Smart and Basic Travel Tips for Vietnam

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Smart and Basic Travel Tips for Vietnam

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Blog Team Friends Travel Vietnam • Sep 05, 2020

Preparing for a visit to Vietnam, there are things which you should know as part of your plans, prior to visiting. we thought we should cover all the basic tips. These travel tips Vietnam are really essential so I recommend reading through them.

1. It is very cheap, you won’t believe it

Although It is cheap, from the food they serve to the transport and fly costs. But If you use international standard services ( luxury option) the price will not be much cheeper than other countries.

When it comes to food, you can opt for the street food, which is cooked and served while you watch it. Life is cheap in Vietnam, all you need to do is know where to get what, as not all transport means, flying and food will be affordable.In short, there are no fixed prices and you pay whatever amount you will pay.

For accommodation you can pay as little as 20 € for a private double room.

You can eat for as little as 1€.

A Banh Mi cost me everything from 25 000 Dong to 55.000 Dong. ( 1,4 $ -2 $)

2. People are friendly

As a foreigner, you will feel like home. In most parts of the countries you visit, if you are foreigner you may feel out of place.

This is especially the case when you look confused while on the streets.

In Vietnam, the mood is totally different as everyone is minding their own business.The people are friendly and when you ask for direction, they offer a helping hand while they go on with their business. In short, it will feel like home away from home.

Bear in mind: Some people see you as a walking wallet – those are the more touristy areas. This can bean you can be easily overcharged for a tour, some food and so on.Don’t worry, this happened to us a lot. And the “overcharging” is not a lot of money in the end. Just keep it in mind. The non-touristy areas are different. The people will approach you, want to help and give recommendations.

3. Do your homework

You have to know what you are getting yourself into once you are in Vietnam.You can take time and learn their culture. The most important thing is to know the prices of things in the marketplace and also the cost of transport. As such, ask the hotel and hostel staff from where you are staying about the transport cost from one location to the next.

This will protect you from the taxi scams, for instance which are plenty in this country.Also, make sure you only stay at safe hostels like the 5 Star Hostels in Vietnam.

And always: Ask the price first BEFORE ordering or jumping in the cab.This way you can avoid a lot of unpleasant discussions.

4. Be ready to bargain hard

You have to be ready to bargain. Here is a simple step by step guide:

ask for the price
clarify if it is in dollar or dong (never pay in Dollar)
tell them you are ready to pay 50% of it
discuss
negotiate

and then either

you both agree and you buy
or you walk away
or the seller sends you away (happens as well!)
you both disagree – you leave, s/he curses you

Even if you are a tourist you have to bargain up to a price that you feel they should charge either for food or transport. There is this notion that tourists are rich and this they should be charged high. Ensure that you have prior knowledge of the price of an item before you go out to buy it.

The price range will help you to bargain. You thus have to be prepared to walk away if you are not satisfied with how much the vendor is charging.This will save you a lot of money depending on how much you want to buy or how often you want to travel while in Vietnam.If you want to become a business man in life, then go to Vietnam!

You will learn here the hard way!

Very good to know: Bargain with a smile on the face. No need to get mad. Bargain is a game here, it is expected.

5. Opt for the tourist bus instead of local transport

Local transport will include taxis and motorbikes.Also, there is the tour buses which are cheaper and safer as compared to the local transport. Taxis tend to overcharge, especially if you are foreigner.

Once they realize that you are not a local, you may end up paying double than what you would have paid if you opted for the tour bus.

Do use the app Grab cab to get around, many taxi’s will try to scam you by not using the meter. This goes more for the big cities though.

6. Travel late at night to save accommodation cost

If you are planning to travel for a long distance, the best way to do it is to use the late night travel buses.

This means that you will get to your destination the following day and pay less as compared to traveling at any other time of the day.

Also you will save on the cost of accommodation which will prove to be effective on your part.

The so-called sleeping buses are surprisingly modern and comfortable.

Personally, I am not a big fan of buses. We traveled by our motor bike and train.

BUT, I was told the sleeping buses with actual comfy beds in them, are really a great way. They are obviously a bit more expensive than the local transport, but are a great way to go a long distance.

7. It is very well connected to WiFi

How about I tell you the WiFi here is faster than the WiFi we experienced in France, Germany and Spain. Probably all combined…No, I am not kidding. It has some of the best hotels and restaurants plus shopping malls.

If you are any of those hotels or dining in a fancy restaurant, there are high chances that it is connected to WiFi. This means that you do not have to use your SIM to browse.

You can simply connect to the internet with the help of the WiFi depending on the establishment you are into. The fast WiFi is usually for free, I have never paid any WiFi.

This will help you to save on the cost of accessing the internet since Vietnam is well connected to WiFi.

Anyway, I recommend buying a SIM Card for your phone when you arrive. We had

8. The traffic is pathetic

In most cities of Vietnam, such as Hanoi and Saigon, you will have to deal with the heavy traffic.

If you are not used to crossing a street with heavy traffic, you might suffer a panic attack. It is almost impossible to cross the street if you choose to wait for the roads to clear so that you can cross.

The best way to deal with such traffic is to cross slowly, keep calm and make sure the drivers see you, to prevent you from being run over.

Again: Slow wins here to get through the traffic.

Never run fast crossing a street in Vietnam!

Nobody here wants to have an accident, so cars and motorbikes will drive around everything. In our experience, nobody complained when you were not in your line or whatever. The traffic is chaotic and at the same time organized.

9. Walk with your head help up high

You have to be bold all the way.

Smile when you can and walk like you are one of the locals in the region.

Although the Vietnamese are friendly, they can be intimidating from the how they carry on their business. Do not be shy or intimated to reach out in the case you want to ask for direction.

Also, when crossing the road, you have to do it in a bold manner. It can be scary and dangerous crossing a street that is heavy with traffic.

However, with the right confidence and knowledge of what you are doing, you will be able to safely get to the other side without much hustle.

10. Be careful where you eat

There are multiple cases of stomach illnesses among visitors due to the food they eat in Vietnam.

As a first time visitor you have to take care of where you eat.

Although Vietnam is a favorite destination for food lovers, there is a need to know where is the right place to eat. Avoid restaurants which have very few customers as their food may not be freshly cooked.

Go to those that have high frequency of customers as they replenish their ingredients and foodstuffs, now and then, making it healthy to consume.

Good to know: Food poisoning mostly comes from undercooked or bad meat. It may be a good idea to leave the meat away on your food. Do whatever you want, just saying!

11. Tipping in Vietnam

Locals do not tip in Vietnam, and tourist tip 50-50. What I mean with this is easy.

You can have an awesome friend in Vietnam by tipping. It is highly appreciated, sometimes even expected.

If it is expected, you know you are in a touristy area.

Remember, the Vietnamese dong is not strong and prices are so low, tipping is really something everybody can afford.

My best tip I can give you for tipping in Vietnam: do it, but be smart about it!

If someone treats you not well, do not give him/ her a tip. This way they understand they’ve to treat tourists better. Use tipping as a tool and don’t do it automatically just because you know it from your own country.

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