So how much does it cost to travel in Vietnam? Here's a summary of my spending (you can see my travel style in this post on travel costs in Thailand, so you can calculate how your likely spending would match up to mine).
7 February to 7 March = total of £583 for a month
Average costs per day = £20
Accommodation
Average £10.44 a night
Saigon, Dalat, Hoi An, Danang and Hanoi were all about 400,000 dong a night (about $20 or £12).
Can Tho, Hue and Cat Ba were about half that.
Sightseeing and transport
Average £6.19 per day, including a couple of internal flights.
Travelling the length of Vietnam involves covering a lot of distance. The cheapest way to do this is probably overnight buses, but having seen how bad the driving was (vehicles overtaking into oncoming traffic and forcing each other off the road) I wasn't prepared to do this.
Food and drink
Average £3.12 per day, mostly eating at street kitchens and small restaurants.
Vietnamese food is amazing, and you can eat and drink well here for next to nothing.
Most expensive meal – £4.35 for tasting menu in a small restaurant in Hoi An.
Cheapest meal – £0.30 for a sandwich (bahn mi).
Cost of a plate of food at a street kitchen – £0.60 to £1.00
Cost of a 500ml bottle of water – £0.10 to £0.20
Other costs to consider when budgeting
A Vietnam visa isn't cheap – mine costs £62, including recorded delivery mail to and from the embassy.
I also spent about £10 during the month for laundry, a local sim card and air-time, and toiletries.
All in all, although costs have apparently gone up steadily the past few years, Vietnam remains an excellent value destination.
Showing posts with label Vietnam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vietnam. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Why I don't love Vietnam
If I'm being honest, I haven't fallen in love with Vietnam.
I want to love the country; I really do. I'd like to be able to think back on my month spent there with nothing but a smile on my face, but I just can't. Because while there are some great things about Vietnam - the food and the beautiful scenery along much of the country for a start - there's also a lot of frustrating things about it.
It's dirty. The air quality is terrible in most of the towns, perpetually full of soot or dust. The buildings are all filthy because of it, and it makes large parts of the country seem strangely colourless and dull. Everything appears grey and faded.
I've also never seen so many rats in my life. It doubtless doesn't help the rat situation that many locals seem to just chuck litter on the ground, so you're perpetually walking past mounds of rubbish on every street or waterway.
There's also a lamentable tendency by some to see anyone who looks like a tourist (ie., non-Vietnamese people) as walking wallets. Hence, all the taxi drivers and peddlers who hassle you on the street, shouting and whistling and waving their arms at the first glimpse of a white face, like a racist Pavlovian response. And don't get me started on the dual-pricing....
There's also a different sense of privacy and personal space here than I'm used to. Strangers will touch you without any sense of impropriety. And some of the public toilet stalls don't have doors - not a great country for shy urinators.
And while we're talking, can I ask: why do people keep smelling me? I've caught several people trying to surreptitiously (or not-so-surreptitiously) sniff my hair - what's that all about?
But to summarise my feelings, I'll give you an example of my last memory of Vietnam, my departure from it (via Hanoi airport).
My flight was early, at 8:00, so on my hotel's advice I arrived at the airport before 6:30. There are a lot of tired-looking people with luggage milling about, waiting, but almost no staff in attendance. Most of the lights in departures were still off, so I'm wandering about in the dark. I finally find one restaurant that looks like it's open - the door is standing wide open, all the lights are on, and the neon "Welcome" sign in the window is turned on.
I walk in, thinking about breakfast.
The woman behind the counter ignores me.
I try to speak to her.
She barks: "Outside!"
I'm assuming her incredibly rude way of ordering me out of the restaurant was her way of telling me they weren't open yet (despite the welcome sign and open door). What makes a person think it's okay to speak to another human being like that? She could have said, "Sorry, no" or "Sorry, closed" in either Vietnamese or English, and I would have understood and been content. But instead I'm faced with yet more unnecessary rudeness, something I've encountered time and again in Vietnam.
I leave the restaurant.
An hour later, I leave the country.
I won't be back.
I want to love the country; I really do. I'd like to be able to think back on my month spent there with nothing but a smile on my face, but I just can't. Because while there are some great things about Vietnam - the food and the beautiful scenery along much of the country for a start - there's also a lot of frustrating things about it.
It's dirty. The air quality is terrible in most of the towns, perpetually full of soot or dust. The buildings are all filthy because of it, and it makes large parts of the country seem strangely colourless and dull. Everything appears grey and faded.
I've also never seen so many rats in my life. It doubtless doesn't help the rat situation that many locals seem to just chuck litter on the ground, so you're perpetually walking past mounds of rubbish on every street or waterway.
There's also a lamentable tendency by some to see anyone who looks like a tourist (ie., non-Vietnamese people) as walking wallets. Hence, all the taxi drivers and peddlers who hassle you on the street, shouting and whistling and waving their arms at the first glimpse of a white face, like a racist Pavlovian response. And don't get me started on the dual-pricing....
There's also a different sense of privacy and personal space here than I'm used to. Strangers will touch you without any sense of impropriety. And some of the public toilet stalls don't have doors - not a great country for shy urinators.
And while we're talking, can I ask: why do people keep smelling me? I've caught several people trying to surreptitiously (or not-so-surreptitiously) sniff my hair - what's that all about?
But to summarise my feelings, I'll give you an example of my last memory of Vietnam, my departure from it (via Hanoi airport).
My flight was early, at 8:00, so on my hotel's advice I arrived at the airport before 6:30. There are a lot of tired-looking people with luggage milling about, waiting, but almost no staff in attendance. Most of the lights in departures were still off, so I'm wandering about in the dark. I finally find one restaurant that looks like it's open - the door is standing wide open, all the lights are on, and the neon "Welcome" sign in the window is turned on.
I walk in, thinking about breakfast.
The woman behind the counter ignores me.
I try to speak to her.
She barks: "Outside!"
I'm assuming her incredibly rude way of ordering me out of the restaurant was her way of telling me they weren't open yet (despite the welcome sign and open door). What makes a person think it's okay to speak to another human being like that? She could have said, "Sorry, no" or "Sorry, closed" in either Vietnamese or English, and I would have understood and been content. But instead I'm faced with yet more unnecessary rudeness, something I've encountered time and again in Vietnam.
I leave the restaurant.
An hour later, I leave the country.
I won't be back.
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Hallo Halong Bay
I took the ferry over to Cat Ba town, on the south side of Cat Ba Island, and facing the beautiful Lan Ha Bay.
From here, you can go on boat trips out into the bay to visit the various islands and caves (some of which are illuminated for the tourists). You can kayak through bays of still, black water, flat as a mill-pond. Or visit floating villages where the fish-farmers live. You can go rock-climbing up the karsts, trek in the national park, or swim and sunbathe on several nearby beaches.... unfortunately I visited in March. It was cold and foggy every single day, and drizzly a lot of the time as well.
On the plus side, I had those beaches all to myself. I took my shoes off and wandered happily across the sand, looking at shells and enormous dead jellyfish washed up by the tide. The beaches, called Cat Co 1, 2 and 3, are connected by a series of cliff-top walks, although at the time I visited the path to Cat Co 2 had fallen into disrepair and was closed.
I walked for miles along the cliff-tops and through the interior. I did do some kayaking, and I took a full day boat trip that explored 3 caves, 1 small island, and a floating farm. It was fun (although please be aware, safety standards are not amazing in this part of the world, and the boat I was on didn't appear to have any life jackets).
A lot of tourists come to Cat Ba on organised overnight tours from Hanoi, but it's perfectly easy to get here under your own steam. If you book a combined bus and ferry ticket from Hanoi, your bus will likely drop you off at a small travel agent's office on the outskirts of some town (Halong City?), where a mini bus will take you to a small dock (Bai Chay?) from whence your speedboat will whisk you out to Cat Ba Island. If the speed boat doesn't dock right in Cat Ba town (in this instance it was Gia Luan Harbour, on the north side of the island) there will be another waiting bus to take you into town. It sounds a little complicated, and as no one spoke much English I wasn't ever really certain exactly where we were, but in reality it all went very smoothly.
The hotels are really cheap in the off-season (I scored an enormous family room with a view over the bay for only £5 a night). Most of the hotels are very tall and skinny, and half of them lack lifts (so you might want to check if they offer you a room on the 7th floor). The restaurants in town are a bit mediocre, to be honest, but the stalls around the market do a decent bowl of pho, and you can buy plenty of fruit and snacks at the market (if you haggle, the prices are actually quite reasonable).
The photos I brought home were less than brilliant, as the fog obscured some of those famous views. C'est la vie!
From here, you can go on boat trips out into the bay to visit the various islands and caves (some of which are illuminated for the tourists). You can kayak through bays of still, black water, flat as a mill-pond. Or visit floating villages where the fish-farmers live. You can go rock-climbing up the karsts, trek in the national park, or swim and sunbathe on several nearby beaches.... unfortunately I visited in March. It was cold and foggy every single day, and drizzly a lot of the time as well.
 |
| Fish farm, surrounded by still black water |
On the plus side, I had those beaches all to myself. I took my shoes off and wandered happily across the sand, looking at shells and enormous dead jellyfish washed up by the tide. The beaches, called Cat Co 1, 2 and 3, are connected by a series of cliff-top walks, although at the time I visited the path to Cat Co 2 had fallen into disrepair and was closed.
I walked for miles along the cliff-tops and through the interior. I did do some kayaking, and I took a full day boat trip that explored 3 caves, 1 small island, and a floating farm. It was fun (although please be aware, safety standards are not amazing in this part of the world, and the boat I was on didn't appear to have any life jackets).
 |
| Looking down at the dock from above one of the caves (I think it was Hang Sung Sot) |
A lot of tourists come to Cat Ba on organised overnight tours from Hanoi, but it's perfectly easy to get here under your own steam. If you book a combined bus and ferry ticket from Hanoi, your bus will likely drop you off at a small travel agent's office on the outskirts of some town (Halong City?), where a mini bus will take you to a small dock (Bai Chay?) from whence your speedboat will whisk you out to Cat Ba Island. If the speed boat doesn't dock right in Cat Ba town (in this instance it was Gia Luan Harbour, on the north side of the island) there will be another waiting bus to take you into town. It sounds a little complicated, and as no one spoke much English I wasn't ever really certain exactly where we were, but in reality it all went very smoothly.
The hotels are really cheap in the off-season (I scored an enormous family room with a view over the bay for only £5 a night). Most of the hotels are very tall and skinny, and half of them lack lifts (so you might want to check if they offer you a room on the 7th floor). The restaurants in town are a bit mediocre, to be honest, but the stalls around the market do a decent bowl of pho, and you can buy plenty of fruit and snacks at the market (if you haggle, the prices are actually quite reasonable).
The photos I brought home were less than brilliant, as the fog obscured some of those famous views. C'est la vie!
 |
| Cat Ba town |
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Hanoi minus the imagery
I've taken almost no photographs in Hanoi.
I suspect a lot of the reason has to do with fatigue. By this point, I've been travelling for 3 months, and I'm tired. I feel ready to go home.
Overall, I liked Hanoi more than Saigon. Hanoi has the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter, the lush parkland around the lakes, the plethora of temples and museums that Saigon lacks. It feels slightly less frantic, and more liveable. And the food! I discovered bun cha in Hanoi (very much A Good Thing), at a little street kitchen near the Temple of Literature.
So here are a few images; sorry there's so little to show you.
I suspect a lot of the reason has to do with fatigue. By this point, I've been travelling for 3 months, and I'm tired. I feel ready to go home.
Overall, I liked Hanoi more than Saigon. Hanoi has the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter, the lush parkland around the lakes, the plethora of temples and museums that Saigon lacks. It feels slightly less frantic, and more liveable. And the food! I discovered bun cha in Hanoi (very much A Good Thing), at a little street kitchen near the Temple of Literature.
So here are a few images; sorry there's so little to show you.
 |
| Temple of Literature |
 |
| Traditional (?) temple offering - cigarettes, green tea and oreos |
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Hue's temples
The Nguyen dynasty emperors believed in going out in style.
Follow the Perfume River south of Hue, and you'll pass the pine-clad hills where each successive ruler built himself a fancy-pants mausoleum. Some are extravagantly ornate; some look more like elegant country homes (indeed, some were used by the emperors prior to their death). All are worth a look.
As none were built right on the shores of the river, the easiest way to visit a few is to hire a motorbike (or a motorbike and driver, if like me you don't know how to ride one).
Follow the Perfume River south of Hue, and you'll pass the pine-clad hills where each successive ruler built himself a fancy-pants mausoleum. Some are extravagantly ornate; some look more like elegant country homes (indeed, some were used by the emperors prior to their death). All are worth a look.
As none were built right on the shores of the river, the easiest way to visit a few is to hire a motorbike (or a motorbike and driver, if like me you don't know how to ride one).
 |
| Tomb of Khai Dihn, the penultimate emperor (and fan of blackened concrete) |
 |
| The front courtyard of the tomb of Khai Dihn - is that column winking at me? |
 |
| One of the harmonious pavilions in the tomb of Minh Mang |
 |
| The boating pavilion at Tu Duc's mausoleum, where the emperor used to write poetry |
 |
| A more flamboyant side to Tu Duc's mausoleum, fitting for a man who had 104 wives and a vast number of concubines living in the grounds |
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Way Hay! It's Hue!
Hue seems to exemplify everything good and bad about Vietnam in one place.
The old Citadel is a mix of tourist kitsch and deeply sad history. The heavily-restored portions include The Mieu, home of memorials to the 19th and 20th century Nguyen emperors, where guards are permanently stationed to ensure all the tourists behave suitably reverent. There are beautiful palaces and pavilions, extensive gardens and lakes, and quiet atmospheric corners in which to lose yourself.
The unrestored portions of the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City still bear the scars of the Tet Offensive, then the NVA held the city for three and a half weeks. Crumbling and pocked with bullet holes, they are a heart-breaking reminder of the succession of wars that devastated this country.
Away from the Citadel, you have the riverside, lined with gardens (including one section unfortunately used as a toilet by a local nutter). There are tourists galore, and that means there are also the inevitable touts who follow you about trying to flog you cheap sunglasses, and "tourist" prices at the corner shop.
But hire a bicycle or motorbike, and you can leave all the crowds behind and explore dozens of pagodas, imperial tombs, and ruins that litter the beautiful pine-covered hills outside the city (more on the tombs in a later post).
* Please forgive the terrible pun in the title of this post.
The old Citadel is a mix of tourist kitsch and deeply sad history. The heavily-restored portions include The Mieu, home of memorials to the 19th and 20th century Nguyen emperors, where guards are permanently stationed to ensure all the tourists behave suitably reverent. There are beautiful palaces and pavilions, extensive gardens and lakes, and quiet atmospheric corners in which to lose yourself.
 |
| Part of the Imperial City at the centre of the Citadel |
The unrestored portions of the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City still bear the scars of the Tet Offensive, then the NVA held the city for three and a half weeks. Crumbling and pocked with bullet holes, they are a heart-breaking reminder of the succession of wars that devastated this country.
 |
| Gateway in the Citadel |
Away from the Citadel, you have the riverside, lined with gardens (including one section unfortunately used as a toilet by a local nutter). There are tourists galore, and that means there are also the inevitable touts who follow you about trying to flog you cheap sunglasses, and "tourist" prices at the corner shop.
But hire a bicycle or motorbike, and you can leave all the crowds behind and explore dozens of pagodas, imperial tombs, and ruins that litter the beautiful pine-covered hills outside the city (more on the tombs in a later post).
 |
| Thien Mu Pagoda, a short cycle ride along the Perfume River |
* Please forgive the terrible pun in the title of this post.
Monday, 21 February 2011
I'm only here for the Cham
Next stop, an overnight stay in Da Nang (or Danang - I've seen it spelt both ways).
Situated between Hoi An and Hue, and convenient for the Marble Mountains and China Beach, Danang gets a lot of tourists passing though, but not that many exploring the city itself.
That's a shame. The city isn't the loveliest I've ever seen, but the people are friendly, the food is good, and the Cham Museum is brilliant.
The sculptures on display date from between the 5th and 15th centuries, and come from archaeological sites across central Vietnam - My Son, Tra Kieu, and Khuong My.
Champa was a Hindu kingdom, so their art features many Hindu figures (Vishnu, Garuda, etc.) along with assimilated Khmer and Buddhist influences. You'll find lingas, dancing girls, guardian lions, and much, much more. And with about 300 pieces on display, the museum has more than enough to keep you occupied for a couple of hours.
Situated between Hoi An and Hue, and convenient for the Marble Mountains and China Beach, Danang gets a lot of tourists passing though, but not that many exploring the city itself.
That's a shame. The city isn't the loveliest I've ever seen, but the people are friendly, the food is good, and the Cham Museum is brilliant.
 |
| Apsara, or nymph. Steady on, boys. |
The sculptures on display date from between the 5th and 15th centuries, and come from archaeological sites across central Vietnam - My Son, Tra Kieu, and Khuong My.
Champa was a Hindu kingdom, so their art features many Hindu figures (Vishnu, Garuda, etc.) along with assimilated Khmer and Buddhist influences. You'll find lingas, dancing girls, guardian lions, and much, much more. And with about 300 pieces on display, the museum has more than enough to keep you occupied for a couple of hours.
 |
| Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening me (Guardian figure, late 9th / early 10th century) |
 |
| Cheeky monkey! |
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Friday, 18 February 2011
My favourite place in Vietnam: Hoi An
Hoi An has got to be my favourite place in Vietnam.
It seems to be one of the few places in Vietnam that has enforced building codes on what property should look like - at least in the old town - leading to a very pleasing symmetry of architectural styles and colours. The town just looks pretty.
The monthly full moon festival is a major tourist draw, but it's charming. Wander the streets of the old town and riverside, safe in the knowledge that the motorcycles are banned for one night. The streetlights are off: candles and lanterns will light your way tonight.
The food is good, too: street-side stalls selling noodles and soups, the french patisserie in the old town, the roving baguette seller who woke me up each morning with her high-pitched calls "Bahn mi!"
The countryside is beautiful, and easy to reach using ferries and bicycles (you can set out on your own, or join a group bicycle tour, and be guided through the back roads and rice paddies by laughing local women). The beach is nearby, and quiet.
I could happily have stayed here for weeks.
Quite possibly months.
Yes, the tailor shops are a bit of a hassle, and the two-tier pricing in the market gets wearing after a while.
But still... I liked Hoi An tremendously.
It seems to be one of the few places in Vietnam that has enforced building codes on what property should look like - at least in the old town - leading to a very pleasing symmetry of architectural styles and colours. The town just looks pretty.
 |
| Hoi An's old town |
The food is good, too: street-side stalls selling noodles and soups, the french patisserie in the old town, the roving baguette seller who woke me up each morning with her high-pitched calls "Bahn mi!"
The countryside is beautiful, and easy to reach using ferries and bicycles (you can set out on your own, or join a group bicycle tour, and be guided through the back roads and rice paddies by laughing local women). The beach is nearby, and quiet.
 |
| Weaving woman somewhere in the countryside around Hoi An (I was completely lost by this point) |
I could happily have stayed here for weeks.
Quite possibly months.
Yes, the tailor shops are a bit of a hassle, and the two-tier pricing in the market gets wearing after a while.
But still... I liked Hoi An tremendously.
 |
| My kind of full moon party |
 |
| Pretty in pink |
 |
| All I want for Christmas is a gift-wrapped lion.... |
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
City of Lurve: Dalat
Dalat is the honeymoon capital of Vietnam.
Seriously.
Imagine the Niagara Falls of the 1970s, all bearskin rugs and heart-shaped tubs, and make a Vietnam version of that, and you've got Dalat.
Now, I'm not a mushy romantic at heart; never buy me a heart-shapped box of chocolates (although all non-heart-shapped chocolates will be gratefully received). But after a couple of days in Dalat, even the most ardent hopeless romantic would be getting sick of it all.
They have topiaries in the shape of poodles, and garbage cans in the shape of rabbits, for Pete's sake.
Excuse me while I hurl.
The flowers are nice, though.
Seriously.
Imagine the Niagara Falls of the 1970s, all bearskin rugs and heart-shaped tubs, and make a Vietnam version of that, and you've got Dalat.
 |
| Swan-shapped pedalos (Xuan Huong Lake) |
They have topiaries in the shape of poodles, and garbage cans in the shape of rabbits, for Pete's sake.
 |
| Cutsey statue backgrounds for your loved-up photosgraphs (Valley of Love) |
The flowers are nice, though.
 |
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Saturday, 12 February 2011
Vietnam cliches
They're true.
Conical hats and pyjamas on the women.
Motorbikes transporting a 6-foot-stack of kindling, or bales of hay.
Child-sided plastic seats at the roadside stalls and small restaurants.
Cows grazing by the side of the road (my bus has already had to stop once as a herd of buffalo were crossing the highway).
The incessant noise of car and motorbike horns, completely ignored.
Mountains of fruit for sale at bus stations and by the roadside.
Locals who think it's cold as soon as the temperature drops below 30 degrees Celsius (I just saw a woman wearing a thick, fuzzy jacket and bobble hat). I'm sweating my in tshirt.
Every cliche you've ever thought, you can find it here. I kind of love Vietnam for that.
Conical hats and pyjamas on the women.
Motorbikes transporting a 6-foot-stack of kindling, or bales of hay.
Child-sided plastic seats at the roadside stalls and small restaurants.
Cows grazing by the side of the road (my bus has already had to stop once as a herd of buffalo were crossing the highway).
The incessant noise of car and motorbike horns, completely ignored.
Mountains of fruit for sale at bus stations and by the roadside.
Locals who think it's cold as soon as the temperature drops below 30 degrees Celsius (I just saw a woman wearing a thick, fuzzy jacket and bobble hat). I'm sweating my in tshirt.
Every cliche you've ever thought, you can find it here. I kind of love Vietnam for that.
 |
| Fruit sellers at the Cai Rang floating market, near Can Tho |
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
Salut Saigon!
First impressions of Vietnam?
Well, I didn't think much of HCMC. It's ugly, dirty, chaotic and the traffic is insane. Some people will probably disagree with me and say it's vibrant and buzzing instead (I suppose it depends on how you interpret the noise and crowds).
For me, the soundtrack of the city is screaming motorcycle engines and bad karaoke.
It probably doesn't help that the city has such a reputation for petty crime. I'd heard the reputation before I came, and thought "must be exaggerated." But the first night in my hotel, I got chatting to an elderly American woman who'd had her purse snatched the day before. My third day in HCMC, I got chatting to a young British man who'd had his wallet lifted the same morning he arrived.
It doesn't particularly fill you with confidence, does it?
Nothing at all bad happened to me, but I have to admit that I felt constantly on guard in HCMC. It wasn't a place I could relax.
On the plus side, the air pollution results in some pretty impressive sunsets!
Well, I didn't think much of HCMC. It's ugly, dirty, chaotic and the traffic is insane. Some people will probably disagree with me and say it's vibrant and buzzing instead (I suppose it depends on how you interpret the noise and crowds).
For me, the soundtrack of the city is screaming motorcycle engines and bad karaoke.
 |
| Dusk falls and the karaoke bars come to life |
It probably doesn't help that the city has such a reputation for petty crime. I'd heard the reputation before I came, and thought "must be exaggerated." But the first night in my hotel, I got chatting to an elderly American woman who'd had her purse snatched the day before. My third day in HCMC, I got chatting to a young British man who'd had his wallet lifted the same morning he arrived.
It doesn't particularly fill you with confidence, does it?
Nothing at all bad happened to me, but I have to admit that I felt constantly on guard in HCMC. It wasn't a place I could relax.
On the plus side, the air pollution results in some pretty impressive sunsets!
 |
| No photoshop required |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)