"Fell for a free excursion and left $500 there." A Belarusian woman talks about her vacation in Vietnam

Why two weeks of vacation cost almost as much as one

The Minsk residents decided to fly for 14 days immediately, not even considering a shorter period, as short tours are unprofitable due to expensive air tickets.

"The price difference between a one-week and a two-week package is not significant. We booked the tour in July through an agency – just a week before departure, in the middle of peak season. If we had planned our vacation in advance, we probably would have found cheaper tickets and a better hotel. We were unlucky: a five-star hotel was snatched from right under our noses for the same price as a three-star one."

Павялічыць

In the end, they paid $4,500 for direct flights for two adults and a child (11 hours flight without transfers), and $800 for a "three-star" hotel in Nha Trang.

The hotel price only included breakfast. But this did not upset them, as local food is inexpensive, diverse, and delicious, and not being tied to the hotel gives complete freedom for excursions and walks.

Павялічыць

However, the guide immediately warned them not to risk street food, but to choose one trusted place and eat only there. Such an establishment was found right near the hotel.

"The menu was exotic – from ostrich to crocodile. We tried frog legs (tasted like chicken) and crocodile meat (very much like pork). And once we ordered a lobster and struggled with it a lot. The waiter did not help disassemble it and stubbornly pretended not to understand us. Instead of shell crackers, he brought regular cellophane gloves for burgers. My husband even cut himself in the process. We struggled with this beast for over half an hour."

If a cafe is clean and has soap — you can stay

Whatever the tourists ordered in the cafe, the bill for three never exceeded 430 thousand Vietnamese Dong — which is about 50 BYN for us. And this was despite them denying themselves nothing, with fresh fish and shrimp always on the table.

Павялічыць

"That same lobster turned out to be the most expensive dish, costing 80 BYN [prices are given in Belarusian rubles from now on – author's note]. By the way, acquaintances told us that local grandmothers sold lobsters on the beach for half the price, but they smelled like seaweed.

We never dared to enter establishments 'for locals' where only Vietnamese people sat. They looked quite dirty, although the prices were even lower. In search of 'our' place, we visited several cafes and concluded: if it's more or less clean and there's soap in the toilet — you can stay."

Due to the heat, tourists sometimes skipped lunch and simply had smoothies made from avocado, mango, or passion fruit. A half-liter glass cost 2-2.5 BYN. They didn't manage to try all the Vietnamese fruits in two weeks of vacation, although they tried very hard.

Павялічыць

"I really liked mangosteen, but it, like jackfruit and durian, is strictly forbidden to bring into the hotel. Mangosteen has a potent purple peel that permanently stains bedding and towels. We tried the famous durian and immediately threw it away; no one liked it. Some say it resembles a refined dessert, but to me, it tasted like scrambled eggs with rotten onions. But jackfruit is great, it tastes like 'bubble-gum' chewing gum."

"In Vietnam, it's easy to stumble upon fake medicines"

At the very beginning of the trip, an unpleasant incident occurred. The tour company that met them offered tourists a free excursion around Nha Trang. As a result, they spent a lot of money on it.

"They showed us the 'Lotus' tower, took us to a Buddhist temple where we climbed 190 steps, and then took us on a strict commercial route. In the first shop, we tasted tea and coffee. There, they eagerly offered artichokes and the famous cordyceps mushroom. The local medical consultant handled tourists so skillfully that we couldn't leave without buying something. Especially since we had already read about these miracle cures and wanted to bring a gift for our parents. Even my husband, who is not easily fooled in normal life, gave in."

Павялічыць

In the shop, the family spent $500 on tea, coffee, artichoke extracts, lingzhi mushrooms, and cordyceps. Only later did they find out that they could have bought all of this three times cheaper elsewhere.

"Later, we consoled ourselves: firstly, we didn't come across these mushrooms anywhere else during the entire trip, and secondly, it's easy to stumble upon fake medicines in Vietnam, and this was supposedly a point from the guide. But generally, one shouldn't rush to buy souvenirs on excursions from hotel guides, as prices at their sales points are often greatly inflated. This applies especially to teas, coffee, dried fruits, various balms, and alcohol – it's better to buy all this in a supermarket."

"On the street — exactly the same, but many times cheaper"

After the free excursion, the Minsk residents were already wary, thought three times before each purchase, and did not agree to the guide's offers. And even when he insistently assured them that buying anything on the street was forbidden — saying it was all a scam — they didn't listen.

Павялічыць

"It turned out that on the street they sold exactly the same things, but cheaper. We paid 128 BYN per person for tickets to the VinWonders amusement park from street vendors, while the guide asked for more. The park is located on Hon Tre island; we got there by cable car.

The park has two extreme rides that everyone rushes to. We arrived by 9:00 AM, but there were no tickets left for them. It turns out there's a hotel on this island, and thrill-seekers stay there specifically to ride everything without huge queues. We didn't want to stand in the 35-degree heat."

Павялічыць

We spent the whole day in the park, but couldn't see everything. The territory is huge: rides, an oceanarium, a water park, and a wonderful zoo. The animals were well-cared for, beautiful, well-fed, not a single tortured one. In one of the bird enclosures, there was a luxurious vase with watermelons, melons, and grain. And no specific smell, everywhere smelled of flowers. The only one I felt sorry for was the tiger. It had a very small territory; the poor thing just had nowhere to roam."

Among other entertainment, the Minsk residents took a full-day catamaran cruise. It cost $100 per adult and $70 per child. This price included absolutely everything: paddleboarding, fishing, water slides, and swimming with masks in the open sea. Delicious food and cool drinks were also served on board.

Got sunburnt during "safe" hours and fled from sea urchins

Before the trip, the Minsk residents read that there are 130 species of snakes in Vietnam. But all tourist areas are carefully treated, so they didn't encounter any in Nha Trang. Except for huge cockroaches sometimes running around the streets after sunset.

The beaches in Nha Trang are clean. You can rent sun loungers, or simply lie on towels under palm trees – there's your free umbrella.

Павялічыць

"It was strange that there were no lifeguards on the beach at all. And another important point: from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, being in the sun is strictly forbidden, as it's the hottest time. We didn't know this, thought the morning hours were safe, and got sunburned on the very first day. And in the evenings, swimming is forbidden due to dangerous sea urchins that come to shore after dark."

Павялічыць

Before the trip, Tanya read a lot that one should bargain at every step in Vietnam and that prices are immediately cut by three times.

"It turned out to be an exaggeration. In regular shops, they might give a small discount. But at the market, sellers just grab your hand and ask you to name your price. Once we were buying fruit and watched an elderly tourist enthusiastically lowering the price. The poor seller explained on his fingers that he wouldn't earn anything at all if he agreed, but she wouldn't budge. It looked very unsightly from the side."

For communication, Belarusians bought an eSIM through the Jetpac app. They paid $8 for 2 GB. However, mobile internet was only needed at the airport – to text their parents that they had landed, and in the city to call a taxi. The rest of the time, the free Wi-Fi, which worked perfectly in the hotel and cafe, was sufficient.

Павялічыць

"We called a taxi via Grab — it's the foreign equivalent of our 'Yandex Go'. You can also order food through this app. Registration is simple, prices are very pleasant. For a 10-minute ride, we paid only about 5 BYN."

"Professional teeth cleaning at the clinic — 5 rubles"

Many cheap clothes under "Lacoste" and "Karl Lagerfeld" were sold in the markets. Tanya didn't find anything to her liking, but her husband bought a cap. On the very first day, it accidentally got wet, and rust immediately appeared on it.

"However, in Vietnam, it's profitable to buy items made from genuine crocodile leather. We brought home an excellent leather wallet and a belt. We also spent money on professional teeth cleaning at a local clinic. By our standards, the price was symbolic — 5 BYN per person. We also had a full body massage — an hour cost 20 BYN. Our daughter had beautiful braids done, which also cost 20 BYN."

Павялічыць

The service, Tanya notes, was specific in their "three-star" hotel. The dishes had cracks, and the bed linen was never changed in all 14 days. But the trash was taken out promptly, and the bed was neatly made. Breakfasts at the hotel were also modest: a couple of types of noodles, an omelet, vegetables, and very little meat. This genuinely surprised the guests: food in the country is cheap, why scrimp so much on it?

"Of course, we could have complained about the room and the food, but we decided not to spoil our nerves and focused on walks, the sea, and delicious food in cafes. Would I fly to Vietnam again? I think so. Especially if we find cheap tickets. In Nha Trang, we met Muscovites who flew here on a direct flight. They independently found round-trip tickets for two for only $1,000. So, if you know how to search and plan your vacation in advance, you'll find great options and save a lot of money."

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