Thanks to its beautiful scenery, amazing coastline and aesthetic landscapes, Vietnam is a hot spot for a lot of tourists. The Southeast Asia country has an abundance of cool spots like markets that float on the water, impressive mountain roads, ancient temples, tombs and cemeteries. The country is also home to the largest cave system in the world.

Traveling to a new country for the holidays can be expensive, but with the right plan, the cost of travel can be brought down significantly.

Check out this steps that can help you enjoy your vacation to Vietnam without draining the bank.

1. Applying for your Visa

Vietnam visa in passport

Getting your visa should be number one on the list of things you need to get while traveling. Without the visa, you can’t travel. It’s important to get this ready and getting your visa can be both stressful and expensive. Most times you need to get the visa arranged before you travel and if you don’t follow the right source and procedures you can end up wasting a lot of money and not getting the visa. At www.evisa-vietnam.com, all the processes would be taken care of for you. The online service makes it easy and stress free to obtain the right visa. They take care of both E-visa and visa on arrival.

2. Fly cheap

Transportation is one of the things that cost a lot when traveling. If you have limited time and want to explore the various regions in Vietnam, you would need a cheap means of travel. Vietnam has a couple of low-cost airlines that are very cheap and even with luggage. Some of these domestic airlines include VietJet and Jetstar.

3. Street food is also delicious

Vietnamese street food – Ho Chi Minh city

The food in Vietnam is delicious, cheap and for reasons of safety is cooked right in front of you. If you are interested in saving money, try the local shops around you. In the traditional open-air markets in Vietnam, you would find some of the most delicious and cheap cuisines in the world. These food shops are run mostly by their women, with secret recipes that have been passed down from generations. Check out the savoury sticky rice known as Xoi, Pho, Bun cha and lots more. You can get the best deals for as little as US$2

4. Use the tourist bus

Ho Chi Minh bus stop

Instead of using local transportation, travel around the country in a tourist bus. It is much cheaper because you are given the ‘tourist’ price at the bus station. This would help you save a lot of money and also make traveling easy. With the extensive network of buses that reach far corners of Vietnam, traveling wouldn’t be that difficult. Some of the most popular routes include HCMC and Hanoi with a price range of US$35 to US$70, HCMC to Hue for around US$25, Hanoi to Halong Bay for about US$30 and lots more. You would find most of these routes and their prices at the stations, although a typical 100km trip should go for between US$2 and US$3.

5. Travel at night

If you are about to embark on a long journey, instead of traveling in the day, take the late night ‘sleeper’ buses or trains. This would not only be cheaper but also save you the cost of accommodation for the night. Some buses would even allow you room to lie flat, making your journey very comfortable.

6. Avoid SIM Cards

Skip the use of SIM cards when in Vietnam.  The country is highly connected to Wi-Fi so you can browse in any hotel, restaurant, and shop for free. The only time you might need a SIM card is if you are in a bus on long journeys.  Enjoy the free Wi-Fi and save some money.

7. Learn to bargain

Most times, tourist are charged more than the locals. From everything ranging from food to clothes to even tricycles.  Learn to bargain more than you usually would to avoid spending more than the original price. You can even walk away from time to time.

8. Rent outside the city

When you pay for accommodation, it’s much cheaper to rent outside the areas with big tourist attractions. You can always go to these tourist sites during the day and go back to your accommodation to sleep at night.

9. Carry snacks and water when exploring

If you are like me that hates spending money on bottled water and snacks because most times the prices are exorbitant, always carry your own water and snack bars to save money and avoid getting stuck hungry.

With miles of beautiful scenery from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh, delicious food and amazing people, Vietnam is an amazing vacation spot.

Getting visa on arrival at the airport of Vietnam