Cheap holiday destinations in Vietnam

Since the first tourists came to Travel Vietnam at affordable prices in early 1990s, Vietnam has become a popular destination for budget visitors, especially adventurous travelers who are looking for off the beaten track destinations, enjoy the wild beauty of nature and authentic cultural value or local people. Within the frame of this article I would like to give you guys some personal experience and information about the cheapest and worth visiting places in Vietnam where backpackers should explore. Just stay away from touristy and sites such as Halong bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh city, Sapa or Hanoi where full of tourists with expensive hotels, restaurants and professional services. Come and find out.

Cheap holiday destinations in Vietnam

1 - Yen Bai

In the map of Vietnam travel, Yen Bai is a less known destination for international tourists compared to Sapa or Ha Giang, however as Sapa and Ha Giang have become more and more touristy in recent years, Yen Bai is emerging as an attractive spot for travelers, especially travelers who want to discover the off the beaten track places that still retain the authentic characteristics and the untouched charming beauty of a mountainous region. I would definitely recommend Yen Bai as the top destination for budget travelers, there is no high end 4-5 star hotels or resorts and other money consuming facilities. Travel to Yen Bai you stay in basic guesthouses or homestay in the villages, eat local food prepared by local friendly people.

Some attractions in Yen Bai

- Paddy terraces in Mu Cang Chai

- Thac Ba lake, one of the biggest reservoirs in Vietnam

- Suoi Giang village, famous for ancient Tea trees

- Luc Yen precious stone mines

- Dangerous mountain passes and beautiful H'mong villages of Ta Xi Lang, Lim Mong, Phinh Ho...

Lai Chau:

My most favourite place in the northwest, Lai Chau is an ideal destination for adventurous travelers. I have been to Lai Chau 2 times in late 1990s when this province was not divided into 2 provinces Dien Bien and Lai Chau. The feeling of riding a motorbike on winding passes or cross the Nam Na river in flood season, watching sunset from the Hang Tom bridge was unforgettable. I still remember the time when our car was broken on the way, it took us half day to fix it and we had to travel to Pha Din pass in the middle of the night in heavy rain in order to arrive in Son La on time the next morning. Now part of Lai Chau has been under water with the completion of Son La hydro power plan. What impress travelers the most in Lai Chau is the bridges hanging precariously over the rivers, on the other side of the bridges are poor and simple stilt houses of Mang ethnic people. There are not many landscapes in Lai Chau however this region has it's own attractions, the tranquil space of mountain and forests, magnificent nature with wild villages hidden on the hill side. With over 20 ethnic minority groups Lai Chau is really a hideaway from bustling cities

Some attractions in Lai Chau:

- O Quy Ho and Pha Din passes, considered the most spectacular passes in north Vietnam

- Sin Ho and Muong Te districts, note that you must have permit to visit these places

- Pu Sam Cap, a complex of caves and grotto system at an elevation of over 1300 m

- Dao San market

- Hill tribe villages Na Luong, Pu Dao and Vang Pheo

- Herbal bath in Sin Ho

- Ma Ly Pho commune in Phong Tho district

- Tea plantations in Tam Duong

Nam Dinh:

Nam Dinh province is about 90km from Hanoi. Nam Dinh is not famous as a tourist destination like the touristy neighbor Ninh Binh however this is just what make it more attractive for spiritual visitors who want to have some peace of mind on an excursion out of Hanoi. Actually Nam Dinh is very busy in early Lunar New Year with many cultural and spiritual festivals such Phu Giay festival, don't forget to take part in the human chess when you come here, Tran temple festival, famous as a secret place if you want to be successful in your career, Vieng market festival if you want to buy good luck for the new year...Not only that, you can relax on the white sand beaches of Thinh Long, Hai Hau and especially Quat Lam, considered as a "Red Light" beach break place for men ;) Ah, the Xuan Thuy national park is also an attractive place for nature lovers.

Some attractions in Nam Dinh:

- La Xuyen wood sculpture village, Tong Xa bronze casting village

- Phu Day temple festival, Tran temple festival, Vieng market festival

- Thinh Long, Hai Hau and Quat Lam beaches

- Xuan Thuy national park

- Co Le pagoda, Pho Minh pagoda and Bui Chu cathedral

Ha Tinh:

Ha Tinh is a small province in the narrow central part of Vietnam. On the map of Vietnam travel Ha Tinh is not a prominent destination however travelers will find it a nice surprise as this land has best attractions that are still untouched by tourism. Most famous is Thien Cam beach however Ha Tinh has more than that. I came to Ha Tinh 2 years ago on a survey trip and was really impressed with this land, what I liked the most about Ha Tinh is the friendliness of local people and food in Ha Tinh is so special that you cannot find anywhere else in Vietnam. If you want a quiet place with cheap price then Ha Tinh must be a candidate. Delicious food, decent accommodation, beautiful nature, friendly people, prices are very reasonable, what else can you expect?

Some attractions in Ha Tinh:

- Ngang pass: Located between Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces, the pass is not long with 6 km and 250m high however this is one of the most spectacular passes in Vietnam.

- Ke Go lake: An artificial lake in Cam Xuyen district, the lake likes between hill sides

- Thien Cam and Thach Hai beaches

- Hong Linh mountain

- Huong Tich and Thien Tuong pagodas

- Son Kim hot spring

Quang Tri

Known as the main battlefield in the war time, Quang Tri is the where the Vietnamese and American veterans want to come back and recall the old memories. But Quang Tri also boast other attractive places such as Cua Tung beach, Con Co island and La Vang holyland. If you visit centre Vietnam I recommend a day trip to Quang Tri, not only to learn about the painful past of Vietnam history but also enjoy the peaceful landscapes of this land. Plan a trip to Vietnam at low cost

Some attractions in Quang Tri province:

- Cua Tung beach

- Con Co island

- La Vang holyland

- Khe Sanh combat base

- Ben Hai river and Hien Luong bridge

- Vinh Moc tunnels

- Ancient citadel Quang Tri

Binh Dinh

Binh Dinh is a coastal province in central Vietnam. In my opinion Binh Dinh is even more attractive than famous Mui Ne, and the wonderful thing is that Binh Dinh is very quiet, tranquil and much less touristy than Mui Ne. If you want to have a few days relax on the beach with a tight budget I would recommend Binh Dinh. The beach in Quy Nhon town is long with many small bays.

Ideal time to visit Binh Dinh is in dry season, from May to August, during this time the weather in Binh Dinh is more moderate compared to neighboring places. The rainy season starts in Binh Dinh from September to December so you avoid going in this time. 

Attractions in Binh Dinh province:

- Thi Nai lagoon

- Quy Nhon beach

- Phuong Mai sand dunes (recommend for lovers of sand surfing)

- Yen island

- Cham twin tower

- Cu Lao Xanh or Green island and Hon Kho island

- Ghenh Rang beauty spot

- Ham Ho tourist site

Kon Tum

Kon Tum province is in the north of Central Highlands, in the language of ethnic people Ba Na the name Kon Tum means a village by a big lake on the side of Dakla river. Aside from the legendary epics, this land on the central plateau is also attractive as the junction of Indochina where a cock crowing can be heard in three countries Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Yeah, if you want to discover the mysterious of the central highlands and learn about the ethnic culture and keep the cost down you can choose Kon Tum. I can say that Kon Tum travel is attached with wildlife due to specific natural characteristics and the impression of gong culture of indigenous peoples.

Attractions in Kon Tum province:

- Wooden Cathedral, unique architecture, right in the centre of town

- Rong house Kon K'lor

- Bo Y border gate, the junction of 3 nations Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

- Mang Den ecotourism area, considered as another Da Lat

- Ngoc Linh mountain, good for climbing and trekking

- Chu Mon Ray national park and Dak Bla river

Dong Nai

Dong Nai is the largest province in Vietnam, compared to other provinces in the south, Dong Nai doesn't have magnificent architecture works or seaside beaches however this land is blessed wonderful natural landscapes, suitable for nature explorers. Travelers to Dong Nai will enjoy the nuances of a southeastern region characterized by rivers, waterfalls and scenery.

People can visit Dong Nai on a day trip or weekend holidays, you can choose relaxation, river bathing, fishing, riding ostriches or enjoy the delicacies at one of many eco-tourist areas such as Mango Garden, Golden Scorpion, Tri An waterfalls, Dong Nai river resort...

One thing you need to know is that tourist sites and spots in Dong Nai are pretty far apart, and you need to set up an itinerary so that you can save travel time from place to place.

Some attractions in Dong Nai

- Long Khanh orchard, full of tropical fruits

- Nam Cat Tien national park

- Ba Chong rocks

- Giang Dien waterfall

- Buu Long eco-park

- Mango Garden eco tourism area

Tra Vinh

Among provinces of Mekong Delta, Tra Vinh is perhaps a less known destination for travelers however it would be a pity if you travel the Mekong Delta without setting foot in this land. Tra Vinh in my opinion is most diversified in terms of culture and religion. In Tra Vinh you can find the most beautiful pagodas with many styles of architecture, from Vietnamese, Khmer to Chinese. The temples are scattered throughout the province. In addition to the beaches, islands, large orchards and characteristic ecosystem of the mangroves forests makes Tra Vinh an attractive destination. An ideal choice for those who want to have a kind of spiritual and cultural tourism combined with ecotourism. And from my adjustment the young girls in Tra Vinh are most beautiful in the south ;) If you come to Tra Vinh in Lunar New Year you can attend many festivals of Khmer people like Ok Om Bok, Chol Chnam Thmay...

Some attractions in Tra Vinh:

- Buddhist pagodas and temples such as Hang, Phno Don, Ang, stork or Nodol pagoda...

- Ao Ba Om (Ba Om pond) romantic scenery of nature

- Ba Dong beach, you can enjoy seafood here with very reasonable prices

- Mangrove forest

Ca Mau

Ca Mau province marks the end of Vietnam territory on land with rural scenery and characteristic beauty of Mekong river delta. Coming to Ca Mau you will have a chance to row the boat through the maze of canals in the mangrove forest, enjoy the fresh air of U Minh Ha forest with immense cajeput forest, creating a fascinating wild beauty. The combination of forest and sea has made Ca Mau very attractive. Ca Mau is the only place in Vietnam where you can view sunrise on the east and sunset on the west of the sea. In addition, don't forget to explore Ca Mau national park and U Minh forest with diversified flora and fauna.

Weather in Ca Mau can be divided into 2 distinct seasons: Dry and rainy season. The climate is relatively cool as Ca Mau is surrounded by sea so ideal time to visit Ca Mau is from April to September. If you go to Ca Mau on this occasion you may encounter a vibrant atmosphere of a wet land with human and nature are intertwined creating a warm atmosphere.

Some attractions in Ca Mau:

- Ca Mau cape

- U Minh forest

- Ngoc Hien bird yard

- Hon Khoai and Da Bac islands

- Khai Long beach

- Trem river, I recommend a boat trip on this river with spectacular snenery on the sides.

source: http://www.cheaptourvietnam.com/blog/top-ten-cheapest-vacation-spots-in-vietnam.php

Mekong Delta trip

Cheap tours in Vietnam At 7AM, our buddy, with his moto-friend, was there as promised to take us to the 7:30am bus to Càn Tho.... out of the goodness of his heart.....imagine that...what a guy! By now we are pretty fearless about getting on the motorcycles with all our gear.

Mekong floating market

To our surprise, before we even got to the bus station, a rolling bus stopped for us and our packs were quickly transferred. Before we realized what happened, we sat in the bus and were asked for the equivalent of $10 each for the trip. We realized it was outrageous for the rickety non air-co bus we found ourselves. Dave asked if everyone else paid that. "Of course," was the reply. I said okay let us out of the bus. The price dropped by $4 immediately. But with limited communication skills, we were still at the short end of the stick, figuring we were still paying double what we should for this class of bus. But it was difficult to justify getting off and spending an hour or two to find another bus which could save us three bucks each. This was a local rattling window type bus and, in the end, we gave in and chalked it up as a lesson learned. The lesson? We should have gone ahead of time to the bus office where prices are usually posted.

We insisted on having the front seats next to open window, which was one constellation. The landscape was fascinating and beautiful; the lush green landscape, the rice paddies, fruit orchards, vegetable fields. The entire trip followed rivers and we watched wonderful village life. Rice was drying on plastic sheets next to the narrow road. South Vietnam tours

Three hours into the trip, a wheel seized up. A front wheel bearing needed to be replaced. They lacked proper tools and the driver's assistant pounded on the frozen part of the bearing with a cold chisel for over an hour before he was able to cut it off so he could put a new one on. Overall, it took about an hour and half to fix and we continued. 

Then the bus arrived at a cross road where they told us “Cần Thơ, Cần Thơ”. We figured maybe we were at a bus station outside of town because CT is supposed to be a good size town. Again everything happened really quickly. Before we realized what happened, we stood on the street with our packs, traffic zooming by and sweat pouring down our backs. "Let’s have a bite to eat here before heading into town." Dave barely took three steps before we were led by our hands across mad traffic to another bus. "To Càn Tho" a lady missing most of her front teeth, insisted. "No money," she said. We got on to the other rickety bus. It still turned out to be another 2.5 hour ride to Càn Tho.

At the real bus station, Dave negotiated hard for two moto taxies (ex om) to take us the final kilometer an a half to the riverfront. Those seem to be the main form of transport here in Vietnam. We had them drop us off at Sao Hom, a nice riverfront restaurant where we dined before looking for a hotel.  I had pizza and Dave a local fried noodle dish. It was expensive, for Vietnam standards and the food was excellent.

Dave scouted a half dozen guidebook recommended hotels and stumbled upon the one month new, Number 1 Hotel, a five story skinny mini hotel with very big and very nice air con rooms starting at $14 per day. There were plenty of cheaper places in town but this one was well worth a few extra dong.

Càn Tho  

-Mani & pedicure 60000 dong / $3

-Night market food

-Rice cakes banana and coconut

-We interviewed boat tour people before settling with Thuy for a 6 hour private boat tour for $20.

5:30am floating market tour

--First stop Cái Răng wholesale floating market. (7km)

--Rice noodle factory

--Phong Dien floating market (18km)

--Mangrove and nature walk

Lâp, Thuy’s husband, was our boat driver and guide for today. He picked us up before dawn and we walked with him to where he had moored his small boat. We shared the river with a variety of boats differing in size from barges freighters and a variety of interesting wooden boats locals use. The river supports a wonderful mix of transport. On both sides of the wide river, we glimpsed narrow wooden or cement bridges with steady streams of people walking and cycling across.

Lâp pointed out the sun rising behind us as the orange glow spread across the sky.

Laden ferries crossed the river at frequent intervals, connecting the labyrinth of trails and roads through the delta.

As we approached Cái Răng market at a fork in the canal, a guy floated up to us calling out "coffee, tea hot or ice?" He had an efficient set-up and apparently didn't spill a drop. Why did we bother to bring our own cool drinks?

We got closer into the wheeling and dealing of this wholesale market and it was hopping!

Large wooden boats, loaded with piles of squashes, onions, cabbage, melons, mangoes, pineapples, and garlic, came here to buy and sell. People haggled and loaded and unloaded goods. It's a busy place. And ladies in small boats floated by to sell hot food to the hungry merchants.

Because we were in such small boat, Lâp easily maneuvered in between the tightest spots and we had a ball getting an up close view of fascinating cultural experience.

We watched a few large tour boats breeze by the perimeter, with megaphone equipped guides blasting stories in their ears. The bewildered tourist barely had time to frame a shot.

Our next stop was a rice noodle factory down a small side canal. They used pretty much the same process we had watched in the village in Cambodia except on a bit larger scale. The thin "crepes" are steamed for a few seconds then dried on racks in the sun and then put through cutter.

We returned to the main thoroughfare and continued along the channel to Phong Điền, another floating market. Phong Điền wasn't as big or lively as Cái Răng. It had the same fruits, rice, lunch boats and was less crowded this hour of the morning.

It was 8:30. “Ready for lunch?” Lâp asked. At 8:30?

We doubled back and turned left down a side channel and motored by houses with decks and platforms hanging over the water's edge. Villagers washed their clothes and bathed in the murky Mekong Delta river water.

After venturing into an even smaller channel, Lâp pulled the boat to a small diving board size dock. It was time for the nature walk!

Lâp pointed us to follow a dirt path next to the narrow waterway where Lâp shadowed us in the boat. At first we walked past durian and banana orchards.

  

Then we came to small bamboo house with large vegetable gardens, behind which, expansive lush rice fields opened up. A cute little girl came out with plastic bin and joined her parents picking beans. Continuing the hike, we heard frogs jump in the river ahead of our approach, so peaceful.

We suddenly got to a precarious bridge and I was sure to take a picture of a local lady when she effortlessly crossed it not realizing I would be next! I was not so nimble!

Birds were few. Then I heard chirp, chirp, chirp. Chirp, chirp, chirp. I looked and looked and tried to find what I imagined must be a colorful bird in the branches. 

When the sound got closer, I realized it was little boy wearing fun squeaky-toy shoes!

Here the trail was paved and Lâp was waiting for us at the restaurant. It became 9:30 by now. It was high time for lunch!!

The boat ride back to Can Tho was every bit as scenic. We continued through the small canals in the mangroves before breaking back out to the wide expanse of the Can Tho river. More fishing boat with nets, more barges, more river life in general. We were back within the 5 to 6 hour estimate and would have been happy to keep going. It was all we had hoped for.....

More Time in Càn Tho

Amazing lunch

-9 Vietnamese eggrolls

-Vegetable soup

-tofu stuffed gourd

-2x fried somethings, crisps & rice

-green beans

-2x ice tea

-------------

Total 49000 dong ($2.39)

Yes, we have made Càn Tho our home a bit longer-than planned. It is relatively cool with nice afternoon breeze from the river cooling things. This is all relative. It is still 34c. We enjoy the town, life on the river, and the markets. It suited us for a week or so. Our hotel was comfortable and central located. The everyday stuff, like the different food we encounter, I like to write about.

For lunch today, we stumbled across this small place bursting at the seams with people eating and slurping. That is a good sign so we decided to give it a try. At the counter, we pointed to all the dishes that looked interesting to us. A table was cleared and a fan was pointed in my direction immediately. I guess they noticed the sweat pouring off my brow. And large glass mugs of ice tea were put in front of us. Next came the 9 Vietnamese egg-rolls. The vegetable soup followed by the tofu stuffed gourd, two fried somethings, crispy seasoned chips made of fried dough & rice, and green beans. It was all tasty and fresh, and above all, homemade. We asked for the bill, which spurred a big discussion among the staff. One girl was joined by another and they jabbered and jabbered. Then another person from the back joined them and a calculator was brought out. Dave and I looked at each other like "we've been had".  Finally, the calculator was pushed in front of us; 49000 dong ($2.39).

Lingering in Càn Tho

We had a second fabulous moonlit dinner at Sao Hom Riverside Restaurant. I ordered the fried Mekong fish and Dave had the crispy noodles with seafood again. It was another beautiful balmy evening. We watched the moon rise over the Mekong. Small boats scurried between the larger boats to cross the river. It appeared to be a chaotic mess of river traffic; ferrys crossing in between various wooden boats, small flat motor motorboats ferrying people back and forth, sometimes barely missing the larger ships, a free for all. It looks like anything goes but it appears to work.

Dinner was served. My fish was cleverly perched up between large toothpicks on a halved cucumber. The waiter then expertly operated on my fish like a surgeon and had it looking even prettier with both meaty sides curled down. He showed me how to fill the small rice pancakes with noodles, vegetables and fish then roll it tight and dip it in the tangy dipping sauce. What a treat. We lingered over this meal.

source: http://cheaptourvietnam.com/blog/trip-though-mekong-delta.php

How to avoid problems in your Vietnam holiday

Vietnam cheap tours has been opened to the world for nearly 20 years and the tourism environment has improved over time, however there are still annoyances that trouble international travelers when they visit Vietnam. In this article I would like to mention some complaints that visitors encounter during their holidays in Vietnam

1 - Overcharge at tourist sites:

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For years, the problem of overcharge, push and force customers to buy at exorbitant prices...has become commonplace at the tourist destinations, especially in high season such as festive season at the beginning of the year when the number of domestic and international tourists increase sharply. This problem can be seen at famous tourist sites such as beaches, temples, pagodas, mountainous landscapes...

Foreign visitors to Vietnam is always a good prey as the vendors try to sell stuff at double price or even more than price local people pay. They have to pay even when take a photo, when catching a taxi many drivers would drive you around for more money. One thing that makes travelers upset the most is service charge, many restaurants don't mention this on the menu and then put it on the bill at the anger of visitors.

What should you do when you are involved in this case? Remember to make things clear before you order a meal or book a service, make sure that you understand what is included what is not. And you can call the police if you think you are victims of these bad sellers. Vietnam custom travel

2 - Disorder of traffic condition

If you come to Vietnam for the first time you will be shocked at the situation of traffic in Vietnam, especially in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city, at rush hours in the morning or late afternoon when people go to work or go home, thousands of cars, motorbikes, push bikes jostling and pushing for their way. Nobody seems to care about traffic rules. If you are a pedestrian looking for a line to cross the busy road you have to risk your life cutting through the endless stream of vehicles.

What should you do if you want to cross the street when there is no red light? Just keep walking slowly and have an eye at the traffic, don't run and don't stop and other people will know how to avoid you.

3 - Too many beggars

There are a lot of beggars at tourist attractions, especially at public places like temples, pagodas, parks...at the New year time festivals, beggars can be seen sitting and lying on the ground at the entrances, they follow visitors all the way begging for money, many visitors have to give money as this is the only way to get out of the beggars. Some people abuse small children and elderly by using them begging money from tourists. Visitors usually see a miserable woman carrying her sleeping child in hand sitting at the junction and make money from passers-by. Some visitors fell into her trap by giving money to the woman, however the money will go to pocket of the woman or the people standing behind her and not help the child. In such cases we recommend that you give them food and never give money.

4 - Environmental pollution

According to adjustment by the Global Environment Program of the United Nations, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city are in the list of the most polluted cities in the world. In peak hours, smog from vehicles released can be seen everywhere. Not only that, local people and travelers suffer different kinds of noise pollution. Just go to street and you will hear the loud sounds of horns continuously until the cars start to move. The types of garbage littered every corner is something that visitors flinch. The walls were stained yellow with the smell making people sick. Especially in the rainy season, if we are struggling to find ways to cope flooding, the foreigners often take photograph and surprise as if this city is Venice.

5 - Poor safety and hygiene of food

Vietnam cuisine is very diverse, but the sanitary condition causing insecurity for many travelers. Especially for street food, many people sell food processing do not wear gloves, so exposed. Where the eating place is just next to a sewer system, filled with trash. Seeing that image is enough to attract tourists not brave enough to try out the delicious dishes. In many restaurants at tourist areas the kitchen is just close to toilet that is smelly and dirty. In the markets, many people use chemicals and drugs to make the vegetables and fruit look fresher, that's because growers have used the chemicals to stimulate the growth of produce from unknown origin and drugs with high toxicity that has been banned to spray for fruit and vegetables. Along with vegetables, the livestock (pigs, chickens, cows, fish...) were used to gain weight for livestock and poultry.

source: http://www.cheaptourvietnam.com/blog/five-troubles-foreign-visitors-encounter-in-vietnam.php