19/02/2021
Vietnam Fast Facts
Currency: Vietnamese d**g
Language: Vietnamese
Population: 96.5 million
Religion: Buddhist is the majority
Best Time to Visit Vietnam
Deciding when the best time to visit Vietnam is tricky as the country is dominated by monsoon reasons (don’t be surprised to see streets flooding) and since the country is so long from north to south it can make picking one month of the year to travel difficult but not impossible.
Ideally the best time to go to Vietnam is in the spring (February-April) or fall (August-October) as you will see the least amount of rainfall (but still expect some) during these two time periods. The temperature will be warm but not scorching hot and in the north you should expect to have a few layers as temperatures are cooler.
Avoid the north in the winter as places such as Sapa can get snow or the summer where the heat in the cities is almost unbearable.
In the spring and fall Hanoi (north) averages temperatures as low as 16°C and as high as 30°C. (60°-86°F). Ho Chi Minh (south) hovers around the 30°C (86°F) mark.
Vietnam Budget
Get excited because Vietnam is so cheap! You’ll be able to stretch your dollar far in this country with a backpacking Vietnam budget that doesn’t have to generous to get you far.
For a Vietnam daily budget you will be able to do everything you want and drink your heart out at night while backpacking in Vietnam easily for $50 a day which is a very easy Vietnam backpacking budget to follow. And if you’re on a tight budget you can still do plenty on $25 a day.
If you want a little luxury $75 a day will get you that and anything above $100 a day (which is a very high budget for Vietnam) and you’ll be living the life.
Vietnam accommodation is where you’ll save a ton. Hostels typically start at 100,000 ($5) for a night including breakfast and sometimes even a pool. There’s no need to pay more than 230,000 ($10) for a hostel as these will be plenty nice. Many also include free beer for 1-hour everyday.
Food is also dirt cheap. You can get a bowl of pho or other dishes at street stalls for as cheap as 20,000 (less than $1) (you must try Bánh mì). Sit down restaurants are typically double the price or more (so still very affordable) and western restaurants will be the most expensive 150,000 ($6.50) for a higher end meal.
Fresh beer is the cheapest for 3,700 ($0.16) in a restaurant with bottles costing between 20,000-30,000 ($0.86-$1.38) but expect to pay double in clubs.
Transportation is, you guessed it, also cheap but there’s more about that below.
Lastly, activities will be your most expensive cost in Vietnam. Entrances to most museums and buildings are around 15,000-45,000 ($0.65-$2). Day trips are typically $15-25 and multiple day trips average at about $100.
