$1.25 in Your Vietnam Budget for Travel
25,000 dong sounds like a great sum of money. And it is for your Vietnam budget! Here’s what it gets you in one of the world’s best value destinations: Vietnam. (20,000 dong = 1 US dollar)
A bowl of Pho!
Yum. This famous big bowl of beef noodle needs little introduction. Pile on the fresh herbs and greens and eat it almost anywhere in Vietnam, from north to south, street stalls to cafes.
Two shaves at the barber shop!
This is the man’s version of a going for a facial or manicure. Go to the barbershop even if you don’t need a haircut. You get the most thorough and smooth shave you ever had. Don’t worry, they use a new razor. A shave ranges from 10,000-20,000 dong.
An ear cleaning!
It’s really weird to have all the different instruments shoved into your ear, but hey, it feels good! And it seems to have cleaned my ears too! In Vietnam you usually get your ear cleaned by the barber, as opposed to the special traveling ear cleaner in China.
1 kilo of mangos
It depends on the season, but 25 grand should get you three or four decent-sized mangos.
2 sandwiches!
Banh Mi, as they’re called, makes an excellent street snack on incredibly fresh French bread—crispy on the outside, soft in the inside. Get chicken or pork or pate or eggs inside along with greens and fish sauce and soy sauce.
A moto-taxi ride
Three kilometers in a taxi, or 7 km on the back of a moto-taxi. Granted, a taxi ride is not very exciting, but a moto-taxi is a sometimes exhilarating, near-death experience. It’s an extreme adrenaline rush for anyone who’s not an adrenaline junkie. Try it!
8 Draft beers!!!
Ok, to be fair, a draft, or “fresh” beer usually goes for 5,000 dong, but I’ve put one back for 3,000 dong per glass a few times. Either way, you’re still getting multiple beers for a dollar!
50 rides across the River
The passenger fee for the river ferry in Vinh Long is 500 dong. In the Mekong Delta water is the landscape’s dominant feature and pedestrians and motorcyclists use the river ferry service non-stop.
I’m heading to Vietnam at the end of the month. I can’t wait, especially after seeing this amazing post and how inexpensive things are. Thanks for sharing!
Mr. Stephen’s Brother was scared out of his mind on that motorbike. I took two too many rides on those bikes!!
Thanks for the photos.. it brought back memory. I didn’t try the ear cleaning though, should have. I remember growing up, my grandpa used to have his ear cleaned at the barber shop too.
Michael was right – awesome- and a good way to enjoy the world thru you travels.
In Toronto a bunch of guys opened a gourmet Banh mi shop, they are selling them for $6 a pop and I thought the price increase in Chinatown to $2 was bad!
The photo of pho got me hungry! I would buy pho, a few mangoes, and a beer! Great article!
Brilliant! Brings me back to my old days of stomping grounds around the city. Amazing value for the money, cheers for the memories mate.