Top Vietnam hotels
The money-thing Ho Chi Minh City
10 Reviews Stall 626 in Ben Thanh offers d best Dong for your buck. As at Sept 20, 2011, airport moneychangers n Parkson Dong Khoi offering dong 20,810 per US$ (no comm to pay anywhere), but Ben Thanh was...
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Street sellers Hanoi
13 Reviews If you stop and show interest in what the ladies carry they will talk you into buying there goods.Even if you dont really want it . If you dont want what they have dont show the slightest interest as...
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Over-pricing Ho Chi Minh City
25 Reviews Be VERY careful of the cyclos. Negotiate the price before hand but be aware that when you get off, they may demand more money from you. Whilst in HCMC friends got bailed up against a wall and more...
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Transportation matters Hanoi
15 Reviews I felt into the traps 3 times, even I am extremely careful: 1. Took a taxi from one of the museum to the city, should cost around 40,000 Dong. The meter jumps so fast that I ended up paying about 5...
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Saigon River Cruise Ho Chi Minh City
4 Reviews The Saigon River isn't smelly anymore when i went unlike what has been described by the others. However there really isn't that much to see either. The banks are lined with industrial boats and...
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Touts Hanoi
2 Reviews You may see women carrying loads of fruit and think great photo opportunity. So do they!! They will ask whether you want a photo or if you are with someone else give them the pole to carry and for...
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After bartering for a few minutes on the price of a roll of 40 print APS film, I paid the cashier and she handed me 20 print APS film instead. Of course I didn't notice until I was long gone. Use caution and double check your purchases throughout Vietnam. This is a poor country and every bit of money the people make is extremely important to them! Besides, if you can afford to fly there on vacation, you must be rich.
Probably the worst scam I fell for was the night the Taxi Driver took my 50,000 Dong bill and claimed I only gave him a 5,000 (he switched the 50,000 out with a 5,000 that was in this lap...hard to notice in a dark cab late at night). It was dark and I'd consumed a few drinks, so I foolishly believed him and gave him another 50,000 Dong bill and he did it again! This time I caught on, yelled some obscenities at him and stormed out of the cab.Pay close attention to your money.
Hoi An is known for it's tailors. Once upon a time you could get expertly tailored outfits for next to nothing. Today, there are just too many tailor shops around town. Most of them have no idea how to tailor clothes. I even thought the prices were high. You could find better clothes at a discount store back in the states cheaper. I know that some like to do it just for the fun. In reality, your not really pammpered, but instead badgered into buying more, having to pay more when you pick up the clothes, and having the clothes almost never fit correctly. I know some people have had good experiences, but I think it has just gotten out of hand in the city. The clothes we did buy have almost all fallen apart since they were purchased a few months ago. Try having just one piece made, and really check the quality before purchasing a whole wardrobe. Ross or TJMAX
I have only heard horror stories about having shoes made in Hoi An. Unfortunately I heard them after my fiasco at a local shop. I was also stupid enough to give half the money up front. They will insist on it, but don't do it. You will never see that money again, and they will make you the most god-awful shoes you could imagine. I have really large feet, so it's hard to find shoes. I thought this would perfect. They trace your foot on a piece of paper and tell you that they can make any shoe you desire. Just bring in a picture, and they can copy it. The shoes were at least 2 sizes too small, and they could have been made by my 2 year old. Don't get shoes unless you see pre-made flip-flops really cheap. There are plenty in the markets or stores that have real shoes in other cities around Vietnam that are very reasonable.
If you don't want to buy a trip that someone's selling, but don't want to say no outright, lie! Say you've already been there! We were staying in a hotel and they kept pestering us to buy a tour from them. We wanted to do the tour but with a different company. As a result of my not being a very good liar, I told him that. Well, he sent someone up to our room right away and told us that we had to leave because unfortunately, they needed our room for someone else.I began lying right after that.
A vendor came up with a clever way to make a buck. She gave us her bananas and hat and encouraged us to take a picture. Well, who doesn't want a photo oppourtunity like this one! Naturally, we couldn't just thank her and leave so we bought some of the bananas in our picture. Breakfast and a photo op for a buck, not a bad deal.
This is a smaller waterfall not far from Dalat. It is part of a larger park with animals and gardens. The animals are kept in very poor conditions though, and since the waterfall is pretty unimpressive compared to most other falls around Dalat, I would reccommend that you avoid this place. We didn't know this and stopped for a visit. Animals are kept in small cages with nothing to do but look out the bars of the cage. Far nicer falls to be discovered elsewhere too, so really no point in stopping here. There is a walkway under the waterfall so you can stand under the falls looking out. There are plenty of waterfalls around Dalat, choose another, like the ones on my General Tips of Vietnam.
A lot of people purchase a visa for Laos in Hanoi but the price they charge at the Laos embassy is 45 USD for one month. Also, you can only purchase a visa for one week or one month unlike when entering via Friendship bridge from Thailand where a two week visa can be obtained. Buy a visa in a cheaper country such as Thailand or go via a crossing that offer visa on entry eg by flying there.
Having just come through the border from Lak Xao into Vietnam, there was a sign saying that as it was the weekend, there was a charge of 1 USD for stamping the passport to exit the country. Of course this was repeated by the Vietnamese to enter. So total extra cost because its a weekend is 2 USD. Not much I know but worth knowing!! Smile and pay the charge Dont go on a weekend or try another border crossing where they might not charge.
Usually I organize myself my travels, if possible. In this case I did the mistake to ask advices to Sinhcafe travel agency voltures abut the way to reach Rach Già (ferryboat to Phu Quoc island). My idea was to spend some time in the Mekong Delta area along the way west to Rach Già city. They advice me to spend two days in the Mekong Delta and then take a local bus to Rach Già. They give me this advice in order to gain more money, actually to me one day in Mekong area is enought: is a crowded area and when you see one floating market is enought. I was flattered by the cheap price of the tour but... they arrive at floating market to late in morning (usually market is busy early in the morning) and then they give me a room in hotel that was like the "tiger cage" of vietnam was prisoners: without windows! Also the information about ferryboat where false. Anycase the farryboat was not a good...
Park Hyatt Saigon Ho Chi Minh City
5 Reviews and 438 Opinions All rooms offer pool of City views with full luxury amenities. As true sense 5- Star hotel, it is...
Hanoi Elegance 2 Hanoi
5 Reviews and 712 Opinions I booked our family sized room for 2 adults and our teenage daughter direct with the hotel from...
Victoria Hoi An Resort Hoi An
4 Reviews and 444 Opinions It's worth the money to stay and enjoy the beach like in Victoria Hoi An. Price from 150$++ public...
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Q: could someone please help? where can i buy ao dai (preferably well made and silk) for my grand-daughters, they are only 2-3...
A: Loads of places in both cities to buy Ao Dai either already made or to measure. For the small extra cost, have them made to measure and take the mesurements before going...
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