ere is a breakdown of the average costs per person for daily expenses and for big activities.

Everyday Expenses in Vietnam:

$7.5 /
£5.5
One night in a budget hotel (double room) / €6.3

$5 /
£3.7
Transport between towns / €4.2

$2.2 /
£1.6
Lunch/Dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant / €1.8

$0.3 /
£0.22
Bottle of water / €0.25

$0.8 /
£0.6
Vietnamese coffee / €0.5

Local beer $0.9 /

 £0.7
/ €0.8

Big Expenses in Vietnam (per person):

$64 /
£47
Halong Bay Boat Trip (2-day cruise) / €54

$19 /
£14
Trekking in Sapa (with guide) / €16

$30 /
£22
Vietnamese Cooking Class in Hoi An / €25

Where We Stayed in Vietnam

W E C HEC KED INT O TH IS P LAC E A F TER S EE ING IT W AS R EC OM M ENDED IN THE

1S T THU G IANG LO NE LY P LANET TR AVE L GU IDE F OR V IETNAM . IT W AS A BAS IC GU E S THOUS E

GUES THOUS E HANO I W H IC H IS OW NED BY A H US BAN D A ND W IFE C OUP LE. THER E’S 1S T THU G IANG
 GUES THOUS E W HIC H IS LOOKED AFTER BY THE HUS BAND. AR OUND THE

C OR NER IS THE C LEA NER AND MO R E OR DER LY 2N D THU G IA NG GUES THOUS E,

R UN BY THE W IF E . THE P LAC E W AS C HEAP AND W E LIK ED IT. THE ON LY

DOW NS IDE W AS T HE S ME LL O F W ET DOG IN 1S T. W E P A ID $ 7 . 4 5 P ER N IG HT.

W E S TR UGG LED T O F IN D ANYT H IN G REAL LY C HEAP IN S AP A, BUT DEC IDED TO

HEAD INT O TH IS LO VE LY GUES TH OUS E BEC AUS E T HER E W AS A HOT

C R AC K LING F IR E AND IT W AS ABS O LUTE LY FR EE ZING C O LD OUTS ID E.

TH IS FAM ILY GUE S THOUS E W AS HOM E LY AND W AR M . R OOM S AR E QU ITE

LAR GE. AT THE V ER Y TOP OF THE HOTE L IS A T IN Y, W OODEN BR EAK F AS T

LU ONG TH UY F A M ILY R OOM W ITH A N INC R ED IB LE V IEW OF THE R IC E TER R AC ES S ELLIN G H OT

GUES THOUS E S AP A BOW LS O F NO OD LE S OUP . W E P AID $ 1 6 . 8 0 P ER N IGH T.

THER E’S A S MA LL A LLE Y O F BU DG ET AC C OM M ODAT IO N IN HUE, INC LUD ING

HOANG H UONG G UES THOUS E. W HEN W E W ER E THERE, THE GUES THOU S E W AS

R UN BY O NE VER Y LITT LE O LD LA DY. S HE W AS R EALLY W E LC OM IN G AND

HOANG H UONG S M ILEY, A ND MA DE US BAN ANA P ANC AKES FOR BR EAKFAS T. THE DO W NS IDE

GUES THOUS E HUE HER E IS TH AT TH E R OOMS HAVE S OM E DAM P W A LLS . W E P AID $ 6 . 7 3 P ER

 NIGHT. UNFOR TUNATELY YOU ALS O C ANNOT BOOK ONLINE.

HOP YEN IS AN IM MAC U LAT E LOOK IN G HOTE L DOW N S TA IR S BU T DON ’ T BE

FOO LED BY T HE AP P EAR ANC E BEC AUS E THER E AR E M UC H C HEAP ER ROOM S

THE FUR THE R UP S TA IR S YOU G O. W E S TAYED AT THE VER Y TOP IN T HE ATT IC

R OOMS W H IC H W ER E A LL BAR E F LOOR BOAR DS AN D A C R AP P Y S HAR ED

S HOW ER R OOM. THE P LUS S IDE W A S THAT IT W AS OUR C HEAP ES T

AC C OMMODAT IO N IN THE W HO LE OF V IE TNAM . W E P A ID $ 6 . 9 1 P ER N IGHT.

HOP YEN HO I AN

AC C OMMODAT IO N OP T IONS AR E LIM ITED IN YOK D ON, BUT YOU C AN S TAY IN

S OME LOC A L-S TY LE S T ILT HOUS ES NEXT TO W HER E TOUR IS T INF OR M AT ION

(AND A LS O TH E C HA INED UP E LEP H ANTS THAT AR E P OOR LY TR EATED) AR E

LOC ATE D. THE H OUS ES THEMS E LV ES AR E BAS IC W ITH J US T A M ATTRE S S ON

THE F LO OR , BUT THEY HAVE A N IC E V IEW OF THE F IE LD AND IT ’S QU ITE A

S T ILT H OUS ES YOK D ON C OO L E XP ER IE NC E. W E P A ID $6.73 P ER N IGHT.

ZEN VA LLEY DA LAT DA LAT W E HEAR D ABOU T ZEN VA LLEY AF TER W E LEFT D A LAT AND W IS HED W E’D
 HEAR D ABOUT IT BEFOR E! OTHER TR AVELLER S S AID THIS HOTEL W AS

P EAC EFU L AND B EAUT IF U L W ITH LUS H V IEW S OF TH E M OUNTA INS .

OUR MOS T EXP ENS IVE R OOM OF TH E TR IP W AS IN HO C H I M IN H C ITY, BUT IT ’S

NOT S UR P R IS ING C ONS IDER ED W E BOOKE D ON LIN E BEF OR E AR R IV IN G

(BEC AUS E W E W ANTED TO BE S UR E ABOUT W HER E W E W ER E S TAY ING THE

N IGHT BEF OR E O UR F LIGHT ). TH IS GUES THOUS E W AS ABS O LUTE LY

IMMAC U LA TE, K IND OF P LUS H INS IDE AND R UN BY A R EA LLY LOVE LY

NGOC THAO HO C H I FAM ILY. W E P A ID $19.91 P ER N IGH T .

GUES THOUS E M IN H C ITY

Most Expensive Sleep: Ngoc Thao Guesthouse in Ho Chi Minh City – $19.91 per night
Least Expensive Sleep: Hop Yen in Hoi An – $6.91 per night
Traditional stilt house we stayed in at Yok Don.