Planning to travel to Vietnam? This is what you need to know before you go
Vietnam is a quaint country in the southeast part of Asia. Its long and narrow terrain snakes through the eastern edge facing the South China Sea. While it’s infamous for wars that have been immortalized in dozens of movies, it’s actually one of the nicest places to visit in Asia.
The Vietnamese are among the kindest people, and they also whip up the most delicious food. The country also boasts of a naturally beautiful landscape dotted with pagodas, sacred temples, rice terraces, and other structures. With a diverse environment, Vietnam offers countless exciting activities for tourists. You can wander around Hanoi or Hoi An, go on a boat tour on the Mekong Delta, take a dip at Ha Long Bay, or have some outdoor adventure in Sapa.
Before you plan your itinerary, here are some useful information to help you decide where to stay, when to go, and how to prepare for your holiday in Vietnam.
Country Highlights
Vietnam is quite popular for its amazing cuisine. It’s a culinary paradise for foodies with its delectable street food that come in surprisingly cheap prices. While we do hear of some stories from tourists who have encountered dodgy characters, most Vietnamese are nice and friendly. They have a family-centered culture and take care of guests as family. Since they have such a rich history, it’s also common to hear inspiring life stories from those who have overcome hardships. Then, of course, there’s the amazing natural landscape. You’d be wise to bring extra memory storage for the thousands of pictures you’d be taking of Vietnam’s beautiful sights.
Visa Requirements to Travel to Vietnam
For US tourists traveling to Vietnam, a visa is required. It is good for 30 days. You can apply for an E-Visa here and it will only take a few days to process.
Where to Stay
There are plenty of accommodations available in Vietnam. Whatever your budget is, you’ll be able to find one that fits it. Traveling through Vietnam is so affordable and you have so many options.
Hotels
Budget hotels offer rates as low as $10 per night. Of course, the fancier the hotel is, the higher the rates. Hotel rates at both the Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi and The Reverie in Saigon start at about $214 per night, while standard hotels average around just $30 to $50 a night.
Hostels
If hotels are beyond your budget, opt for hostels that offer more affordable accommodations. You can choose to stay in a dorm-style room for around $4/night or in your own private room for $10/night. Most hostels in Vietnam have free Wi-Fi, and some include complimentary breakfast or drinks in their service. You can check out Hoi An Hostel, Ninhvana Nha Trang Backpacker Hostel, iHome Nha Trang Hostel, Saigon Backpacker Hostel, and Ha Long Bay Hostel.
Airbnb
If you’re staying for a longer vacation or traveling with friends, booking an Airbnb is a good option. This would cost you around $25 to $30 a night. If you’re staying in Ha Long Bay and can splurge a little, try one of the Airbnb cruises for $120 to $130 a night. One of the nice things when you travel to Vietnam, your money goes a long way. You can find nice, unique accommodations for an affordable price.
How to Get Around
Once you’re in Vietnam, you’d want to be able to get around conveniently. Car rentals are available, but they’re not rented out to tourists without an in-house driver. Plus, you wouldn’t dare drive through the roads of Vietnam, more so if you’re an inexperienced driver. They have the scariest traffic I’ve ever experienced. Here, red traffic lights don’t mean stop, and vehicles frantically weave in and out of lanes. Don’t even expect cars to stop when the pedestrian light is green. To cross the street, you just keep walking – and praying that you get through without a hitch – as traffic goes around you. It’s both amazing and startling to see such organized chaos.
So instead of renting your own car, you can take different modes of public transportation depending on where you’re going. If you’re brave enough to travel in Vietnam with a rented vehicle, many tourists opt to rent a motorbike. Otherwise here are some options.
Cyclo
The cyclo is a three-wheel bicycle rickshaw. The passenger sits comfortably on a cushioned seat between the two front wheels and the cyclo driver pedals behind. It’s the best way to explore the old streets of Vietnam. A short ride costs less than $1 (12,000 VND), and longer rides cost around $2 (40,000VND).
Motorcycle taxi
The most popular mode of transport in Vietnam is the motorbike taxi. They’re easy to flag down and cost less than a dollar (from 15,000 VND). While motorbikes are affordable, they can give you quite a scare. They’re definitely not for the faint-hearted. Drivers fit as many people as possible on one bike then squeeze among several other bikes on one lane. They also tend to drive fast or snake through other vehicles to avoid getting stuck in traffic.
Taxicab
In large cities, you can hail metered taxis that charge around $1 per kilometer. Our drive from Da Nang airport to Hoi Ann cost us only $20. You could also hire a taxi for a whole day tour and haggle for a rate that fits your budget. These taxis are generally safe and reliable. But you still would want to look out for the few shady taxi drivers in town.
Bus
Most cities have bus routes that provide a reliable form of transport within the city. Trips from city to city are also possible, but some buses aren’t that comfortable. Still, if you have plenty of time to spare and want to explore the entire country, buses are the best and most affordable mode of transportation. Sleeper buses can also save you a night’s accommodation.
A bus trip from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh will cost around $35 to $70 (815,000 to 1,630,000 VND) depending on the bus line. Shorter bus trips cost much less. We only paid $6 (140,000 VND) for our bus ride to Ha Long Bai Chay from Ha Noi My Dinh.
Train
Trains are more expensive than buses but are more comfortable and faster. A fun way to traverse the length of Vietnam is by taking the Reunification Express that runs from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh. While the entire trip takes 30 hours, you’d have amazing views of the country as the train weaves through crowded neighborhoods, dense forests, fishing villages, and rice paddies. The overnight train costs $35 (815,000 VND) and has an air-conditioned berth where you can sleep comfortably.
Plane
If you don’t fancy being on a train for 30 hours, just take a two-hour flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh for around $25 (~590,000 VND). There are also daily domestic flights to Da Nang, Hai Phong, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Da Lat, and Hue. Our flights from Hoi An to Nha Trang and from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh cost $45 (~1,000,000 VND) per flight.
Boat
A trip to Vietnam often includes boat tours in Hue and along the river of the Mekong Delta. You can also explore Ha Long Bay and take a one to three-day boat trip around the surrounding limestone islands and caves.
Best Time to Travel to Vietnam
Since Vietnam is spread out vertically, it has three different weather regions. The northern part has hot wet summers and cool dry winters. The weather there is most pleasant from October to December. The central region is typically rainy from September to February then gets a bit hot and dry from January to August.
Southern Vietnam has a full tropical climate so it’s typically hot the entire year. During the wet season from May to November, heavy downpours are common in the afternoons. Typhoons and monsoon rains may prevail and cause Mekong Delta to flood. In contrast, dry season from December to April is characterized as temperate and can sometimes lead to droughts with rains being sparse and temperatures soaring to as high as 40 Celsius.
If you’re planning to explore the entire country during your holiday, it’s best to go between October to December or from January to March. Whichever month you’re going, bring comfortable clothes that are light and airy as the temperature is generally warm all year round. Just bring a jacket or cardigan in case nights get a little breezy.
Money Matters
Travel to Vietnam and feel like royalty! The dong has a very high conversion rate. As of this writing, 1 USD is equivalent to around 23,000 VND. If you have $100, you’d already be a millionaire in Vietnam. You can also say that everyone in Vietnam is a millionaire.
Vietnam has no coins and circulates only banknotes. These bills look very similar so you should take extra care when paying or receiving change. Some unscrupulous merchants can try to pass a 50,000 note for a 500,000 note if you’re not paying attention.For your travel budget, $35 (~830,000 VND) per day would be enough for a backpacking adventure. This would already cover budget accommodations, food, and transportation.
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