How much money do I need for Vietnam?

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2-27-2008 @ 4:36AM

Will said...

Well... just to clarify, "dong" (VND) in Vietnamese doesn't sound like what you think. It sounds a lot more like "dome".

As far as carrying dollar bills, it really depends on where you are. Just about all the touristy places (such as much of the Old Quarter of Hanoi) will take USD and as was said some of those places will only tell you the price in dollars. Not that it really matters, because things are so cheap anyway... but bargaining in dollars can have the effect of tricking you into overpaying. $30 for a nice painting or something might not sound like that much... but when you realize how many bowls of Pho you could have bought with that same amount of VND, you might reconsider.

Last warning: think again about bringing Traveler's Checks. Not every bank will even know what they are. I tried exchanging them for VND at one bank and they just looked really confused and said no. I tried to explain in my super-broken Vietnamese as I pointed, saying, "American Money! American Money!" but they just kept saying, "No". As was mentioned, you're better off just using an ATM.

Personally, I can't comment very much on how safe VN is at night. I lived in Hanoi for a month and had absolutely no problems. That said, I was never out later than midnight. People are out in the streets til 10 or 11pm in the summer just hanging out and the traffic doesn't stop until 2am or so. I never once felt unsafe. The people are extremely friendly and the worse I ever experienced was being told a higher price for items than they would offer to a fellow VNese... and even that was done with a smile.

I distinguish safety of person from safety of property. There are people everywhere of course who will try to take your stuff. A friend of mine had her wallet stolen out of her bag while we were at the crowded night market held every weekend in the old quarter. Another friend who had lived in VN for about a year had her bag snatched out of her bicycle's basket while riding. My point is, while there is crime like everywhere, these are not instances of violence.

Honestly, as far as safety goes, you have a lot more to fear about the traffic (if you're in a VNese city) than anything else.

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