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Vietnam Travel Guide
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Vietnam is one of the most widely visited countries in South East Asia, both because of its attractively low prices and its sublime landscapes. As for you, when are you heading for Vietnam?
The Vietnamese currency is the dong, and the exchange rates as at January 5th, 2015, were: 1 EUR = 25,510.74 VND and 1 GBP = 32,750 VND .
Banknotes are easy to withdraw from cash machines and there is no commission to pay. Even though prices in Vietnam are much lower than they are in Europe, they are still higher than prices in neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. Vietnamese vendors tend to offer their products and services at "tourist prices" so that it becomes vital to practise your haggling skills if you want to avoid seeing your budget disappear too quickly. Nonetheless, it's normal to end up paying a little more than the locals.
I would specifically highlight markets in Vietnam, where you'll find clothes and accessories such as handbags and belts at really tempting prices (both for original and counterfeit goods) .
The most typical Vietnamese drink, and the most sought after by tourists, is coffee, which is intense and thick with a distinctive chocolatey taste. The country is the world's leading coffee producer. Vietnamese cuisine is highly varied with something to suit every taste, with turtle, snake, dog, and rat all on the menu.
Cheaper dishes are prepared with rice, chicken, vegetable, fish, and noodles. Eating in the best hotels in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City can cost between 255 and 510 kVND (€10 to €20 or £8 - £16), but on the other hand you can eat at the side of the road for less than 25,000 VND(€1 or £0.80).
The price of accommodation is generally very reasonable, with a very good standard for the price you pay. There is something to suit every budget. You can find comfortable rooms with private toilets for around 127 kVND (€5 or £4) but you can also find tastefully decorated, more luxurious rooms, with a room in a five-star hotel in Hanoi costing around 750 kVND (€300 or £250).
In conclusion, all you need to do now is prepare for your trip to Vietnam!
