How much money do I need for Vietnam?

Over at Travel Happy, Don Morgan has an exhaustive run-down of the costs of traveling around Vietnam. As someone who will be visiting the Southeast Asian country for the first time later this year, I’m pleased to see that Vietnam is even more affordable (read: cheap) than I had originally thought. One thing I’m not looking forward to, however, is the brain-busting exchange rate– 16,000 Vietnamese dong to 1 US dollar. Oh no, not math!

Discussing cheap accomodations, Morgan writes, “If you’re really want to save, look for signs that say ‘Nha Tro’ or ‘Nha Phong,’ which means ‘boarding house.’ Also, ‘Co Thue Phong’ means ‘we rent rooms.’… You can get a concrete room with nothing but a bed and a separate bathroom for less than 2 USD a night.”

Also be sure to check out the article for where to find ATMs, where to convert currency, and the cost of meals, booze, and cigarettes. And where else can you read a line like this: “Laos will dong you up if you’re headed east. Don’t change too much money at border crossings – the rates are horrible. But your first dong will probably spit out at you from an ATM anyway.”

For more from Travel Happy on the costs of traveling in Southeast Asia, read “How Much Money Do I Need for Thailand?”