Agoda takes on the 8 million dong challenge
Xem Tiếng Việt 
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 dong, 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 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)
We were able to find Ho Chi Minh City to Hue for just over one million dong 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 dong for a double, so we are sitting on 4,085,000 dong in flights and hotels, and we’re just in time for dinner.
The Hue Street Food Tour At Night By Scooter zips around the Imperial Capital and highlights the storied cuisine of central Vietnam for just over a million dong per person, including a guided market visit, BBQ, noodle soups and desserts. Next day: sightseeing with an all-day tour of the Citadel, and the hillside tombs that surround Hue.
Jump on the Hai Van Pass bus Danang the next morning for some stunning vistas and head on to the Hoi An Beach Resort, which, 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 around lunch-time – and the resort’s free shuttle into the Old Town offers endless local delights, with Cao Lau and the Hoi An Banh Mi perennial favorites. Bellies sated, it’s time to put some miles into the sneakers around the fascinating old stores, marketplace, and the riverfront. 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. Here, we’d say “enough of the rushin’ around, let’s get some beach time!”. Vietnam’s famed beaches are on your doorstep, so take a dip, soak in some rays, jump in the pool and maybe book a massage.
Remember to save some energy for a night of dining delights with the Da Nang By Night: Dinner, Market, And Cruise Trip in the central capital. The tour will cost a little over 1.6 million dong for two, and takes in the Firebreathing Dragon Bridge, a seafood dinner, a Han River cruise and a trip to the market.
Next morning, work 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 your flight back to
Ho Chi Minh City – which will cost just over 2.6 million dong to get the two of
you home.
And on to the all-important budget:
| Airfare: HCM-Hue (1-way, 2 pax) | 2,420,290 |
| 2 nights @ Rosaleen Boutique Hue | 1,665,000 |
| Hue Street Food Night Tour (2 pax) | 2,102,652 |
| Hue City, Citadel & tomb tour (2 pax) | 1,228,115 |
| 3 nights @ Hoi An Beach Resort | 3,440,103 |
| Danang Night Tour (2 pax) | 1,665,603 |
| Airfare: Danang-HCM (1-way, 2 pax) | 2,638,509 |
| Total: | 15,160,272 |
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 dong two guest total. Not bad!
International: Phuket, Thailand (15,075,661 dong for two people)
What about international? We say Phuket! The trilogy of sun, sea and visa-free makes it a perfect choice. With, direct flights from HCMC landing at a super-affordable 3.8 million dong per person roundtrip: “Wheels Up!”
Land and make a beeline for your resort. For this trip, we’ve chosen Baan Karon Buri Resort on Karon Beach, where the International Deals and Cashback offers on Agoda see it below 2 million dong for three nights.
It’ll likely be mid-afternoon by the time that you are sorted-out and settled-in, we’d probably say 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. So prepare yourself for the back-twisting delights of Thai Massage, before wandering your newly limber limbs in search of a restaurant to your liking – and kickstart your trip in spicy style with some Thai favorites before retiring on Day 1.
Your morning tour departs early, with a hotel pick-up for a day of island hopping with Phi Phi Islands Adventure Day Trip. The full day tour will take you to the famed Phi Phi Island, including Maya Bay, Monkey Beach, the Viking Cave and more swim-stops than you can poke a snorkel at. Lunch serves 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, which have been wow-ing guests from all over the world for decades. So maybe day 3 is a slow day. Find yourself a patch of sand, throw down a towel, order yourself a Chang or a coconut from a passing vendor, let the sun and the breeze sweep you away.
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 dinner and sunset on a bustling beach strip. There’s plenty of nightlife to be had if you’re looking to end your Phuket stay with a night on the town.
Morning has broken – one quick foot rub after breakfast and you should be thinking about the airport, so jump in a cab and you have had yourself one terrific weekend away!
So, let’s do some sums:
| Airfare: HCM-Phuket (roundtrip, 2 pax) | 7,648,891 |
| 3 nights @ Baan Karon Buri Resort | 1,908,230 |
| Phi Phi Island Tour (2 pax) | 3,559,258 |
| Surfing Lesson (2 pax) | 1,959,282 |
| Total: | 15,075,661 |
We’ve come in under once again, so enough left there to cover a few 300-baht
(~200,000 dong) massages, and plenty of street-food Thailand style. Enjoy!
