Agoda takes on the 8 million dong challenge. Best-for-less itineraries for Vietnamese travelers this June

The numbers are in!  According to Agoda’s Travel Trend Survey, people are spending consciously on holidays this year. The majority of travelers in Asia, Australia, and the United States have set a spending range of 5 – 11 million dong per person for travel and accommodation. To help travelers see the world for less, digital travel platform Agoda shares potential budget-friendly itineraries for travel this June.

In a recent Agoda’ Travel Trend Survey, conducted by YouGov, respondents from across Asia, Australia, and the United States were asked about their travel budget for this year. A 2023 spending range of USD 201 – 500 per person was selected most often, including in Vietnam.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, digital travel platform Agoda has split the difference, called it 8 million, and came up with two great itineraries for travelers to spend five days exploring Vietnam or three days traveling abroad – all for under 8 million dong a head.

“As a platform that is passionate about getting the best deals for our customers, we wanted to look at travel options that fit well within the expected travel spends, said Vu Ngoc Lam, Country Director Vietnam at Agoda. “Bundling accommodation and flights, capitalizing on additional discounts in the Agoda app, or by using money-saving features like ‘price freeze’ are great ways to make your money go further, and enable travelers to create and discover many different itinerary options”.

For this ‘8 million dong’ challenge, Agoda explored its platform to discover flights, accommodation as well as some activities to keep guests entertained at their destination, while adhering to the set budget. Some of the best value domestic and international itineraries are shared here for two people traveling in June.

Domestic: Hue / Hoi An / Danang (15,160,272 dong for two)

With so many airlines offering great local deals, we were able to find Ho Chi Minh City to Hue for just over one million per passenger on a flight just after lunch, landing right on check-in time at the Rosaleen Boutique Hotel.  Two nights there will run us 1.665 million VND for a double, so we are sitting on 4,085,000 in flights and hotels, and we’re just in time for dinner.

Agoda’s got you there too, with the Hue Street Food Tour At Night By Scooter tours zipping you and your travel partner around the Imperial Capital and taking in some of the storied cuisine of central Vietnam.  That’ll run you just over a million per person, and include a market visit, BBQ, noodle soups and sweet desserts under the guidance of a local expert.  Sleep it off, and it’s time for some sightseeing with an all-day tour that takes in the Citadel, and the ancient tombs that dot the hillsides surrounding Hue. At just over 600k per person, this is a great way to take in the sights and the sites with bilingual guides and flexible itineraries to meet your needs.

Sort out a bus ride from here to Danang for the next morning that will take you over the mountain range for the stunning vistas that surround the Hai Van Pass, and on to the Hoi An Beach Resort.  Check out the special offers there – with coupons and cashbacks applied, it is coming in at a tick over a-mil a-night.

If our math is right, you’d be arriving sort of lunch-time – and the resort has you well covered there, offering a free shuttle into the Old Town, where every kind of restaurant awaits.  You can start local, with Cao Lau and the local take on Banh Mi both being perennial favorites, and then, bellies sated, it’s time to put some miles into the sneakers.  The old town is a walker’s mecca, with fascinating old stores, the old marketplace, and the riverfront on both sides all ensuring your afternoon and early evening are well spent.  Grab the shuttle back to the hotel, have a nightcap by the pool or while watching the East Sea waves roll in, before tucking yourself in for a good night’s sleep.

Vietnam boasts stunning coastal sunrises, so set the alarm early, breathe in the morning air and drink in the colors of the dawn before breakfast and day 4.  We’re at your mercy here – perhaps another day in the old town – but personally, we’d say “enough of the rushin’ around, let’s get some beach time in!”.  Vietnam’s famed beaches are on your doorstep here, so take a dip, soak in some rays, jump in the hotel pool and maybe book yourself in for a massage.

All these options – but remember to save up some energy for a night of dining delights with the Da Nang By Night: Seafood Dinner, Night Market, Sightseeing Night Tour And Cruise Trip in the central capital just to the north of your resort.  The tour will cost a little over 1.6 million for two, and takes in the Firebreathing Dragon Bridge, a seafood dinner, beer, and coffee aplenty to keep you going, a Han River cruise and a trip to the market.

Nurse a sore head the next morning, before working your way back to the airport with a stop-off at Marble Mountain.  Hike it if you are feeling energetic, or just enjoy the view if the climb looks a little too arduous, before heading to the airport and boarding an evening flight back to Ho Chi Minh City – which will cost just over 2.6 million to get the two of you home.

And on to the all-important budget:

Add in a little more for the bus between the cities, a massage, and some snacks along the way, and we should still be safely under the 16 million two guest total.  Not bad!

International: Phuket, Thailand (15,075,661 dong for two people)

What about international?  We hear ya…and we say Phuket!  There’s lots of destinations all within radius, but the trilogy of sun, sea and visa-free makes it a perfect choice.  To start with, we have direct flights from HCMC timed and priced perfectly for a weekend in paradise, and these are landing at a super-affordable 3.8 million per person roundtrip.   So: “Wheels Up!”

Land and make a beeline for your resort.  Taxis are easiest, but the island is well served by a bus-network to most of the popular beaches, so take your pick on transport.  For this trip, we’ve chosen Baan Karon Buri Resort on Karon Beach, where the International Deals and Cashback offers on Agoda are getting it under 2 million for three nights.

Just across the road from the beach, it’ll likely be mid-afternoon by the time that you are sorted-out and settled-in, we’d probably say the early morning start and the general hustle and bustle of travel means that you’ve earned yourself a massage. As with most of Thailand’s hotspots, you need not look too far for this – foot and body massage places are everywhere.  Choose one that looks nice and is not too busy and prepare yourself for the back-twisting delights of Thai Massage. As dinner time approaches, wander your newly limber limbs around your surrounds and choose a restaurant to your liking – there are just so many to choose from here – but look to kickstart your trip in spicy style with some Thai favorites before retiring on Day 1.

Good morning!  Your tour departs early, with a hotel pick-up for a day of island hopping with Phi Phi Islands Adventure Day Trip with Seaview Lunch by V. Marine Tour.  The full day tour will take you to the famed Phi Phi Island, including Maya Bay, Monkey Beach, the Viking Cave and more bays and swim-stops than you can poke a snorkel at. Lunch is at a four-star resort, serving up the delights that have made the Land of Smiles one of the world’s top culinary destinations.  We have a feeling that by the time you get back to your resort from this one, the sun and the sea will have added up to a pretty tired traveler, so grab a quick bite and hit the hay early.

The star of the show in Phuket is undeniably its beaches, that have been wow-ing guests from all over the world for decades.  So maybe day 3 can be slow day – the best things in life are free after all.  So find yourself a patch of sand, throw down a towel, order yourself a Chang or a coconut from a passing vendor, close your eyes and let the sun and the breeze sweep you away.  Drop in for a quick dip when it gets too hot, but otherwise, you’ve got yourself a slice of paradise for as long as you want it.

Those with some energy to burn could look to an afternoon Surfing Lesson.  The tour includes pick-up from your hotel and takes you to the stunning Bang Tao Beach.

Ask the drivers to drop you off a little early at nearby Patong for a gorgeous sunset on a bustling beach strip.  Grab dinner here, and there’s plenty of nightlife to be had if you’re looking to end your Phuket stay with a big night on the town.

Morning has broken – one quick foot rub after breakfast and you should be thinking about the airport.  Phuket can get a little trafficky, so we wouldn’t chance a bus on the way back, stick to cabs and give yourself time, and you have had yourself one terrific weekend away!

So, let’s do some sums:

We’ve come in under once again, so enough left there to cover a few 300-baht (~200,000 vnd) massages, and plenty of street-food Thailand style.  Enjoy!