South-east Asia is traditionally seen as a cheap place to go on holiday. Over the last few years, however, prices have been creeping up, especially for trips to countries such as Thailand. One destination that still offers great value for money is Vietnam. Of all the countries in the region, Vietnam is one of the most interesting and exciting. While it is still one of the most inexpensive places to go on holiday, there are a number of things you can do to make your Vietnam holiday even cheaper.
The first thing to do is to search out cheap travel deals. There are a large number of websites that offer deals on flights to Vietnam. This is one of the areas where you can really save some money so it is worth doing some careful research. Booking well in advance and out of peak season will help to keep the prices of flights down.
For example, you may be able to grab a deal on flights to the south of the country between July and November as this is the rainy season. Although this may mean that you are indoors most afternoons, when downpours are most common, it will mean that you see a completely different side of the country. You could even make the most of it and go out and enjoy the rain, which can be quite refreshing as even at this time of year the country is not cold.
Another way to save money while in Vietnam is to look for cheap car hire. Hiring a car, although perhaps not for the inexperienced driver, is a really exciting way to see parts of Vietnam that are off the tourist trail. Not only will hiring a car or bike give you a huge amount of independence it is also, thanks to relatively cheap petrol prices, a good value way to get around. Make sure, however, that you are very careful who you rent a vehicle from, as it is not uncommon for tourists to fall victim to scams. Avoid handing your passport over to a hire company at all costs as you may find that to get it back you have to pay for damage to the vehicle that you didn’t cause.
Lastly, accommodation is yet another area where you can save serious money while travelling in Vietnam. When compared to neighbouring countries (Thailand, Cambodia or Laos), accommodation is generally very good in Vietnam. Even the cheapest backpacker hostels are usually clean and equipped with towels and fresh linen. If you avoid staying in the country’s bigger cities (such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City) then accommodation is cheaper. It is possible to find hostels in more rural areas for as little as $6 (£3.70) a night.
Vietnam is a country that boasts some truly spectacular tourist destinations. While it is cheaper than neighbouring Thailand; it is slightly more expensive than Laos; however, the facilities on offer are much better. By carefully planning your trip you can guarantee that you will enjoy a very cheap holiday.
