Angkor Outdoors 1 Day
PRIVATE TOUR - TOUR CODE: VIC04S Love outdoor activities and you want to combine with Angkor complex ? Surely this tour is exclusive for you, especially for youngsters. The tour...
Vietnam is a cheap country for you to travel, and even offers the cheapest tourist attractions of Southeast Asia. What make this beautiful country save your travel budget ? and how Vietnam keeps their service quality while the cost is down. Let’s find out some reasons.
Strong competition among hotels let the room price down
Vietnam economic reform began in 1986 and has been escalating since 2000 when local goverment issued the Law of Enterprises which encouraged millions of new businesses enter the market. The booming stock exchange in 2006 made the hotel owner richer, and as a result, invest more on real-estate. Nowadays, Vietnam tourism market is very competitive. According to Agoda.com, this year Hanoi has about 700 accommodations (hotels 0-5 star, BB& Inns, vacation rentals) compared with above 100 accommodations in 2006. This year Saigon Ho Chi Minh city has 1,134 accommodations doubled to 2010.
Strong numbers of properties makes bloody competition. This lets the room price cheaper remarkably. Talking to many hotel owners in Hanoi and Saigon, we found that they’ve dreamed about the glory of 2006 when they could sell rooms at $ 50 – 60/ room/ night for a 3-star hotel. The dream never come true at the moment. Simply room rates going down is the market trend. Many 4-star hotels accept that rate of $ 50-60 and even lower during low season. How can 3-star hotels survive if they still insist on those previous prices ? Sheraton Hanoi and Intercontinental West Lake Hanoi, both under international management, never sold rooms on Booking.com and Agoda.com before 2010, but in the recent 4 years, they have to change their mind.
We can say, compared to 2006, the room price of all hotel grades are at least 2-time-cheaper. Imagine, travelers can pay $ 25/ room/ night with breakfast for a 3-star night in Hanoi or Saigon, which you find it NOWHERE in Thailand or Cambodia.
More highways means cheaper transfer cost
It’s indeed a trend of transfer cost of Vietnam since 2014. The reason is not only about the remarkably cheap fuel price, but the increase of new highways in Vietnam. The highway No.20 Long Thanh – Dau Giay linking Saigon and Da Lat is 2-times broaden, and now shortening the driving time into 5 hours instead of 8 hours before. The longest highway of Vietnam Hanoi – Lao Cai linking Hanoi and Sapa was inaugurated last September, shortening distance into 5 hours by car instead of 10 hours by train. Less time costs less money, and new buslines open new choices of joining transportation for travelers at the same standard of private means of transport. Sapa Express new tourist buses are a good example in this case. A bus ticket costs around $ 15 while a train ticket costs $30 and train costs 10 hours transfer. We’re sure you will choose bus journey.
New highways in Ninh Binh, Vinh, Vung Tau, Mui Ne and Halong are undergoing, and certainly once all of them are inaugurated next years, the distances among main Vietnam tourist attractions are shortened much, and bus journey is always a top-choice for travelers.
Vietjet Air comes to the stage
Vietjet is the first low-cost carrier of Vietnam. Someone can ask us how about JetStar Pacific ? No, JetStar is owned and run by Australian, and for a long time, JetStar never reveals their ambition in Vietnam market. In contrast, after 2-year operation, Vietjet has increased their number of planes from 8 this year to 110 in the next 5 years. This young airline company just signed a contract with Airbus to buy more 92 planes and opened new routes to Siem Reap, Taipei and Incheon last year.
A typical promo campaign of Vietjet Air: Flying in Hanoi – Saigon route at 299,000 VNĐ (around $ 15/person)
Vietjet has launched different fare types to market. If you’re determined about flight dates soon, you can book the fare types at $ 0- $ 30 for Hanoi – Saigon route. Yes, we’re telling you the truth ! Obviously, with conditions that no ticket cancellation, no itinerary amendment after that. However, it’s simply a really good option if you see airline experts consider Airbus aircraft of Vietjet is newer and safer than Vietnam Airlines and JetStar, which means passengers to be more comfortable. Better services but lower airfares. This is all us need for a perfect holiday planning.
Guide rental fee is half to other countries
In fact, English (E), French (F) and Chinese (C) speaking tour guide costs around $ 30/guide/day and guide for other languages costs around $ 45/guide/day. This is quite cheap when the E-F-C guides in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Laos costs $ 60/guide/day and other languages cost doubled. If you just need half-day sightseeings in city center, you can contact some non-profitable guide companies as HanoiKids which offer free tour guide. Above of all, most of guides have licence, will to help and knowledgable.
Exchange rate VND – US$ is increased
It’s increased about 3% in 2014 and most travelers joke they’re millionaire in Vietnamese Dong (VND). VND is cheaper and cheaper than USD, which makes all service prices are LOWER IN US$. You can buy a water puppet show ticket in Saigon Golden Dragon Theatre at VND 90,000, but last year it costs 90,000 : 21,000 = US$ 4.28; while this year it costs 90,000: 21,600 = US$ 4.16 .
The number of travel consultants are increased. With more budget to travel and more time for testing services, we will help you select the cheapest way to save travelers’ budget. All for planning a perfect holiday with true information and good service standards, but WITH SMARTER CHOICES AMONG SERVICE PROVIDERS. We’re the locals, born in Vietnam and grew-up in Vietnam, will keep you up-to-date to the Vietnam tourism trends. As our motto: Cheap. Flexible & Go !
READ MORE: Vietnam & Cambodia in Top 10 Exotic Places You Can Visit on $10 a Day or Less. Westerners are rediscovering Vietnam as an important cultural and historic destination that shouldn’t be overlooked. From Halong Bay to Ho Chi Minh City, travelers are drawn to the country’s beaches, national parks, museums and authentic cuisine. When spending time in Vietnam, travel light and travel cheap. “The key to saving money while traveling is traveling like a local,” said Rocky Horan of BookingGuru.org. “Instead of heading to resorts and destinations that cater to Westerners, do what the locals do. This includes taking a local bus service or state-subsidized bus versus a bus booked through a travel agent.” “The public bus may take longer but will be half the price,” he said. “When you arrive at your destination, look for rooms to rent and locally managed hotels. Oftentimes in beach destinations, locals will rent out rooms in their houses for as little as $5 a night.” You don’t have to put off a dream vacation because of a small budget if you plan your trip right. Check out cheap vacation destinations and alternatives for transportation, lodging and food that can save you a lot of money. By tapping the right resources and doing a little research, you can experience the journey of a lifetime without going into debt.
