| Days traveling: | |
| Average per day: | |
|
excluding
and
Flights
:
Luxury activities
|
Sa Pa was on my itinerary pretty much since I started this trip. Every traveler that mentioned Vietnam, mentioned Sa Pa as well. When you think of Sa Pa, think of valleys filled with rice fields, misty mountains, and friendly homestays. Do yourself a favor and stay at least 2 nights here. It's worth it.
|
Urban transport
|
Moto taxi to homestay |
₫100,000.00
$3.85
|
|
Food
|
Breakfast at "The Little Hmong House" |
₫30,000.00
$1.15
|
|
Food
|
Lunch |
₫50,000.00
$1.92
|
|
Groceries
|
Bottled water |
₫15,000.00
$0.58
|
|
Food
|
Snacks |
₫56,000.00
$2.15
|
|
Food
|
Coffee |
₫20,000.00
$0.77
|
|
Food
|
Dinner |
₫60,000.00
$2.31
|
|
Accomodation
|
The Little Hmong House |
₫100,000.00
$3.85
|
| TOTAL | ₫431,000.00 |
| TOTAL (USD) | $16.57 |
Remember my whole rant back when I was in HCMC about big cities and how quickly I get tired of them? Well, Hanoi is different. It feels like a big city but at the same time it doesn't. It has a perfect mix of everything: culture, food, tourist attractions, nightlife, nature. I'm a big fan of Hanoi. I could not have picked a better city as last stop in Vietnam.
|
Food
|
Breakfast (incl. in hostel) |
₫0.00
$0.00
|
|
Others
|
Laundry |
₫57,000.00
$2.19
|
|
Groceries
|
Bottled water (x2) |
₫20,000.00
$0.77
|
|
Tourist attractions
|
Entrance fee to "Temple of Literature" |
₫30,000.00
$1.15
|
|
Tourist attractions
|
Entrance fee to "Ho Chi Minh Complex" |
₫40,000.00
$1.54
|
|
Urban transport
|
Moto taxi |
₫22,000.00
$0.85
|
|
Food
|
Lunch at "Xoi Yen" |
₫63,000.00
$2.42
|
|
Food
|
Coconut coffee at "Cafe Nola" |
₫45,000.00
$1.73
|
|
Gifts and souvenirs
|
Flag patches (x7) |
₫100,000.00
$3.85
|
|
Shopping
|
New backpack |
₫200,000.00
$7.69
|
|
Food
|
Dinner at "Mien Xao Luon" |
₫50,000.00
$1.92
|
|
Intercity transport
|
Sleeper bus to Sa Pa |
₫250,000.00
$9.61
|
| TOTAL | ₫877,000.00 |
| TOTAL (USD) | $33.72 |
Back in Hanoi for a couple days. I was going to head straight to Sa Pa after Halong Bay but I realized that if I did that, I would miss the famous Hanoi night market, which happens only on weekends. And if there's something you know about me at this point is that I'm a BIG fan of night markets. Hanoi goes all out with its night market. A bunch of streets in the Old Quarter are closed to traffic, and they become a festival of music, sports, and delicious food.
|
Food
|
Breakfast at "Cua Hang Banh Goi" |
₫33,000.00
$1.27
|
|
Tourist attractions
|
Entrance fee to "Ngoc Son Temple" |
₫30,000.00
$1.15
|
|
Groceries
|
Bottled water (x2) |
₫21,000.00
$0.81
|
|
Food
|
Lunch at "Banh Mi Hanoi" |
₫26,000.00
$1.00
|
|
Food
|
Snacks |
₫30,000.00
$1.15
|
|
Entertainment
|
Ticket to "Hanoi Water Puppet Show" |
₫150,000.00
$5.77
|
|
Food
|
Dinner at "New Day Restaurant" |
₫80,000.00
$3.08
|
|
Shopping
|
USB charger |
₫100,000.00
$3.85
|
|
Food
|
Ice cream |
₫8,000.00
$0.31
|
|
Accomodation
|
Chien Hostel |
₫113,000.00
$4.35
|
| TOTAL | ₫591,000.00 |
| TOTAL (USD) | $22.73 |
There's something about sleeping on a boat that I really enjoy. It might be the rocking movement of the water, the quietness of the night, or just the novelty of it. Either way, I slept like a baby. The second day was again full of activities: kayaking, swimming, visiting caves, and lots of chill time.
|
Luxury activities
|
Halong Bay cruise (day 2/2) |
$60.00
$60.00
|
|
Food
|
Dinner at "Cua Hang Banh Goi" |
₫48,000.00
$1.85
|
|
Food
|
Egg coffee at "Giang Cafe" |
₫25,000.00
$0.96
|
|
Groceries
|
Bottled water |
₫11,000.00
$0.42
|
| TOTAL | $60.00 + ₫84,000.00 |
| TOTAL (USD) | $63.23 |
Halong Bay is of the 7 natural wonders, and rightfully so. The emerald water combined with the thousands of tall limestone islets create an incredible landscape, wherever you look. It can be visited by day tours, or with a cruise that spends the night at the bay. I picked the latter, and I'm happy I did.
|
Luxury activities
|
Halong Bay cruise (day 1/2) |
$60.00
$60.00
|
|
Food
|
Breakfast |
₫70,000.00
$2.69
|
|
Alcohol
|
Cocktail |
₫70,000.00
$2.69
|
| TOTAL | $60.00 + ₫140,000.00 |
| TOTAL (USD) | $65.38 |
I made it to the capital! Hanoi serves as a hub to go visit most destinations in northern Vietnam, so I'll stop by several times, before finally flying out. Today I had enough time to do the 3 things everyone mentions about Hanoi: train street, egg coffee, and 5k beers at Bia Hoi Corner ($0.2).
|
Food
|
Breakfast (incl. in hostel) |
₫0.00
$0.00
|
|
Intercity transport
|
Bus to Hanoi |
₫200,000.00
$7.69
|
|
Food
|
Lunch at "Quan An Ngon" |
₫65,000.00
$2.50
|
|
Food
|
Egg coffee at "Hanoi Train Street" |
₫35,000.00
$1.35
|
|
Alcohol
|
Beer at "Hanoi Train Street" |
₫25,000.00
$0.96
|
|
Food
|
Dinner at "Banh Cuon Gia Truyen" |
₫25,000.00
$0.96
|
|
Alcohol
|
Beers at "Bia Hoi Corner" (5k each) |
₫30,000.00
$1.15
|
|
Alcohol
|
Cocktail |
₫108,000.00
$4.15
|
|
Groceries
|
Bottled water (x2) |
₫22,000.00
$0.85
|
|
Accomodation
|
Airbnb (shared) |
₫128,000.00
$4.92
|
| TOTAL | ₫638,000.00 |
| TOTAL (USD) | $24.53 |
Ok, so I fully broke my promise today 🙈, and rode a motorbike for most of the day. In my defense, roads in Ninh Binh are very easy to drive: wide and barely any cars. I experienced that freedom everyone trying to convince me to ride them had described. I visited the biggest Pagoda in Southeast Asia: Bai Dinh, and explore the countryside around the hostel.
|
Food
|
Breakfast (incl. in hostel) |
₫0.00
$0.00
|
|
Urban transport
|
Motorbike rental + gas (shared) |
₫100,000.00
$3.85
|
|
Tourist attractions
|
Parking at "Bai Dinh Pagoda" |
₫10,000.00
$0.38
|
|
Food
|
Sugar cane juice |
₫10,000.00
$0.38
|
|
Tourist attractions
|
Entrance fee to "Bai Dinh Pagoda" |
₫50,000.00
$1.92
|
|
Groceries
|
Bottled water |
₫10,000.00
$0.38
|
|
Food
|
Dinner |
₫70,000.00
$2.69
|
|
Alcohol
|
Beers |
₫75,000.00
$2.88
|
|
Accomodation
|
Trang An Mountain House |
₫138,000.00
$5.31
|
| TOTAL | ₫463,000.00 |
| TOTAL (USD) | $17.80 |
