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AMA Vietnam

travrealtor

By travrealtor,
in River Cruising

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Denmom

Denmom

Posted
Posted
DENMOM Thank you for sharing your photos! I am on La Marguerite this fall, and your information has really helped.

 

One question. I see you wearing shorts on HaLong Bay, would you or did you any place else? I am kind of a shorts and tee shirt kind of a gal, would that be out of place with this group?

 

Mary

 

We wore shorts a lot. Was very hot. But it was very humid also. We were there in April. I did go to pants for dinner. Many had sun dresses on for dinner but I didn't pack any dresses. I did wear shorts most of the days. My husband also. But for some reason that I can't remember, I do see I had pants on in Hanoi. Maybe it was a little cooler there. Not sure. As far as the group, I saw a little everything so anything goes. So just wear what you want. No one seems to care. My hubby for sure wore shorts and t shirts every day. :)

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Cruise4Sunshine

Cruise4Sunshine

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Thanks DenMon I am starting to get excited now. Your photos and trip details are just what I needed to get ready. I will pack shorts and tees, of course longer things for temple days, but cool as can be and all cotton. Will keep my hair longer so it can go up in a knot, had toyed with cutting it short again, but will wait until after.

 

So many questions of the details have been answered, thanks so much for everything. Now I have a much better view of what to expect, to take for the children, and to pack for day and evenings.

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  • 2 weeks later...
gtmarcus1

gtmarcus1

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As it is getting closer,wondering whether anyone from Cruise Critic is also on the November 11, 2013 sailing of La Marguerite. Land portion starts on November 5th.

Had decided to get the "loose leaf" type visas from the Vietnam Embassy in Ottawa. Process was very easy. We did not need to submit our original passports (even though the web site did indicate this. It apparently has not been updated), and we received the visas in the mail within a week. Cost was $133 Canadian dollars. With the increase in the rate for the stamping fee at the airport for "visas on arrival", we decided that entering Vietnam with the visa in hand would save a step at the airport.

Also booked a private half day tour of the Cu Chi tunnels on our free day in Saigon.

This forum has been very helpful! Thanks for all the information.

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EKML

EKML

Posted
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Bit confused as to whether USD are accepted in Vietnam or whether we must change money into VND.

 

USD widely accepted, but exchange rate may not be very good-especially for taxis. Would get some VND to use where it's to your advantage, and in the rare cases where VND are required. Can bargain at the shops based on USD. You can always use any left over VND for tips. Take a lot of $1's and $5's. If you're not going to be buying a lot, exchange rate may not be a big deal.

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Cruise4Sunshine

Cruise4Sunshine

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Does anyone know whether US cash needs to be crisp dollar bills? My bank says they only get them near the holidays, and I need them in a month or so. I realize they need to be of the new variety, but have heard on these boards crisp bills, was that old information. What did you know from your recent travels?

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Robb

Robb

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I do not think that the bills need to be brand-new crisp bills. But I know from experience that torn and generally totally worn bills may be rejected. I just got 300 ones today and hope that they will be accepted. We will see.

 

Rather than lose a sale I think that they will be somewhat flexible.

 

Have a wonderful trip. ;)

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Wingtips56

Wingtips56

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Not sure how fussy Vietnam/Cambodia may be, but I do know that in other countries, bills are refused if they are torn, overly mangled, have staple holes and are written on/stamped/stained, etc. It's been a few changes to the USD now, but when the first new bills came out in the early 1990's, I couldn't spend them in parts of South America because they weren't recognized. Later on, they only wanted the newest generation of bills largely because of the enhanced anti-counterfeiting features. For ones and fives, just keep them clean, intact and reasonably smooth.

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Denmom

Denmom

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I do not think that the bills need to be brand-new crisp bills. But I know from experience that torn and generally totally worn bills may be rejected. I just got 300 ones today and hope that they will be accepted. We will see.

 

Rather than lose a sale I think that they will be somewhat flexible.

 

Have a wonderful trip. ;)

 

From my experience, they will refuse the sale. We took ALOT of $1 untorn, unfaded, new bills. We had a few older ones and no one would take them. No matter where we went. We also had plenty of $5 bills. So go thru any bills you have and any that are torn even a little, faded, etc..... Use them before heading out.

 

By the way, we probably had a good 3 or 4 hundred in dollar bills. Also a couple hundred $5 bills and some tens. No one seems to have change. And the boat doesn't keep very many bills either.

 

Just my opinion

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Wingtips56

Wingtips56

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From my experience, they will refuse the sale. We took ALOT of $1 untorn, unfaded, new bills. We had a few older ones and no one would take them. No matter where we went. We also had plenty of $5 bills. So go thru any bills you have and any that are torn even a little, faded, etc..... Use them before heading out.

 

By the way, we probably had a good 3 or 4 hundred in dollar bills. Also a couple hundred $5 bills and some tens. No one seems to have change. And the boat doesn't keep very many bills either.

 

Just my opinion

 

And did you really spend all of that on the trip? Just tips, or other purchases?

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Denmom

Denmom

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And did you really spend all of that on the trip? Just tips, or other purchases?

 

 

We did the 7 day river cruise but had 8 days PRECUISE and 2 days post cruise. Those days were completed on our own. We did buy an extra suitcase and was totally filled. We used US dollars almost the entire time rather than vietnamese dong. Didn't really seem to be a problem. I would be shocked if we bought over 200 VND.

 

We did tip all tour leaders, drivers, etc.... We had massages, feet massages, pedicures, fish pedicures, food, private tours, pedicab, etc... And enjoyed it all.

 

We had a FABULOUS time and loved the trip.

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Wingtips56

Wingtips56

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As I said in another thread. What makes you all think the Vietnamese would prefer U.S Dollars over their own currency?

That issue varies by country. In places with the softer currencies, they love hard dollars and euro, as they hold their values better, especially when they can sell them on the street (actually legal in some places) for way better than bank rates.

 

It also matters on whether they can spend those currencies somewhat freely. In countries where spending foreign currencies is prohibited, they would have to go to a bank and convert them to local currency for their day to day expenses. I try to find out, as I wouldn't want half of my tips to be wasted when they have to pay bank fees to convert.

 

From what I've read here in CC, it does look like dollars are pretty well accepted for this trip, especially in our Cambodian stops.

 

On a side note, forget about using Travelers Cheques. They've really fallen out of use in the world, especially with us being able to go to an ATM for local cash, plus in some parts, banks charge a big fee to cash them. I was in Argentina in the early '90's and as early as that, the banks charged the equivalent of $5 per cheque, so cashing $100 of $20 checks cost me $25 :eek: Businesses refused the accept the cheques, preferring I take the hit rather than them, which does make sense.

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Mark_T

Mark_T

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Posted (edited)
Thanks everyone for the cash advice. I will get as many crisp bills as possible from my bank and slip the less than desirable ones into envelopes for the on board staff tips.

 

With respect, that is not a great thing to do.

 

You are effectively tipping them with something worthless. The vendors are not just being picky when they refuse to accept notes that are crumpled, torn or written on, they can't change them at the banks or any where else.

 

So if you tip someone with dollar bills the vendors wouldn't take, the person you tip can't do anything with them either ...

Edited by Mark_T
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gtmarcus1

gtmarcus1

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With respect to the currency discussion on this board, we will be booking a transfer from the airport to the hotel in Hanoi and the rates are all listed in USD, and payment is requested to be made in either USD or VND. We also have booked a tour in Saigon and payment is requested in USD. I don't have any problem paying in USD in a country where this is obviously acceptable or even beneficial to them. Would never consider using USD otherwise.

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NavCom

NavCom

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With respect to the currency discussion on this board, we will be booking a transfer from the airport to the hotel in Hanoi and the rates are all listed in USD, and payment is requested to be made in either USD or VND. We also have booked a tour in Saigon and payment is requested in USD. I don't have any problem paying in USD in a country where this is obviously acceptable or even beneficial to them. Would never consider using USD otherwise.

 

Just back from our cruise on the AmaLotus. Among the small bills we brought with us, we had everything from crisp new to badly worn (none ripped or torn). We had a few vendors glance at the bills we offered them but none were ever refused. At one store there was a sign at the register saying "no US bills older than 1997."

 

Our bills came from our bank here in Canada and I checked them all over after reading this sign and found all to be series 2007 or later.

 

Is it possible, I wonder, that date of issue might be more important than condition?

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NavCom

NavCom

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Posted
Just back from our cruise on the AmaLotus.

 

How was your trip?

 

Every bit as expected and then some. The humidity was a killer but the weather was very cooperative during the entire trip with just a few tropical downpours.

 

The AmaLotus portion of the trip was quite relaxing as we choose to skip several of the group tours in favour of pleasant time on the ship because we had had more than our fill of temples, etc. from our previous 30 days in China.

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