Tag Pages For: vietnam


Hoi An - Old Quarter 103
JUNE / JULY 2023 OVERVIEW We have just finished our 3 month stay in Cenang Beach, Langkawi, Malaysia. … our next stop is Hoi An, Vietnam … PLEASE NOTE: I have been to Hoi An before: firstly in 2015 and later in 2020. Hoi An hasn’t changed much 🙂 In this blog, I will focus on what is new. To read my previous blogs follow these links: Hoi An – Vietnam – Information (2015) Hoi An – Vietnam – Retirement Locations (2020) EXCHANGE RATE The currency in Vietnam is the Dong (or the ‘VND’). At the time of writing, the […]

Hoi An – Vietnam – Information (2023)


FEBRUARY 2020: OVERVIEW: I flew my 2 daughters out from New Zealand to join me in Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Our plan was to tour the Mekong Delta before making our way up through Cambodia to Siem Reap (picking up the best highlights along the way). This is our route: … this is our story … PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong (or the ‘VND’). I will refer to them as V$s. At the time of writing, the exchange rates were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate V$23,215 V$25,775 V$30,156 Effective Exchange Rate V$22,538 […]

Mekong Delta (Vietnam) to Siem Reap (Cambodia) – Living Ideas



2019: Click here to read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: This video shows you what 2 GRANDPAckers can do in 1 year on (an average of) less than US$55 / EU€50 / GB£43 per day. So, when are you going to start?! … TTFN

GRANDPAcking 2019


2016: Click here to read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: This video shows you what 2 GRANDPAckers can do in 1 year on (an average of) less than US$55 / EU€50 / GB£43 per day. From The Philippines to Central America: So, when are you going to start?! … TTFN

GRANDPAcking 2016



2015: Click here to read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: This video shows you what 2 GRANDPAckers can do in 1 year on (an average of) less than US$55 / EU€50 / GB£43 per day. So, when are you going to start?! … TTFN

GRANDPAcking 2015


FEBRUARY 2020: OVERVIEW: Last year, around 8.4 million Medical Tourists travelled abroad to seek healthcare services in S. E. Asia. This number represents nearly one third of global medical consumers. Medical Tourism is well established in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. But, now, Medical Tourism is emerging strongly in Indonesia, The Philippines, and Vietnam. The Vietnamese medical sector grows by 18-20 per cent every year. The number of foreigners travelling to Vietnam for medical examinations and treatments is over 80,000 per year. The income is reaching over $1 billion. Vietnam has the advantage of political stability. This makes Vietnam a safe and […]

Hoi An – Vietnam – Dental Tourism



DECEMBER 2019 / JANUARY 2020: OVERVIEW: My ‘6 Year Around The World’ tour is complete. We are, now, going back to some of the best Retirement Locations in S. E. Asia. We start in my, personal, favourite S. E. Asia country: Vietnam. … and, in one of my favourite locations: Hoi An … PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong (or the ‘VND’). I will refer to them as V$s. At the time of writing, the wholesale exchange rates were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate V$23,215 V$25,775 V$30,156 Effective Exchange Rate V$22,538 V$25,023 V$29,276 You will […]

Hoi An – Vietnam – Retirement Locations


NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019: OVERVIEW: Our ‘Around The World’ tour is complete. I ‘skipped’ India … but, I might go there at a later date. We are, now, going back to some of the best locations in S.E.Asia. We start in my, personal, favourite: Vietnam … PLEASE NOTE: The currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong (or the ‘VND’). I will refer to them as V$s. At the time of writing, the wholesale exchange rates were: US$1 EU€1 GB£1 Published Wholesale Rate V$23,234 V$25,623 V$29,840 Effective Exchange Rate V$22,556 V$24,875 V$28,9269 You will not get these wholesale rates (read the […]

Hanoi – Vietnam – Retirement Locations



DECEMBER 2015: Click here to read our Vietnam Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: In Hoi An, I was able to Get Around By Bicycle for 2 days investigating. I concluded that the only real area for GRANDPAckers to stay in was in the heart of or within walking distance of the heart of the Old Town. Some hotels out from center provide complimentary bicycles – they have to because, otherwise, it is too problematic for their guests to get around. You can easily get from the Old Town to the Beaches on a bicycle… and, it is a pleasant 25 minute ride. WHERE TO STAY: It is worth noting […]

Hoi An – Vietnam – Where To Stay


NOVEMBER 2015: Click here to read our Vietnam Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: In Phu Quoc, I rented a scooter and went Around The Island for 2 days investigating. I concluded that the only real area for GRANDPAckers to stay in was in the 5km strip along Long Beach south of Duong Dong. It reminded me of Cenang Beach, Langkawi, Malaysia where (similarly) this was the only beach on the island suitable for GRANDPAckers to stay long term. The rest of the island is either being built, up-market, unkempt, or not to GRANDPAcking standard. On my 3rd day, I sat down to have breakfast, and used BOOKING.COM to create a […]

Phu Quoc – Vietnam – Where To Stay