Vietnam is one of my favorite countries to visit.
It's my top when it comes to food travel so I don't mind returning. Anyway, we just got back from our Ho Chi Minh - Da Lat trip and I was organizing/tallying my expenses when I realized that Gcash withdrawal rate costs less than I thought. I was computing the exchange rate to be .0026 when it was actually only .0023. To be fair, I was walking when I computed and came up with .0026. 😂
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: A day at Mekong Delta with Vinh Trang Pagoda Sidetrip (Klook Booking Review)
I researched beforehand regarding the better banks to withdraw at and based on the answers, I got TPBank, VPBank, and NeoBank as my choices.
We were checked in at Pham Ngu Lao area. It has always been my choice of area when it comes to booking hotels.
From Central Market Food Court where we ate our early dinner, the TP Bank ATM, in the lobby of Vien Dong Hotel, was a few minutes walk away. Thought it was safe especially since it's inside the lobby so I headed there.
Make sure you're withdrawing inside the lobby because there are two other ATM outside.
The exchange rate at the airport when we went there last year was terrible but we had no choice. We changed some (for fare and for midnight snack) and then changed the rest at a money changer near Benh Than Market. This year, though, I got a Gcash Card that I wanted to try.
5,000,000 VND
Gcash Rate: 11,375.64 PHP
Gcash Rate: 11,375.64 PHP
Google rate: 11,382.81 PHP
I got confused because Gcash Rate was lower than Google Rate but when I rechecked the other day, it really was lower and I wasn't charged an ATM transaction fee unlike what I was expecting. My mind wasn't able to comprehend why the withdrawal rate was lower. Kinda concluded that there has to be an additional charge somewhere. 😂 Turns out there's none. Ito na talaga 'yon. Ganito rin ba ang Gcash card sa Japan??
My friend exchanged money in a foreign currency here in Quezon City so I had some money changed, the exchange rate was .0028, btw. I don't know which machines are available at the airport nor if those machine charge more. All I can suggest is change a few notes, enough for the grab fare, then withdraw when you're in the city since there's a huge difference between the foreign currency exchange and withdrawal rate that I'm crying in .0005.
When we did our Indochina Trip in 2017, we didn't have VND onhand, I tried to withdraw but my ATM card was rejected so we ended up borrowing our cab fare from our hotel receptionist. This is something I don't recommend doing because not all receptionist is as kind as the one we encountered before. HAHAHA. So as a trauma response, I need to have a few VND notes as soon as I leave the airport even of that meant changing money for a higher price. lol. The next time I go there, I'd probably look around the different machines available in the airport arrivals.
When we did our Indochina Trip in 2017, we didn't have VND onhand, I tried to withdraw but my ATM card was rejected so we ended up borrowing our cab fare from our hotel receptionist. This is something I don't recommend doing because not all receptionist is as kind as the one we encountered before. HAHAHA. So as a trauma response, I need to have a few VND notes as soon as I leave the airport even of that meant changing money for a higher price. lol. The next time I go there, I'd probably look around the different machines available in the airport arrivals.
Everything, in time. 💖
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