How CHEAP is to TRAVEL in VIETNAM at the moment?

Question

oN A TIGHT BUDGET.Including basic lodging, local food, limited beer,etc.Backpacking.
Train , buses?
Thanks for the info!

Pls if you know any good beaches there you can strongly recommend..thanks.

Plus some prices for transportation (bus,ferry,moped hire,etc)

Answer 1

Last year, i had a trip from Hanoi to Saigon by bus (open tour) to explore my motherland

you can find some photos of my trip here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pantotamago/sets/72157594259730867/

I'll list them in the geographical position from the North to the South order & my comment:
Beach (city/province) - Point (/10) - comment
=================================================

Do Son (Hai Phong)
5+
near Hanoi (the North, 120km), not many foreigners, it seems they're attracted by a Casino when choosing to go there ;)
Cat Ba (beside, Hai Phong)
8
has national forest

Ha Long bay (Quang Ninh)
10
near Hanoi (130km) RECOMMEND - the Natural World Heritage, superb, magnificent

Cua Lo (Nghe An)
7+
cheap, beautiful, clean beach, you can combine to see the vestige of Ho Chi Minh president (when in childhood time)

Da Nang (Da Nang)
8+
another beautiful beach in the Top World List, RECOMMEND, near My Son (the holy land, world heritage)

Cua Dai (near Hoi An - ancient town, world heritage)
8+
RECOMMEND clean beach, white sand, simple & hospitable people, many places to go around, lot of backpackers

Lang Co (near Hue, 25km?!)
9
wow, a place for lovers, you will don't regret if u choose this one, don't miss this place :D you can find your self here ;) many spectacular scences around here (Hai Van mountain pass...)

Nha Trang bay & its coral islands (Nha Trang)
9+ RECOMMEND
very interesting, in Top Beaches List of the world, lot of backpackers

Mui Ne (Phan Thiet)
9 RECOMMEND
attractive place, sand dune's very stunning, the heaven of resorts (not expensive ;) pure air


Vung Tau (Ba Ria - Vung Tau)
9 RECOMMEND
near Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), the beach sloped gently, clean & pure

Con Dao (Vung Tau)
8++ Recommend
very natural & interesting

Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) island
9++
a place for honeymoon is not a bad choice :) quaint, wonderful, many things to discover


Other beaches:
Ca Na, Vung Ro (Phu Yen), Tay Ninh...well uncountable (in the middle of Vietnam), all of them are very attractive 'cos they still haven't been affected by human, very natural, it seems travel industry doesn't impact much on them, friendly people, many gorgeous landscapes (of course, RECOMMEND ;) .

Some prices in general:
bus (open tour) Hanoi-Hue, Hue-NhaTrang, NhaTrang-Saigon: about 10-15$, cheap & easy to buy ticket (one price for local or foreigners).

Ferry: ~1-2$, not much

Ship: 5-10$ depend on the distance

Motor bike: 6-8$/day

Local food: very delicious, cheap, fresh & plentiful (ex: seafood...)

Hope some info's helpful for you

See you in Vietnam - the hidden charm, a friendly & safe destination :-)

Answer 2

You can travel really cheap here if you don't mind taking buses. food and booze is inexpensive and if you like the street food you can have three good meals a day for under $5. Hotels run from 5 to 15 bucks in the backpacker areas. Air con costs and extra 2 bucks a day in most places. The beach at Nha Trang is over rated and there have been a lot of rip offs there lately. I have friends that were drugged in the Sailing club and woke up on the street without their phone, money and valuables. However, It is a good party town and the off shore islands have some great diving and secluded beaches. Be careful but you don't have to miss it by being over cautious.
Hoi An in central Vietnam by Danang has some good beaches as well and they are much cleaner than Nha Trang. The Cham Islands have diving every bit as nice as Nha Tran and its not as crowded. Hoi An is and Ancient town that is a World Heritage site. Really beautiful.

Now about beer. Many of the fresh beer places on the streets sell beer for as little as 10 cents us a glass. some cost even less. costs of cocktail type drinks vary with the bar or restaurant that your are patronizing. and the type of booze you are drinking. Local rum and vodka are really cheap but not too good. it will still rip your head off so its just a matter of taste. And then there is always rice wine. Look out. Moonshine is another way to say it. BAM!
have fun... you can do it really cheap!

Answer 3

I paid $1100 for the plane ticket.
About $900 for tours (including bus, hotels, and air fare) over a 3 wk. period.
Museums and exhibits are really cheap to get into; food is also cheap. I spent less than $5 for each meal. Hell, you can buy beer with the change in your pocket...
You should tip any tour guides you have, but the amount you give them is up to you. If you head in to Cambodia you should be prepared to pay a visa fee and an exit fee.
If you negotiate with moped and taxi drivers, you can get good rates for travel throughout the cities.
I was there for a month in June and I'd say I spent around $2500 for the trip. Cheapest vacation I've ever been on!

And you definitely should go to Nha Trang. It was a fun place. Vung Tau is supposed to be nice, but I didn't visit because it was infested with jellyfish at the time.

Answer 4

Vietnam now is much more expensive than in Thailand (food, lodge and every thing). As the inflation in Vietnam is very hight (about 10%/year) and the number of tourists increased rapidly and there is not enough room for them, services for tourists in Vietnam now is more and more expensive. For example: This year, a 5-star hotel room cost about $100/nite, but next year, it will be $150

Answer 5

There are beatiful beaches in Phu Quoc island. However, it may be difficult to find the safe means of transport to reach the island and return, it's stormy season now. The Lang Co beach in Hue city is also a good choice. I recommend Cua Dai beach and Cham island in Hoi An.

Answer 6

i think a person can get by nice on $30 a day , +$100-$200 more to take planes and trains instead of buses , and maybe buy some souvenirs or take a friend to dinner once in a while... i met europeans that have budgeted themselves at $15-$20 a day and go on tours..
yeah go to nha trang, party town w/ lots of cheap food and lodging.. and great beach... from there you can "branch out" but anyplace else you go , the hotels will generaly cost more.

Answer 7

Just to tell you that the cost for everything in Vietnam increase repidly about 30% each year, especially hotel. Here are some figure for your traveling

- Budget guesthouse: $15/nite (two persons)
- Meals with local food: $2/meal
- Mineral water: $1/1.5 litre
-Visa $50/1 month
- Bus, Train, tourguide, admission, beer...

Total: You will need at least USD 40/day for traveling in Vietnam.

Answer 8

it's free....is tat cheap enough? nothing is CHEAP.....