When you hear about Vietnam, the first thing that might come to your mind is its exotic cuisine. Many will say no; their history is the first thing that comes to our mind. Rest will say no; we love their landscape as it represents nature’s landscape. If you ask us, we will say, Vietnam is all about nature, culture, history and delicious food. Don’t forget the friendly locals too.
We were pretty eager to visit Vietnam ever since we came across many exciting snaps and stories on social media. Thankfully, we made it happen in the month of January during their Tet celebration (New Year celebration). The time was apt to visit this beautiful country and get a glimpse of what we had desired for a long time.
Meanwhile, let’s take you all on this beautiful journey of Vietnam, where we will share some essential tips to explore the rich culture of Vietnam. Also, this will help you plan your itinerary. In case you need any help, we are just a click away!
Let’s begin…
Best Time to visit Vietnam
The best time to visit Vietnam is between November and April.
1. North Vietnam: May to October is hot and humid with high rainfall. November to April is cool and dry.
2. Central Vietnam: High rainfall during September – November. January -August weather is dry and hot.
3. Southern Vietnam: Rainfall from June – August. November to April is hot and dry.
You can plan your trip accordingly as per your preference of places.
Things to carry in your backpack
- Lightweight clothing that are light and breathable.
- Walking/hiking shoes.
- Light jacket/ winter wear if you plan to travel North Vietnam.
- Sunscreen lotion with high SPF.
- Sunglasses.
- First aid kit with essential medicines.
- Reusable water bottle.
- Light snacks.
- Travel adapter (Type C and Type F plugs for Vietnam power outlets).
- Insects/mosquito repellent.
- Power bank.
- Travel map in case of low network coverage area.
Visa for Foreigners
We would recommend the readers check the visa requirements here for your country. We applied for eVisa from their site. The eVisa fee was around 2200 INR/ 25USD per person. Processing time is about 3-5 working days. This is an easy process. After registering on their site and applying with all the required documents, you will get the visa mail soon in your inbox :).
Travel Insurance
Though travel insurance is not mandatory to enter Vietnam, we strongly recommend getting one as it provides coverage in case of unforeseen circumstances such as medical emergencies, baggage loss, trip cancellation, etc.
There are many online options available to choose from. Most of them are pretty affordable. You can check out various options at Policy Bazaar. We have taken Care Health Insurance, which was sufficient per our requirement.
Things to keep in mind before you book your Stay
We have chosen our stay considering the below points. Also, for budget travellers, these will be helpful.
- Check out the stay options, which provide complimentary breakfast, as it saves you a lot.
- Do not forget to check out the distance of your hotel from the main tourist attractions and the city centre, of course.
- Staying in hostels can save you a penny if you travel solo.
- Look out for the food options nearby. Also, you can explore various street food options.
- Plan for the travel attractions in advance and book the tickets online. It will save your time waiting in the queues.
Food Options
When it comes to Vietnam, you are spoiled with numerous options. A few of the must-try are:
1. Pho: delicious and famous noodle soup
2. Cha ca : Turmeric fish
3. Banh xeo : sizzling pancakes
4. Cao lau : noodle bowl
5. Com tam : Broken Rice
6. Mi Quang: noodle soup
7. Goi cuon : Spring rolls
8. Bunh mi: Vietnamese/Saigon sandwich
9. Sticky Rice Cake
Local Transport
Vietnam has several local transport options, such as motorbike scooters, cyclos (traditional Vietnamese 3 wheeled vehicle that function like a bi-cycle rickshaw), public buses and taxis/cabs. The most popular cab option is Grab. Mai Linh and Vinasun are the main local taxi providers.
Currency and SIM Card
The official currency of Vietnam is Vietnamese Dong (VND). You can exchange your foreign currencies, such as US Dollars, Euros, Pounds, etc., at any money exchanger. Apart from popular money exchangers in Airport you can also convert your currency at Vietcombank, local Gold shops, etc.
We also converted the currency at one such Gold shop on the way to our stay at Ho Chi Minh.
Avoid currency conversion at the airport as they do not provide reasonable rates. If required, convert a small amount to fulfil your immediate needs.
There are various Network service providers from where you can buy a sim. A few of them are: Viettel, Vinaphone, Mobiphone, etc.
Now, coming to the most essential part of the blog.…
Budget breakup for the Trip
Stay options:
We chose District1 in Ho Chi Minh City for our stay due to its good connectivity with most of the city attractions. You can get hostels or hotels as low as 800 – 1000 INR per person for double bed.
For Da Nang we chose Hoi An as it is one of the ancient town of Vietnam. You could spend the entire day exploring this colourful town. Hostels/ hotels starts from 400 – 800 INR per person for single bed.
Tourists usually prefer Old Quarter Area in Hanoi due to its nightlife and easy conveyance availability. Hostels or hotels can cost you around 500 – 1000 INR per person for single bed.
Food: Average meal cost for local delicacies can cost around 200 – 700 INR per person. For more details on must have in local delicacies , refer to Food Options section above.
To & Fro Flight from Delhi India to Da Nang/Hanoi Vietnam: 22000 – 25000 INR per person.
Transport
Rental scooters can cost somewhere around 400 – 700 INR per day. However, you could also choose from various online options available. Refer Local transport section above for more details.
This trip cost us around 75000 – 80000/- INR per person for 6 days 5 nights.
Places we visited during our Trip
1. Water Puppet Show in Ho Chi Minh City
Plan your Perfect Trip to Ho Chi Minh City’s Popular Water Puppet Show in 2024 With These Insider Facts
2. Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta Tour
Plan your Perfect trip to Cu Chi Tunnels And Mekong Delta in 2024 With These Insider facts
3. Ho Chi Minh City Tour
Plan a Perfect Day Trip to Ho Chi Minh City in 2024 With these Insider Facts
4. Da Nang (Ba Na Hills, Basket Boat Ride and Old Town, Hoi An)
Plan a Perfect Trip to Da Nang, Vietnam, in 2024 with These Insider Facts
5. Hanoi City Tour (The Iconic Train Street)
Plan a Perfect Trip to Hanoi City Tour in 2024 with These Insider Facts
6. Day Trip to Ninh Binh
Plan a Perfect Day Trip to Ninh Binh from Hanoi City in 2024 With These Insider Facts
7. Day Trip to Halong Bay
Plan a Perfect Trip to Halong Bay from Hanoi City in 2024 With These Insider Facts
8. What kind of help are we going to provide?
Let us inform you that we prepare itineraries not only for anywhere in India but also for Asia. We have been travelling since we were toddlers. So here in our blogs and stories, we will give you a glimpse of our journey and help you plan your trip.
Read about our Uzbekistan blogs.
Read about our Kazakhstan blogs.
Read about our Singapore blogs.
Read about our Vietnam blogs.
Read about our Cambodia blogs.
Read about our Bali blogs.
Read about our Kuala Lumpur blog series.
Read about our Sri Lanka blogs.
Read about our Nepal blogs.
Read about our Char Dham blogs.
Read about our Ladakh blogs.
Read about our day trip to Hyderabad.
Read about our Madhya Pradesh blogs.
Read about our Andaman and Nicobar blogs.
Do follow our Instagram handle @mindfulllofvacations and watch for the next destination story of a new place. For any query related to any trip, drop a mail at @mitkau007@gmail.com.
by mitkau