General notes Feb2023 Vietnam

General notes Feb2023 Vietnam
General notes 20feb-6mar2023 Vietnam (Dalat, Nha Trang, Saigon). No details about sightseeing. Meals I had ranged from good to excellent, the food alone is worth coming again! I did most of my travel by walking, public transport and grab in a few cases. Details about money exchange, ATM, SIM card.

Exchange rates: 1 EUR = 25 kVND, 1 USD = 24 kVND, 1 THB = 680 VND. VND = Vietnamese Dong, kVND = 1,000 VND, mVND = 1,000,000 VND.

Difference to Thailand: only 10% of people in public wear a face mask, but 99% of mocy drivers and passengers wear a helmet. Attitude towards feet is different, see examples.

Mon20feb2023 Bangkok to Dalat
Flight to Dalat. Before leaving the airport, I had to go through a security check. First I thought this is just for show and put some of the stuff in my pockets in trays to go through scanner, but it wasn't (for show), I had to take out and off everything. From airport by bus to town and walk to hotel. A good start!

When I left Thailand, I didn't check weather in Dalat, now a surprise: daytime 22 C, night 12 C. The mild climate is due to 1500 m above sea level, flowers all year round, and clear views! No air pollution as in Bangkok or even Pattaya, and Chiang Mai in particular. I will keep this in mind for a Songkran escape.

Dinner at night market chicken spinach 100 kVND good, but I would bet my left testicle that the menu showed a price of 60. I'm so sure, I asked to see the menu again, price 100. But on google maps, I see a picture where this dish is priced 80, and several comments about double pricing.

ATMs in Vietnam have low maximum withdrawal amounts. After reading on several websites, I go for Agribank. My requests of 6 and 4 mVND are refused, finally I get 2 mVND at a fee of 22 kVND. My bank is charged 2,022 kVND and my bank statement is 81 EUR (rate 24.964; 1.6% loss against xe.com).

https://scootersaigontour.com/guide-to-atms-in-vietnam/
says Agribank max 3m, fee 22k.
https://localvietnam.com/blog/atm-vietnam/ says Agribank up to 6m.
https://twosoulsonepath.com/7-atms-in-vietnam-which-is-the-best-to-use/ says Agribank best.

Tue21feb2023 Dalat
I asked in several banks in Dalat, some don't exchange money at all, others only USD, finally I found one that takes EUR. Vietcombank exchange 200 EUR to 4,938,142 VND (rate 24,691; xe.com 25,284, loss 2.3%). I have to show my passport and fill out a form.

Thu23feb2023 Dalat
Internet says SIM cards cost 50-60k, e.g. here: https://vietteltelecom.vn/en and various travel websites. When I was quoted around 200k in various places, I balked and got along without SIM-card for a day, but now the need arose to get a SIM card.

By asking several mobile phone shops, the cheapest I could find was 130k for Viettel SIM card. By law, SIM cards have to be registered, but the seller didn't ask for my passport and I didn't ask to have the SIM card registered. Data plan 7 GB within 7 days for 30k.

Fri24feb2023 Dalat to Nha Trang
Futa bus to Nha Trang. Bus station to bus station 131 km, and a travel time of 3 hours plus lunch break. To my surprise, this is a sleeping bus. I have to take my shoes off, and what I thought was upper floor means upper bed, inconvenient to get in and out. Poor view (and metal mesh in window). No storage space for luggage, put shoes in plastic bag and backpack in aisle. Inconveniences I can endure once, but will avoid next time I travel that route.

In Nha Trang in supermarket, Citrus fruits (for lack of exact name; outside green, inside orange) at only 12k9 / kg, cheapest I have ever seen, have to try. They turn out to be the best oranges I ever ate. Widely available in Vietnam, freshly pressed juice as well. In Cambodia I got them once, but haven't seen them anywhere in Thailand. Thailand has similar looking (green outside, but more yellow inside, a bit smaller and different texture of peel).

Mon27feb2023 Nha Trang
Check train and bus Nha Trang to Saigon on internet: 435 km, but takes 9-10 hours by bus or 8-9 hours by train. Too long to take daytime bus, too short to take night train. Okay for day train.
274k train (S7 09:54-17:58) for Wed1mar2023 (tomorrow seat and lower bed booked out).

Wed1mar2023 Nha Trang to Saigon
Train to Saigon. Nha Trang is a terminal station, and there is a loop so the train can turn. See google satellite images. Train is about 95% full. Half of seats against driving direction. 2 seats, wide aisle, 2 seats. Two passengers can pass in aisle and food and drink trolleys. Electric power plugs. Temperature (aircon) and noise okay. With polo shirt just fine, any more and I would get hot (whereas in Thailand I would wear long sleeves in aircon trains). Half of curtains drawn closed, windows dirty, poor view outside.

Other passengers not shy about feet, some put feet over headrest (see insert in picture) and I suddenly had a foot sticking from behind into my personal space. Nothing against feet, on the contrary, very useful for walking, but I wouldn't want anyone's feet poking over my headrest.

Grab from railway station to my hotel. Put in the name in grab, and follow on driver's map, and realize we are not going to the place I booked on agoda and have on google maps. A slightly different name on grab, in wrong location about 200 m away from the place according to agoda and google maps. Due to one-way road the car cannot go to the real location easily, I get out and pay and walk 200 m. A similar thing has happened in Cambodia, this might be a general problem and next time I use grab I have to look closely.

Bui Vien Walking Street. A bit different from similar places elsewhere (Walking Street, Khao San, Pub Street). Spit fire, pedestrian and mocy traffic jam, coyote boys and girls, loud music, beer from 20k.

Entrance to Bui Vien Walking Street:

The red towel is a mother with baby begging:

Thu2mar2023 Saigon
Viettel store 15:35-16:00. My number is already registered, can't be changed without that person's consent. Lowest value scratch card they have are 20k, but with online banking minimum 10k possible. Every top-up extends 1 month. One year extension for 50k is not possible (not clear if that's just because not registered under my name).

They sell SIM-card for 170k valid one month with data 4 GB/day for tourists. That would be the way to go for someone arriving in Saigon, but not in Dalat.

But later in the day I get an idea to buy top-up from convenience stores, minimum is 10k, print-out from till (no scratch card) and get several so I can top-up from Thailand and keep my card active until my next trip to Vietnam.

Sun5mar2023 Saigon
Bus ticket to Phnom Penh tomorrow. Last time (Mar2020) I went from Saigon to Phnom Penh I used Giant Ibis, but took a note “messy departure”. Anyway, Giant Ibis office is further away from my hotel than other bus offices. Don't let myself be fooled by travel agencies with big signs “Giant Ibis”, I rather book directly with the company (get first-hand information, no other customers around waiting for other reasons, probably cheaper, no long waiting – agencies tend to call people in earlier). This time buy ticket for 530k with Phuong Heng to Phnom Penh tomorrow.

Mon6mar2023 Saigon to Phnom Penh
Bus trip with Phuong Heng all fine, I would take them again. Well organized, or just because less than half full everything fast? Luggage can stay on bus (whereas between Cambodia and Thailand change of bus due to change of driving direction). Immigration quick.

A last encounter with other people's feet: passenger behind me puts her feet (no socks, soles clean) on my hand rest. That would arouse a podophile, but I find it impolite. From Cambodia on feet where they belong: in shoes, on ground.

Summary:
As my 3 previous visits to Vietnam, a clear case for return. Great sightseeing, easy to get around by public transport. Cheap hotels and food. Good to excellent food, both local and foreign.

Update: see here as well: https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2023/04/18/saigon-in-the-heat-of-april/

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