down the side streets and seek out the night markets. If you don’t like busy cities then I suggest avoiding Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, or only go for a short visit on an organised tour. Smaller cities like Hoi An are just gorgeous and offer great bases for day trips.

Eat, eat, eat then eat some more

Vietnamese food is cheap and amazing! Learn more about the food by taking a cooking class which usually include a local market trip.

Try the egg coffee

Whipped egg yolk, sugar, condensed milk and Vietnamese coffee – don’t be scared and give it try! Egg coffee is very popular in Hanoi.

History

Learn about Vietnamese history and visit beautiful temples, ancient cities and excellent museums.

lake-pagoda-enterance — *Entrance to Bich Dong Pagoda in Ninh Binh.*

Better Traveller Tips

Barter respectfully

Bartering is expected in Vietnam but please put the money into perspective. Know what are reasonable prices before you go, and don’t barter too hard. While tourists might think it is fun to barter hard, remember you are bartering with a real person who needs to make a living. We found some fixed-price shops offered an automatic discount when paying.

Respect the dress code

Respect the dress codes at temples and remember that Vietnam is a conservative country.

Plastic

Plastic pollution is an issue around the World so try and limit your consumption as much as possible. As you travel through Vietnam you will see rubbish along rivers, roadsides and in the bays/oceans and it pulls at the heart strings. Do your bit and try and refuse single use plastic. Although, we found this really hard with straws and still ended up with lots despite carrying stainless steel straws around and asking for no straws! I blame my Aussie accent!

Show respect for others

Remember that people are not tourist attractions – only take photos if it is really clear that the person is OK with it. Support Vietnamese people by shopping and eating local and using local guides.

yellow heritage style shop with coloured lanterns hanging in front. There is a scooter with a trailer on the road. — *Explore the beautiful town of Hoi An.*

cathedral against a blue sky. Scooters are driving along the road in front of the church — *Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica in Ho Chi Minh City*.

Typical costs when travelling

Accommodation – Vietnam meets any budget. For our visit we paid around AUD$50/night for a home-stay and AUS$90/night for comfortable hotels all with breakfast included.

Food – Vietnamese Pho (soup with noodles) AUD$2.50, Banh Mi (Vietnamese rolls with meat and salad) AUD$2.00, Beer AUD$0.50 on the street or around AUD$2.00 at restaurants, coffee AUD$1.50. Overall, very cheap!

Transportation – public buses and trains are cheaper options, but hiring a scooter in quieter areas is by far the cheapest. Hiring a scooter with a driver (if you are too scared to ride a scooter alone like me!) is around AUD$30 per day, or a car with driver is around AUD$70 without any real haggling (I hate haggling!).

One of the main issues people have in Vietnam are the taxi scams at airports. Unless you are on a really strict budget, just organise a pick-up through your hotel, or stick to a reputable company such as Mai Linh.

Cost Summary – Vietnam is a cheap travel destination and will provide a wonderful holiday at any budget.

Bright, fun, entertaining city of Hanoi

Money saving tips

Book local – We had pre-booked tickets for shows, cooking classes and bus trips but found we could have saved money by booking once in Vietnam. If there is something you think might book-out that you really don’t want to miss, or you don’t care about spending a few extra dollars then just pre-book, otherwise wait.

Buy a local SIM – SIM cards are cheap and WhatsApp is widely used to book accommodation, tours and transport. A 30 day SIM from Viettel with a huge amount of data was AUD$13 in Hanoi, plans with lower data start at AUD$5.