Vietnam - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 826

10,000-15,000VND, a longer (more than
2km) ride or night ride 20,000-
25,000VND and the per hour rate is
around 45,000VND.
Cyclos - three-wheeled bicycle
rickshaws - are found in major cities,
though they are dying out; they can
carry one person (two at a push) and the
costs are similar to that of a xe om ;
bargain hard. he motorized version of
the cyclo, found in the south, is known
as the cyclo mai . In the Mekong Delta,
the xe dap loi is also a variation on the
cyclo, and the motorized version is
known as a Honda loi .
After dark, stick to taxis from reputable
companies and avoid cyclos and xe om .

ADDRESSES
Where two numbers are separated by a
slash, such as 110/5, you simply make for
number 110, where an alley will lead off to
a further batch of buildings - you want
the fifth one. Where a number is followed
by a letter, as in 117a, you're looking for a
single block encompassing several
addresses, of which one will be 117a.

On the whole there's little need to book
ahead, not even during the festival of Tet
(Jan/Feb), as most destinations have
plentiful budget accommodation.
Upon check-in, you're required to
hand in your passport; lodgings tend
to hold on to it until your departure as
they need to register all guests with
the authorities.

11

ACCOMMODATION
Compared to some Southeast Asian
countries, such as Indonesia,
accommodation in Vietnam is more
expensive but generally of good quality.
Free wi-fi is pretty much ubiquitous in
budget accommodation. he cheapest
option is a bed in a dormitory ; an
increasing number of budget guesthouses
( nha khach or nha nghi ) and rooms for
rent in Hanoi, HCMC, and other tourist
centres offer dorms at around $5-9 per
bed per night. Genuine youth hostels
(mostly foreign-run) exist only in a few
cities, such as Hanoi, HCMC, Mui Ne
and Hue, and a full range of services is on
offer - tours, guest lounge, book
exchange, free internet. Next up is a
simple en-suite fan room in either a
state-run hotel ( khach san ) or (usually
family-run) guesthouse for around
$8-12. In the main tourist destinations,
mini-hotels (a modest, privately owned
hotel) and hotels offer decent en-suite
rooms with fans, hot water and phone,
for around $8-12; add air conditioning
and satellite TV and they can range from
$12-35; both are very good value and
some throw in a free breakfast. Rates are
sometimes negotiable in budget hotels in
rural areas, and during low season prices
can drop by up to fifty percent.
Hotel security can be a problem as
elsewhere in the world, so never leave
valuables in your room.

FOOD AND DRINK
he cheapest and most fun places to eat
are the street kitchens , which range from
makeshift food stalls set up on the street
to open-fronted eating houses. hey are
permanent, with an address if not a
name, and most serve one type of local
speciality, generally indicated on a
signboard. Com binh dan , “people's
meals”, comprise an array of prepared
dishes like stuffed tomatoes, fried fish,
tofu, pickles and eggs, plus rice; expect to
pay around 30,000VND for a good
plateful. Outside the major cities, street
kitchens rarely stay open beyond 8pm.
Western-style Vietnamese restaurants
( nha hang ) serve a wide range of meat
and fish dishes; some menus don't show
prices, resulting in overcharging. Most
restaurants aimed at tourists serve a
range of Vietnamese and Western dishes;
large cities and tourist hotspots such
as Hanoi, HCMC and Nha Trang also
have good Indian, French and Italian
restaurants. A modest meal for two
will cost roughly $10-15. Catering
primarily to budget travellers, travellers'
cafés tend to serve reasonably priced
Western and Vietnamese dishes - from
banana pancakes to steak and chips or
fried noodles - and usually open from
7am to 11pm.